This weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing the Visualize and Thrive Retreat hosted by MJ Lifestyle Magazine. After months of research on the history of cannabis in India (gearing towards the launch of LUV KUSH CO), the ups and downs of the industry and isolation of working independently was driving me insane. I was in dire need of a getaway. MJ Lifestyle’s Visualize and Thrive event popped up on my Instagram TL and - almost like a sign from the universe, mentioned that social equity tickets were available for those who couldn’t afford the experience. Knowing my chances were slim, I reached out less than 18 hours prior to the event for a ticket. To my pleasant surprise, Jennifer Skog, founder of MJ Lifestyle Magazine, graciously offered not only one, but two tickets to share the experience.
I was thrilled and instantly knew who I wanted to bring: my mom. She had the day off and after a little persuasion agreed to accompany me. (My mom is a big fan of CBD, Proof to be specific.) Like so many mothers in the Indian community, the majority of her time is dedicated to taking care of her family and career. When asked about self care, the conversation is often drawn back to faith in religion and God. While this can be an important aspect of mental health, a lot of us forget an important key to self care: slowing down. I wanted to show my mom the benefits of self-preservation, how cannabis magnifies this experience, and why it’s especially important for women of color to share experiences like this.
We were personally welcomed by Jenn to the gorgeous Luminary Farm- a lush estate in Danville, CA, complete with a private sanctuary temple for elevated yoga. Abundant spreads of wholesome treats from Atlas Edibles featured award their winning granola, dark chocolate, fruit and nuts. Sava and TSO Sonoma, provided socially-conscious brand education for both beginners and experienced users; Flow Kana partnered with Brother David to provide us with sustainably grown flower as well some gems on supporting small-scale, family owned farms that practice regenerative agricultural practices. Interested in learning more, my mom and I settled in with a vintage tea-cup of bright magenta Passion tea and got cozy under the sun in a soft pile of yummy textured pillows and blankets. There we met a conversation rich on social equity in the cannabis industry. Full-circle, you could say, because social equity is how we got the tickets in the first place.
Social equity is a burning issue in the cannabis community; it is the concept ensuring all people have equal access to social rights, services, and goods. That means that people with low income, cannabis related offenses, and those who live in disproportionately affected neighborhoods should have the right to qualify for education programs, licenses, and employment opportunities in the cannabis industry. History’s proven track record of denying, restricting or limiting black and brown people’s access to these resources proves to be happening dramatically in today’s cannabis industry.
MJ Lifestyle’s “The Social Issue” was dedicated to this topic. My mom and I sat and read through Kaisha Dyan-MacMillan’s interview of Nina Parks. She was shocked at the findings. As a direct result of the War on Drugs (which, let’s admit, started long before Nixon coined the term in 1971), 80% of people in federal prison for drug offenses are black or Latino, while a whopping 81% of legal cannabis businesses are owned by white men. Licenses for legal sale continue to be issued out, regardless of the countless people still behind bars for marijuana-related crimes. My mom was shaken at the systematic racism.
To help her understand further, I explained that the negative impact of cannabis in black and brown communities leave them most underrepresented in spaces like the retreat. “For example, look at us, we are the only Indian women here. And we are from Fijian descent, making us a minority within a minority.” I gave her time to absorb it. “A huge reason why Indians are turned off by cannabis is the lies and criminalization of bhang in our communities back home. Even though we’ve been using it in India as early as 1500 BCE, the negative agenda on bhang in the Indian community started after the release of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commision Report of 1893- a series of studies performed by the British on the Indian community on origins, medical benefits, and cultivation practices of hemp. Meanwhile, Indians were being deported on indentured servant ships to the Caribbean and South Pacific. Some Indians preserved the traditions of cannabis in India when they brought the ganja plant to Jamaica, but our family in Fiji lost all ties to the plant after relocating.”
“But it helped you,” she said, “It helped me and Aji [grandma].The plant- it knows how to take care of us. We take fake medicine and pills with side effects that don’t help at all, just get you addicted. CBD has helped me so much, with my anxiety, diabetes.”
She was absolutely right. “That is why it’s important for women like us to have access to experiences like this,” I told my mom, “ It allows us to reconnect with cannabis from a healing and compassionate perspective without associating it with generations of trauma.” MJ Lifestyle’s Visualize & Thrive, Black Girl in Om’s Annual Wellness Day, Humble Bloom’s Field Trip, and Ganja Yoga at the Emerald Cup were all wellness education events I got to experience as a result of social equity. When we provide social equity opportunities centered around cannabis education and wellness programs, we begin the path of healing the PTSD many people of color feel surrounding their prior experiences with the plant.
For lunch, we bathed in the sunshine and feasted on a flavourful, nourishing spread of plant based dishes. We filled our bellies with shiitake mushroom lettuce wraps, fresh bread, hummus and baba ganoush, spiked with Potli’s new medicated Sriracha sauce. Lunch was washed down with Atlas’s 2:1 (CBD:THC) Raspberry Hibiscus refresher and we headed inside for CBD Education with Sara Payan. Sara is the Public Education Officer at The Apothecarium SF. My mom recognized her excitedly, as a speaker at one of the hospitals she worked with. Sara’s journey- from using cannabis to win her battle with cancer, to providing plant education and local advocacy work really got my mom thinking about the impact that cannabis could leave on modern medicine and the community. “There’s so much that can be changed, “ she said, “The Proof capsules work perfectly for me, and there’s no chemicals. It’s so nice to hear how cannabis has helped other women. Sara’s story is incredible.”
The cannabliss oasis came to a close as we came together to perform breathwork guided by Aria Diana. The first time I did breathwork with Aria in October 2019, I thought of my mom and cried a lot. I felt a deep sadness and longing to share the experience with her. This weekend, my heart was filled with gratitude when my wishes came true. Aria led a powerful class that left me feeling euphoric. Somewhere in the intense breaths, I felt pain that I’d carried for my mother, for generations of women, release. I feel my mom had that experience too. It wasn’t something we talked about, but after class, I saw her wiping tears, and I held her tightly in appreciation until we were ready to move on. If my heart could burst with love, it would have.
Overall, MJ Lifestyle truly hosted a space that allowed my mom and I to bond in a way we never imagined. As Fijian Indian women we are not taught to prioritize self care, but this weekend my mom learned that healing the self allows us to heal our community. The benefits of slowing down with cannabis created a safe space to talk about social equity and the impact representation has on repairing the damaging stigma from the War on Drugs. My mom left with a fresh perspective on cannabis, self care, the origins it shared in India; I left visualizing a new 2020 to thrive in- one where I reclaim my experiences as a Fijian Indian woman in cannabis.