PATIENT OF THE MONTH

EMILY STEWART Choosing a career in Cannabis will show you that many of your peers and coworkers are, publicly or not, medical patients. Having an invisible illness requires you to work to maintain order within your body at all times - not just when it’s convenient. When Emily and I met, we instantly bonded over our love for dabs and shared desires to sneak off to medicate with our Puffco Peaks. Not only is Emily an incredibly knowledgeable and effective saleswoman, but she was also crucial to my assimilation into the California Cannabis industry, training me to manage accounts and perform vendor days for a concentrate producer and farm out of Humboldt. This Washington native is no stranger to the wide range of benefits from Cannabis, in fact, she was also a budtender for one of the largest dispensaries in San Diego - Urbn Leaf.

“I WILL ALWAYS BE A HUGE ADVOCATE OF THE MEDICINAL USE OF CANNABIS, BUT I ALSO CAN’T DENY THE FACT THAT I ENJOY SMOKING RECREATIONALLY AS WELL.”

How has your life changed since switching over from western prescriptions to holistic medicine? What are some of the other herbs and supplements besides Cannabis that you use to help manage your symptoms?

Having a Lordosis spine from a young age, I was in and out of many different specialists and doctors. Lordosis usually affects your lower back, neck and spine, causing in my case nausea, pain and muscle spasms. During this time of my life it was also causing serious infections inside my body. Because of this I was placed on medication after medication. Throughout this time, I noticed that these medications weren’t helping and seemed to cause more problems and side effects. When I was old enough, I decided to stop taking prescription medications entirely. Not only because I felt that the pills didn’t work, but also because I felt as if I was being experimented on instead of helped - which in return caused more discomfort.

When I discovered Cannabis I found instant relief. Relief from pain, relief from anxiety and relief from depression. It was completely astonishing how a beautiful little plant that had such a bad stigma could do such amazing things. It was clear that traditional western medicine was not helping. At that age I didn’t realize how much Cannabis would change my life for the better! As my knowledge of Cannabis grew exponentially, I began to reach out for more holistic ways of living. I began to use essential oils for not only medicinal use, but everyday products and household cleaning. This changed my world and my overall health and happiness. Completely removing chemicals and toxins from my life, I eventually switched to all chemical-free living. Besides my occasional checkups and visits to the chiropractor, I am in perfect health - thanks to Cannabis and other natural alternatives.

The convenience of dabs is essential for people who experience chronic pain and need immediate relief. Why do you prefer rosin over other types of concentrates?

When I first started using extracts for my condition, I was using a more affordable product such as BHO. This was mainly because that was the best quality available at the time. As the Cannabis industry grew and developed, I discovered what I enjoy consuming the most is a solventless extract. Hash and rosin extracts became my go-to. I found more relief and consistency. I believe that rosin and ice water hash provide more medicinal value due to high concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes that are coming from the original plant. As I began to consume more concentrates, I realized quality products that are clean were vital for my consumption and the instant relief that comes with dabbing.

Does Captain Crunch like the smell of

Cannabis or dab smoke? Snakes are unique creatures. They actually smell through their mouths/tongues, which is their vomeronasal organ. Captain doesn’t seem to mind the smoke or me smoking. She’s very social and just enjoys being around people in general. I have seen her flick her tongue and seem curious to smell it, but unbothered.

As an artist, is your work affected by the symptoms you experience? How and what

do you do to help negate this? As an artist I tend to smoke during my work. This helps not only with the creativity, but also with any distractions or pain I may be experiencing while I’m working. This could range from having my rig next to me for easy dabbing access, or rolling joints to have in hand while I paint and create. I do have to say, my back does hurt from time to time while I work and I have to take small breaks, depending on what position I’m in.

Forbidden Fruit helps you to feel more creative, but is known to not yield well. Would you dab some Blue Dream if you were offered to help boost your

artistic flow? I don’t think I’d be passing on a dab, but I do have to say, Forbidden Fruit is undeniably one of those beautifully unique strains. It gives you a superb euphoric high while still being stoney enough to keep me grounded while creating my art. The creativity is off the charts right along with the terpenes. I’m usually always open to trying new strains of concentrates, but for me personally, Blue Dream hasn’t done the trick. If I were to look for an alternative to Forbidden Fruit, I would look for a similar strain cross. Something with Tangie or Cherry Pie that is seen more frequently in the concentrate world.

Patients use cannabis for medicine, and access to this precious resource is incredibly important. How does it make you feel when you see influencers online

taking full gram dabs as challenges? I will always be a huge advocate of the medicinal use of Cannabis, but I also can’t deny the fact that I enjoy smoking recreationally as well. I prefer some sort of education and information from all Cannabis influencers, but I’d never judge someone for taking a Cannabis challenge and having fun with recreational use - as long as it’s on safe terms.

Has the coronavirus affected your social

dabbing habits? Are you more or less likely to smoke out of someone else’s rig in public or at a sesh? During these uncertain times, for now seshes have been put on hold. Just to ensure the safety and health of not only myself, but the whole Cannabis community. I’ve always been the person to have my own mouthpiece or alcohol wipes at public seshes. Using these precautions not only during Covid-19 - but throughout all social gatherings and seshes - is important.