Finding Balance: My Cannabis Journey

Finding Balance: My Cannabis Journey – by Ri Tokes.

Hey everyone — today I want to take you on a journey through my own personal consumption. I have found, running these streets for as many years as I have, that the way I utilize this plant is often very different than the average consumer, and I want to talk about that a little bit today. Many of you will argue that cannabis is an intoxicant, and I would argue that it’s a medicine. I’d even go so far as to argue that this plant was put here specifically for us to help us find balance.

The System That Keeps Us in Balance

So, what does that even mean?

Each of us has an endocannabinoid system. This is our body’s basis for homeostasis. If you think about it, all the cool things our body does are balanced by this system. Now, we interject the fact that cannabis is made up of cannabinoids as well as many other compounds, such as terpenes. So, I use this plant to balance my body. When I’m having a conversation with a budtender, or even with myself, about what I’m going to consume in that very moment, it comes down to a few factors:

• How do I feel right now?

• How do I want to feel?

• And what do I have to do today?

If I can answer these three critical questions, I can pick a strain that makes the most sense for my day, my afternoon, or my evening, what have you.

Morning Medicine

In the mornings, when I’m feeling a bit sluggish, many people would turn to a sativa, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re on the right path. But I want to take it a little bit deeper. What are the scents and flavor notes that are present in that strain? Because those are the terpenes we’re talking about. Those components, as well as a few others such as flavonoids, are going to give me a more holistic view of the feeling that strain will give me. Maybe that strain is high in limonene and pinene. I can anticipate that that strain will likely be very uplifting and potentially relieve some anxiety if I’m feeling any. The magic of aromatherapy in terpenes!

The Magic of Context

Looking at myself with all of the context that is around me and looking at the plant and all of the context within it, that’s where the magic happens. So, my question to you is: Are you taking a deeper look at this plant when you’re consuming? Are you asking yourself critical, self-reflection questions to be able to direct yourself within your high?

A Deeper Relationship

I’m not saying there’s any right or wrong way to consume this plant, but I am saying you could have a much deeper relationship with it. You could legitimately use it to balance your body, mind, and spirit — and actually change the context of your day.

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