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.
KushCon Cannabis Convention Provides “Cures” for Many Ills
Written By Natalie Goldberg
In April, the cannabis magnate, KushCon, approached me on social media with hopes that I could spread marketing throughout Tampa. As a Tampa native, I was overjoyed to complete this mission. Then, in June, the stars aligned as my beloved Fat Nugs Magazine invited me to contribute. Ultimately this led to sharing a booth with Vee, The Traveling Cannabis Writer, at the KushCon convention. My cannabis future seemed to be taking shape. I hadn’t stepped foot in the Tampa convention center since being a kid, so I knew I was in for a surprise.
You’re Invited
Written By Kaitlin Coghill
Hello sweet portal,
we meet once more.
It took only two puffs
to open the door.
Knobs and Bongs
Written By Natalie Goldberg
Recently, I decided to have a mystical experience with a bong I have not used before. I have kept it on a shelf because it was a gift and I felt it was too beautiful to use. It was discovered in the faraway lands of Oklahoma. This particular psychedelic moment seemed to call to this particular bong. I filled the bowl, and upon lighting it I knew I was going to feel the universe a little louder. Once I lit the bowl and watched all the cannabis fibers rise up in flames, I began speaking to the bong only because I felt that it was speaking to me first.
How My Cannabis Compassion Journey Turned Me Into the Ultimate Researcher
Written By Mike Robinson
"You have cancer." These words dig deep into the core of one's soul and change a person forever. You either learn to be a warrior or prepare for your end times. Determined to beat the disease without resorting to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, I turned to cannabis oils, as they were the only route I thought I could take against three different cancers running concurrently - and still have a fighting chance of surviving.
Cannabis Carrie Bradshaw
Written By Natalie Goldberg
I was watching the classic Sex and The City series the other night and wondered, what would it be like if Carrie Bradshaw was a full-time marijuana user? Carrie Bradshaw, who is played by Sarah Jessica Parker on the popular HBO series Sex and The City, has captured many women’s attention over the years, including mine. I named my Barbies Janey Glenn and Lynn Stone from the characters in Girls Just Want to Have Fun, where SJP played the character of a forlorn-Catholic school girl who is suppressed by her strict father, yet sneaks out of her house to dance on live TV. This and other tantrums of Sarah’s, as displayed on my television over the decades, had a direct influence on my own mannerisms, so much so that we now have many more similarities.
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?