(3/3) This event was about more than just Cannabis education. When I speak with others working in plant medicine, I tend to learn the story of how the person got into this realm. More often than not, it’s because something terribly fvcked happened to them or their loved one and, in one way or another, allopathic medicine failed them. That’s the narrative I want to change because, at its best, plant medicine is preventative medicine. Cannabis is a gateway drug into health. — Most people I talked with during the event didn’t know about terpenes, but they knew about Sativa/Indica - a narrative the science community is trying to get rid of, which I think is BS (for a lot of reasons). So, we used what they did know about that narrative to discuss terpenes found in other herbs, and we talked about how to use these other herbs in combination with Cannabis to direct our effects. — To everyone that shared their support, both in person and online, the gratitude is so immense. Keeping it real, I used a month’s worth of spoons in the past two weeks questioning what + why I was doing this. Y’ALL ARE MY REASON. Two years ago, at my first @spiritweavers experience, I spent the gathering in denial that I was “meant” to be a voice of representation for this plant. To all the instructors on the “Walking the Medicine Path” panel, this thank-a-thon goes out to you too. Memorized facts aside, inferiority complex is real and as someone who prefers to hide, who prefers to be read rather than seen/heard, this event challenged everything I thought I was capable of. It taught me to trust my vision and trust my voice. It taught me how to set boundaries, and how to stand up for myself when those were overstepped. It taught me that we CAN be the change we wish to see, so long as we SHOW UP to make that change. And it reinforced what I know about community, and all that can be accomplished when we support each other. — THANK YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK X INFINITY to every single one of y’all, with all of my 💚 — 📷 @brittanyrenelargent https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwpjr6chtpj/?igshid=15441fnxo6uz7

(2/3) Bragging that everything featured at the event was LOCAL and available in the CITY was a serious moment of Philly pride. It was truly an honor to team up with @mitchellsmedicinalscbd, who not only works to bring awareness and access in the city - but also outside of it, in the 'burbs where this medicine is still highly stigmatized - as well as offering an assistance program to those in need who can't afford it. George Martorano of @HipHempCafe's story is extra close to my heart. While the Cafe provides City residents with access to Hemp, the existence of the Cafe itself bring awareness to the exclusivity of PA’s current Cannabis laws (those with prior Cannabis convictions are not allowed to work in the MMJ market in any capacity). George's second initiative, #CannabisForGuns focuses on how we can utilize Cannabis to bring effective change on the street level. —⁣ @BrittanyReneLargent killed it like the Queen she is, both with the CBD enhancement (did anyone say no to her cutest “want me to dose you?!" offer) PLUS that guided meditation. Topicals were the first form of Cannabis medicine that truly opened my eyes to the potential in this plant, so having @infusedreleaf offering free topical experiences, whether through their chair massages or trigger-point demonstrations (genius) was low-key a super tender moment for me. Bob and the @PhillyNORML team, there aren’t enough thanks in the world for the work you put in at the street, state, and federal level to bring access to this plant. It was truly an honor to share space and advocate for this plant with you. @AsherRoth, you already know how much I respect what you’re doing for the community through @sunflowerphilly and @trashclub. Thank you for believing in this event, encouraging my extreme Aries-ness, and supporting this all into fruition. To all the homies, old and new, thanks for letting me frantically invade yr lives + work-places the past two weeks. — 📷 @calanmalyn & @hiphempcafe https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpjQD3hqFe/?igshid=e600nwd4jhlg

(2/3) Bragging that everything featured at the event was LOCAL and available in the CITY was a serious moment of Philly pride. It was truly an honor to team up with @mitchellsmedicinalscbd, who not only works to bring awareness and access in the city - but also outside of it, in the 'burbs where this medicine is still highly stigmatized - as well as offering an assistance program to those in need who can't afford it. George Martorano of @HipHempCafe's story is extra close to my heart. While the Cafe provides City residents with access to Hemp, the existence of the Cafe itself bring awareness to the exclusivity of PA’s current Cannabis laws (those with prior Cannabis convictions are not allowed to work in the MMJ market in any capacity). George's second initiative, #CannabisForGuns focuses on how we can utilize Cannabis to bring effective change on the street level. —⁣ @BrittanyReneLargent killed it like the Queen she is, both with the CBD enhancement (did anyone say no to her cutest “want me to dose you?!" offer) PLUS that guided meditation. Topicals were the first form of Cannabis medicine that truly opened my eyes to the potential in this plant, so having @infusedreleaf offering free topical experiences, whether through their chair massages or trigger-point demonstrations (genius) was low-key a super tender moment for me. Bob and the @PhillyNORML team, there aren’t enough thanks in the world for the work you put in at the street, state, and federal level to bring access to this plant. It was truly an honor to share space and advocate for this plant with you. @AsherRoth, you already know how much I respect what you’re doing for the community through @sunflowerphilly and @trashclub. Thank you for believing in this event, encouraging my extreme Aries-ness, and supporting this all into fruition. To all the homies, old and new, thanks for letting me frantically invade yr lives + work-places the past two weeks. — 📷 @calanmalyn & @hiphempcafe https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpjQD3hqFe/?igshid=1fv4lbctowlfa

(1/3) There's so much to say about this past weekend, I'm gonna need a few posts. THANK YOU to everyone that came out on Saturday. Whether you were there to learn, support, or participate, witnessing a community come together to celebrate plant medicine was an experience I can’t quite put into words. — To KENSINGTON, thank for your openness to exploring alternative medicines. I know it’s a complicated time with your community being the proposed location of the country’s first supervised injection site. The opioid crisis should have never gotten to this point. While I think the site is something the city (state, and coast) definitely needs, I understand the hesitation to bring a center for it into your neighborhood. The unfortunate truth is that too many people are ODing on the streets, and to save lives we need to offer those in need access to resources and people that care. It blows my mind that the US attorney is suing the non-profit trying to open the center (instead of suing those responsible for the epidemic). Cannabis replaced my PKs and we should be talking about natural alternatives just as much as we talk about Narcan and Suboxone.⁣ Thank you to @flow.gives for giving this community a place to gather through @sunflowerphilly, for understanding the importance of green spaces in the city, for believing in plant medicine, and for making this event happen. ⁣— To the PHILADELPHIA CANNABIS community especially, it has been such a wild, amazing ride meeting and working with all of you. Thank you for your respective missions, your commitment to this plant and sharing her medicine, and your willingness to share your work in this capacity. For most reading this that don't know, Pennsylvania is in a weird place with its Cannabis laws. In Philadelphia, Weed is decriminalized, but in much of the rest of the state, possession is still a chargeable offense. The medical program is restrictive, both in qualifying conditions and its cost of access. Everyone I worked with for this event is fighting in their own ways for this to change, and that made this event so much more magical.⁣ — 📷 @hiphempcafe https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpirbThs2a/?igshid=1agd1879mhw80

PAY ATTENTION + TELL THE FDA THEY DON’T GET CBD (y’all sleepin while they steal it) — I use the term Cannabis to describe all things related to this plant. I’m not a fan of making the distinction between Hemp (less than .3% THC), and whatever you prefer to call strains with higher THC content than that - Sensimilla (science term), Marijuana, Pot, etc. Personally my favorite for the latter is Weed, because with Herbalism you realize all the plants previously identified as “bad weeds” (in our lawns and home gardens - dandelion, plantain, etc) are actually super useful. In that sense, I think it’s hella appropriate to call an herb as stigmatized as Cannabis, Weed. To each their own. — I use Cannabis to describe both Hemp and Weed, because that’s what they both are - it’s the Mother from which they were both born. While geography and the plant’s integration into ancient civilizations had a strong hand in the evolution of the two, in modern context the separation was created by politics and further divided by Man. Historically, resin content was much lower and CBD:THC ratios were closer to a 1:1 ratio than anything else. Legalities aside, when it comes to Hemp v. Weed, all we’re talking about is CBD versus THC, and there’s less need to make a distinction between the two in the sense that one is more of a “good” or “medicinal” cannabinoid versus the other. It just comes down to what your body needs for adequate receptor connectivity in relation to an issue. It comes down understanding *when* you need cannabinoid supplementation, and in *what way* you can make that supplementation work best for your issue. — I’ve got a whole bunch of Capricorn in my chart, so for me, legalities are the biggest asshole - and I’m admittedly naive in thinking every one gets as bogged down by laws as I do. I recently discovered a loophole in regulation, to which all I can say is touché, I raise my tiny tincture bottle made with concentrates to you in fvck ‘em solidarity. This entire industry is an ugly ass shade of gray, and it’s weird watching both businesses and consumers tiptoe in this arena being painted as black and white. — 👇🏽 continues in comments 👇🏽 https://www.instagram.com/p/BwM5bF5hCIw/?igshid=9pk6qbsnpvwn

#PHILLY! In case you don’t already know, a community taking care of itself is the new wave and that’s exactly what @sunflowerphilly is - a privately owned public park in Olde Kensington, that doubles as a venue with a penchant for creatives. They did this extra crazy thing by letting me plan the (free!!!) party of my dreams for my favorite Lady and damn did the #phillycannabis community step the fck up. Pls note there is NO THC at this event, bc [political] SAFETY FIRST. Y’all know I 😒 at my own rule (it’s serious tho + I’m also following it) and will be there giving you pointers on applying the same lessons to MJ (bc really there’s no good/bad cannabinoids and it’s all about identifying what you need + making them work for your needs). This event is really about having fun, trying new things, meeting some plants, and accidentally learning some stuff. I am me tho, so there’s also going to be resources to identify eligibility for expungement + how to proceed if you qualify, an interactive map showing you all the resources currently in the city, speeches, and oh yeah - discounted certifications for #PAMMJ. Kindof still pinching myself on that last one too so I’m gonna just leave this all here and you should mark your calendars & tell your friends because basically we’re all gonna get hella centered and dye eggs with plants and if you want to pretend you’re too adult - shut up, you can’t. More details to follow, RSVP in bio ✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv4xTKkgWW-/?igshid=11hzv3uf3kxrk

#PHILLY! In case you don’t already know, a community taking care of itself is the new wave and that’s exactly what @sunflowerphilly is - a privately owned public park in Olde Kensington, that doubles as a venue with a penchant for creatives. They did this extra crazy thing by letting me plan the (free!!!) party of my dreams for my favorite Lady and damn did the #phillycannabis community step the fck up. Pls note there is NO THC at this event, bc [political] SAFETY FIRST. Y’all know I 😒 at my own rule (it’s serious tho + I’m also following it) and will be there giving you pointers on applying the same lessons to MJ (bc really there’s no good/bad cannabinoids and it’s all about identifying what you need + making them work for your needs). This event is really about having fun, trying new things, meeting some plants, and accidentally learning some stuff. I am me tho, so there’s also going to be resources to identify eligibility for expungement + how to proceed if you qualify, an interactive map showing you all the resources currently in the city, speeches, and oh yeah - discounted certifications for #PAMMJ. Kindof still pinching myself on that last one too so I’m gonna just leave this all here and you should mark your calendars & tell your friends because basically we’re all gonna get hella centered and dye eggs with plants and if you want to pretend you’re too adult - shut up, you can’t. More details to follow, RSVP in bio ✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv4xTKkgWW-/?igshid=fd16knc5kprf

PRO TIP: Don’t fret, I haven’t gone completely soft. I have a blog post on how to identify if you can trust an article on Cannabis - and one of the biggest suggestions was to stick to articles that cite every claim they make. Tempted to edit the post with the disclaimer: DON’T TRUST ANYONE. Trust studies only. Studies are wordy I know, but journalists without integrity are tricky tricksters and they’ll do cute little things like this above. — This article [should I tag who it’s from or is that too much Aries?] is about how to use Cannabis for pain management. It’s got some good advice, and it’s filled with citations! Citations to STUDIES! But then we get to this claim, and oof! No citation - and like, everything wrong with it? — Let’s start with the most obvious WTF?! - though it‘s hard to choose. CB1 receptors are typically found on Nerve cells throughout the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems, as well as being located in high density in the areas of the brain that control things like pain and fear and the vomit trigger. CB2 receptors are typically found on immune cells and control things like inflammation. — So never mind that to treat pain you’re targeting CB1 receptors, but like - if Sativex’s ability to treat neuropathic pain was made possible by CBD’s ability to stimulate any receptor… then uh, why is the THC in there? Oh sugar honey iced tea, because this is a bull statement? And wait…you mean these people run a CBD web store? Well I’ll be damned, here I was thinking we care about something other than money. Color me surprised. — Refresher (even tho I set a boundary to stop doing this, I suck at boundaries) - CBD (at the right dose + administration method) does a lot of things, none of which involve interacting directly with CB receptors - CB1 nor CB2. CBD’s effects at CB receptor sites are a result of its ability to slow down FAAH from breaking down endocannabinoids the body produces to stimulate CB receptors. THC is a direct (partial) stimulant at both receptors. That’s why it’s in Sativex. The CBD is in there because it makes THC more tolerable, helps it last longer, and has anti-inflammatory effects through the PPAR receptor (same as THCa). https://www.instagram.com/p/BvhI-k4lCIr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=kzaa14dfblzy

Last week my mom told me a story from when I was five. It was just after my sister’s best friend, who also happened to be my dance teacher, was murdered at the local University’s lookout. She came outside at Dusk to find me at the end of the driveway, on my knees, praying. When she asked me what I was doing, I told her I was talking to Mary (dt), and I could only do it then, as the Sun was setting because it was when she was closest and could hear me best. My Mom said it made sense, and when I asked to go to the funeral, she didn’t have a reason to say no. Apparently, I never had any fear.⁣ --⁣ Sheena always leaves signs that she’s still floating around - mostly hearts, sometimes songs when I’m being too stubborn to look for her. I know she’s on my side because when I needed her the most, she sent me her brother. In real life, all the way across the damn country, straight into the hospital room. He showed up accompanying a friend of a friend, not knowing that I was inside or even that we’d been dealing with the accident. It was the same day @chelsiehill came to the hospital to visit Phil’s roommate, a younger kid from Monterey who’d recently been paralyzed in a drunk driving accident. I’m not going to explain the synchronicity there because you should 100% go check out @chelsiehill’s profile and see it for yourself. ⁣ --⁣ The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - it can only change forms. I grew up without religion (and still don't prescribe to a singular belief - they're all too unoriginal to chose) so learning to see how the above translates into consciousness has been my biggest teacher. What I do know: to connect to your intuition (or really, anything) is to be willing to see it, and allow it to be seen. The threads are there and always unraveling and always have a reason. If you're struggling, there's a Cannabis for that. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvZGx5mAxRk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xce9tqgrib48

THIS is the first plant that ever *meant* something to me. I don’t remember when exactly I met Sheena, but fourth grade sounds right. You know those people that are so effortlessly cool you can’t help but idolize them? She was all that, plus. I grew up in a dance studio, thankfully at a time when dance moms were more like an overly opinionated relative than bully, and my teammates are all still family whether we’ve talked in years or not. Sheena was the epitome of everything a teacher could be for us. ⁣She was our big sis. ⁣ --⁣ Sheena’s birthday is exactly a week before mine. “We’re the babies of the zodiac, it’s why we get to be stubborn!” she explained, two days before her 25th birthday. I was leaving for Miami to attend the American Dance Festival before our next class, and I wouldn’t see her again until after my 17th birthday.⁣ --⁣ This Oak tree stands just outside the local Rose Garden. The heart was carved into it the night Sheena died, as the grill of the car she was riding in leaving the bar crashed back down to Earth. This heart was her present to us, a sign for us to look for when we need her most.⁣ --⁣ Happy Birthday, Sheena. Not a day goes by, and I'm so lucky to have you on my side. (at Allentown Rose Gardens) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvW2loWAAmo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=192vke4eyntcs

Yesterday I wrote all the posts for this week, didn't write this one bc it doesn’t fit my theme and yet - here we are. Ask any allopathic doctor and they’ll tell you food has no effect, good or bad, on Crohn’s disease. It’s an immune disorder and far too complex for food to trigger. The anti-allopath side of me really wants to be like 🖕🏽 but there’s A LOT TO IT. Can I stress that enough to everyone reading this? WE ARE NOT EXPERIMENTS FOR YOU. I promise you don’t *get* it unless you live it, and even when you live it…you’re me? I ONLY get to experiment on MYSELF because I'm comfortable with my own mortality. The flare I’m dealing with at the moment is chill. I’m not actually IN it, I’ve just been teetering on the edge and it’s getting annoying. — I can *manage* my symptoms with diet and Cannabis and a mindful lifestyle. I can even push myself into remission for months. I can suppress it enough that when I want to eat a damn GMO cheesesteak, I can. When I’ve got the proper time and resources necessary to get myself out of a flare, I can do so in ~3 days, average. I’m proud AF of all of that, and I do realize that many of those skills would probably be useful to share with others - perhaps in a 1-on-1 setting. This shit don’t make me healed though nor does it make me capable of healing anyone else. I can advise, but I can’t do the work for you. Same as how I can avoid all the food in the world but in reality - I am still my own worst trigger. — (TW EDNAS) When I said that some of the ways I manage my disease make me uncomfortable, I was talking about the first half of my last sentence. I grew up in the ballet world. I spent way too much time NOT letting myself fall into an eating disorder that this disease sometimes feels like ironic torture. Yes, eating at restaurants is a “luxury” - but I’ve been bumming the past few days after the most I could get at some of my old faves has been salad with no dressing. I don’t like being AFRAID of food, ever - and TBH I’d rather not than eat nothing but one food or liquid for the next few decades. It’s cool if you’re into it, but to me, that’s not living. Some of you have never been Italian and it shows. — 👇🏽continued👇🏽 https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUkdohDQzh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1b449ajtc4sxx

March is a rough month for me, which extra sucks bc it ends with my birthday and the buildup is a buzzkill. I’m turning 30 this year and I’m not that into it - mostly because I was never really convinced I’d see it. My face swelled shut every Spring as a baby, I had serious knee surgery in 6th grade, Hashimoto’s (w/ goiter) at 15. Most people stretch, I crack. I made my Mom promise to respect my DNR at 17 (not a joke + she does). It wasn’t the biggest surprise when they told me I have an incurable disease where my body attacks itself. It's not a bummer - I know to make the best of however long I have here, whether that's a decade or half-century. — I didn’t stop the ECS series because I gave up, I stopped because, while working on it, I came across a direct correlation between IBD and an unexplained symptom I’ve had all my life. I spent 10 years chasing a diagnosis, and only got one from Jefferson Cardiology after I took out the couple standing behind me at a concert. I'm not a fan of the health care industry atm. I know great people with great intentions work in it, but I also think it’s broken AF. It’s an industry, reserved for those who can afford the right insurance, and even then - the deductible and copays. "Medicine" is so specialized we end up on 3 prescriptions from 3 doctors that all suppress the same organ to handle 3 symptoms that TBH ARE PROBABLY ALL RELATED. Doctors aren’t trying to heal us, they’re trying to keep us satisfied until our next appointment. We deserve better, but no one is going to give it to us. We have to change how we handle our health ourselves (so the series is getting the time it deserves). — I’m lucky because I [for now, can] use a plant to suppress my immune system well enough to get by *in combination with being incredibly mindful.* There are a lot of tricky, scary layers to #IBD and my approach teeters on an intersection of very thin lines that, especially when I'm flaring, make me uncomfortable. I know immunosuppressants work, but I also know they stop working. I can control my symptoms with Cannabis, but the reality of doing that anywhere other than a farm is less welcoming. Thin, shaky, scary high lines... #notgivingup https://www.instagram.com/p/BvRrDgLDoAR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4m97nm8zxope

I asked the Universe for an in and it gave me you. You were the first person in the family to trust me. The first time I ever spoke about Cannabis as medicine was to you. My voice cracked throughout it all, yet you listened - intently and graciously. You weren’t there physically when I tried to explain and justify what I was doing to the rest of the family, gathered around that kitchen table, but your presence...you changed that conversation. I was losing them and just as I was about to give up, as if my mom sensed it, she offered up that you used it for your port. Just like that I had them back. I’m so grateful for your constant feedback. And that you told me St John’s Wort Oil was your favorite. Celebrating not mourning, because I know you’re finally free. You fought for fifteen years - half my fcking life - and I honestly can’t fathom the strength and dedication to life and to love that it takes to persevere for so long. Celebrating not mourning because I know I’ll see you again, in those bright yellow blooms. I’ll hear your voice in the wind, and we’ll catch up in my dreams. I hope M16 is as cool as it looks. PS - you got me. #blowingwishestothesky https://www.instagram.com/p/BvIWozEAuvD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9swehrx2ozfy

SHADOW WORK | part two⁣ —⁣ I was 12 the last time I fully embodied my intuition. I stopped listening to it after an administration labeled it petty. Every time I share the unraveling thread of a story though, I acknowledge that it never left me. I want to honor mine better, but I still have a lot of subconscious guilt for not trusting it more then. As an adult I know it was never my responsibility to protect those that came after me, just as it’s not my responsibility to convince anyone who doesn’t want to hear it that Cannabis could better their lives. Just as the truth eventually came to light then, the truth will come to light here too. ⁣ —⁣ Trusting that is easier typed than believed. In a lot of ways, Cannabis feels like my second chance. My dedication to this plant isn’t just about research, or education, or countering chronic disease. It’s a dedication to myself, to what I know deep inside my bones, and it’s a dedication to saying fck you to systems that put image and profit over the people trusting them - especially when that trust comes from the most vulnerable of people. ⁣ ⁣—⁣ It's been two years since I realized my relationship with my intuition was off, and just over a year since I realized this experience had something to do with it. It's been ~96 hours since I realized *some* of the ways it has affected me, and um, like, 30 minutes for others? Not to be justifying abnormal behaviors, but in the grand scheme of bummer things people go through - this experience ranks pretty low on the thats-fcked-up scale. That's kind of the point though. Sometimes the things that change, at worst, our core being, or in the least, the way we interact with the world, are super obvious. Sometimes they're really. really. not. In addition to the weird savior complex (so ready to release that one), I have a super skewed version of what "petty" is. In case anyone else needs this reminder: standing up for yourself, protecting what is important to you, protecting yourself, and/or protecting your voice -- these things are never petty. Recognize your worth, own it, and make no apologies - because no else (not even sweet Cannabis) is going to do any of that for you. ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_-GdxH8BL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=da4b9kom4ig7

SHADOW WORK | part one⁣ —⁣ CARE is (not yet) my business. This is my baby. It’s a sometimes embarrassingly-public journal about not just what I’ve learned about Cannabis, but how she helped me deal when the Universe shit on a life I’d worked my ass off to build. I know most reading this are here for #weedfacts, but her work in *this* realm is 1) what’s she’s fcking stellar at and 2) what’s actually going to heal my Crohns so I don’t spend the rest of my life worrying if I’ll eventually lose my intestines piece by piece or all at once (real talk). My purpose with this plant is beyond science, so whether you ~LiKe~ this or not...this is what is important.⁣ —⁣ There are two things you can do with a reoccurring thought - you can honor it or you can bury it. To honor it, you have to first recognize its origin - is it your intuition or your anxiety speaking? Intuition is your inner compass. If anxiety is the little devil on your shoulder, intuition is the little angel. My intuition and I have a complicated kinship. Sometimes it sends me things to address and I’m just like nah, not that (bury). So then it sends me a flare and it’s like address it, yo. Sometimes I do, sometimes I’m like no means no, yo. And then sometimes it’s like I’m your fcking Mother pay attention to this, and that’s how we end up here.⁣ —⁣ I realize I’ve got a bit of a savior complex when it comes to how people talk about Cannabis. Triggered is accurate for how I feel when people with large audiences pick and chose science to misrepresent certain cannabinoids in a light favorable to their profit. With triggers (and life) there’s always a deeper why.⁣ —⁣⁣ ⁣(to be continued) ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu4kUWlHgaE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nnnkyzbq8dra

(tw:gun) spent the weekend getting to know the fierce, take no bullshit, well dressed women that came before me. mercury is going into retrograde until just before my 30th birthday which is half 😐 but also feels like a blessing in disguise. still learning that boundaries don’t make you a bitch. planning. writing. still hating all things technology. rereading a prayer for the city and devising ways to bring change to the people and places that changed me. everyday since i started narrowing in on what it is exactly i want to do with this weird ass wealth of holistic knowledge I’ve gathered, my mind has revisited two moments past. (1) the night ppd showed up at the shop on horseback and shut down our event and everyone piled out onto south and marched to broad like fuck that. (2) the shooting i witnessed from my balcony years ago, on a smoke break while studying for spring finals. the high school that the kids involved were leaving is a football field now. kids shouldn’t play with guns and i guess it’s a good thing this one hadn’t had much practice, as the victim galloped out of the side street next to here it is screaming “they shot me in my fucking ass”. it’s not a particularly traumatic memory, like if you’re gonna see a shooting this was as g-rated as it gets. the kid was fine and the city barely cared. not particularly sure (yet) how these two independent events tie into everything, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that they will. anyways...deep burrowing in a bit of a cave, feeling extra protective of my work atm. seeing everything, the good and the ugly. finding ways to survive while remaining authentic to what got me to this point in the first place. — wrote this for myself the other day and still not sure what it all means other than to hold fast to your values and trust the rest will fall in place. feeling particularly grateful at the moment for all the experiences - good and bad - that make me, me. — picture of a great aunt generations before my time courtesy @ancestry https://www.instagram.com/p/Bur3JP3hZsP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y502pwbljwyi

QUESTION | dear experts, tag your experts. — I’m hoping someone can explain how this whole smoking hemp in public thing works - ie do you just carry the test results with you? I haven’t tried these, so this technically isn’t a review, but apparently this 3 gram presidential blunt from @tko.cbd features a minimal-THC (hemp), same terps version of Bubba Kush. Which I can only imagine means it smells like you’re smoking the good good, but you’re not? GRAY AREA WHAT?! For the record, when the farm bill passed I also spent ~3 minutes wondering how the govt was going to test every backyard plant to determine +/- .03, then I remembered state laws. THIS ONE I still haven’t figured out yet. — Asking for myself on account of that singular time last year when I was out and everyone took a cig break and I forgot it’s not cool to spark up in Pennsylvania public. Also interested in sharing this product with my homies, but I don’t really want to worry (which I would) about them getting into altercations with the po-po bc how many people really know the legendary Bubba Kush now comes THC free? (You’re welcome). — If your answer is don’t smoke it in public, save it. Technically speaking, hemp is no longer a controlled substance and the flower itself is out of FDA regulation, so fair game is fair game. Just wondering if that excuse really works in the heat of the moment, and if not, what actionable steps can we, as both community and industry, take to #normalize this shit? pls+thx. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bugkx5Ahapl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19rif4ezar4d2