Stigma Around Cannabis Everyone who uses cannabis has experienced stigma or judgement around their consumption in some form or another. From the elderly person telling you to “go smoke your dope somewhere else”, or the friend asking “ do you ever go one day without weed!?” Or even more commonly, the judgment against yourself for your habit. It hurts to feel like those we love, don’t approve of a part of us. Here are some tips to help you deal with stigma around your cannabis use. How To Deal With Stigma Around Your Cannabis Use Know How It Helps You Cannabis helps everyone differently, from reducing PMS symptoms, managing chronic pain and anxiety or helping you find your creative flow. Know what cannabis does for you specifically, and when you catch grief from someone (or from yourself) list off those plant based benefits. Heck, try writing them down so they really stick in your brain. Consume Consciously Just like you know how weed helps, be aware of how it hurts. For some, smoking can exaggerate social anxiety and be used to avoid dealing with your issues. Stay aware of how much you are consuming and why. If you’re smoking all day, avoiding friends and feeling depressed it’s time to reflect on how cannabis is affecting you. Weed is not good for everyone. Look At Legalization A total of 35 states now allow medical marijuana. Of those, 11 states plus Washington, D.C. have also legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. So it is clear to see that the US as a whole is loosening regulations around cannabis. Stay Active and Productive I judge myself the hardest when my consumption is through the roof and yet nothing is getting checked off my to-do list. By staying active physically and socially it is easy to view cannabis as a positive and healthy part of your life. Make It Look Nice By making your cannabis collection look modern and grown up, you will feel less ashamed to smoke from it. That is where the concept of Yew Yew was born from, smoking accessories you could proudly display. Don’t hide your habit, display it. Stay Educated On The Plant By being educated on cannabis and it's medical uses and racist history you'll have a wider understanding of the plant. Learn about the racist history of cannabis here. Read about the medical benefits here. Is the judgement getting to you? Try having the conversation. Some stigma is easy to brush off, especially when it comes from someone you don’t care about. But, when a loved one has a major issue with your cannabis consumption, it can start to tear away at the relationship. Especially if cannabis is a major part of who you are. At that point you should have a conversation with them. Try to explain how cannabis benefits you specifically. Make sure to listen to their reasons for being anti weed no matter how strongly you disagree. Try to calmly explain the reasons you use cannabis and what it helps you with, and why their disapproval is hard for you (maybe because you love them and care about what they think of you). The conversation might not end with both of you perfectly accepting the other persons view.