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Jul 12, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Rachelle Gordon |Cara Wietstock |Brendan McKee
As you may have heard, the federal government is considering reclassifying cannabis. Currently, the plant is a Schedule I substance, on the same level as heroin and LSD. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is looking at rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III, which is a less restrictive status. While the plant will not be fully legal, there could be some benefits—especially for medical patients like me.
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Jun 21, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Rachelle Gordon |Lester Black |Cara Wietstock
Cannabis is becoming more normalized across the country and is legal in some form in nearly every state. However, it feels as though the industry still exists in a bubble, posing many significant challenges with regard to acceptance. RELATED: Connecting the Dots: how censorship is hurting medical cannabis patientsThe cannabis community is its own entity. Reaching mainstream is challenging for others to understand us, the plant, and its benefits.
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May 10, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Rachelle Gordon |Lester Black |Cara Wietstock
Support for cannabis reform is at an all-time high. The federal government is even considering shifting its stance on the plant. But even with all the acceptance, information about the plant is still being suppressed—especially on social media platforms (where seemingly everyone nowadays gets their news and information). Social media has been silencing my voice and that of many others for the past several years.
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Apr 12, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Lester Black |Rachelle Gordon |Cara Wietstock
More states are legalizing marijuana all the time, but cannabis education varies drastically across the county. Some states have done a great job trying to teach newcomers about the plant, while others leave folks to their own devices. What is interesting is in New York. For instance, they have a full-on medical campaign happening right now. This is extremely helpful but would’ve been great about five years ago, so it seems like the states are the last to be on board.
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Mar 9, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Cara Wietstock |Rachelle Gordon |Amanda Reiman
When I started my medical cannabis journey, the learning curve was steep. Aside from the overwhelming number of products, rules and regulations, and state-to-state variances, there was so much to understand.
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Feb 9, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Cara Wietstock |Rachelle Gordon
For many people, the only way to understand the powers of plant medicine is through hearing about it from others. Word of mouth is the most powerful marketing of all. This is why I continue to speak out about my own success with cannabis—I know that people can learn from me and even change how they feel about the plant. I started sharing my story in early 2018. The first time I shared was for the Ontario Brain Injury Association.
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Jan 12, 2024 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Cara Wietstock
As a medical cannabis patient, it’s crucial that I be able to consume the plant. Cannabis connects my dots and allows my brain to function. Without cannabis, I am foggy, in pain, and a shell of my true self. And while cannabis may be legal in the majority of states, it doesn’t always mean I am free. Consumption bans help no one and are quite discriminatory, in my opinion. Banning public consumption especially hurts patients because cannabis is our medicine.
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Dec 15, 2023 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Elise McDonough |Elissa Esher |Emily Earlenbaugh
The beginning of my medical cannabis journey was extremely overwhelming. There were no guidebooks on how to “do the cannabis.” There was not one person that could give me all the answers I needed. I had to take my health and my cannabis journey into my own hands. It is still overwhelming to this day however, I do know how to navigate much better five years into this journey.
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Nov 10, 2023 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Elise McDonough |Elissa Esher |Emily Earlenbaugh
Cannabis connects my dots when I find the right product. What that means is the product I choose is relieving my symptoms in a way that improves my quality of life. I use cannabis for three specific areas of symptom relief: anxiety and depression, chronic pain in my head and neck, and improving cognitive function. It’s truly amazing when you finally find a flower strain or edible that works.
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Sep 8, 2023 | 
greenstate.com | Nikki Lawley |Elise McDonough |Elissa Esher |Emily Earlenbaugh
As more people seek out medical marijuana, it can be difficult to know how to discuss the choice with healthcare professionals. It’s something I understand far too well. The stigma surrounding cannabis as medicine is still real in the Western medical system. When I first shared I was using cannabis with the multitude of doctors I was seeing for my brain injury, there was not one that was sympathetic or supportive.
