From my experience, those of us who have been immersed in The Cannabis Community for years, especially the growers, all seem to stem from children of the ‘60s, whether we like it or not. We carry a few values, though not honored in mainstream America, intertwined together as a thread that connects us all.
Love. An overwhelming desire exists to raise the community as a whole, to care about the environment, to make choices that are best for the greater good and to not just enhance our own position.
Equality. Social justice. Call it whatever you want — regardless of gender, religion, color of skin, socioeconomic status, who you love, what country you were born in — The Cannabis Community wants things to be fair for everyone.
And, this movement embodies just a little bit of Rebellion. The politically correct term might be “higher consciousness.” To others, it’s a downright middle finger to “the man.” The key here is that The Cannabis Community doesn’t mindlessly regurgitate what others say. We are free thinkers that come to our own conclusions. We are rebels.
I think we can all thank cannabis for sharing these qualities.
So, my question is, how does the cannabis industry hold on to these values while merging with mainstream, corporate America?
In my opinion, there’s a three-pronged answer.
First, we’re unified. Both indoor and outdoor. Adult-use and medical. Gangsters and hippies. Rich and poor. We put our differences aside and work together as The Cannabis Community. The other side is well-funded, organized and often illogical. We must present a unified front if we’re going to prevail!
Next, we’re strategic. I dislike money in politics as much as you do, but the rules have already been established, and we cannot win the game if we don’t play. We need to analyze the rules, play the game and infiltrate the system so that we may change it from within.
Finally, we must revisit our values daily and ask ourselves if the path we’ve chosen and the choices we are making are in line with our unifying values. If we stick to these values, The Cannabis Community can penetrate corporate America, as well as our political system, armed with our uncompromising values of love, equality and even a little bit of rebellion.
Danielle Rosellison is part of the team at Trail Blazin’ Productions, a licensed producer/processor. She is a board member for the Washington Federation of Marijuana Businesses and the creator of the 502Cannabis Google Group.