From Dysbiosis to Symbiosis

by Kennis R. Littleton

 Not too long ago, my mind, body, and spirit were at odds with each other, fighting battles that left me disconnected from who I was meant to be. The word for that is dysbiosis: the imbalance of not just health, but identity, purpose and peace.

  After overcoming addiction and incarceration, I went through a deep transformation. I committed myself to healing, to honesty and to rebuilding a life of intention. During that season, I took a six-year break from cannabis   A personal decision rooted in discipline. But what I didn’t fully realize at the time was how much that pause was affecting my endocannabinoid tone, my stress, my sleep, and eventually, my weight.

In those six years, I gained nearly 100 pounds.

  I didn’t just feel heavy, I felt stuck. I had done the work spiritually and emotionally, but my physical vessel wasn’t aligned. I wasn’t moving right. I wasn’t recovering. I was holding trauma in my tissue, and I was coping in ways that didn’t honor how far I’d come.

Then, I reconnected with cannabis not as an escape, but as a tool.

  Cannabis reminded me of my rhythm. It recalibrated my system and helped me rebuild a healthier relationship with food, rest, movement, and mindfulness. I returned to nature. I started walking, cycling, and fasting. I paid closer attention to what was fueling me and what was draining me. And now, just over a year later, I’ve released over 60 pounds—and more importantly, I’ve gained a deeper connection to myself.

To me, that’s symbiosis.

“For a long time, I was out of sync—disconnected from my body, my purpose, and the peace I knew deep down I was meant to walk in. Life felt heavy, and so did I. But when I returned to cannabis with clear intention, something shifted. It wasn’t just about losing nearly 60 pounds—it was about coming home to myself. My mind, body, and spirit started to realign, and in that healing, I found clarity, calm, and the confidence to keep showing up as the man I was always becoming.” —Kennis Littleton

Cannabis as a Sacred Friend 

  Cannabis has always carried a sacred symbolism in my life. One of my earliest memories was as a kid, sneaking into my mother’s room and discovering a small velvet jewelry box. Inside, was a single green bud—tucked away like something precious. That moment planted a seed in me, long before I understood what it meant.

  Later in life, when me and my mom smoked together for the first time, I told her about that memory. She smiled and said, “That was always the best one, the one I would save to smoke last. That stayed with me.

  Cannabis isn’t just a plant. It’s a smokable gem. Something to be cherished, respected, and honored for its healing potential.

  Now, as the founder of Canna Gemz, I see cannabis not just as a product, but as a medium for transformation, story, and reconnection. It has helped me return to my body. It has helped me return to purpose.

The Human ECS: A Reminder to Listen Inward

Most people don’t realize we’re born with a biological system designed to work in harmony with cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates so much, appetite, pain, mood, memory, sleep, and immune response. When it’s off balance, when there’s dysbiosis, we feel it everywhere.

For me, that imbalance looked like overeating, chronic fatigue, depression, and poor recovery. Once I resumed cannabis with intention, I started to feel like my ECS was finally being heard. That’s when the weight began to fall away. Not because I was chasing skinny, but because I was returning to balance.

This is something I want more people to understand. Cannabis isn’t a crutch. It’s a tool. When paired with self-awareness and discipline, it can be a vehicle for deep healing, physically and emotionally.

A Life of Contrast, A Mission of Clarity

I’ve lived many lives. I’ve worn many masks. I’ve been a felon, a furniture delivery driver, a Teen Challenge graduate, and a creative entrepreneur. I’ve battled shame, addiction, grief, and guilt. I’ve lost people I loved deeply, like my younger brother Markcus, who passed away just days before graduating a recovery program. His life and death, became a symbol for me. A constant reminder to invest in others, to create legacy, and to walk in integrity.

Now, every project I touch is rooted in purpose.

With Canna Gemz, we’re building a cannabis brand that reflects dignity and culture. because the people behind the plant deserve protection and pride.

Everything I do now is about symbiosis, between creativity and healing, style and substance, commerce and community.

Final Reflection

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you feel like you’ve been walking through a season of dysbiosis, out of balance, out of sync. I want you to know: it’s not permanent. You can recalibrate. You can reconnect. You can redefine your relationship with your body, with your past, with your purpose.

The long game of healing is hard. But when you treat your life like sacred ground, and your story like a seed, something beautiful will grow.