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Vietnam Veteran and Six-Time Cancer Survivor: How Hemp Beverages Gave Me My Life Back | What Hemp Beverages Mean To Me · Ready To Drink Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: My name is Kevin Gill.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a 78-year-old individual, living with my wife here in Virginia, and I've had a very nice time with living in Virginia for about 35 years.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Since 1978, Nate, I've had six cancer diagnoses.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: And in July of 2012, I was once again diagnosed with head, neck, throat, and spine cancer.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: And the 2012 diagnosis really caused me to fall into severe anxiety and depression.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: I've had extensive therapy and several therapists and psychiatrists, and they all come back to pretty much the same diagnoses, and that the fact that I have the anxiety and diagnoses has left the PTSD.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: So post-traumatic stress disorder.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I I've been prescribed a number of antibiotics over the years, Nate.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: I've done steroquil, well butrin, atavan, and and and and other things.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: And the antidepressant really didn't do much for me.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: I I, you know, I I was hoping that I'd get a better feel from it.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: And the what I didn't get a better feel from, and excuse my throat, I'm gonna have to take a take it through again.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: My my throat is shot.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so steroquil and so on didn't seem seem to help me.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: And the benzoins would give me temporarily, say, eight or ten hours.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: But the problem with the benzoids, as you may know, is they're highly addictive.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I didn't certainly not want to deal with that.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: So in two several years now, I've had uh move to hemp Celsius.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Namely, I I deal with Delta.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: They're a very well-run organization, and their product is is really top-notch.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: So that it has helped me to the point where I can go days without really being being depressed or or anxious.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't mean that I have to get high every day.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It seems to have a residual effect that works very well for me.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: And my concern is that politicians now, for whatever reason, lobbyists, whatever it's beyond me, I worked in DC for over 20 years, but I wasn't a K Street lobbyist.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, I'm moving to the hemp beverages has helped me exponentially.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's the only way I can put it.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Now I I know through my dealings with other veterans, VA and so on.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a Vietnam veteran.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: I served there in 1969 and 1970.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, thousands of other Vietnam veterans that are in the same position that I am.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: They have the same concerns about now the politicians give us and the politicians take us away, is the way I'm looking at it.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's really a difficult blow to someone like me to think that within the next few months, these things are going to be no longer legal.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm really concerned about that.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: And the only thing I I'm putting my mind together is two things.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: It was game-changing legislation when it passed a few years ago.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so the politicians gave us that.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: Now we get to the point where they're going to be taking taking it away.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: And that's a game changer, you want to say, but the other factor is not only a game changer, but it's it's a cruel situation to put myself in, and thousands of others like me, not only Vietnam veterans, because I know I've had a lot of problems as as I have myself, but you know, a wide array of individuals that the legal hemp industry has helped greatly.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: They uh I can't emphasize that enough because it's given me pretty much my life back.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they say that, you know, depression can do a lot of things to a lot of people.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it always seems to come down to this same situation, concern about how we're going to be able to continue on with our lives.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, are we 79 in January?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to see them taking something away.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: By the time they get it back again, I'll probably be gone.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: So that's where I am.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's a game changer, and cool if they're looking to do that.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's my that's my thing about that.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that's a phenomenal story, and I'm sorry you're going through so much.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm but I'm also proud in this moment that we're able to provide some relief for you and as long as we can.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why we do this.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I really appreciate that.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm good.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's the way I feel, and I'm glad I had this opportunity.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know if they would decide to use someone like myself, but I'm glad to have this opportunity to speak with you.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're the person, it appears to me, that's going to be leading the vanguard in getting this legislation at least where it is today and not take it away.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we it's a it's a lot of people, there's a lot.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just me at all.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but what I'm doing is for the industry, I'm collecting the stories.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so the stories like yours and the stories like the thousands and tens of thousands of others like you, uh both veterans, both in the elderly, both just maybe they're 40 or 50 years old and they're dealing with PTSD and anxiety as well.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's one of those things where as a society, we these issues do transcend all ages and they transcend every generation, and every generation has their different things.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: But that's one thing that affects me and you person on a personal level is you know, this this is not just something for fun.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is this has become a necessity to continue to positively move forward, one step and do the other and forward in life.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's a it's from a personal level as well.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: It frightens me to think that come December 11th or November 12th, whatever day they decide it to be, you know, without proper regulation, it becomes this black market ban thing.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that there's that's why we're having these conversations on camera, is because these stories, I these stories are going to go in front of these lawmakers because that's what they need to hear now.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: They need to hear your story and the many others as to what it's gonna do to affect them, and thus then the greater community at large around them, which ultimately is their constituents, and that's why they're elected, is to stand up for their constituents and hear their voices when they're spoken.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I've had correspondence with both of my senators and my congressperson, and pretty much laid out in a shorter version what I was speaking with you about.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I again I was just glad that that maybe a a bit of my life story can help us at a critical time.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, what was the moment or the situation when you first were introduced to hemp beverages and specifically Delta?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I was first introducing them uh again through reading online some of the positive things that people were putting out there that you know how it how it changed their their lives.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it that made me move towards the the Celta.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it it's just uh uh you know, it it it again, it it's just getting back to my my concerns, not only for myself, but with with for other people, and as you say, younger people.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's not something not Vietnam veterans who are 70 and 80 years old now.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's there's a lot of 40, 50 years old that have issues, and they would very much want to have the legislation to at least stay where it is now, and don't be playing this cruelt of pulling it away from us.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: That bothers me to a great extent.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: I agree with you on that too.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: What before in your progression, you had mentioned the painkillers and the different pills, the opiates and stuff like that that were being given.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Were you did this replace alcohol as any sort of support, or was alcohol never really in the picture, or have you seen any changes in that?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, as far as alcohol is concerned, they I stopped drinking in 2010.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I just at that point I decided it was making me tired.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't, as I got older, the next day I would, you know, wasn't feeling well.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I you know, I just didn't do anything at that point.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: But then once the anxiety of the PTSD grew to a larger extent and pretty much taking over my life from my life.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: What from a trust in the product, what made you trust Delta's product and and choose it and purchase it to consume it?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: I I first heard of it on Facebook, and there were, you know, a number of comments made, people saying, you know, what a good product it was, and so on.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I did a little research, and not only they've been very responsive to my questions.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: Jack Sherry, I believe, is the owner of Delta, and I I could see that his portion of industry, I hope they're all run as effectively as as Delta is being being run.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, after moving, moving to the Celters, it uh again, I I I don't want to keep harming, I'm gonna change my life and very positively.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: If one of your local lawmakers, which you vote for, you know, your constituent in their their uh specific geographic region was on this call right now, what would you say to them?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Well, again, I I after giving a little background, I would want to emphasize, and and then they must be aware of the of the number of people that that are that are you know utilizing the the industry.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: And it means on a personal level, again, it means so much to me that the product that I'm dealing with is is very good.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, the way that you know Jack Sherry and and and his people there are very they seem to have an absolute concern about people who some people are just using it for a recreational that's fine.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: For me, it's not so much recreation, it's freeing me from anxiety and and and thinking, you know, another day, you know.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's they often say depression isn't the fear of death, it's the fear of life, which you go from day to day and it's the same thing over and over again.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: But then a game changer like the Celters and the other infused industry product.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I can't say enough about uh, you know, how it's been positive for me, and uh they they seem to have a good business plan there at at Delta, and I can understand his concern.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: He mentioned to me that when they started out, he had his mother in there packing up the stuff that's send out.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: And now it's become such a well-run organization.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, when they say something's gonna be here, it's gonna be here.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: And it's packed beautifully, and no one knows what what I'm getting.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: They just leave it in the box in the front porch.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And not only is the public good, but customer service is outstanding.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, you mentioned you mentioned about what the loss would be like.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: What what do you I mean, is there a is there an innate, is there a fear in that loss if the band goes through and these products won't be accessible for you?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, there's no doubt that that uh I guess fear is is the proper term.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: That if if it goes away, I know it's gonna be on the street.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I've never bought marijuana or anything street level.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: But then I I don't know how I would recalibrate.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Where where where which way am I going?
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: How how can I stay in the good position that I am today?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: But I I credit that to a great extent to this that happens in the street.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: And it it's just it it's just a uh a concern that's been taken away.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: I I I don't want to go back to being depressed, don't want to be thinking about anxiety.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: I I got to a point there for a while where I was having suicidal thoughts.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: I thought, well, you know, I can't go on from this day after day, struggling like this, and feeling that here I am, I'm a burden to my family.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that that would would get me when I was settled down.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: That's when I thought about suicide.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: Why should I, why should I make my family, why should I drag my family down because I'm I'm I'm feeling this anxiety?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then Delta crops up and came, and the effect was immediate.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not like I'm walking around in a stupor.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'm just a happy person.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, someone who is who is dealing with tremendous anxiety, uh, and I it's not just me, as we were, it's thousands and thousands of people.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: But the the whole uh if I lost it, uh I I just don't know what I do.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: I I I w I don't want to do anything illegal.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: I worked in the law enforcement for 33 years, so you know I know what you know what the what the deal is there, but it would be such a a again full game changer if if politicians are not going to consider the constituents, such as myself, and I I vote.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a voting constituent, and I I I I don't know if it's if if it happens like so many other things get pushed or put under a rug for a while, you know, I I just don't know what I would do because I don't want to lose the life that that that I'm leaving now, and it's because of the relaxation effect that that Delta has on me.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um what would you say if uh like Jack and other founders in the industry were on this call?
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what would you say to them right now?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: Kind of you know, an inspiring thing to push them through the next couple months and and and get this, try to get this over the finish line.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, it's a good way of putting it.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess I instead of looking at the at the broad table, I would have to bring it down more on an individual basis.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, if if I was to speak with with Jack and others, my my experiences with with Jack's company, and I feel for them at this point.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the indecision, I mean, he's a w a relatively young man, as far as I can see.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: And for after building such a uh model uh of industry, if you will, again, I would feel for him.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there goes his business, I mean, there goes his livelihood, and many others in a way that's carrying it out now.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: It it's it's they're doing a great, great job.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I feel for myself, but I feel for them too, because they're providing what I can only say I need on on a on a regular basis.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: And now it's been a couple of years, and I've been in a happy spot.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's there's not always, you know, it's not always roses and petals there.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's just me, me, an individual.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's giving me my life back, and I would thank Jack and the other industry leaders in the HEP organization that it's done wonders to me, and I know it's helped others.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's kept us away from things like, you know, I may think about going, you know, trying benzoids again, because at least they give me some relief.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: It would give me like in 40 minutes.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: But then it would go away, and I'd be back in the same rut.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: So now, when when I've been utilizing uh, you know, help uh help cell to I don't have that problem.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like I'm rebounding from anywhere.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm just being what I was before all of the.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: I guess the the war, the psychiatrist and the therapist that I've spoken to have said that the PTSD in my situation is two factors.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: One, my Vietnam experience, which will always live with me, but that's that's the way it's gotta be.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: The second one is cancer.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And cancer has been with me first time in 1978.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: They did a reception in my death.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: Then I was young then, kind of bounced back, couldn't think about cancer much because then when they took it out, they said it was benign.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: But then, uh let me forget, July 5th of 2012, the doctor who I who I know on a personal level has been my doctor, Enid.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: He did the diagnosis of sound, sound the cancer, and he moved me in a proper direction too.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: I I went from our local hospital, which is great, but he told me my agency, he said, don't stay with the local, go to UVA, where I went, uh and I've been under their care since since 2012.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, although it's been difficult, I mean the radiation, the chemotherapy, and several surgeries, just my whole head is kind of barbed wired together, I guess you said.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I yeah, I to them, and I I I know the the negative impact for for them as as the producers, and and for me as an individual who uses it and and to a great level is much more than satisfied.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's taking it's taking that anxiety that eats away at you day after day.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: And the thought of boom, back again, and maybe trying the benzoids.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then I was always afraid of the benzoids because you know the story, if the doctors give it to you for more than a couple of weeks, it can become addicted.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's different for different people.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_01: But I don't want to depend on something like that.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: I want something that I looked at it as tried and true and it does the job.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: You uh you said you were in law enforcement.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: What were you doing for 30 some years in law enforcement?
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, I I worked for the Treasury Department, and I for my first 12 years, I worked out of what we used to be called in that day the Newark, New Jersey district.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I worked there as someone's called a revenue officer, pretty much just station people.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, that that was my first 12 years.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: I was on the street as a revenue officer.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: Then I was transferred to D.C.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: to bring my my level of experience with within the the whole area of of law enforcement.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I I stayed with the Treasury for over 33 years.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then I had my army time on top of that.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I with the federal government, I guess you'd say, I've been uh I was working for 36, 37 years for the federal government and Treasury informed.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: Kevin, thank you so much for taking the time today and for telling your story and letting letting us capture your story and hopefully use this to get things over the finish line with these lawmakers.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I plan on, I will be walking along with Jack and some others and Dave and those that are with Delta.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: I personally do go to the lobbying efforts uh in in DC as well as various state capitals.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I will definitely have your phone, have my phone with me uh with your story on it, as well as I'm sure Dave and Jack will as well, be telling your story in front of these lawmakers.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I really appreciate this.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: Really is making an impact, and I can't thank you enough for taking the time today for Delta.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh I I thank you for the the effort that you put in already and the very important next couple of months.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: Now, talking to you much younger than I, but I I can see that you have vast experience at the state and federal level, and you're we need you and Jack, you know, to move things forward and you know, we all hope that I'm not losing what I need to have my life.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I uh I come from a fighting family, and I've never met a fight I didn't enjoy.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I my sleeve my sleeves are rolled up for the next few months for sure.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I enjoy a good fight.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: And uh it's a it's one that when it when it is about me for me personally as well, you know that I'm standing locked in arms with you.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I really appreciate it.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for your time today, DeKavin.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, Nate, thank you very much for doing the job.