I Have a Long-Term Relationship with Marijuana
Cannabis. Mary Jane. Devil’s Lettuce. Bud. Magic Dragon. Dope. Herb. Ganja. Kush. Marijuana goes by many names.
But really, its just a plant. It’s a plant that grows wild in many tropical and temperate environments across the world, and it’s the most widely used illicit “drug” on the globe. Over time, my relationship with marijuana has changed, as I’ve come to realize what it means to me personally and politically, and the impact the industry has environmentally and economically speaking. Today, I’ll tell you a little bit more about all of that!
First, I’ll officially say this is my entry to @NaturalMedicine’s COLLECTIVE WISDOM CHALLENGE: Local Medicine. Their work to archive community knowledge about natural and herbal healing is an invaluable addition to the blockchain, and I’m thrilled to participate.
Last week, there was another incredible post about cannabis, authored by @walkerland: Cannabis Oficially Legal In Canada: Natural Healing & Super Food? At first, I wasn’t sure if another post on cannabis was needed, but as I’d already started working on this, and I think it addresses some different points, it will hopefully serve to contribute to a growing body of knowledge about this wonderful natural asset.
Up next, I’ll tell you about how weed got me through college with a 3.8GPA while working 2 jobs, helped me overcome depression, and continues to help me focus and achieve my goals.
Then I’ll share the 5 reasons I support (legal) marijuana usage!
I know it doesn’t work like this for everyone, but I’ve come to learn that marijuana has predominantly beneficial effects to a type-A personality that is prone to anxiety...like me.
Let’s start at the very beginning.
I grew up on a school bus. My parents have always marched to the beat of their own drummer, and marijuana was never seen as a “drug” in my household. My Dad openly smoked pot around me as a child, and also discussed the myriad reasons why marijuana should be legalized for both its entertainment and medicinal properties. I was taught to see our country’s fixation on labeling pot as a “drug” as part of a systemic failure to recognize its inherent economic and medicinal value.
Although I was raised in this liberal environment, I didn’t try weed until college, experimenting with my best friends in our dorm. In those days, smoking was fun, easy, and affordable. I was in Portland, OR and the culture was 420 friendly and accommodating.
As I went through college my schedule increased, I took on many jobs, and I started to work 70-80 hour weeks regularly.
Sometimes when I came home, my mind racing, the only thing that would calm me down enough to sleep would be to smoke a bowl and watch Xena: Warrior Princess (I digress a bit with this anecdote, but I couldn’t resist). When I didn’t smoke, I’d lie awake for 2-3 hours, unable to stop thinking about my 15-hour day and all of the things I had to do the next. At the time, I knew that marijuana helped me relax and rejuvenate. Now, looking back, I realize that marijuana helped me get through college and maintain my GPA by literally ensuring I got adequate sleep.
After college, I went to New York.
A lot of things happened in the Big Apple - let’s just say I experienced some of the worst days of my life there, and also some of the best. During this time, I had my first bout with major depression although I didn’t know what to call it then. Again, without really understanding why, I found that marijuana helped me focus, rest, and rejuvenate enough to keep doing the things that mattered to me.
Then, I came to Seattle, land of LEGAL weed!
Things continued to happen here, including a break-up that left me devastated. That’s not really the point - but you needed to know it happened because it sparked a particularly bad bout of depression and anxiety. For the first time, I’ve come face-to-face with how my body chemistry reacts to traumatic experiences and I’m learning how to deal with it positively. In many ways, I’m feeling like I have control over my life in a new way - simply by naming the symptoms and facing them dead-on. I also have an incredible support system of people in my life, including my ever-so-patient partner.
Weed has been a big part of gaining control.
Learning how to use this herb, whether smoked or ingested, helps me to gain balance over my emotions and well-being even when things get tough. I fully believe that cannabis is an important tool in my toolkit to help manage depressive and anxious reactions I have to the world around me. I’ve lived a life that has proven for that to be the case time and time again - and its runs counterintuitive to many negative messages you hear about cannabis.
The point is: I was raised to respect cannabis, and its responsible usage. And, I have come to have a long-term relationship with marijuana that has proven to be a healing and positive force in my life.
And now, here are the 5 reasons I support (legal) marijuana usage:
1) Medicinal properties
I use marijuana to relax, and to offset depression and anxiety. I think it’s important to note that sometimes cannabis can exacerbate these symptoms for an individual, especially if used chronically - but for many, it’s a wonderful natural solution. Medical News Today wrote a great article about a recent study at Washington State University showing that in a recent survey of 12,000 adults, many reported that their symptoms of depression halved as a result of medical cannabis use, while symptoms of anxiety and stress were reduced by 58 percent.
2) Less addictive and invasive than other substances.
A report in Scientific Reports shows that marijuana is much safer than many alternatives: including alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine. Huffington Post reported that "Researchers found that marijuana has the lowest risk of mortality and is safer than the commonly used alcohol and tobacco as well as the rest of the drugs in the study.”
3) Economic benefit to our communities.
The marijuana industry has already proven to be an incredible source of revenue for US states who have chosen to legalize. Investopedia says: In 2015, Colorado collected more than $135 million in taxes and fees on medical and recreational marijuana. Sales in the state totaled over $996 million. Sales in North America grew 30%, to $6.7 billion, in 2016, and is projected to increase to $20.1 billion by 2021, according to Arcview Market Research. The impact of this industry on our country as more states adopt these practices could be huge!
4) Opportunity to normalize cannabis and expand into other industries
This incredible plant is relatively easy to grow and can be used for so much more than simply medicine or recreation. Did you know it could be an outstanding source of renewable energy? It can also be used for cloth or paper. Some folks have turned it into “Hempcrete” - a sustainable building alternative for homes. The possibilities are endless, and as we normalize marijuana and start to think of it beyond simply a “drug” - we’ll open ourselves to all of its personal, social and economic healing properties.
5) Social aspects.
Yes, I’ll say it, smoking a bit is my preferred social activity for hanging out with friends. Personally, I prefer it to drinking any day. Historically, folx have been smoking pot for thousands of years: medicinally, recreationally, and for religious purposes. I enjoy the relaxed, non-belligerent environment it creates and the creativity it inspires. :)
Before we wrap up, I need to say:
As wonderful as weed is, the topic of cannabis is complicated in America by a long history of racial injustice built upon the “War on Drugs”. While some of us are enjoying a legalized weed utopia, our country continues to have drug laws and policies that are racially biased and lead to thousands of men and women behind bars in our country for minor cannabis charges. As I’ve grown older, I tend to think about the political implications of marijuana more than I used to - especially because I work in prison and work with men who are still paying for cannabis possession/dealing.
As we enjoy all the benefits of this amazing plant, it’s wise to question why it’s use has been suppressed in our country, and who has the most to gain from its limited accessibility.
Good energy tip for the day - when possible, support Black or minority-owned cannabis shops and retailers. One of my favorite local stores is Ganja Goddess - WA’s first female-owned pot shop.
What is so inspiring about @NaturalMedicine’s challenge is that they ask steemit to think about those remedies that are “close to home” and outside of mainstream medicine. I’m all for discovering ways to keep my body and mind healthy using things that grow in the earth which I can harvest with my own hands!
On that note...here’s Cash enjoying some sun and greenery at my parents house!
A lovely side effect of legalization in Oregon has been that my parents are allowed to grow legal bud! Up to 4 plants per household is the legal limit.
As a plant aficionado with over 20-years of horticultural experience, my Mom is keen to perfect her method for growing fresh weed. She’s been doing a few test batches here and there and sharing the results. I love knowing where my weed comes from - my own backyard!
It doesn’t get more local than that. THANKS MOM.
Thanks again to @NaturalMedicine for hosting, and giving me a reason to talk a little bit more about my relationship with marijuana. What’s your experience with this amazing plant?
Quick Trip to Franklin Falls | WA State
Ultimate Halloween Watchlist Contest - 6sbd to giveaway
Exploring Crater Lake - one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon | Photo Album
Exploring Ruby Beach on the Olympic Peninsula | Photo Album
A Summer’s Worth of Adventures | Photo Album
Offering an Explanation
How I Got Here: a poem about existence
BIG LOVE, Lily
I can't spend a day without smoking weed, it helps me in so many way I couldn't imagine my life without it!
great post by the way :)
cheers!
Thanks for commenting and for your thoughts! I think if you have a personality that benefits from this herb and you can still continue to function with your daily goals under its influence than more power to you! :) Appreciate you stopping by.
Oh yeah I totally agree with you, I think it's time to break the old cliche of the "pot head" (god i hate that term) that cannot function in society nor be productive at work because of cannabis dependency.
And I don't mind the stigma around dependency tbh, because as you said, certain personality do really benefit from it, it's about your frame of mind, what works for you might not work for someone else.
I am a part of this generation that still wanna live longer, and cannabis has it all.
It could solve the "Opioid crisis" in one day, and cure so many diseases that it would take a whole post to sum them up :)
I too agree that the laws criminalizing this plant are more about politics, racism and classism than about this herb being any threat!
Nice to learn more about your history, values, family and life, thanks for sharing this personal story. Glad you've found a healthy healing way to integrate this plant of so many life-giving properties to help you function at your best.
I'm unfortunately one of those people who gets very internal and not particularly functional when using marijuana so I gave up long ago making this any significant part of my personal world. I have come up with other tools to cope with my anxiety and fears that work for my particular chemistry - yoga, meditation, very particular diet, - but honestly it's always a work in progress and I have to do a lot daily to keep myself in wellness!
Hey there, thanks for commenting and sharing your perspective. I also use yoga - and have been thinking about starting to do some writing about that.
I totally feel you that some folks tend to become very internal when they use THC. My Mom is the same way. Although she grows it, she never smokes it - now she’s interested in making some topical tinctures etc...to easy aches and pains. Shops here also sell CBD which gives more of a light physical effect without as many of the mental effects. It can be really useful for those who are using this more for pain. I also didn’t mention up above, but cannabis has always really helped with my menstrual cramps.
At any rate - it has so many uses - and there’s so many things I imagine we could still learn about how to use this plant if we can shift the conversation!
Awesome post! I'm glad to see it as a part of our @naturalmedicine challenge. I love how you grew up with it and developed your own relationship with it over time. I'm glad it's becoming more legal in various places as I agree- it's benefits are many!!
Thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate it. Just getting back to steemit and need to get over to your blog and see what you’ve been up to as its one of my favorites. :)
Beautifully written and formatted post Lily :) What kind of pot is your mom growing?
Hey, thanks! Appreciate the support. :)
She’s been doing a bunch of different stuff - some AK-47, Sour Diesel and a few others. In general, my Dad likes sativas - I do as well. Sativas as I’m sure you know tend to be more uplifting and creative, so for anxiety and/or work purposes they’re a great choice. She just put up a 50-foot greenhouse this fall though, so I’m excited to see how her experiments continue once she has a controlled environment to work in!
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
This is an awesome read. I'm also in favor of legalizing marijuana, although it's been many years since I've smoked it. And it's only legal in Pennsylvania for medicinal purposes. I'm all in favor of recreational use and legalization. Keep charging!
Hey thanks for popping over and giving this a read. It’s a multi-faceted topic for sure, and I definitely agree that overall the pros far outweighs the cons when it comes to legalization and use! Appreciate the support.
Cash looks to be enjoying himself
Have you heard of smoke.io?
A fork of the STEEM Blockchain solely for cannabis lovers!
I haven’t heard of it. I assume it’s another way to post content (like Busy) to steemit, but has a more concentrated fanbase to help with upvotes, etc? Interesting - thanks for the heads up!
It’s actually it’s own blockchain and instead of earning STEEM you earn SMOKE tokens (currently worth about 7 cents each). It just launched a little over a month ago but it uses the same codebase as Steemit. Worth checking out if you’re a cannabis connoisseur. The early folks will benefit most, just like STEEM
Ah, very interesting! I went ahead and made an account, will see what it’s all about.
Hi lilyraabe,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Thank you so much @curie - your support is always so appreciated. :)
Hi Lily!
Can marijuana could also be used in pipe smoking?
I guess these natural medicines or herbs are much preferable than any pharmaceuticals products out there.
If all natural medicines would be legalized entirely, processed drugs and products would be over and billions of money will be lost from them creating those stuffs.
Hey there - ya, you can definitely use a pipe. :) I totally agree that medicinal cannabis is highly preferable to pharmaceutical products - at the very least you know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Thanks for stopping by!
You're very much welcome!
Thanks for sharing your story.
I hope many will be aware of these natural things rather than those unnatural manufactured chemical stuffs.
Wow, what a fantastic entry! It's so beautifully put together with personal stories and photos and a legit argument for the legalisation of marijuana. The war on drugs in America was - is - insane, and I still can't believe people are in prison for it. It doesn't make sense at all.
As someone who suffers intense anxiety myself, I can relate to this a lot and know that this is an amazing way to deal with it - labelling is so helpful, and avoidance only makes things worse.
I'm so glad this powerful medicine has been your ally all of these years. How powerful the natural world is!
You ask about personal experience - I'd always had it around in my early life and used to grow it for personal use, but these days I avoid it. It seems to have the opposite effect on me and make me worse! I guess it's good to know our own limits, and recognise that sometimes what is an ally for some is not necessarily one for another. Your article did make me want to go home and light up a spliff though!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment, I’m glad you enjoyed your read of the piece. :) I think its really important to know your own limits, and the needs of your own body as you mention! The same is true of any medicine though - and like anything else, we each need our own recipe for real health. Hope you’re finding yours and wishing you the best! :)