Coming Out of the Green Closet

BY HEATHER DEROSE

Coming out of, what I like to call, “The Green Closet”, about your cannabis consumption to friends and family can be challenging. Whether you’re coming out to your parents, discussing the medical benefits to a friend or relative with a condition cannabis may help, talking to your children or grandchildren about your consumption, or using it to help your child’s quality of life, discussing cannabis isn’t always the easiest conversation. There are some families who have a long tradition of sharing a joint at gatherings and others avoid the topic, as if the world isn’t progressing with new states adding a legalized program every year. Since cannabis has become mainstream and is being discussed across all media platforms, it’s most likely everyone has seen a headline about cannabis. Many people continue to hide their cannabis consumption, but discussing it with family and friends in an open and honest way can help normalize cannabis, share education, and spread awareness. Openly discussing your lifestyle can create stronger relationships and help create a connection with family. Social gatherings around the holiday season bring opportunities to have conversations about cannabis with your family and friends. At the very least, if you’re a cannabis consumer who has been hiding your use, having a discussion may help you feel better about being honest. I know how difficult it can be to have a conversation with someone who has a different view about consuming cannabis. I’m from Missouri and grew up believing all the misinformation surrounding cannabis and those who used it. I believed it would make you lazy or lower your IQ and was bad for your health. I was also diagnosed with epilepsy when I was a teenager. Cannabis was not mentioned to my family and it wasn’t until I had seizure recurrence in my early 20’s and a suggestion from my husband who’s been a long-time user, that I really started researching the plant’s benefits. I started with learning hemp doesn’t contain enough of the cannabinoid THC to create a psychoactive or “high” effect. The Farm Bill was passed last fall, which enables farmers to grow hemp throughout the United States. Hemp can be used to create fibers for clothing, textiles, and paper. Medicine can also be derived from the hemp flowers. More and more states are passing legislation, and the current lawsuit against the federal government has made history as their fight continues. There is still a lot of misinformation being published to fight against legalization, especially by companies who have a lot to lose once legalization occurs. Despite the pushback, there are over 30 states that have some form of legalized cannabis in the United States. Canada is the world’s first G7 country; they legalized at a federal level in October 2018. For many people, the topic of cannabis can evoke an emotion and non-scientific response. This may be, in part, because of the misinformation and fear surrounding the plant and cannabis consumers for decades, or they just don’t know the facts. It’s important to understand that some people choose to reject topics they know nothing about, and these discussions may need to be handled with specific care. Throughout my journey with cannabis, I’ve discussed my consumption with people who have views all across the board. Even people living in Colorado were difficult to talk to about cannabis at times. For me, the most difficult discussions have been those with family members about some of the most basic concepts, such as cannabis not being an opioid. There’s so much information and misinformation broadcast across all media platforms, some funded by those who have something to lose. Navigating information can be challenging, but information is your most powerful resource. It wasn’t until I moved from Missouri to Colorado that I came completely out of The Green Closet to my family. I was working at a cannabis cultivation facility and told them about it. The conversation was brief. My mom, sister and brother-inlaw moved to Colorado in 2017 and were finally consuming cannabis minimally. At this time, I didn’t feel as comfortable consuming around them and limited my consumption enough at one point that I had a seizure. That was my last seizure almost 2 1/2 years ago. Despite the information I’ve learned from the most credible resources, I still get pushback on how cannabis can help so many people and why, but I’ll never lose hope of breaking the barriers with information and conversations.

WHEN YOU START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT CANNABIS, HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

DO YOUR RESEARCH. It’s important to research and understand how cannabis is used as a medicine for so many people. There are several resources providing scientific studies about cannabis. The United States National Institutes of Health maintains PubMed, which archives every peer-reviewed study ever conducted. Searching cannabis brings up over 20,000 studies and searching marijuana brings up over 30,000 studies.

NEXT, LEARN WHY CANNABIS HELPS SO MANY CONDITIONS. Few people, even doctors, know the most important physiological system within our body is the Endo- cannabinoid System or ECS. All humans and animals have this system. Our bodies create our own endogenous cannabinoids, such as anandamide, which is often called the bliss molecule and produces the typical “runner’s high.” The endogenous can- nabinoid works within the body’s ECS to improve mood, cre- ate balance, and promote health. The exogenous cannabinoids found in cannabis work with the body’s ECS therapeutically to treat many conditions and symptoms. This is because our ECS works to create homeostasis within our bodies.

BEGIN THE CONVERSATION. Bringing up a topic that has been controversial for decades may be the toughest part of the entire process. Learning more about cannabis and be- ing able to provide information and resources will help provide confidence in your decision. Since views are strongly rooted in political and historical information, try not to take it personally if someone doesn’t immediately consider your position. Keep in mind that it’s your life and your health, and you’re the one in control of the decisions you make for yourself. Also, to allow open comfortable conversations to flow, be mindful of active listening and be respectful of boundaries. If someone you know may benefit from a cannabis product, maybe gift one to them. I’ve found, once the person has something to try that looks like medication or a lotion, they are typically more willing to open up about it and try it. The most common point someone with opposing thoughts would mention, especially surrounding children’s use, is the THC content. People sometimes worry the child may be feeling “high” and may refer to a lack of research surrounding its use. I refer to the thousands of studies that have been published and that often times, children are prescribed medications with harsh side effects, with little research, that are giving the child “highlike” experiences with prescribed pharmaceuticals. Personally, my grandma was the easiest to talk with. The conversation started about hemp foods, because she was interested in learn- ing how to eat healthier, and she asked if hemp foods gave you the euphoric high. I explained the difference, and she was inter- ested in the health benefits of eating it. She later learned more and more and currently is taking hemp CBD capsules I get for her. With the older generations letting go of the stereotypes and taking their health into consideration, they are becoming the quickest growing demographic of cannabis consumers around the world. Don’t let age deter you from sparking a conversation.

You may be surprised. In fact, the most resistance I have in my family is from the youngest member, my sister-in-law, who is 19. Despite her knowledge about myself and my husband using medically and the information we’ve shared, she has the most resistance to accepting the plant as medicine and has difficulty discussing it openly with the family. Even if the conversation doesn’t go how you’d hoped, it doesn’t mean you should stop. More and more information is being released, studied, and researched every day. The federal cannabis lawsuit continues to push forward to deschedule it as a schedule 1 drug and has put a timeline on the DEA for a response. Cannabis and its community are gaining mainstream media coverage, and barriers continue to be broken about cannabis and its consumers. Legalization brings a wider range of products with more innovation and regulation for those who need it to help provide a better quality of life without harmful side effects. People can now use cannabis topicals, tinctures, capsules, edibles and more to safely medicate. Cannabis is a natural plant medicine that has been used for thousands of years, until the past 80 or so. It’s been proven to help with several conditions without the harmful side effects of typically prescribed synthetic medications. Discussing cannabis with those you care about creates an environment to be open and honest and provoke thought. Not believing everything as truth and critically thinking about the information can provide a pivotal point for some. I find it helpful to compare cannabis to alcohol and tobacco. These are a couple of the most lethal substances on our planet, yet are legal, promoted, and sold almost everywhere. However, cannabis has caused zero deaths and provides exceptional health and wellness benefits. It may take a lot of effort to help others understand how cannabis works and even longer to break the barriers and fear they’ve learned about the substance, but if you can help even one person get the relief they need or understand your decisions better, it’ll be worth it. I went many years believing the misinformation and am so happy to have learned and experienced what I have with myself and family. The conversation will continue, and I hope to be the voice that helped others lose the fear associated with cannabis and shatter negative stereotypes surrounding its users. I’ve used cannabis for several years, and it has dramatically improved the quality of my health and wellness. It has connected me with a community of people who share the mission to make this plant available to everyone who needs it. The Epilepsy Foundation of the United States still lists cannabis use for seizures as an option, but only after trying all possible forms of seizure disorder treatment, including brain surgery, first. Even if you don’t consume cannabis, speaking out about your support can make an impact progressing the availability of this medicine. Doing your research and learning about the plant can help build confidence to have informative conversations with loved ones. Cannabis has the ability to save and improve the quality of life for children, veterans, grandparents, and so many more. Remember to keep having conversations, because that’s how the world will change.