SCHENECTADY — Barbara Vaughn had just turned 60 when her life changed.
It was 2010 and the Kingston resident was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder that causes inflammation around the spinal cord, disrupts nerve signals and, in some cases, can lead to paralysis.
Vaughn had three bouts with the disease that left her unable to walk at one point. She was able to regain use of her extremities — she attributes that to years of bodybuilding — but has been left with a “burning” nerve pain from her midsection down.
“I do take a nerve medication for pain, but it does not take the pain away,” said Vaughn, now 74.
The diagnosis “completely changed” Vaughn’s life and forced her to cease operating the lighting store she operated for decades.
Eventually, she began using medical marijuana to help alleviate her symptoms and then turned to cannabinoids — more commonly referred to as CBD — for relief. Vaughn said the CBD-infused sprays, gummies and ointments she rubs on the soles of her feet have become part of her daily pain-management routine.
“It’s a very important part of my regimen to be well,” she said.
After spending years talking up the benefits of CBD to her friends and