The Stigmatization of Cannabis Is Still Alive and Well in California
Written By Dan Wittmers
Consuming cannabis is so far outside their definition of personal preference that maternity patients are forced to sign a physical document before delivery demanding they “do not trust anyone who is using marijuana to care for [their] child.”
This extremist document was presented to us as an agreement that “just states you won’t bring cannabis in the hospital or use it while you’re on-site.” It should be noted that they did not take the time to discuss with us the effects of drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, or taking opioids while breastfeeding, nor did they present to us any similar documentation regarding those drugs and their potential effects on parenting an infant. Likewise, when they prescribed my wife fentanyl for her discomfort because it wasn’t yet time for an epidural, there was no discussion about its potential effects on the baby still in her womb.
Recreational Medicine: Rethinking Cannabis in the Age of Legalization
Written By Benjamin Gold
Cannabis usage continues to grow in the United States, but our framing of it remains archaic, reflecting a non-existent binary that cannabis is either medicinal or recreational. Yet, the truth is that as more Americans use cannabis, they are discovering that its recreational benefits are just as important as the medicinal.
Today, while the fight for cannabis takes place across the U.S, we can do our part by shaking off the notion that cannabis can only be either recreational or medicinal. Instead, we must promote it as the plant that can elevate all aspects of life.
From Red to Pink - Part I: The Beginning
Written By Lindsey Gunter
THE BEGINNING: I’ll never forget a co-worker asking to meet for a break that day. This was strange, since he hadn’t for quite some time. We had both been promoted to managing different states on different teams, and were effectively on almost different schedules entirely as a result. I came in two hours sooner because Arizona wakes up at least two hours before us Californians do. But, on this day of days, there was an impending “All Hands” meeting vaguely and suspiciously defined to start at what appeared to be changing times.
May the Microforce Be With You
Written By Jon Cory
Unlike the well-known Grateful Dead song, lately, it occurs to me…what a short, commonplace jaunt this has been.
I just started microdosing psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in “magic” mushrooms. I researched two different dosing schedules, the Paul Stamets and Fadiman protocols, and decided on the Fadiman Protocol. Every three days I consume a .1g dose of locally grown Psilocybe cubensis (a.k.a. “Penis Envy”).
Having never tripped, I can affirm that microdosing has been entirely underwhelming. When compared to having an alcoholic drink or hitting a joint, I simply don’t feel any different. Then again, microdosing isn’t about short-term pursuits with short-term results. This is a long game, with lasting effects on one’s well-being.
Rare, Ancient Axe Handle Tree Used By Aboriginal Peoples is a Relative of Cannabis
Written By Mike Robinson
Aphananthe is a small genus of five species, one of which was discovered by the legendary French botanist Jules Émile Planchon (1823-1888), a man who named countless growing vines, twigs, and trees. He studied pharmacy and medicine in Montpellier and returned to this university as a professor of botany in 1853.
Before this, he taught and worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, better known as Kew Gardens, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Cannabis, a member of the family Cannabaceae, is grown at Kew Gardens. "How to eat to save the world," an article by their staff featuring the health benefits of hemp seeds, was just published on the Kew Website in July.
Burnout: When Burning One Down Just wasn’t Enough
Written By Wilfred Maina
I am burnt out.
I hate typing out those words, but it’s true. I am burnt out, and I have to play the cards I’ve been dealt.
So, let’s talk about burnout.
You’re Invited
Written By Kaitlin Coghill
Hello sweet portal,
we meet once more.
It took only two puffs
to open the door.
Keeping Cool
Written by Jon Cory
One of my favorite scenes of Marvel’s The Avengers is the alien attack on New York City. Bad guys and giant flying worm/bugs are pouring endlessly out of a wormhole, destroying everything and everyone in their path. For the first time, the Avengers are facing a foe together, and yet one of their key members has yet to prepare for the imminent battle. In fact, he’s quite calm.
Useless Stigma
Written by Natalie Goldberg
I remember when Mom found my secret stash of weed. It was seven years ago and I was just divorced, so I had moved back in with Mom. One day, I found my glass bong out of his bubble-wrap protector, with my zip-lock bag of mystery-strain weed thrown about on the bed. I now understood why she ignored me upon my arrival home that day. How could she still be this judgmental?
The Birds , The Bees and Smoking Trees: How does Weed Affect Libido?
Written by Casey Renteria
These days, it seems that we can find a way to infuse just about everything with cannabis. Definitely food and tinctures, and of course lotion and beauty products. Did you know that we even infuse lube with cannabis? After my own experience exploring a variety of these infusions, I began to wonder…is there any research regarding what cannabis can do to your libido?
Can a Nurse Flourish in the Cannabis World?
Written by Natalie Goldberg
I am in the midst of a major transition. A few years ago, I took a job as a cannabis nurse. I felt burnt out by psychiatric nursing after having dispensed opiates and narcotics to patients that showed up monthly with little to no improvement in their health, despite years of trying. Feeling indifferent about being a nurse took over my entire attitude. At the time, I was living far from my hometown because of an attempt at living in a recreational-cannabis state. Unfortunately I ended up working in a non-recreational state. Inspired by my loneliness and defeat, I decided to look for work back home in Florida.
It was 2019 and Florida’s medical marijuana program had really taken off. When I found a clinical position for medical personnel, preferably a nurse, to provide treatment and education on the endocannabinoid system, I freaked out. I interviewed and they were excited that I was a fan of cannabis and that I could also give vitamin injections, so they hired me. I was in shock. My life changed in seconds as I began the transition from psych nurse to cannabis nurse.
Gateway Mary
Written By Natalie Goldberg
Having come from a strict Colombian family, weed was a sore subject in the ‘80s. My parents left Colombia before the Escobar days, but, the news portrayed Colombia as the drug capital of the world. My parents wanted to escape that image. One of the aspects to reject was the idea of marijuana being a part of us. So, naturally, they considered it vile, the devil!
The Best Dad is a Stoner Dad
Written By Daniel Crawford
Maybe I’m biased, but Stoner Dads are the best dads. Nothing against the great dads out there who do not consume cannabis, but there is a special power us Pothead Papas possess. Call it a special sort of curiosity mixed with adventure, and finished off with a sprinkling of Cheeto dust.
Cannabis: A Fearless Light in the Shadows of the Psyche
Written By Kaitlin Coghill
There is a fear of cannabis that comes from a place of not knowing. There is a “not knowing” of how the plant works, or how “safe” the plant is, or how illegal it is, or how it’s supposed to feel and look and taste. But greater than all of these “not knowings” is the “not knowing” of who we really are beyond our earthen layers. The biggest fear of cannabis is rooted in the fear of learning the truth about ourselves and our lives, and, even more terrifying, feeling that truth in our bodies.
A Bud to Pick with the Daily Trojan
Written By: Julianna Montano
It is always a positive to see more conversations about cannabis taking place at USC’s campus. I appreciate our esteemed publication, the Daily Trojan, for granting the real estate on their platform for such discourse. However, a recently published article entitled, “Summer is the time to abstain from smoking weed,” paints an unfair picture of cannabis consumption for our university’s community.
Pride Comes Once a Year…But At What Cost?
Written By Rian Kochel
Early on the morning of Saturday, June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar at 43 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. While police raids on gay bars were routine in the 1960s, on this particular day the patrons at the Stonewall collectively decided they were not in the mood for protocols.
Cannabis: My Co-Creative Dreamweaver of Choice
Written By Kaitlin Coghill
When I began to engage with cannabis, my third eye opened wide, and the co-creative dream weaving commenced. I didn't realize this is what was happening - at the time I simply felt relaxed and inspired. But that's the way things of this nature tend to unfold. Our conditioned minds aren't yet able to fully process all of the transformations taking place within our bodies and spirits when we consume cannabis, and so they allow us to ease into the ultimate knowing that we are so much more than just really smart animals with accessories. We are life creators, dreamers, and unrestrainable forces of nature, and we are meant to be in relationship with plants.
Cannabis and Spiritual Practices
Written By Scarlet Weaver
It is no secret that cannabis & psychedelics have been a part of history for hundreds if not thousands of years. That brings up the question, how are psychoactive substances a spiritual tool? We have all heard of the ’60s-’70s, right? Psychoactive substances have a much deeper past than the days of recreational use. We know these things had a place in most cultures with an intense focus on spiritual connections. Shamanism anyone?