#vol 02

Story by: Leighana Martindale 

By Jessica Nudo

Since our last mix was so well-received, we decided to go ahead and curate another!

Vol. 2 Spring Mix was created to reflect the essence of our Vol.2 Magazine. Same good feels but kicked up a notch and guaranteed to get you moving and grooving. This deep house-heavy playlist is a nod to the classics with a modernized beat to connect you with several eras of nostalgia - remixed.

From KC and the Sunshine Band and Dolly Parton to The XX and Notorious B.I.G, there’s a little something of every genre and taste. So, give it a listen and share the good vibes!

Story by: Amanda Siebert, author of The Little Book of Cannabis

This article originally appeared in The Her(B) Life Vol 02, order your physical or digital copy here.

Whether we’re using it to let friends know that we’re headed out back for another sesh, or writing it in kijiji ads to let potential housemates know that we’re cannabis-friendly, ‘420’ is a versatile ideogram with a nuanced history—one that, in the face of legalization and it’s “protect the children” rhetoric, deserves a closer look.  

Some have hotly debated the origins of the secret stoner code, and while many myths about the number’s history have been debunked, certain aspects of the real story beg to be highlighted, especially amid campaigns that aren’t always consistent with the experiences of, you know, actual cannabis consumers.

Police Codes, Strains or tea time, How did 420 become a code word?

Take, for example, the demographic thought to use the term most often. While it might still be thrown about in some more mature circles, my fondest memories of using ‘420’ are in high school (something I’m hesitant to admit, but we’ll unpack that shortly), where the roots of its origins were often discussed with friends in hazy circles at the dugout behind the gym. Some of the myths were attractive.

High Times and others would soon reveal that 420 had nothing to do with the number of strains in California. It, like so many of my friends believed, was not a police code for smoking-in-progress, or any other cannabis-related crime. It wasn’t teatime in Amsterdam, nor was it in any way related to Hitler’s birthday. As much as politicians wouldn’t have us believe, 420 became a colloquial way of referring to weed in the presence of authority among its first users at about the same time I—and probably you—began using it: in high school.

The real 420 story

As the story goes, a group of friends who attended San Rafael High School in San Marin County, California, coined the term in 1971: they set out on a hunt for a patch of weed that had reportedly been abandoned by a Coast Guard who was too afraid to keep tending to his plot, which, in the fall, was just about ready to be harvested. They used the numbers 420 to remind each other of the time they’d meet after school to smoke up, before piling into a ’66 Impala and hitting the road to Punto Reyes in search of the outdoor garden, smoking doobies the entire way. The group was known at San Rafael as the Waldos—not, like I had imagined, because of their search for cannabis (Where’s Waldo, anyone?), but because their choice spot for after-school sessions was atop a wall on campus next to a statue of chemist Louis Pasteur. (Technically, they began using the code by saying “420 Louis,” but eventually opted to drop the name.)

They never did find the mystery patch, but 420 remained part of their dialogue, and was subsequently adopted by other students at San Rafael before gaining popularity in San Marin County’s underground scene. Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, San Marin County was also the birthplace of the Grateful Dead, a band with a close connection to the Waldos that would go on to use the term in flyers promoting one of their shows. (A High Times editor found the flyer in the winter of 1990 and the rest was history.)

Unpacking the stigmas associated with 420

Knowing the true story behind the term is one thing—but analysing it reveals some inconsistencies between what we have been told to believe about how and when people should consume cannabis, what happens to them if they consume before a certain age, and well, our own stories. Frankly, what I find far more compelling than the origins of 420 are the conflicting ideas that we as consumers sometimes grapple with—using cannabis as a young person, driving while consuming—and the details of the story that, while not ignored, have certainly not been highlighted.

In an interview with CBC recorded on April 20, 2012, Waldo Dave and Waldo Steve (Dave Reddix and Steve Capper) are asked by host Brent Bambury to describe the group’s demeanour in ‘71. As you might expect, he quickly points to the stoner trope and assumes that the Waldos were just lazy pot smokers.

“I’m picturing you like Jeff Spicoli from fast times at Ridgemont High,” Bambury quips.

“Exactly not,” retorts Waldo Dave. He goes on to describe them as “football players, respectable cross country mountain runners; one of us a double honours student in accounting.” And more details, from their website: “The Waldos were motivated, creative, active, driven, involved, aware, intelligent, fit, and educated. They were athletes… Others were award-winning animation film makers and painters.” Kind of kills the image of the lazy stoner, am I right? Beyond that, it shatters the idea that using cannabis in your youth can only lead to negative repercussions. (Nevermind the fact that they consumed cannabis, while driving, on the regular.) Today, the Waldos are functioning adults with careers and families, and some of them still use cannabis.

Prioritizing Public Health & safety in a responsible and authentic way

In learning the truth behind the term and also looking back at my own history of cannabis use in high school, I find myself asking questions: Are we being too hard on young people who consume cannabis? Are we making them feel guilty or ashamed for enjoying something that we definitely explored before the age of 19? And are they believing us when we say that consuming cannabis will turn them into unproductive members of society? 420 is already about keeping that behaviour hidden, but what if our harsh penalties and “just say no” narratives drive young people who use cannabis further into the darkness?

By Jessica Nudo

Some of the most important conversations happening around the cannabis industry involve storytelling. I will never grow tired of listening to how this plant has changed lives and redirected careers.

I recently spoke with Vol. 2 cover queen Kerestin (aka Keke), a diversely skilled advocate for the community. Our conversation took place on a sleepy Saturday morning while most others indulged over brunch. But not us - we had a phone date and I was eager to learn more, especially when I learned of our quasi similar backgrounds in beauty and what brought her into cannabis to begin with. It’s a unique transition, no doubt, but a well-rounded background crafts an informed voice.

Kerestin’s focus is on community, connection and self love and she creates incredible content as a beauty, sex and relationship blogger who is quickly becoming a role model for those experiencing difficulty navigating this complicated dating world (present!). But her work doesn’t stop there, in fact it starts with her full-time hustle as a housing advocate, supporting the cannabis space and beyond.

“I have a huge passion for people and their well-being and try to show that in all aspects of my life. One of the biggest focuses is being able to connect with people, namely those who are in vulnerable populations. Working as a cannabis advocate has allowed me to achieve a balance.”

For Kerestin, everything she does is rooted in empowerment, and it shows in her instagram stories. Whether posing questions for her followers or for the camera, discussing and embracing sexuality has been a driving force in conversations.

Leveraging power of the internet to become social change warrior.

With a diversified experience portfolio, she has managed bring change in all corners of the community, both independently and through collaborations with the well-known Ladies of Paradise. By combining a variety of interests and industries, Kerestin reaches a broad audience through a grassroots approach of just keeping it real, honest and free of sponsorship bias or influences. A rare approach in an online world of easily swayed opinions where many prefer to take the money and run, because above all else, she prioritizes fostering her connection to her follower base.

“Working at Ladies (of Paradise) for me is about connecting women and female identities to an industry that has past been male dominated and creating space. My main focus with Instagram is providing a profile that will inspire people and offer something authentic for them to connect with.”

Ah-ha moment on cannabis and career

So what was the pivotal moment that sent Kerestin on the green path? It started with an injury that left her in a dark place after treating the pain with pharmaceutical medication. Determined to take care of her body in a more natural way, she found herself gravitating to the plant-based remedy lifestyle that yielded many benefits without potential harmful side effects.

Just like for many of us, trial and error played a role in while navigating the overwhelming selections of strains, formulas and other learnings that mama cannabis has to offer. The discovery of products containing CBD and THC not only changed her life, but she felt empowered by her choices by opting to purchase products that were helping her to make a difference instead of just masking the pain.

Top Shelf Beauty

We’ve seen how influencers on social media have an impact on re-defining the beauty narrative, especially within the green space. When Kerestin began working with Ladies of Paradise, it presented more opportunities to discover new products and share her findings with an engaged audience. Her background in hairdressing and aesthetics provided her with the knowledge to cut through the noise of glorified brands and focus on those with quality ingredients and truer brand power.

Her must haves include Humble Flower’s THC lotion with jasmine flower, massage oil and relief balm. As for beauty, she swears by MILK’s CBD mascara (brb, checking out Sephora). To cure what’s on the inside as well as the outside, her daily routine includes a dose of wildflower CBD.

“With LoP, I came into the shop early as a model and just fell in love with the message and social justice piece. I was thrilled to come on board and help the team to apply this in their creative direction.”

She’s worked with companies who exercise a certain awareness when executing a campaign, and if there’s one key takeaway, it’s the importance of being mindful with what you say and how your messaging is presented. “People pay attention to what you say. Whether you have a hundred followers or a million - people are watching.”

Speaking from experience, Kerestin has showed up to photoshoots where the brand has pulled images for where the mood board are from her instagram. “It’s a great feeling when you become part of their mood board and creative direction. It instilled that people pay attention to what you say and what you're putting out there”

‘Body positive’ has become a hot buzz term that’s thought to empower humans in general. We see it in ad campaigns, presented in a way to love the skin you’re in, and other marketing-heavy slogans.

While the concept of body positivity comes from a good place, once you disrobe the term and dissect it for what it’s worth, the actual term undermines the idea behind it. "I don't consider myself a body positive activist, my main goal is self-love awareness and being able to live in your space. We need to allow people to just be in their bodies. That being said, I would like to see more non-able bodied people included in cannabis”

Her key takeaway for marketers: If a company is going to run a ‘body positive’ campaign, please refrain from using a token curvy person as a means to champion your message. “That will turn around real quick. Rather, consider gathering a diverse group of people with different backgrounds and life situations to show the true diversity of who is being represented.”

The ‘Gram

Instagram, a platform that you either love or hate. Loving it means that you’ve figured out a way to make it work for you. Brands of all sizes rely on it to spread a message, while those who advertise rely on it as part (or all) of their livelihood.

But sometimes that backfires because the internet is riddled with trolls - and I’m not talking those strange plastic dolls with neon hair that dominated toy stores in the 90’s (although no one can prove otherwise since many of them remain faceless).

In order to mitigate the chances of this happening, Kerestin uses technology to her advantage by filtering out keywords and phrases associated with negativity. This has allowed her to curate a positive space for her to share and engage with her audience. “We need to continue to support and maintain that growth of true bodies that we are seeing on Instagram. When I do post a photo, it feels good for me and I'm able to express my sexuality”

Damn right, and nobody should be taking that away from you.

Establishing the Balance and Creating Space in Cannabis for PoC

Then there’s the hot topic that is on everyone’s minds - the elephant in the boardroom that few C-suite execs will acknowledge, but rather grassroot collectives and entrepreneurs are prioritizing.

The ‘elephant’ is a reminder of why those privileged enough to work in the industry need to maintain a certain level of mindfulness while enjoying the fruits of their labor, because those who laid the groundwork (majority being people of colour) cannot because they are incarcerated. What a trip, huh?

Many will claim that we need more feminism to combat the social inequalities faced under these circumstances, but that all depends on how you view feminism. “I definitely consider myself a feminist, but I also try to maintain awareness of what it stands for and how it is portrayed.”

The reality is that we are living in a time where it often feels like humanity is in a regressive state. Human rights still account for something, just not enough. We have seen how taking social justice into our own hands can allow us to make democracy work in our favour, but it’s dependent on awareness, community support and inclusivity,

So how can white women be more supportive in the industry? “I think that there are still conversations that need to be had in order to help support women of colour in business in general, and I think that a lot of it has to do with awareness of white supremacy and it’s values and the way we conduct business. If you’re white and you’re in the business, you have women of colour not just working for you but working with you. Give them the opportunity to take the steps that they need to in order to become successful.”

Being a supportive, strong ally means checking your privilege and exercising awareness that not all opportunities are created equal. So how can white women be better allies? “There’s something to be said about just being aware of the space when you go into it. Working with people of colour means paying attention to how they are being treated in the business. PoC have not benefited from this industry at all and will continue to not benefit from it because they were incarcerated, have fines and can’t work in the legal industry. Ask yourself if you are still being mindful of what this industry was in the past and how to support people who haven’t been able to benefit from it”.

Be sure to follow Kerestin’s @bigbodymami account and Ladies of Paradise on Instagram.

by Andrea

When is the right time to have a baby? No one knows. In some cases, it only happens without planning and in others happen in a relationship or marriage. I´m a girl that was born in the millennials generation, around a woman stereotype that has to marry, and it should have 2 o 3 children. That’s what they made me believe when I was a child. I think that the way I see life changed when I entered the university, because when I finished my elementary school I wanted to have a family and 3 children. Now I don´t know if I want to have children and I will explain why.