I had the pleasure of interviewing Janna Champagne, RN, BSN recently to discuss cannabis and spirituality. Janna has been a fantastic TSC Talks Podcast guest several times in the past. I am linking to those podcasts for anyone interested in hearing more from Janna, including her initial “story”, and more detailed information on using cannabis to heal and her work with Autism, leading to developing Autism Safe Haven. Our most recent interview delved into Janna’s story and teased out how her lived experience led her to step more fully into her soul’s purpose. Janna delivers heartfelt, vulnerable glimpses from her journey thus far in this lifetime. Her lived experience is testimony to the power of continuing to show up, work on herself, and allow herself to surrender and be led by spirit despite some overwhelming odds. A story of personal transformation, hope, and healing.

Previous podcasts with Janna:
https://tsctalks.com/tsc-talks-guest-jenna-champagne/ Janna’s story 12/2019
https://tsctalks.com/tsc-talks-guest-janna-champagne/-on Autism Safe Haven, Autism/Cannabis 12/2020

Links:
http://www.integratedholisticcare.com/providers.html
https://jannachampagne.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cannanursejanna/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannachampagne/
https://www.instagram.com/nursejanna/

From bio: Nurse Janna's introduction to the cannabis industry began as a cannabis patient who happens to be a nurse when she suffered a debilitating immune health collapse in 2012. Janna credits cannabis for helping to reduce her reliance on harmful pharmaceuticals and support her ability to regain her health, including reversal of autoimmune disease, against all odds. Janna is also known for her success in treating her daughter's Autism with cannabis, which was featured as a cover story in a national cannabis industry magazine in 2017. www.integratedholisticcare.com/news

Nurse Janna's focus is holistic treatment--natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals including CBD and cannabis therapy. Her work as a cannabis-specialty nurse since 2015 included educating thousands of patients, helping them optimize their cannabis therapy outcomes through an individualized and well-informed approach. Janna has since applied her extensive clinical knowledge to educate medical professionals about cannabis, and help producers create therapeutic quality and targeted cannabis products, with a goal of improving cannabis patient success rates. Janna is also founder of Autism Safe Haven, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to improving cannabis-inclusive Autism care resources.

Nurse Janna's specialties include: Autism, Inflammatory/Chronic Pain Syndromes, Autoimmune, Neurological, Gastrointestinal, and Mental Health conditions. Janna found that success with cannabis often led to reduced reliance on pharmaceuticals, meanwhile improving quality of life and function.

Nurse Janna is a founding member of Cannabis Nurses Network, serving on CNN's Speaker's Bureau, and as leadership. Janna was awarded Leader of Nursing and Outstanding Author for Cannabis Nurses Media in 2019 and nominated/awarded Cannabis Nurses Network 2020 Educator of the Year. Janna offers accredited cannabis nurse education programs, and also serves as a cannabis college professor, teaching graduate student medical practitioners through John Patrick University’s Masters of Integrative Medicine Degree Program. Helping producers create optimal cannabis products resulted in one of the CBD product lines winning Top 10 CBD of 2020 designation using Janna’s formula recipes (Verdania Fields). Janna also serves as medical advisor and patient advocate for United Patients Group, dedicated to educating consumers with reliable cannabis information. Nurse Janna is a member of the Oregon Cannabis Clinician's Group and volunteers on the Patient Care Subcommittee of the Oregon Cannabis Commission, and the Ryan’s Law Oregon Advocacy Team.

The flow:
0:00-4:00 Introduction of Janna, bio
4-6:00 Janna gives brief thoughts on her bio
6:25-7:04 Family life, early years, codependency/dysfunction/religiosity family of origin
7:05-8:04 Early experience with spirituality through Reiki
8:05-8:40 Graduated from hs at 17, went right into college, lots of jobs
8:41-55 Age 27 had a daughter and got ill later that year, the start of chronic health issues
8:55-9:39 Age 28 hospitalized, was septic, almost died and had near-death experience that made her want to become a nurse, daughter was only 9 mos old
9:40-10:19 contrast between a nurse that was an advocate vs shamin’ blamin’ nurse, demonstrated the impact and importance of good care
10:20-11:04 Natural childbirth was a breeze -compared to ongoing stomach issues
11:05-12:14 Root of pain turned out to be perforated appendix leaking! She was septic, peritonitis
12:15-15:00 Ongoing discussion of pain issues..NDE, own mother wasn’t sure she’d make it through surgery w/the perforated appendix did not see white lights but was given a choice of whether or not to return. She had thought of her daughter…
15:05-16:35 Starting nursing school, daughter diagnosed w/autism in 10/2004, did a lot of research related to autism, graduated with Bachelors, continued research, worked in intense nursing units, cardiac Cath lab, conscious sedation patients…ended up getting sick
16:35-17:49 Dropped out of nursing school b/c she was so sick, 5 credits short of Masters! Felt suicidal, without a purpose, diagnosed with lupus, on antibiotics, had kidney failure, chronic autoimmune issues
17:50-20:59 Started on Cannabis! Felt some guilt due to upbringing, programming…husband got some white widow, health improved, she couldn’t believe it. She started learning everything she could “hungry brain syndrome”
21:00-22:24 a Huge rift in her family of origin over her cannabis use. Catastrophic break, they couldn’t accept her use, despite her mom being a nurse. She had a lot of awarenesses about her childhood upbringing
22:25-23:19 Breaking long-standing generational patterns with family, doing a lot of inner work
23:20 Was told by a healer with whom she was working that Cannabis is one of her spirit guides
26:00-27:19 Discussion of deep programming around cannabis and other subjects, are we not allowed to question but just have faith? Religious beliefs question everything
27:20-28:19 She was sent to ultra-conservative HS, almost cultish and you were looked down upon if you hadn’t received the gift of speaking in tongues, also discussed PTSD
28:20-29:14 Cannabis is a piece of healing, led her to other tools such as transcendental meditation which was life-altering
29:15-30:09 Special needs moms…. the need to step out of the fire, meditation, walking meditation, being present
30:10-31:04 thoughts the root of all suffering, shifting beliefs, paradigms, we are supported always…
31:05-32:00 Staying in the flow of your life, inspired action, surrendering-the hardest moments have silver linings, stepping into your soul’s purpose, higher calling
32:00-32:59 writing a book, questioning medical system with daughter pediatricians clueless, “there’s nothing we can do here”
33:00-34:04 Neurodiversity, autism, pain issues, gut issues, goal to help her daughter live her best life, w/the best possibility of reaching full potential
34:05-34:54 had inclination w/Reiki, biomedical approach to daughter’s autism, imbalances in the gut, epigenetics/nutrigenomics, cannabis started in 2014 w/puberty crisis
34:55-36:19 Puberty crisis-behaviors become more extreme, pain formulations, communication
36:20-37:59 Narrowly escaped out of home placement, credits cannabis sparing her that additional trauma
38:00-39:14 Start researching cannabis NOW, Jill mentions why its important, cannabis doesn’t fix everything, can even just reduce reliance on pharma
39:15-40:05 Are stories are powerful, she published her daughter’s story!
40:06-40:49 Endocannabinoid system (ECS) deficiencies lead to chronic illness, autism, etc, many common conditions can be treated by regulating the ECS
40:50-42:09 Cannabis is a gift for our highest good, used for mainstream medicine until 1937. It should be a basic human right…. Jesus may have used cannabis, what would Jesus do?
42:10-43:29 Autism Safe Haven, guided by following cannabis patients needs, cannabis inclusive autism care resources
43:30-44:04 Unity Formulas, for-profit entities, in exchange for contributions…help overcome barriers
44:05-44:54 Building for profits to support nonprofit
44:55-48:34 Cannabis nurses network, Jim Bartel, Ryan’s Law, www.cannabisnurseapproved.com can find cannabis nurses
48:35 talk to Jesus, it’s a tool, tip of the iceberg, post-traumatic growth, stepping out of our stories, finding purpose in the story, seeing the benefit for others