Ever since I was a child, I have been told to sit down, lower my voice, stop talking to those people. I was pointed in the direction that I was expected to go in and told what I was supposed to like, follow, enjoy and engage in.
And, for the most part ... I have tried to comply with these expectations. I listened to my parents; listened to my teachers in school and professors in university; listened to my doctors when sick and surgeons when even sicker; listened to Pastors and spiritual leaders; listened to regulatory officials through whom I am ordained or registered; listened to friends, boyfriends, bosses, business partners and professional mentors ... and, in their own turn, each of these individuals or organizations led me to what they believed was the best place to be.
But I have started down this path of late that is truly causing me to shake up some of the notions of propriety imposed on me to reach for my own understanding of truth.
Now, I do know that I come to the Cannabis table with an odd bit of credentials. I am a minister, a psychotherapist, a Jamaican Woman with her hair locked ... I am fully cognizant of how this may appear.
The issue for me right now is this, I am sick and tired of having to conform to the expectations of others while oppressing my own curiosity and desire for truth.
When I discovered (in December of 2018) that Cannabis, CBD Oil specifically, has been used to successfully treat chronic pain such as the rheumatoid arthritis I have been suffering with since diagnosed in 2002, I was livid. It wasn't my doctor who told me, nor the orthopedic surgeon who told me about CBD Oil. It was a compassionate friend who say my pain and offered a suggestion she knew to be successful because she watched CBD Oil assist to improve the quality of her mother's life...
Fast forward to today, the eve of the Premier of CATO'S CANNABIS CHRONICLES on my new YouTube Channel. This Premier episode is an interview with Jose M Trigo, Ph.D., the Senior Scientist of Translational Addiction Research Laboratory at the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH), whose accomplishments include being one of the few Scientist worldwide to have successfully completed several Clinical Trials using THC/CBD combinations.
This Premier episode will also introduce my Guest Co-Host, Debi Facey, Cannabis Expert and Influencer (though she really hates when I call her this) who stumbled into my life just when I was drowning in curiosity, information and frustration. You see, Debi came to the understanding of the chemical make-up of Cannabis when treating her own physical and mental health. She grew in wisdom and understanding when assisting her mother, who died in November 2015 from Stage 4- soft tissue Sarcoma, manage her pain and maintain her quality of life.
Debi Facey speaks a language I can understand and she helped break down the information and research Jose Trigo PhD shared with he visuals that make watching the discussion more comprehensible for those watching on YouTube.
You see, my goal for CATO'S CANNABIS CHRONICLES, is to give voice to the people I have found in the multifaceted world of Cannabis and to those who have formed a Community around it.
I KNOW, there are thousands, millions of people living with the pain and confusion I have experienced who need to hear about CBD Oil. There are others living with mental health and addiction issues who need to know about Jose Trigo's research. There are people living with the empathic heart of a child watching to pain and suffering of their beloved parent who need to hear from Debi Facey.
Ultimately, CATO'S CANNABIS CHRONICLES is a non-judgmental, destigmatizing, round-table discussion of inclusivity where people are encouraged to freely share their research, exploration and wisdom about Cannabis in an effort to provide the necessary awareness and education to those using the plant (Medicinally and Recreationally) to make the best, informed decision about their health.
It is my hope that those who think I have deviated from the path I should be on will take a second look. I hope they can see that I am indeed following the path that reflects the truth and compassion that have always been my north star. I hope they can hear the sound creating a rhythm in the distance as i listen to the still small voice screaming loudly in my heart. I hope they will stay to watch me dance to the beat of my own drum!!!
CATO'S CANNABIS CHRONICLES Premiers October 2nd, 2019 on YouTube. You can find it here ... https://lnkd.in/gAs_gjc