Depending on how long you’ve been with me, you might remember way back when – about 10 years ago I produced and hosted a TV show called Marijuana Straight Talk for Free Speech Television Network. I lived in Denver at the time and Colorado voters had decided to legalize recreational cannabis – or what we now call adult use cannabis (because “recreational cannabis” sounds too much like kids on a playground).
Anyway, it was a heyday with Colorado (along with Washington state) at the leading edge of this movement. Heady, exciting stuff! The Marijuana Straight Talk show pilots were popular, being Free Speech’s highest rated weekly show at the time. It racked up the requisite followers and likes on social media and that was that.
But my work with the show soon pivoted to a different kind of work over the years.
I never abandoned the plant – in fact, it became a bigger presence in my life, acknowledging it as a spirit plant medicine. Behind the scenes, the anxiety and depression I had wrestled with all my life were released and my life “reset” as a result of a revolutionary new method of trauma release, Emotional Liberation, and the outcome amplified with the judicious use of cannabis. My background as a clinical nutritionist helped me to understand the biochemistry and brain science behind it, but taking a deep dive into our invisible inner life was at the crux. I began holding Cannabis Elevation Ceremonies in Denver – you might have even been one who attended!
The dilemma of talking about plant medicine
Over the years, I built my practice becoming credentialed in this method that made such a difference in my life and those I was working with. Having drawn from the experience of my students and clients, it became clear that the plant medicine (now including psilocybin microdosing, too) is an important dimension to the emotional release and recovery process. Plant medicine is not the whole answer, it’s simply a tool in the over all healing. When done correctly, healing is not temporary but an enduring and long-lasting phenomenon.
It’s been an extraordinary adventure as many of the people who initially knew me through the show were interested in cannabis for the fun of it… exploring for the euphoria, the altered perception and the ability to relax the body and mind. When I integrated cannabis into my spiritual and emotional healing and began discussing it, a lot of people lost interest.
You’d think as people would drop-off, new people interested in the work would replace them. But there was a double-whammy afoot on my social media. At the same time people dropped off or unsubscribed, social media (hello Facebook, Youtube and Instagram) were tightening their restrictions and shadow banned me, making posts and comments no longer visible to other users. The result is that essentially my information was not being made available because I talked about cannabis.
That means in my pivot to something that was central to my life – my teaching and supporting people in their emotional and trauma release journeys – was not being seen. So the folks interested in my work who were on social media were not able to see it. Most who found me were proactively googling things like: cannabis and spirituality; cannabis and meditation; cannabis and trauma; cannabis and kundalini. Stuff like that.
Essentially, everyone who talks about plant medicine is in the same boat. I’m not an exception— it’s just that with the inconsistent legal status of these substances, social media platforms tread cautiously, fearing penalties and government crackdowns. It’s ironic, isn’t it? Diabolical troll farms supported by foreign governments can flourish, aiming to undermine the U.S., while something as benign and life-affirming as these plant medicines gets sidelined.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I invite you to drop down to the comments section and let me know what’s on your mind!
With Love,
Becca
P.S. If you’re curious to experiment with microdosing and my Emotional Liberation method, I invite you to consider joining me for personal 1-1 sessions. Click this link to connect with me for personal sessions or feel free to set a time with me to find out more.
I remember the Free Speech TV show, Straight Talk. It had good information and was fun to watch. I looked forward to seeing it.
There is something wrong when algorithms amplify cynical politicians but not healers.
I know I could benefit from guided introspection to understand and maybe pull out some of the roots of my occasional melancholy that is likely related to childhood experiences. I may try to do that next year with one of your online courses.
Thanks for the work you do.
– Jack
Jack, thank you for your kind words.
I would love to work with you. I hope to see you! xoBecca