Steemit Story Update: On Location at HomeGrown Hydroponics and Phytomedical, Where Cannabis Coaching Was in Full Swing

Two weeks ago, I shared my recent experience at the Lift Cannabis Expo which was held at the end of May in Toronto, Ontario Canada. For those of you who might not be familiar with this event, it's a huge corporate cannabis trade-show that's held once a year and it usually runs for multiple days. (2017, was the Lift Cannabis Expo's 3rd year to be held in the city of Toronto.)

In Canada, we are currently a "year" away  from full legalization across the country (for both medical and recreational cannabis consumers).  As a result, the competition was fierce (this year) between all the companies attending the show. They were aggressively competing for their fair-share of the "already legal" medical consumers' attention and ultimately the chance to influence what cannabis products they buy and from whom.

There were over 200 different exhibitors and presenters at the show this year. I talked to many people on the floor, the day that @knarly327 and I went. One of those people was Michael Mason from a company called Phytomedical. 

I talked directly to Michael for about 10 minutes and through the course of our conversation, I think we both realized how similar the work we are doing for the cannabis culture, is. Both of us, along with many members of our immediate families, have our medical licenses and our grow licenses.  Each of us help other people, everyday to successfully integrate cannabis plant medicine into their respective lifestyles. Both of us, started out with a core business and expanded our operations to included very specific (and much needed,I might add)  cannabis coaching and educational services to help folks maintain their happiness and healthfulness as they use this plant.

I think that both Michael and I were equally as excited to learn that we were basically providing the same type and level of services to our respective clients. This is why (a few days after the event, once I had a chance to blog about our chance meeting and he (Michael) had a chance to go on Steemit and read it) he replied to my email and extended an invitation to come to their head office and attend one of their "Making Cannabis-Infused Edibles" workshops.

So far, in the Canadian Cannabis Industry, I haven't found my "tribe" yet.

What I have found is a lot of hard-core old growers and activists who are worn-out from protesting against the actions of the Canadian government (for what seems like almost their entire adult lives) to free this herb.

(Please don't misunderstand my feelings around growers and activists with experience. If it wasn't for their efforts we wouldn't have a cannabis industry at all. However, they do tend to feel that if everyone just accepted the plant for the HERB that it is, love would abound and families wouldn't be broken. It's damn hard to argue with this sentiment.)

Then, there is the dispensary crowd who just want to be able to carry-on a reputable business without being harassed by law-enforcement or the government. They believe the cannabis industry should be a free and fair market for anyone who wants to operate a business in the cannabis industry. End of story.

Then, there are new medical patients who are actually retired baby boomers and remember what "their pot" was like back in the 60's and 70's and want to recreate that experience as a way to combat painful inflammatory conditions and treat insomnia. We must start slow and lower with these folks who have never experienced THC with double digit percentage, strength before. "Yeah, it's not the same as it use to be.", I say a lot. 

Lastly, there's a much younger crowd who requires cannabis to treat anxiety, depression, pain or manage a disease of some description. They don't want to take multiple pharmaceuticals to treat what ails them. They are generally still in the work-force and require discrete options which will let them be medicated while completely functional and efficient. I would say that this group is most "stigma sensitive" and as a result has higher paranoia tendencies.

Each of these industry segments, (related to today's cannabis consumer) is completely different. Each group seems to have their own agendas and specific needs which they are looking to fill as soon as possible. Everyone's case seems extremely urgent to them and I think that's because becoming legal and staying legal, once you are, still requires a fair amount of hoop jumping.

Cannabis coaches (like Michael and I) tend to focus on trying to discern what a person's plant medicine needs actually are and then we spend time teach skills and providing the education required so that the person is better equipped to integrate the herb legally into their everyday lives and stay legal.

This sounds like no big deal, but there are actually very few people who are currently sharing credible and usable information that apply to real cannabis-life senarios. There are very few credible people who will help others to navigate their way through the abyss of learning how to use the herb properly and to its full potential.

All of these things are what a cannabis coach routinely does:

• Helps the consumer fill-out the correct paperwork needed and submit it accurately and properly;
• Puts the consumer's mind at ease when they are worried about having a consultation with a medical doctor who is ultimately going to have final say over whether they think the consumer's health history warrants a medical cannabis license;
• Teaches the consumer about their endocannabinoid system and how it works;
• Teaches the consumer the differences between strains and how to choose strains from an on-line catalog where the plant material can't be seen or smelt before hand;
• Teaches the consumer what ingestion methods they have available to them;
• Teaches the consumer how to store and grind plant material properly;
• Teaches the consumer how to roll a joint, load a vapourizer or titrate an infusion, tincture, or FECO;
• Helps the consumer trouble shoot finding the best strains and ingestion methods for their particular health needs;
•  and troubleshoots the challenges that arise with using cannabis on a daily basis, like how to travel with it and what to do, if too much is consumed or a tolerance to the herb develops.

Some of us charge for these services and some of us offer these services complimentary because we are also running stores that sell specialty equipment that is related to using cannabis.

This is exactly the scenario with Michael's family. His lovely wife Jessica holds certification as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Together, Michael and Jessica run the Phytomedical resource centre and clinic but it was Jessica's mother, Shelley Eitel-Rea who started their families' main business, HomeGrown Hydroponics, back in 1985.

Shelley also developed her own cannabis nutrient line which is called Dutch Nutrients. She's a grower, through and through...of all plants.

Dutch Nutrients is manufactured and is available for sale at their head offices in Toronto, but it's also sold across the country in 12 independent owned but affiliated hydroponics stores.

I was honored to be asked to attend one of this families' workshops (held at their head offices which is a 2.5 hour drive into the city, from our house out in the country).

This is Shelley and I. This photo was taken after she gave a 2-hour seminar and taught a group of  about a dozen folks how to make cannabis infused chocolates, cannabis infused tea, and cannabis infused granola.

I don't think Shelley or I fit the typical "stereo-type" of stoners, yet both of us use cannabis ourselves everyday. Plus, we also talk to other cannabis users, educate and provide support in all things cannabis, almost everyday. ( I personally wonder how anyone can educate others about the effective use of this herb, if they themselves have never used it and have no working knowledge of it.) Shelley has had her fingers on the pulse of the "growing side" of cannabis in Canada, for over 30 years. This woman deserves a medal for her humanitarian efforts and she should be recognized as a Canadian Cannabis icon.

I took a few photos to show you Phytomedicals' and HomeGrown Hydroponics' teaching space.

This is a fully living and functionally aquaponics system. It's used for teaching and demonstrating hydroponic techniques. This aquaponic system is different than traditional hydroponics in that, fish are kept in the big blue tub and are providing nutrient rich food for the vegetables. Like traditional hydroponics, the plants are being grown in a special hydroponic growing medium under grow lights. Aquaponics  is a complete symbiotic relationship between the light, the plants, the water and the fish.

The water that the fish are living in, is crystal clear due to the filtering and oxygen production of the plants which, in turn, are thriving off of the fish excrement, in one big cycle. This provides a more natural nutrient-rich diet for the plants.

These fish looked happy and vibrant to me.

I felt nothing by love, support and encouragement while I was here. I just loved this banner. It is fresh, local, and healthy when you grow plants yourself!

I took this picture as people were finding their seats before the cooking class started. There were approximately a dozen people in attendance that day. An equal number of men and women and I would say that everyone I saw and talked to was over 50 years old.

All class participants had medical cannabis licenses. Everyone received detailed notes that included all the recipes that were demonstrated during the class. At the end of the demonstration, samples were provided and an opportunity to ask questions followed.

The discussion was lively and I was introduced as a guest cannabis coach and called upon to answer some very specific questions related to the entourage effect and dosing responsibly.

Afterwards, Michael asked me if I would consider coming back to teach a "cooking with cannabis" workshop in their facility.

I have agreed to do this and I am looking forward to continuing to build a relationship with this cannabis family. It feels really good to be able to network on a professionally level. Everyone wins.

Michael, Jessica and I also discussed Steemit and cryptocurrencies at great length. They both, along with Shelley, have a lot of value and experience to bring to the platform.

I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey.

~ Rebecca Ryan