Revolutionary People | Suzette Aubuchon, Patient Advocate

We’ve written a lot about the stigma of marijuana and the most common misconceptions new patients have about what medical cannabis dispensaries like Revolutionary Clinics are like. When it comes to debunking people’s preconceived notions about marijuana being nothing more than a crutch for stoners, slackers and underachievers, few people are more qualified to set the record straight than Suzette Aubuchon.

Suzette received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Bridgewater State University and her Master’s degree in Macro Social Work from Boston College. While she was finishing school at Bridgewater State and for a year after graduation, Suzette worked at the Department of Youth Services where she supervised the rehabilitation of incarcerated young men.  This was a profound experience for Suzette. Working with men who made bad decisions and ended up on a destructive path because they couldn’t handle their stress and anxiety was a real eye-opener for her.

Upon graduating from BC, Suzette took a job at a different medical dispensary for what she thought would be a fun summer job before she started pursuing her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. What Suzanne didn’t expect was to fall in love with helping people discover cannabis as a natural way to manage their chronic pain, stress and anxiety and become happier, healthier and more productive as a result.

As she reflected on her time working for the Department of Youth Services, Suzette found herself wondering how many of the men she worked with could have avoided prison if someone had showed them how to properly manage their physical and mental challenges. What if she could use her knowledge of cannabis and her training as a social worker to not just help people rehabilitate themselves but help people avoid making bad decisions in the first place? What if she could be a voice for increased access to medical marijuana and help to change the stigma surrounding it?

Suzette joined Revolutionary Clinic in February, 2019 and has been a tremendous asset to our patients, our staff and our advocacy/education efforts ever since. “I feel as though I can incorporate much of what I learned seeking my social work education day-to-day in the dispensary setting,” Suzette says. “I draw upon core social work values when interacting with my patients to truly understand their challenges and deliver the best recommendations and customer service I possibly can.”

In addition to the knowledge Suzette gained from her formal education, she also has ten years of personal experience using cannabis to treat her ADHD and anxiety. “My cannabis use has enabled me to take considerably less prescription medications to cope with my symptoms,” she explains. “I’m a firm believer in the medicinal powers of cannabis and I love hearing the stories of my patients and how cannabis has helped them find relief from a wide variety of issues like chronic pain, psoriatic arthritis, migraines, and insomnia. It’s truly what has solidified my advocacy for medical marijuana.”

One of the many things we love about Suzette is her ability to see the big picture every bit as clearly as she does each patient’s needs. Suzette believes that every patient she helps with medicinal cannabis is one less patient a doctor needs to see so that doctor can provide better care to other patients. She also believes that she’s not just helping her patients, she’s helping all the people who live and work with them. “When my patients feel better, they’re able to spend less time worrying about their own problems and more time being present in other aspects of their lives such as with family, friends or in their workplaces,” Suzette explains. “I truly feel that the opportunities are endless for the positive impact that cannabis can make in our communities and on our economy.”

Suzette loves helping her patients discover the benefits of cannabis edibles and has learned to remind patients that it takes time to figure out the best dosing strategy. “I always tell my patients two things about edibles,” Suzanne says. “#1 is your first experience does not dictate all future experiences. #2 is that 95% of us have the ability to feel the effects of edibles, but it’s all about starting low and slowly increasing your dose to find that sweet spot. Sometimes patients need to be patient!”

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Suzette and the difference she makes in the lives of our patients and our staff. As Suzette says: “Whether it’s fielding questions, talking about our experiences, helping find the right strains or types of products for you, or just normalizing being a medical cannabis user, we are here to support you.” If you have a question or special request for a future topic, be sure to leave a comment or share your suggestions with us using the form on our website! We hope to hear from you soon!