Why I'm so Interested in Cannabis

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t always into cannabis. It was mostly because my straight laced parents made it out to be such a taboo substance. When I had tried it from time to time in my hometown, I would get very paranoid that I was going to get caught and arrested and I would have a terrible time. I know that most of the paranoia stemmed from my anxiety but it was also true that I didn’t know what strain I was smoking. In fact, I didn’t even know strains existed until I moved to the west coast.

When I moved from New York to California in 2019, I was very lonely and sad. My anxiety was through the roof because of not knowing anybody. There was also the pressure to not only look a certain way, but BE a certain type of person. People in Los Angeles have this warped idea that to get over being depressed you just need to go vegan and do yoga or meditate, like these are some insightful suggestions I have never thought of. (Yes, I have tried all those things and I’ve tried jogging and I’m still sad afterwards). I drank more than I ever had, every night with my roommates. And I wasn’t 21 anymore so I was getting intense hangovers. Then the pandemic hit.

By then, I wasn’t only drinking, I was panicking and feeling depressed and it was too much for me to deal with. So, I decided to go to a dispensary with a friend and discovered strains and so many different types of edibles. That’s when I started to experiment with edibles. CBD and THC really helped me to get through the pandemic (and living in L.A. in general. Los Angeles sucks). Over time I developed a distaste for alcohol and I‘m doing a lot better.

To be honest, the beginning was a bit hard figuring out which strain and dosage is right for me. Sometimes I still feel like I’m not exactly there yet but I’m being patient with myself and trying out a lot of different types until I find the perfect flower or edible that works for me. (I’ll be posting reviews of different products! Stay tuned for that content).

As I continued my journey with cannabis I learned about how the de-stigmatization of the plant has everything to do with social justice (more on that in my article titled: Cannabis Prohibition & Racism). I realized that it’s my moral duty as a white passing person to advocate for the plant that white people have been profiting off of while people of color sit in jail for years for even consuming it. And considering how much it has helped me, that honestly just adds fuel to the fire. There’s no reason that something that helps people should be illegal. (That’s so gross).

However, the de-stigmatization doesn’t end with just legalizing marijuana, once the prisoners are released they still have records that prevent them from voting in elections that, as we are well aware, are crucial to the future of our country. (It’s almost as if the whole justice system was set up in this way, huh?) There is also gatekeeping that prevents people that may not have the means to enter the cannabis industry as well. (Also, a topic that’s really gross and unfair). I intend on delving deeper into those subjects in later posts.

That being said, cannabis can be therapeutic and fun. But if you’re not helping to give back to the community that this versatile herb was stolen from, then what are you actually doing?