Reclaiming Cannabis For the People

By Heather Ace Adams of Semi Woo

To be clear, the cannabis plant has enjoyed it’s time on Earth longer than us.  Its debut occurred over 19 million years ago (literally) and we’ve been cultivating it for around 12,000 years. Even still, it’s hard to imagine that expanse of human history where cannabis use was uncontroversial and uncomplicated.  It was grown for many of the reasons we still grow it today; nutrition, raw material and medicine. In a short amount of time we’ve created destruction, stigma, shame and chaos around a common, hearty and useful plant. 

Where did we go wrong?

You could fill books with all the reasons why our relationship with cannabis has shifted from one of our most highly valued (dare I say, sacred) natural resources to a potential life ruiner for low-income families and people of color. The secret’s been out for awhile, do your work and read up on the roots of the cannabis plant in the place where you live. Speaking specifically about my birth country, at the end of the day, the reason’s why the people’s plant is demonized are rooted in classic American standbys: racism, fear, xenophobia, greed, lack of compassion, ignorance and some good ole fashioned deep ancestral trauma. Those of us who use cannabis have, at one time or another, brushed up against the energy of those heavy feelings and it can be a lot to deal with. That energy can manifest as shame, guilt and judgment and chisel away at the healing effects of the plant.The good news is, we have a choice, full control, over how we want to feel about cannabis.

The human body creates a very powerful and healing vibration when we remember that WE choose how we want to feel in any situation. The ability to marinate in thoughts that make us feel good, wise and dignified is our birthright. We each possess a personal intuition that helps us decide what is helpful or not so helpful to our mind/body/soul at any given time. Our intuition speaks to our highest self and our unrealized desires, it’s non-judgmental, uplighting and speaks from an expansive wisdom. When we disconnect from our intuition, we search for meaning outside of ourselves. We might feel flashes of intuitive resonance here or there but ultimately a truth outside of Yourself is not, in fact, Your truth. If you have trouble hearing your intuition or maybe don’t yet trust it, I urge you to bravely take the  journey towards reconnecting, it may be the biggest move you make for some time. 

Ultimately cannabis belongs to and is a part of Mother Earth. Nobody owns it and nobody controls it, just like we humans. WE get to decide how we feel about the people’s plant and our ability to rise above the heaviness will ultimately ripple into waves of healing toward the systemic trauma surrounding cannabis. It turns out that all we have to do to reclaim cannabis for the people is sit in awe and gratitude of it’s co-existence on Earth.

In The Picture: CBD PreRoll Cones from Society’s Plant

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