At Revolutionary Clinics, our commitment to you as a patient goes far beyond connecting you with the right cannabis product for your situation. We want you to feel every bit as confident taking to your friends and family about your cannabis use as you do with our Patient Advocates at our dispensaries. Having the support of the people you care about isn’t essential, but in our experience, it’s a huge benefit that we are extremely passionate about helping you achieve.
In the video below, Senior Wellness Consultant Sarah-Jaana offers some helpful advice on how to talk to your extended family and friends so you get the support you deserve.
Sarah-Jaana’s motto is to “expect the unexpected”. She’s a big believer in sharing the facts about how you’re using cannabis, how much better you’re feeling as a result, and then expecting your friends and family to support you as they would with any other important life decision. Education is key to break through the stigma of marijuana use and break down old “stoner” stereotypes that just aren’t true.
Speaking of old stereotypes about marijuana, one of our favorite writers and speakers on the subject is David Shmader. For sixteen years, David was a writer and editor at the The Stranger, a Seattle-based news weekly publication where he wrote about a wide range of lifestyle issues including his use of cannabis. In 2016, David gave an enlightening Ted Talk called Stoners Coming Out – beyond the marijuana monster myth. In the 15-minute talk below, Dave touches on a lot of the concerns that many of our patients have about what their friends and family will think about their cannabis use.
Dave cites his own fears about being labeled a “lazy, unproductive stoner” as depicted in the old Cheech and Chong movies. David also takes on the old notion about marijuana being a gateway drug. “Marijuana is not a gateway drug, “ David says. “The main thing pushing weed users to harder drugs are black market weed dealers selling harder drugs. The prohibition creates the connection.” That’s a really important point that no one really talks about. If you’re concerned about talking to your parents or other close family members about cannabis, David’s video is a terrific resource to play for them and discuss afterward.
If you’d prefer to share the opinion of a doctor over a writer, check out A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana by Dr. David Casarett.
Dr. Casarett is a professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine and chief of palliative care for the Duke Health System. He is the author of three books including his most recent work, Stoned: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana.
In his Ted Talk, Dr. Casarett offers some really helpful facts and observations that you can use in your own conversations. Most notably, that one of the greatest benefits of using cannabis is that it gives patients control over their illness by enabling them to “manage their health in a way that was productive and efficient and comfortable for them.” Dr. Casarett specifically mentions a patient who appreciated the fact that instead of relying on her doctor to prescribe a medication, she could use cannabis “when she wanted the way she wanted, and at the dose wanted”.
Another point that Dr. Casarett makes that will help you explain your cannabis use to others touches on a topic that all of us at Revolutionary Clinics take a tremendous amount of pride in delivering for our patients – “a feeling that that the clinic is there for them”. We love Dr. Casarett’s description of a dispensary as “a hive of interaction, advice and support” which is precisely the environment we strive to create every day. In addition to our knowledgeable Patient Advocates, you’ll have the ability to chat with other patients who have already faced the challenges of communicating with their loved ones and are willing to share their experiences with you.
As Sarah-Jaana describes in our own video, at Revolutionary Clinics, “your comfort is key”. From the moment you walk through the door of one of our dispensaries to your first conversations with your family, we’re here to help you feel better, happier, and more comfortable. If you’re ready to experience the benefits of coming out green, contact us today!
2 Responses
the regulations that govern both the medical and recreational use of cannabis, are constantly changing in most countries in the world. As the therapeutic potential of the plant becomes increasingly evident, more and more countries are relaxing their laws on cannabis cultivation, production, and distribution of derivatives
As they say, too much of something is bad enough. Using cannabis with moderation will never harm us especially on the medical side. There are pieces of evidence that it truly heals a certain disease or illness. Thank you for posting this.