From Stigma to Science: Is Cannabis Culture Changing? ✊🏽🌿💨🧬

and on drugs, they crack the eggs on that commercial, on the frying pan. And we grew up with this kind of a fear of drugs in general, and many of us now older, but they grew up maybe in the 70s and 80s, especially the Reagan era, the St. Noda drugs, and the whole drug campaign. It really left a mark, right, on at least that generation that grew up really being inundated with that perspective. And now, we're coming to a time where legitimate medical value is really being studied in universities and discussed in healthcare settings and even regulated in legal markets. But what I really want to explore is something beyond legalization. I really want to ask whether our relationship with cannabis is changing. And whether some of these changes might reveal patterns of personal growth, cultural adaptation, and even healing that we haven't really adequately examined and again, for those of us who grew up under prohibition, cannabis often came with secrecy, rebellion, fear, and sometimes even serious legal consequences. And many people learned about the plant through friends, growers, and underground communities rather than through healthcare or formal education. And now today, younger generations, this is kind of like the first time, at least in modern history, right, that we can actually look and start having some data that we can compare, right, with younger generations who are growing up with in many states. Yeah, there's still many states that it's like it was when we, you know, in the 80s or, you know, it's still very stigmatized against. But I'm here in California, right, and it's very, for the most part, in most areas of California, very normalized, right? So we've got a younger generation now that's grown up with a very different cultural narrative. And, you know, interestingly, in places like California, reported adolescent cannabis use has declined, even as adult, you know, legal access has expanded. So that's also telling us something as well. You know, does, does removing the taboo change the appeal and does experience lead to moderation? And does someone who once consumed cannabis frequently eventually develop a more selective and intentional relationship with it? You know, and I'm also curious, you know, what happens when someone begins using cannabis for illness, pain, or another health concern? And how do their needs change over time? Do their, does their use, or their habit, you know, how often they use it change over time, if, you know, the desired, maybe immediate, or, you know, the original sickness or illness that they turn to cannabis for is healed, or if that, you know, illness is corrected, how does their use continue after that? You know, do they still continue to use the same amount, or does it decrease? And, and then even more so, what's fascinating to me, because I've seen it in my own journey, is how do you all, I'm curious to hear from, from the community on, how is your own journey been within your own self regulation? And, and I can remember back certainly at a time in my life, where I was using much more cannabis than I do now, you know, in the, in the early years, you know, I was, I, all day long, you know, and, and I was, what I believe fully functioning and, you know, holding down jobs, taking care of my responsibilities, but, I just think it's really something that's, that's worth looking at, you know, from a, from a, from a cultural perspective. And I'm also interested in the knowledge that gets passed between generations. And, you know, I'm curious, what did, you know, cannabis users that taught us, you know, what, what did they teach, what did they teach us? And many of you, you know, may have been around at a time when, you know, there was that, we call them the OGs out here, you know, the, the OGs of the movement, the, the folks who, many, sadly have passed on, we still have a handful of folks that can remember those stories from the, a lot in the 80s, you know, was really when it started, the movement really started taking shape and form and, and started entering into the political arena. But, you know, what did they teach us about respect for the plant moderation, cultivation, responsibility, and, you know, the plant itself, even, you know, what knowledge do, do some of us still have from that, first group of pioneers, right, that we don't want to be lost or distorted over time, you know, and I, it's, I didn't so much want to have a conversation about, you know, proving that cannabis is beneficial or that everyone follows the same exact journey, but it's, it's really about listening to real experiences and, you know, including even those that challenge our assumptions. But, you know, I think we're, we're at a place where we're exploring some of these recognizable patterns and how people move from, you know, curiosity and experimentation towards, you know, real experience and self-awareness and intentionality with it. And, yeah, so I just, I think it's a fascinating part of our culture that's something that, you know, we, especially here in the United States, a really great, diverse, but cohesive kind of story that's unfolding and I think that's a way that we can really understand something larger, not only how cannabis culture has changed, but, you know, how communities are learning and adapting and ultimately healing after generations of stigma. So, I'd love to begin asking those of you that are here listening a simple question. For those of you who have had a relationship with cannabis for, I'd say more than 10 years, so 10, 20, 30 years or longer, how has that relationship changed over time? And what have you learned along the way? Anyone? Thanks for being here. Oh, honey, come here. Come on out, Mr. Badgo ahead. Well, it was one who started burning at 13 years old back in, I think it was late 70s. We didn't know nothing about it as far as at that age, except that, you know, hey, it was cool, we got high, and we got munchies. I don't, it wasn't until like literally as you grew older and learn more on our own about it. My brother was like a different story. I kind of like knew more from my brother, because he was like one of them naturalist kids, he's like from birth, he was like grafting plants and knew everything about fucking everything. So, he knew a lot about that stuff, got rest of his soul. But yeah, it wasn't until, you know, much later in life, when you learned that Henry Ford built the car, body out of a hemp and stuff like that, that has been suppressed for the longest time. So, I think right now, you're literally in the best, you're actually in the best time of information and revelation, I reckon, because everything is coming out, regarding what hemp can do, it can feed you, it can be an entire diet, clothing the whole nine yards. So, as someone who's over 60, I can say when you start out, you don't know nothing about it. You know, you just learn from your older friends, hey, hit this, okay, well, that's cool and stuff. Now, today I'm not young enough to hang out at school and see what it's like, because then they'd probably go, hey, who's the old fucker out here, get him out of here. But you get my drift. I think everyone, now it's mainstream. You know what I mean? Hemp is mainstream now. You can't. I find it. It's your application interest thing. I missed that. What was that? It's Johnny. The infrastructure application. Hemp Creek. Mixed in hemp and concrete. Right. I mean, understanding. Yeah, understanding. I think that's what Mr. bad is saying that his. The more he realized there's, there's way more to it, right? That, that, at least for me, that's, that made me, even less. You know, I think when people realize all the other, utility and benefits that come with it, it makes sense why it's like, that's the moment we all had, like, oh, that's why they don't want us having it. That's why they stay lies so much about it, right? Yeah. I mean, having a crop that. is a complete, you can use everything all the way from the top to the bottom down to the root. Having a crop like that is not beneficial for people that enjoy obsolescence. There are the benefits of obsolescence. Go ahead, Mr. Bat. Sorry. I'm a true cook. I'm sure you're the answer. I sent you a DM that you might find interesting. But yeah, I'm aware of a lot of the things now of what hemp can do. As I mentioned, it literally, it could feed the nation, it could close the nation, it can build the nation between all the stuff that they've come out with now. Like you said, the hemp creed and the building blocks that they're coming out with, which are a combination of handholds. That's old technology. Old technology still works today when you're looking at the hemp class because it's the same property, it's just in different packaging and form. Yeah, for sure. And I honestly, it's so funny because it's like all my spaces, this is always what I'm talking about. So maybe everyone's not used to me wanting to have a chat not so much about that. But I really wanted to just kind of focus more on, because I have a kind of a theory on what's happening in what happens within our own personal journey with the plant. I think ultimately is somehow, maybe not entirely exactly the same, but there's similarities to what's happening in the macro, in the larger picture of things. And you did make another good point, Mr. Baddett. This is probably like we are in a time where what's available, the knowledge and the access to all the research and everything with AI now, we've got access to really understanding and in many ways, you know, dispelling a lot of this. Those of us make you jealous of this newer generation. They're growing up in. So all this is going to be innovative language. It makes me thankful for what we know and what we remember, because it's what, you know, you value it more, right? For one, I mean, if you have to pay a dear price to have something, you know, it definitely makes you value it more. Go ahead, purple people. We're just an open discussion. I want to just hear from everyone. Go ahead. Go ahead, purple people. Yeah. Thanks for the space from stigma to science, as cannabis culture changing with the real Gondje Queen, make sure to repost the space, send a DM to a friend. So I started when I was 27 years old. I had never tried it. And I got out of the Air Force and my buddy in the Navy, he was a straightage like me too. And so we did it together and he really, it's really not good for him to do it. But I was experimenting with it, et cetera. And I found that it really, it gave me not just the will to live, but the I wanted to thrive as well, you know. And I was, I was trying to do the best that I could in this world, but it was my sense of.