Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are based on my personal opinions and experience. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a medical professional for any medical or cannabis questions.

Cannabis Stigmas Towards Smoking Cannabis

Cannabis consumption has long been stigmatized in many cultures. Even though cannabis use dates back to 2800 BC where it originated in central Asia or western China, many people still still feel negative sentiments towards cannabis users given that it is still classified as an illegal drug in many countries. The use of cannabis is often stigmatized and disproportionately associated with negative effects, substance abuse, mental disorders, health problems in popularized media. However, the perspective discussing the research and evidence for potential benefits of cannabis for medical, therapeutic, or recreational use is often buried and not highlighted in popular media.

The Lack of Education on Medical and Recreational Cannabis

From my perspective, there is not enough education or resources about the potential benefits of using cannabis for medical or recreational purposes. Studies show that most doctors are not educated enough to prescribe medical cannabis to patients. Speaking from my personal experience, neither my family doctor or naturopath were educated about the potential benefits of cannabis for my health, and instead, I had to proactively reach out to a medical cannabis provider in order to speak with a "medical cannabis doctor" - and even then, they really knew nothing about cannabis and how it affects the human body or mind. As medical cannabis is "medical", you'd think that there would be more resources that explain the medical uses. The resources are even more limited when it comes to information about recreational cannabis usage. Specifically in Canada, The Cannabis Act and applicable regulations specifies a number of prohibitions related to the promotion of cannabis and cannabis accessories. According to the Canadian government website, these legislations are aimed to "protect" public healthy and safety, especially young persons from using cannabis, and "enhancing public awareness of the health risks associated with cannabis use."

My Perspective on Cannabis Use

There are four very important opinions and points that I want to share and address before diving into my personal experience with cannabis as I think it's important to share context.

1. I think it is important to have educational resources that discuss both the potential benefits and harms of cannabis, provided in a way that explicitly states the form and frequency of consumption, as this has a huge impact on health effects. For example, the health effects of cannabis smoking are going to be vastly different than the health effects of ingesting cannabis oil or cannabis edibles. With cannabis edibles, there is no combustion or inhalation of cannabis smoke, thus it virtually has no effect on lung health or the respiratory system.

2. I agree with the general consensus that anyone under the age of 18 and/or anyone that has not had full development of their brain should not consume cannabis as it may harm the development of the brain. However, I think it is naive to think that kids won't be exposed to cannabis at a young age, and frankly in my opinion, it is better to educate kids and teenagers about cannabis before they have a chance to encounter the substance outside of classroom education. Just like how the school system teaches kids about alcohol and sex from an educational perspective, I believe the same should be done with cannabis.

3. I am not a daily cannabis user nor do I have a dependency on cannabis. I consume cannabis always with intention and a purpose. I will only consume cannabis if I need it for a specific reason (ie. alleviating my migraines, reducing symptoms of anxiety, managing stress, etc.)

4. I would not consider myself a cannabis smoker. My preferred method to use cannabis is via the form of cannabis oils, cannabis edibles, or cannabis topicals. Occasionally I will consume cannabis using a dried herb vaporizer, but it will never contain any tobacco. Once in a blue moon, I will smoke cannabis via a rolled joint, but again, this will never contain any tobacco. I understand the risks associated with combustion and inhalation of smoke, and that is the exact reason why I almost never consume cannabis through that method because I do not want an increased risk of potemtial respiratory problems. This is not to say that there are no risks with ingestion or topical application of cannabis, but I personally have had nothing but positive experiences with this method of consumption. To me, consuming cannabis oil would be the exact same concept as consuming extra virgin olive oil. It is simply a plant that has been infused with an oil.

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My First Experiences with Cannabis

I was first introduced to cannabis when I was 14 years old - grade 9 in high school to be exact. I was a top performing student in my school, very type-A, and always got straight As. I was involved with sports and extra curricular activities, and had a good group of friends. One day, I was hanging out with a group of friends and someone had a tiny joint rolled up. That was when I tried smoking cannabis for the first time. I took a few puffs, but ultimately didn't feel anything.

I revisited cannabis again in my last year of high school. I think I smoked a joint during my prom or graduation after party - I honestly can't remember. It wasn't until when I entered university in my later teen years where I started using cannabis as a way to decompress, relax, and unwind. It was especially helpful for me during university because I would often have many stressful days of attending lectures, studying, participating in extra curriculars, all while maintaining a personal life so that I could network and meet new friends, cook and clean, and keep up with working out. It was alot. And I was very grateful to have cannabis as a tool for helping me with my balancing out my physical and mental health. I ended up fast tracking my honours degree and completed it in 3 years instead of 4, and quickly set off into the real world where I landed a corporate job.

Revisiting Cannabis in My Young Adult Years

For the first few years post-graduation, I didn't use cannabis. Simply because I back living at home and did not have access to it. I did indulge in alcohol though, and let's just say it really wasn't doing me any good. I didn't have an alcohol problem by any means, but I would just drink alot whenever I went out with friends, and ended up feeling like absolutely crap the day after, which led to an unproductive wasted day, filled with lots of hangovers and headaches. During these years, I became more of a go-getter, even more type-A than I had ever been. I was working multiple jobs just for the sake of getting more experience, I was working out 6-7 times a week, and I was juggling many groups of friends. These years of my life felt like I was operating like a machine. I never reflected on my life, I only looked ahead and kept preparing for "what was next". I was very fixated on monetary success and maintaining my ego.

A couple years after living at home post-graduation, I decided to move out on my own and into the city. Cannabis in Canada was recreationally legalized on October 17, 2018 so that's when I started to have more access to cannabis, but it was still very limited. I was consuming cannabis edibles maybe once or twice a week. It was usually for the purposes of having fun with my roommate at home. We would bond, watch movies, relax, and eat lots of good food. During this time, I had changed jobs here and there, but was ultimately really unhappy with the work I was doing. It was boring, stressful, and had a heck of a commute. My mental and physical health were deteriorating drastically, and I didn't even know it.

How I Developed My Medical Relationship with Cannabis

Where my relationship with cannabis really developed was during the pandemic. Now it wasn't because of the pandemic by any means, but rather it was a build up of everything that had happened to me prior to the pandemic. I think the pandemic just surfaced and amplified all the issues that were going on behind the scenes with my physical and mental health. It was the bubble that needed to burst. During the pandemic, I was working overtime almost every day. I was exhausted. I hated my life and job. I didn't have any energy. All I could do was stare at my laptop, frustrated, angry, and feeling hopeless.

My Breaking Point That Led Me To Medical Cannabis

One day while working at home, I decided to go for a walk because I was extremely frustrated with something at work. I already knew something was off that day because I was super unproductive and couldn't think. On my walk, I somehow started feeling an out of body experience, where I was almost floating or hallucinating - I didn't know what the hell was happening. All I remember was that I ended up calling a family member, and explained to them how I wanted to quit my job and how I was worried that I wouldn't have enough savings to fall back on. I ended up running back to my condo and just collapsed and started hyper ventilating. My heart was palpitating, I feared for my life, tears just kept streaming down my eyes, and all I wanted to do was lie on the floor. I was having a panic attack.

My roommate immediately took me to the emergency room and thankfully there were no issues with my heart. But I did get referred to see a psychiatrist and social worker. I was diagnosed with anxiety and a few other conditions, and the doctors suggested that I go on anti-anxiety medications. I've always been an advocate for natural medicines, and try to avoid pharmaceutical drugs as much as I can. I knew that I didn't want to go on medication, and I wanted to try healing with plant medicine and making some real lifestyle changes.

Within the same week, I went on short-term disability leave (and eventually quit my job) and started to take steps to reset my physical and mental health. Below are a list of actions I took to change my physical and mental health for the better:

Changes I Made To Improve My Physical Health

• Changed my sleep schedule so that I would sleep earlier, and wake up earlier, give myself at least 8 hours of sleep everyday

• Limited my consumption of alcohol

• Increased my consumption of water and healthy foods

• Exercised 4-5 times a week, while giving myself permission to skip the gym if I didn't feel up for it

• Incorporated yoga into my exercise routine

• Consumed cannabis to help with post-workout recovery, muscle relaxation, and insomnia

Changes I Made To Improve My Mental Health

• Started writing in a daily journal where I would focus on practicing mindfulness and gratitude

• Began to have weekly therapy sessions where I could talk to a professional about how to address my anxiety and other symptoms

• Having more honest and raw conversations with my friends and family about my mental health

• Gave myself permission to not be perfect

• Consumed cannabis to help with reducing stress and managing symptoms of anxiety

My Current Relationship with Cannabis

My relationship with the cannabis plant continues to evolve. Not only am I constantly learning more about the scientific properties of the cannabis plant, but I am also learning more about how my body interacts with cannabinoids. This has allowed me to enhance my relationship with cannabis, and utilize it to compliment and support my everyday wellness journey. These days, I use cannabis for a variety of reasons to support my physical and mental health. Keep on reading for the 5 reasons why I consume cannabis today.

5 Reasons Why I Consume Medical and Recreational Cannabis

1. For my physical health, I mainly use cannabis to help with muscle relaxation which has been especially great for post-workout recovery. I like to engage in very physically taxing supports like weightlifting and boxing, and cannabis THC oils have been perfect for this use.

2. As for mental health, cannabis helps me manage my stress and anxiety symptoms. It's hard to explain it, but after consuming cannabis, I feel like life is manageable, and I'm able to feel confident in getting things done, and not feel overwhelmed.

3. Cannabis also helps me be more patient with myself and others, and helps me be more empathetic towards others. After consuming cannabis, it helps me shift perspective and really try to put myself in the other person's shoes.

4. Cannabis helps me slow down and be present - simply just live in the moment. The effects I get from cannabis feel like time slows down, but in a good way. It allows me to pause and think about what i'm doing, why i'm doing it, and really be intentional purposeful with my words and actions.

5. Last but not least, I consume cannabis for enjoyment and for fun. As a responsible adult, I’m able to make decisions for myself on how I choose to enjoy my free time. As a person who is very Type-A, focused on productivity and constantly trying to upskill myself, this can lead to burnout easily. I use cannabis for recreational purposes to help myself relax and enjoy life. These days, I’ve pretty much substituted alcohol for cannabis when it comes to social engagements, and the best part is that I don’t have to deal with any hangovers the day after!

How to Incorporate Cannabis Into Your Physical and Mental Health Journey

First off, cannabis is not for everyone. Yes, I've talked about cannabis in such a positive light and I stand by everything I've said above, but just because cannabis works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. I am not a medical professional and nothing I've written should be taken as medical advice. This is why you should 100% consult a healthcare professional to discuss your own health and work with them to see what is best for you, your body, and your mind.

I know people who have used cannabis to improve many aspects of their life, but I also know many people who don't tolerate cannabis at all. And that is ok. We're all humans, very different humans to be exact. We all have very different bodies and endocannabinoid systems that can interact with cannabinoids differently.

Nonetheless, it is important to consult a medical practitioner before trying anything with your physical or mental health. Our health is very important and also very delicate. We must treasure it and take care of it. Without our health, we have nothing else.

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