Divorced and Transgender, Kai Alexander Fights Mental Pain With Cannabis

Kai Alexander was diagnosed with anxiety and depression before high school. Maria Levitov

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Trail Blazers is a series of portraits by photographer Maria Levitov, spotlighting cannabis consumers from all walks of life.

Kai Alexander moved to Colorado from North Dakota a little over a decade ago, eventually taking part in two of the state's most notorious resources: craft beer and cannabis. A transgender and recent divorcé, Alexander now works for one of Aurora's most popular breweries, using cannabis to help treat his longstanding anxiety and depression.

click to enlarge

Maria Levitov

"I’m thirty years old, originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota. I am a beertender at Comrade Brewing Company, which is the least stressful thing about my life. Over the past few months, I have been drowning in anxious thoughts and feelings, because of all of the hard in my life right now. I am a transgender individual going through a divorce and a lot of personal turmoil. I was first diagnosed with depression and anxiety at the age of twelve."

click to enlarge

Maria Levitov

"Over the years, I have been given a ton of medications to help with anxiety and/or sleep, none of which have worked as well as marijuana. Cannabis allows me to simply shut down all anxious feelings in order to get a good night's sleep. I feel so lucky to live here in Colorado — with legal weed — where I can calm all the worry from all of my life's unknowns."