Happy July, and to our friends in California, Happy Pride month. Cannabis has been intertwined with the LGBTQ Community and culture for the past 40+ years. AIDS patients in the 1980s knew the inability to eat or wasting syndrome could be mitigated by cannabis, which soothed nausea and stimulated the appetite. Groups in San Francisco led by Dennis Peron led to Prop P., established to restore hemp to the medicinal formulary in California. In 1996, Prop. 215 passed and the California Medical Association created a directory of physicians who agreed to consult with patients in the early caregiver days of medical cannabis. In the 1990s physicians feared losing their medical license discussing medical cannabis. Thankfully today those fears are gone.
Cannabis shares a similar blueprint to Gay rights – and demonstrates the continuous need for activism in our modern society. Same-sex marriage (equal rights in love) was made legal nationally in 2015, after many years of evangelizing how “Love is Love”. The Supreme Court said that the right to marry is fundamental — and Justice Kennedy wrote that under the 14th Amendment's protections, "couples of the same-sex may not be deprived of that right and that liberty." Cannabis legalization (equal rights in medicine) is still not federally legal. 37 states allow patients to access medical cannabis, but all people regardless of their state of residence should have the right to use cannabis therapeutics for health and wellbeing. There’s another parallel to discuss between Pride & Cannabis. Just like people are not all the same, cannabis is not one thing either. We can think of CBD & THC as ‘boy or girl’, but there are 140+ cannabinoids in the plant, showcasing vibrant diversity in nature. Hundreds of terpenes and flavonoids balance out the richness and medicinal benefits of whole plant cannabis, just like the variations in people provide depth to the beauty of our own tapestry.
PRIDE can multiply into other words, and I had fun creating a list from each letter:
P = passionate, proud, proven, possibilities, powerful.
R = radiant, resilient, revolutionary, rising, redeemed.
I = influential, imagination, intelligent, iconoclast, invigorated.
D = diverse, dancer, daring, different, delicious.
E = equal, equanimity, earthling, endearing, enduring.
We are all one, the same, yet beautifully different. And we need that to be whole.
Tell someone who may be struggling to embrace diversity that you love and accept them exactly as they are. Expand your heart and mind when you see the colors of the rainbow and be proud! And - we are getting closer to the ‘Tipping Point’, where all 50 States and territories have access to medical cannabis. Advocacy organizations still need your support and voice. Sign up for emails and contribute what you can to move the needle on political reform. We are proud to launch our NEW Global Cannabis Clinician Program, featuring a comprehensive overview of cannabis therapeutics and the global access points for patients and providers. The
NEW Cannabis Health Coach Certificate Program is updated and expanded with 7 more clinical units and contains all the licensing materials and the full toolkit.
Check it out today!
Many blessings and much love to you and yours this summer.
Holistic Caring & The Green Nurse
