"The Nanny" star Fran Drescher used to smoke marijuana so much recreationally she called herself a real "wake and bake" – a term for people who get high as soon as they wake up -- but nowadays she is using cannabis for its medicinal properties, and swears by the results, Fox News reports.
"The cannabis has helped me so much," the 61-year-old told Closer Weekly while opening up about her shocking uterine cancer diagnoses nearly 20 years ago. Drescher had to undergo a hysterectomy but several years later she was struggling with "inflammation issues" related to the surgery. That was when she turned to cannabis, which she said gave her relief for the physical discomfort.
"Because as a daily supplemental, taken any way that you personally like, is going to help your body. Reduce inflammation, reduce your stress, sleep better, and just increase your functionality, at least it has worked for me," she said.
Drescher may be touting the medicinal benefits of cannabis now but her approach has not always been holistic. The 1990s sitcom star admitted to being "a real wake and bake" before she understood the medicinal attributes of cannabis.
"Truth be told, when I was younger, I used to smoke to numb myself from my feelings," she said. "It helped me get through certain relationships that were a little bit challenging for me. I went into therapy and the therapist finally said, 'You can’t come in here stoned. This is all about feeling your feelings and not numbing yourself.'"
After that, Drescher said she stopped using cannabis as an emotional crutch. When she did return to using it, her reasons were strictly medical. She said cannabis formed part of her recovery from cancer and she wants people to know how it has helped her.
"I’m trying to share that with the public. And go organic – organic, organic, organic!," she said.
In recent years Drescher has become a vocal advocate for cannabis. In a separate interview, she told Cannabis Science and Technology that many people still see cannabis as an illegal street drug.
"But that logic is actually a very well-crafted 20th-century big business campaign that brainwashed a lot of people," she said.
"When someone is diagnosed with a disease or is living with chronic illness or pain, or mental illness, the journey toward wellness is an extremely personal one and truly a decision only one can make for themselves. All I can say is what I do for me and why. And if that resonates with others, more power to them."
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