March 27, 2022

Myth Busting

Some of the stuff they’re teaching at Oaksterdam University is how to overcome some of the most common stigmas and myths about the cannabis industry and its users. I am grateful for this, because having been a closeted lifelong partaker, I’ve struggled with the self-identifying as a lazy stoner, when evidence proves otherwise. It’s weird like that, my emotional self.

One of the most intriguing myths is that zero scientific, medical, or academic research is being done on Cannabis in America due to the Federal Schedule I classification, making it a prohibited drug, not easily accessed. The yarn-spinning goes on to carry this myth forward; furthering that any research our government cites probably comes from this one and only approved lab in Louisiana, and they’re only allowed to grow a single strain of dirt weed – cuz that’s what’s down there in the south. Nothing like what is on the market today: the fine premium crystal coated indoor grown, carefully cultivated and cross bred like they’re trying for a winning dog breed and best in show.

Truth is: Cannabis is being studied, and it’s Pubmed where you can read all the info. It’s quite overwhelming, actually.

This is a publicly accessible database of “more than 33 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.” (Believe me, I’ll be writing about it over on HealthScareInAmerica too, they’ve got everything in there! *mind-blown)

Just type Cannabis into the search bar and over 28,000 studies are available, all of this amazing, in-depth, academic, peer-reviewed stuff. Just loads of it.

Time to smoke one, and go nerd out!

Cannabis Curious

Discretion No Longer Applies

Advocacy is not the same as Marketing

About the author

Sista Smoke

Smoking weed is SistaSmoke's most well-developed hobby. Used to be, she would drive down the 280 freeway while grinding, packing and smoking a bowl - or roll her own from start to finish at 80mph. She’ll be the first to tell you, it's all in the knees. Sistasmoke is kind and generous with her weed but at the same time: discreet. You would only know she smokes if someone you had already smoked with had invited you to the party. Back in the day, SistaSmoke was shacked up with a dope grower, and medicinal weed had not yet been legalized, so she's used to being in the closet. SistaSmoke has a shrink who is encouraging her to feel less shame about her weed habit, because it is an important daily ritual and, well, she is in good company. After all, it's legal - to some degree either medically or recreationally, in all but South Dakota and Idaho. Many states are moving toward decriminalization, as well. Morning, noon and night, SistaSmoke is typically partaking. Before leaving the house, before getting in the shower, while waiting for the ferry, in preparation for a zoom call. SistaSmoke feels better when she is always toking, smoking, joking, higher spirits, invoking. Sistasmoke had a conversation with a coffee barista at the farmer's market a while back. Barista said that he'd been on a jury that dismissed the charges against a chronic weed smokin’ driver who'd been up for DUI. The jury felt that he'd proven his consumption habit was such that if his driving was erratic that day, it certainly wasn't because of his weed habit - er, that the weed did not adversely affect his driving. How To prove that one, Sistasmoke wondered aloud. Barista wasn't clear in his answer, or SistaSmoke couldn't retain it cause her short term memory is super short. SistaSmoke is working on changing the narrative of being an addict to staying open minded, staying in learning mode. Weed is a big enabler for SistaSmoke in that way, as in, oops! That was fun, oops, let's try again. Oops, this is gonna take practice, oops let's do it again. Laugh it off, don’t take it so seriously. Seriously. Lighten up. SistaSmoke wishes there weren’t such a stigma surrounding weed usage. Que the bong hits, Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure, Wayne’s world, half-baked, you name the Cheech and Chong mainstream reference. SistaSmoke is about to be fifty, years of age, that is. She is starting the second half of her life way too early but with a fire lit under her to make space in her brain for the new stuff by writing down all these other stories! Clear the way, empty it, dump it - get it on paper, or out in the ether, as it were. SistaSmoke likes talking about herself in the third person. SistaSmoke is tryna hone a voice, develop a style and a point of view, hence; this blog. Follow along and pipe in if you wanna. Lurk if that’s more your style, SistaSmoke doesn’t judge. Or, she tries not to at least. She’ll be the first to confess her shortcomings, so you don’t point them out. SistaSmoke collaborates with her brother, the multimedia-producer and holder of a Master of Arts in Interactive Journalism. He edits, inspires, promotes, maintains, and was the establisher of this blog to begin with. SistaSmoke is forever grateful for the tight bond between herself and her baby bro. SistaSmoke also writes another blog, (link) another another moniker. (link)