The Founder’s Story
Hi, I’m Michael Ferguson Valenzuela, founder of The Weed Exchange.
I was born with deformities in my legs and feet, resulting in chronic pain, recurring knee dislocations, and muscle atrophy. Cannabis has helped me tolerate my condition while I continue seeking permanent relief through traditional medicine.
My Last Ride
Doctors and physical therapists have long explained that the pain and instability in my legs are partly due to muscle atrophy, which was caused by a lifetime of avoiding most sports and leg exercises that could easily trigger painful knee dislocations due to the abnormal shape of my knees.
Bicycling was one of the few activities I could do without one of my knees dislocating, so I tried to ride as much as possible. I even made my bicycle my main mode of transportation when I worked as a real estate broker in Downtown Los Angeles, hoping to strengthen my legs.
Then one day, one of my knees dislocated while I pedaled my bicycle home one evening.
I put my bicycle away and began searching for an orthopedic specialist.
A Surgery I Had High Hopes For
In 2016, at the age of 42, I underwent a reconstructive knee surgery I had high hopes would improve my condition. After two failed surgeries at ages 8 and 17, doctors said this procedure was my best chance for improvement.
This time, they fully replaced both of my knees, removed screws from a prior surgery, and reconstructed the ligaments in my legs which had already been reconstructed twice before.
The surgery stopped my knee dislocations but my insurance refused to cover the amount and type of rehabilitation support I needed to properly recover and I ended up in worse condition than before.
Now, I can’t even bend my legs far enough to ride a bicycle, and putting on shoes or getting in and out of my car is excruciatingly painful. Doctors say the scar tissue caused by the surgery causing this pain and stiffness is permanent, but I still hold out hope that future medical advances will make it treatable.
A New Direction
When I lost the ability to ride a bicycle and walking and standing became too painful to continue touring clients through available properties the way I used to, I began brainstorming a new path forward.
Online marketing was my focus in college, cannabis had consistently helped me, and the industry was just beginning to grow.
So in 2017, I launched The Weed Exchange to share my experience using cannabis for relief and to help others connect with trusted products, dispensaries, and delivery services that might help them as well.
A little about me
Birthplace: Lynwood, California
Education: B.S. in Business Administration, Marketing (concentration in e-commerce), California State University, Long Beach
Previous venture: Real estate broker & founder of The Loft Exchange in Downtown Los Angeles (2008–2017)
