On the last day of Mental Health Awareness month, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some recent life experiences that has shed a new light on my relationship with cannabis.

If you’ve grown to know me you’re probably aware that I’m a huge advocate for supporting your wellbeing and prioritizing mental health. After a couple panic attacks and a spinal ailment that creates chronic pain and stress for me, I was in need of some support. Being prescribed everything from opioids and several cortisone injections I decided to consume cannabis for a more holistic approach. My physical pain improved and I finally felt like I had a resource to limit the anxiety I was dealing with.

Over the years I’ve educated myself on cannabinoids along with their known effects. I’ve also paid much more attention to what and when I consume to identify triggers and patterns. So how has consuming cannabis support my mental health?

I’ve reserved smoking flower for the weekends, to serve as “reward” after a long week. I create intentions before my session to feel more connected to the experience. Tolerance breaks have allowed me to understand my thoughts and emotions when sober versus when not while also being able to get a great high with a low/slow approach. This clarity into my relationship with cannabis has been invaluable over the last few months after experiencing two deaths in the family.

Dealing with these tragedies has been really hard on our family and I’m grateful for having a support system that can soothe the pain. This may or may not resonate with you and that’s ok. The important thing is that if you’re reading this don’t let the stigma of consuming cannabis stop you from experiencing some true benefits in how it can assist you in taking care of yourself.

Peace 🙏🏽