Compassion in cannabis: How two marijuana companies are helping patients find hope

“Well, firstly, I think the most important thing about this is that they have a sign on the door that says consultation room. And that’s a very unusual thing to see at a dispensary, but it implies exactly what it is.” This was the first thing Terri Birkemeier told me about her cannabis journey when we sat down for an interview.

That small sign at the Feel State dispensary has had a profound impact on the lives of Terri and many other cannabis patients.

“Randy happened to go there one day just to pick up some gummies, and that sign was just everything,” she continued.

“Because he came home and he looked at me and he said, I wonder if that means what I think it means.”

The relationship between medical cannabis patients and dispensaries in Missouri is experiencing a revival of patient-centered care. Although medical marijuana was legalized in the state in 2018 and dispensaries began serving patients in 2020, the introduction of recreational sales in 2023 sometimes shifted focus away from medical needs. Yet, individuals like Jeff Rowse and companies such as Feel State and Vivid have remained steadfast in ensuring patient care remained a primary priority.

This type of leadership, has helped to spark the recent revitalization and an increased emphasis on cannabis as a therapeutic product. Through personalized consultations and a genuine dedication to patient well-being, Rowse and Feel State, bridge the gap between conventional medical limitations and cannabis-based relief.

And for companies like Show-Me Organics and products like Vivid’s full extract cannabis oil (FECO) patients with few or no other options have continued to be a focal point of care. Now more and more companies are rejoining the fray to make cannabis a patient orient product.

Boston Dickerson, CEO of Show-Me Organics, the parent company of Vivid, said, “A big reason we got into this business was to deliver positive health outcomes for our community, just as my family did with the local pharmacy.” That commitment is evident in Vivid’s decision, under special circumstances, to provide FECO at essentially no cost to these patients, helping their families in need focus on healing without the added burden of cost.

Dickerson added, “We hope for a future where the healthcare system embraces cannabis as part of patient care, enabling programs that make this medicine more affordable for those in need.”

For Randy and Terri Birkemeier, discovering the consultation room at Feel State was transformative.

“I called and made an appointment and Randy went and met with Jeff and it was exactly what we were hoping for – a chance to get answers and maybe sit down one-on-one to be able to talk with someone about what’s going on and feel like they actually care about you and want to help. And Jeff was all those things.”

Faced with a dire prognosis, Terri had been diagnosed with aggressive cancer and given only months to live. Traditional medicine offered little relief, prescribing pain medication despite Terri’s allergies and PTSD. It was FECO, introduced through Feel State, that became their beacon of hope. Randy explained their determination to find an alternative to Western medicine because Terri did not want to spend her remaining time feeling ill.

Their diligent research into cannabis oils like Rick Simpson Oil led them to FECO and Jeff Rowse, who quickly connected them to Vivid after understanding the urgency of their situation. Rowse sought discounted pricing but was amazed when Vivid committed to providing FECO at essentially no cost under special circumstances. He shared that Vivid’s roots in a small-town pharmacy foster a deeply compassionate approach, where knowing each patient’s story is paramount.

The results for Terri have been remarkable. Despite initial debilitating pain and limited mobility, she experienced significant relief and a better quality of life. She even believes FECO is the sole reason she is still here today. Randy vividly remembers the early days of Terri’s diagnosis and the anxiety and pain she endured. After starting FECO, much of that suffering began to ease, and her outlook improved.

Similarly impactful is the journey of young Drew Patchin, battling brain cancer for the fifth time.

“A couple of years ago during the Drew’s Crew Lemonade Stand fundraiser, Nick from Feel State was like, ‘Hey, I want to help.” He wanted to kind of magnify what we were doing.” Drew’s aunt, Debbie Schultz told us.

“I also serve on the board of a local pediatric cancer charity that Feel State has been very supportive of. And so Nick came out to the lemonade stand, brought out some other businesses, and we raised about $5,000 for two different charities. At that time, he pulled me to the side and said, if you ever want to try cannabis to help Drew, call me. I’m going to take care of you guys and help you figure it out.”

“Last fall when his cancer came back, they were able to remove it. But we knew at that point that it was just a matter of time till it came back again. And that’s when I started doing some real research on like, well, what other things could we do to maybe keep it away? And every time I Googled, everything that came up was about cannabis every single time. It was RSO or FECO or whatever. So I finally one day said to Jennifer, like, ‘Do we want to have this conversation?’ And why are we waiting for it to come back before we start to think about how to fight it again?”

At 12, Drew has already experienced more than most adults will in a lifetime, with cannabis, there is a sense of normalcy and an enhancement to his quality of life that Drew and his family hadn’t experienced before.

Guided by Feel State, Drew began FECO treatment.

“We went through the process to get Drew’s medical card, which was a whole process in itself.

“Especially since not all states allow minors to get medical cards, but Missouri does, thankfully. And then before we made the decision to go ahead and start, we did talk to Drew’s main medical providers and they were both super supportive and said, ‘We can’t technically advise you on these things, but what we can tell you is we have lots of other patients who do it,” she told Greenway.

   

Jennifer described their initial concern that Drew might experience psychoactive effects or may be out of it or high, and while Drew never really experienced significant psychoactive effects due to dosing and timing.

“We were only giving him very little amount at the beginning and only at night. And then we kept increasing it and only giving it at night. And as long as he went to bed, you know, within an hour or two, like it was fine. If he was up longer, there was one night where he just was like so silly and we’re like, my God, I think he’s high.”  she laughed. “But he doesn’t really understand. He just knows like this is the kind of pill he’s taking now is called cannabis. He takes a ton of pills, but he just knows like that’s one of the medications he’s taking. He doesn’t know anything about legalization.”

“We have literally zero experience with marijuana, cannabis, like anything in our lives ever. And all we know is some people use it for medical stuff and a lot of people use it recreationally. We had like zero experience. So it’s all been a learning curve over the last few months for us. But we’re so grateful to be on this journey and getting this opportunity for Drew to have this available, because it’s clearly made a huge difference for us and him.”

Drew had been in remission but the side effects of his treatment and recovery and the damage already done to his body had created several life altering symptoms, with one of the most prominent being the inability to swallow solid food.

“He had been really struggling with being able to swallow solid food, even liquid food. Like even liquids wouldn’t always go down. So he was dropping weight very quickly. But now he like he’s able to swallow.”

“He always had the appetite and was like literally not able to eat and get the food to go down. It would pile up in his throat. And then he would cough and like a whole bunch of food would come back out, which is kind of gross, but really it’s dangerous,” she explained. “But now most things can go down again. And so he already had the appetite to eat, but (cannabis treatment) has literally made it so that he can eat now,’ she continued. “He was eating steak on our vacation. His energy level has increased greatly.”

“We were very excited by how his quality of life improved. And so we were very hopeful that that meant the tumor was disappearing, and then disheartened to find out in June that it was not.”

Faced with another battle, Drew’s family decided to take the alternative route first.

“Drew turned 12 in March and we found out his brain cancer was back for the fifth time in April. And I believe we started FECO in March, but very, very small amount. And because at the time we thought there was no disease. And so it was more like a maintenance to keep it that way. And then we found out it was back.”

“We said, okay, let’s not even try any of that,” Jennifer Patchin explained after hearing about some of the potential damages to healthy organ systems that traditional therapies would certainly bring. “First, let’s just try revving up cannabis and some supplements. And so we did that.”

Drew started by taking his doses at night before bed.

“He’d already built up (a tolerance) in his system to taking those three pills a day, but all of it was in the evening. And then it was like, what’s this going to be like when I give it to him in the morning and what are we going to see in a few hours? But really haven’t seen anything.”

“So now we put the vial into three pills. He takes one in the morning and then early afternoon and then one before bed. And that has helped tremendously.”

In June, the Patchins were notified that the tumor had grown and there was a second tumor. “We’re still keeping up with the FECO and the supplements that we’re doing. And we’ve added supplements because we did go ahead and add one of the chemo protocols that they recommended in order to try the best for him that they can hope for is some stabilizing of the tumors for some period of months before growth will happen again.”

While Drew’s cannabis hasn’t cured Drew’s cancer, the Patchins say it has unequivocally changed his life for the better.

Rowse’s consultations provide crucial clarity and comfort to patients like Drew and Terri, helping them navigate unfamiliar territory. He explained that people feel comfortable sharing personal information with him, which allows for more tailored care. Debbie highlighted the importance of professional guidance in an intimidating process, expressing that having Jeff’s support made it much easier to begin this journey.

Although physicians cannot formally prescribe cannabis due to federal restrictions, Drew’s oncologist and psychiatrist were supportive.

For Terri, cannabis relieved more than cancer symptoms; it alleviated severe pain that made even hugging unbearable. Now, that pain is gone. Both she and Randy emphasize the urgent need for public education and outreach. Terri feels frustrated by her inability to share her story widely and relies on people like Jeff and Vivid to spread awareness. Randy noted the difficult divide between cannabis and traditional medical communities that must be bridged.

Jennifer and Debbie echoed the importance of informed guidance. Jennifer said that having someone knowledgeable and experienced made all the difference, and Debbie praised Jeff for providing resources and confidence in a process that can feel overwhelming.

Feel State’s model, championed by Rowse, demonstrates the life-changing potential when medical cannabis care is grounded in compassion and thorough consultation. Rowse admitted that the emotional weight of these consultations was initially daunting. He feared saying the wrong thing in moments of great vulnerability. Nevertheless, he insisted on maintaining the consultation service, recognizing its vital role.

These patient stories underscore the profound need for personalized, informed cannabis care. They offer hope for how cannabis might increasingly integrate into patient-centric healthcare, fostering not only survival but meaningful quality of life. For Terri and Drew, Feel State and Vivid have been indispensable allies, highlighting the pressing necessity to connect traditional medicine with the growing realm of cannabis therapeutics.