My relationship & mission with cannabis...

My relationship with cannabis started out like most other teenagers but has concluded in me discovering its true medicinal power as a healer for the mind, body & spirit and the planet.

It was only once I started to become more conscious of myself and spirit that I truly discovered its true potential. As I learned and began practises such as yoga, meditation, movement, pranayama (breathwork), tantra, I naturally started to combine these practises with the “high” of cannabis. And what I discovered was what I can only describe as a greater awareness. Awareness of my mind chatter, awareness of my physical body and what feels like a stronger awareness of spirit. What I mean by that is I feel a stronger sense of love in my heart, I feel present, I feel elated, I feel open, I feel creative, I feel intuitive. Cannabis is a powerful plant medicine that can be used as a potent tool of healing & teaching particularly when consumed consciously and with intention.

I went from smoking joints casually with friends to creating sacred ceremonies just me and cannabis as a gateway to...no, not other drugs but healing. Everything just goes deeper with cannabis: yoga turns into hours of some kind of movement body prayer, deeply stretching and intensely relaxing. Meditation feels incredibly profound and breathing becomes a clearer vessel of trauma release. The best thing about this is you don’t need to consume a lot which supports a balanced relationship with the plant.

A lot of the issues surrounding cannabis, cannot be blamed on the plant but the cannabis culture that surrounds it. Cannabis plants were never naturally this potent (15-20% THC), humans selectively bred them this way. I would say the potency and consistent smoking of cannabis before the age of 25 is responsible for the mental illnesses linked to cannabis use such as anxiety, paranoia and psychosis. Yet contrary to popular belief, cannabis can also alleviate and heal those illnesses...my point being quantity & quality is key. Linking to the other main reason for the negativity surrounding cannabis which is criminality. Being forced into a black market disables true wisdom, education and access, forcing a culture to go underground serving it a lifetime of volatility and stigmatisation. You’ll be familiar with the repeated stories told about cannabis on the news associating cannabis with anti-social behaviour, gangs, crimes and the gateway to more dangerous narcotics. You’ll rarely hear the stories about it killing tumours, saving suffering children from epilepsy and offering natural medicine to chronically ill patients addicted to pharmaceuticals. And we haven’t even started to mention the thousands of uses of hemp…

In 2018, I found myself in the mecca of cannabis cultivation, Humboldt County, California. This is where I first started to understand the medicinal nature of this plant, its potential to heal and even play a part of the cure for some “incurable” diseases. Realising the medicinal value of cannabis, led me to the adoration of plant medicine in general which I had subtly been involved in most my teenage life through my interest in natural remedies, wellbeing and nature. I followed this calling to an apprenticeship at The Scottish School of Herbal Medicine. And now find myself a director of Hempen Co-operative which first pioneered organic hemp production in the UK. From months of working in California, I returned to the UK incredibly inspired and wanting to fight for cannabis decriminalisation in whatever form, leading to becoming enamoured by the potential of hemp on an even wider scope of healing...ecological healing (but that’s going to be another blog post).

I have learnt that once people experience or witness cannabis healing, it erases the former prejudice and stigma surrounding the plant. People become converts and activists, fighting to liberate the plant and share the truth. Too many people are suffering from not having real education and safe access to cannabis. I want to change that.

However I want to ensure cannabis keeps its organic integrity and stays a herbal medicine for the people that is affordable, accessible and regenerates a culture of community & resilience. In this way, I am going to be exploring ways to reconnect people with the cannabis plant after decades of oppression. Here I offer myself, in service to the great cannabis spirit in gratitude to all I have learnt.