As the sun rises over our nation today, we welcome in a new era: The end of almost a century of cannabis prohibition.
Today, Canada has become the first western nation to legalize cannabis for adult-use consumption.
Though the regulations are strict and the penalties harsh, I celebrate today for this is positive progress in the right direction.
Prohibition of cannabis has affected your life whether you realize it or not. From the pharmaceuticals your doctor has prescribed you, the materials we build our living spaces from, to the tax dollars that go to towards enforcement of the war on drugs.
The mainstream media may refer to today’s legalization as “recreational” cannabis, but this feels like misuse of a term that suggests all purchases today will be for just for fun.
See also: PART ONE: An introduction to healthy cannabis consumption
See also: PART TWO: An introduction to healthy cannabis consumption
See also: PART THREE: An introduction to healthy cannabis consumption
Today marks the rise of a new understanding of cannabis. Where we understand that cannabis can be used for wellness or it can be misused.
When I purchase oil drops to consume sublingually in B.C.’s first federally legal cannabis store in Kamloops, I am going to use my cannabis knowledge to choose the right ratio of CBD and THC that helps relieve my sore muscles without feeling too high.
If I also buy flower to vapourize, choosing a strain that helps me relax in the evening and sleep deeper, is my consumption for fun or is it therapeutic?
What we will learn in the years to come is that cannabis will bring more positives than negatives. That choice is up to each of us as we work together to undo the harm of years of misinformation surrounding cannabis.
Please take the time to understand your body’s endocannabinoid system. Learn the difference between THC and CBD and of the aromas, the terpenes that drive the mood and feeling of each different strain.
Take a moment to learn some different consumption methods: It’s not all about smoking or even getting high.
Legalization is a process not an event that happens in one day. Access adjusts but it is the freedom of knowledge and our understanding of what’s in the flower that is so important at this time.
Legalization is here and Canada is on the world stage. Welcome to your Flower & Freedom.
Bethany Rae is the founder of Flower & Freedom, an education platform and community, empowering people to explore cannabis as part of an active lifestyle. Download your Flower & Freedom Beginner’s Guide to Cannabis here.
Bethany is a cannabis education advocate and international speaker. By removing stereotypes and simplifying the science Bethany makes understanding cannabis in legalization a lot less intimidating. Book Bethany for her ‘Introduction to Cannabis’ educational workshop here. Follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter.
