Are you out of the cannabis closet? (and maybe you can’t be)

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I’m out of the cannabis closet – and have been for about 6 years now. But even at that, I’m a Johnny-come-lately and give full loving credit to those courageous early advocates and activists whose shoulders we stand on today.

I stepped up when it got easy – after decades of skulking around making sure that my shiny facade reflected that of a fine upstanding professional (clinical nutritionist and former TV journalist) who could drink 2 or 3 martinis but, god forbid, reveal that I’m into that marijuana thing.

I bring this up because a client and I were discussing the pros-and-cons of online privacy standards the other day – mostly as they relate to my online Zoom courses where participants stay audio-only and create an alias based on their favorite mythological or fantasy creature (we have a lot of fun with that). It’s imperative that I create and maintain a safe online haven in my courses – especially for those in states not as fully enlightened as the Colorado that I used to live in. Truth be told, even in fully legal states like Colorado, if your work doesn’t expressly involve cannabis, then staying covert is simply a practical thing to do.

For me, cannabis is an in-your-face facet of what I do. So I have no place to hide. As you can tell from my coursework (and videos and blogs) I’m fully engaged. I did have to reconcile the fact that if the Powers that Be come and get me, they come and get me!  (Again, a big bow to those early pioneers before me when saying “if they come and get me, they come and get me!” really was a walk on the wild side.)

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Now in Florida, a conservative medical-cannabis-only state, I’m at home. I’ve scored the med card, (“Oh doc, my achin’ back”) so I have the privilege of access to cannabis flower, concentrates, tinctures, cartridges and more.

I wish I could say the same for everyone else in this state who struggles to pull together the $200 for the doctor visit and “recommendation” that gets you the card for which you have to pay the state $75. Seven months later, you gotta go back to the doctor for “re-certification” and do it all over again. Another $200.

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Oh, and we haven’t even discussed the cost of cannabis products. In a state that has a preponderance of retirees and unwell war vets, there’s a distressing abyss between the haves and have nots. Florida legalized medical cannabis only because its citizens pulled together to force the issue in a public referendum. Old conservative white male lawmakers continue to hog-tie availability, choice and then price the process out of the hands of those who need it but can’t afford it.
Yet, cannabis is here in the sunshine state – as it is in the majority of states (33) to varying degrees. Despite some states’ neanderthal anti-cannabis laws, insiders say there’s no holding back. Legalized cannabis brings an infusion of taxes to bolster suffering state economies, especially now in this COVID event. State legislatures, it’s said, will be forced to go with this low-hanging revenue catch.
If you want to connect some dots, ironically, COVID could be our ticket to broadened cannabis laws nationwide. Can you imagine a country whose citizens are fully out of the cannabis closet, joining in unison, “If they come and get me, they come and get us all!”
Let me know your thoughts!
With Love,
Becca
P.S. I mean it, where do you stand… in-or-out of the cannabis closet? Comment below tell your Truth:)

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2 thoughts on “Are you out of the cannabis closet? (and maybe you can’t be)”

  1. I am kind of in the cannabis closet? I am in recovery, have been for 2 years. I have been using cannabis as part of my recovery program, I also work freelance in the cannabis industry which involves social media accounts, posts and articles related to cannabis. This tends to cause some friction now and then with the recovery program I associate myself with, as it is not accepted. Certain people, obviously not close friends, make comments or like to judge, to each is own. It gets somewhat annoying but at the end of the day I have to do what works for me. My program, MY recovery, MY business.

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