Laurie Wolf - The Cannabis Apothecary

Almost fifty years ago, my then college-aged brother and I returned to our family apartment to find our mother semi-sobbing. She had attended back-to-school night at my high school and discovered that all but one person in my class was a pot smoker. She said she was hoping that I was that one student, but her tears told a different story. Of course, it didnt help that my brother and I were pretty high while she recounted her story. We tried to tell her not to worry, but we couldnt stop laughing, and Im not sure how convincingly we made our case. The truth was, we were fine, and so was cannabis. By the end of the evening, we had convinced our mother to try cannabis in an attempt to show her that it wasnt scary or dangerous. She told our dad, and he forbade her to try it. That was back in the day when husbands told their wives what to do and the wives listened.

Wow, how things have changed! Cannabis, both with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and without, is part of the lives of many of my friends and, of course, my most esteemed colleagues. Cannabidiol (CBD), now federally legal, is sweeping the nation, and in states with recreational cannabis laws on the books, there has been a huge upswing in cannabis-centered destination tourism. Cannabis lifestyle shops are opening around the country, offering consumers the tools they need to throw cannabis dinner parties and to make their own infused beauty and wellness products. A steady stream of new CBD products is flooding the marketplace, helping people alleviate various aches and pains and improving their sex lives. Cannabis and cannabis by-products have come to play a huge role in the worlds of health, fitness, beauty, and wellness. Even high-end department stores like Barneys are getting in on the action. Their location in Beverly Hills now includes a cannabis lifestyle shop that sells, among other things, a $500 gold-leaf pipe. Cannabis is officially big business, though personally, I prefer an old-fashioned corncob pipe. Thats just me.

I am struck by how much of a cannabis lifestyle I have adopted since that night with my mother and brother fifty years ago. What started as the occasional stolen joint as a teen has slowly morphed into a steady daily use of products that positively affect my quality of life. These pot-infused products include edibles, topical ointments and lotions, and pain patches to go along with regular chair massages at my favorite wellness spa in Portland. My hair gets a coconut-infused CBD treatment every two weeks, and my husband microdoses for grumpiness reduction with tremendous results. Even my elderly dogs take CBD for their aging issues!

Cannabis helps me manage both epilepsy and pretty severe depression, allowing me some relief from potent medications that often carry unpleasant side effects, which Ill get into a bit later. My business partner and daughter-in-law, Mary, loves to take a CBD bath and starts each day with our CBD-infused granola. My son, Nick, enjoys a pre-roll when playing video games, including games on a virtual reality console, which is beyond wild when under the influence.

As the nation moves closer to full legality, Ive noticed a growing curiosity from people who previously expressed no interest in cannabis. As the stigma surrounding pot recedes, people who once disapproved of the world of marijuana are flooding the market in search of new, interesting, and sometimes life-saving ways to enjoy this spectacular plant. Nowadays there are delivery services that will bring cannabis products right to your door. Here in Portland, a company called Green Box allows you to curate your order online, choosing whatever your cannabis-loving heart desires and delivering your goodies quite possibly on the same day. Hows that for progress?

This newfound interest, and the growing service economy that is forming to meet the needs of new consumers, has resulted in exciting new trends in the world of marijuana. Wine-tasting parties are being replaced by cannabis dinners. Older folks with age-related health issues are discovering ways to alleviate their symptoms through pot, and perhaps most promisingly, some studies have shown that marijuana provides a safe, non-habit-forming way for people suffering from opioid addiction to kick the habit.