How: On a crisp chill spring evening in March a few individuals gathered at 1224 W Wilson Ave Chicago IL 60640. The brick walls covered in exotic seeming arts, avenue-view windows meshed with various posters for surrounding events broken by an open door and an a-board reading "1st Social = 03.28.23". 

At seven on the dot the social proceeded with a communal icebreaker "Guess The Strain Type". A  taboo fitting game, ironically, where participants guess what strain type is being described using no more than two from nearly a dozen pre-scribed commonly used cannabis properties like terpenes, aroma, and other experiential factors. All co-mingling between previous strangers faded around 19:20 CST to give attention to a Special Guest beaming in from the West Coast of the United States of America, Codi Peterson, PharmD, with a most informative and necessary perspective on "mindfully consuming cannabis".

Was: RESEARCH ¤ MEDICINE ¤ EDUCATION

In Just 12  slides, Dr. Peterson delivered a high dose of scientific based knowledge in remarkable casual and very easy to grasp language. Key talking points from the evening guided conversation included a comparative analysis of attributed death rate due to consuming illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. See GBD 2013 Risk Factors Collaborators. (2016). Comparative risk assessment of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and the burden of disease in the United States. JAMA, 316(24), 2512-2533. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.6969.

The conversation was even personal, Dr. Peterson shared with us his personal experiences as a practitioner witnessing firsthand the medicinal response patients in a number of states from end of life, to actively living with chronic disorders, have had when being treated with cannabis(seemingly a radical idea) compared to other common treatments in the United States medical industry. These experiences have affirmed his belief that cannabis is medicine. 

Something I personally found surprising hearing about Dr. Peterson's journey was the alleged restricted and constrained awareness within the PharmD & overarching medical community of cannabis medicinal and therapeutic properties (though it is accelerating with the work of many cannabis activist around the world). See National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research. The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/24625

As Codi recounted, it was not until late into his academic career that he was able to discover the real effectiveness of cannabis as medicine. Ultimately this has empowered his stance as an active advocate for cannabis liberation.

Individuals in attendance at Smoke Responsibly had questions for Dr. Peterson ranging from, how to self-identify if you are developing Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, should individuals take breaks from regularly taken common cannabis sleep-aids, and what does the future of cannabis research look like. 

Overall the conversation was well rounded with Dr. Peterson giving credit to cannabis where it was due while also issuing guidance for all consumers to moderate intake if at all possible. Codi even advocated for trying various blends of cannabinoids to increase possibility of discovering a suitable cannabis lifestyle supplement.

It: Each month, Daily Roller hosts a community event where we bring in Special Guests for Guided Conversations discussing important topics related to cannabis, such as cannabis policing, best practices for consuming legally, research, and current events. Our goal is to create a universal community-sourced framework for mindful, happy, and responsible cannabis consumption. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smoke-responsibly-pre...

Thank you to Brian of Emerald City Coffee for partnering with Daily Roller on this monthly cannabis community event. Thank you Dr. Codi Peterson for collaborating with us on an approachable for all levels of cannabis consumption experience, holistic, conversation looking at the unique abilities and potential pitfalls of consuming cannabis. Thank you also to the Team at  Cannexus Consulting for joining on-board as a presenting sponsor sharing our cannabis community event with your current audience and community. 

If we missed you at the March social, join us on the last Tuesday in April for what will be another social, welcoming, and educational hour of " Smoking Responsibly" metaphorically & philosophically speaking. We welcome you for a pause in your week for the cause of being more mindful and active consumers.

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