Weed. Love it, hate it, today we celebrate it 💨

The cannabis industry has been on my radar since states started legalizing back in 2012. Back then, I had just started my business and I wasn’t a cannabis user. In fact, I thought what a lot of people who don’t know much about legalized weed think: it’s a recreational drug for lazy, unambitious people without jobs (ouch 😖). That’s what society told me to think, and I believed it without question. Thank goodness for helpful suggestions, available knowledge, patient budtenders, and an open mind. I shared a bit in a recent post about how I started utilizing cannabis.

My career is in a creative field, as well as a physically demanding field. Cannabis has become a beautiful part of my routine. That doesn’t mean I can’t function without it, and that doesn’t mean I’m high while I work behind the chair. It just means I function better in all of the other aspects of my life that are CRITICAL in order for me to remain healthy enough to keep standing behind that chair. I don’t think I should be judged for that.

I smoke daily because when I smoke my meditations are quieter, my yoga practice flows more smoothly, my body is relaxed, my creative work thrives. It helps me focus on the task at hand, whether it’s editing (websites, photos, graphics... so much editing 🙃), drafting social media posts, calendar planning, class planning, writing, e-learning... the list goes on. I have the ability to zero in on these tedious projects in a way that my restless, big-picture, anxious mind sometimes can’t otherwise. I love to paint a big picture, but I bore quickly with the small details. I often tend to overthink things and be easily distracted by ideas and daydreams. It's a part of my personality that I’ve had to adapt to and work with, and cannabis helps with that.

My experience is not everyone’s experience. Some people DO get lazy and lose ambition if they smoke too much. Some people DO require cannabis to function normally (seizures, chronic pain, cancer, etc.).

I would never judge someone for choosing not to use cannabis because I understand that everyone’s experience is different. So why it is that the topic of cannabis use is so stigmatized? It’s a natural medicine for so many. It has HUGE benefits over prescription drugs, in that for many people there are few or no negative side effects. As a society, we’re not judging people for drinking caffeine every day, taking over-the-counter and prescription drugs, or having wine with dinner, so what gives? It just doesn’t make sense. It’s time to let that stigma go, and I think in many ways we're starting to.

As a young adult, I was prepared to fully accept the ideas that weed is bad, it turns you into a lazy stoner, and the only appropriate place for its use is for severe pain/sleep management. I'm grateful I was encouraged to give it another, more educated, try. Since then I’ve met some of the nicest, smartest, and most interesting people in all different roles in the cannabis industry. I’ve also had some of the greatest naturally occurring work collaborations, and I’ve opened up new creative doors for myself. I’m happy to have learned the errors of my previous opinions because it’s changed the way I live my life for the better.

Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it, but also recognize that not everyone’s experience is the same. People aren’t “addicted” to weed, some people are liberated by it.

Feeling grateful for safe, legal cannabis and the small business opportunities it’s brought for so many people in legalized states. Let's continue to spread knowledge about the positive uses for marijuana.

Happy 420 friends 💚💚💚

Interesting reads:

"How Did Marijuana Become Illegal in the First Place?"

"'Illegal To Essential': How The Coronavirus Is Boosting The Legal Cannabis Industry"

"Medical Marijuana FAQ"

* This blog post is a recounting of my own experience. I am not a medical professional nor do I intend to give medical advice. Marijuana has intoxicating effects, can be habit-forming, and can have negative health effects for some people.