By Angie Willoughby
My new and educated cannabis use has changed so many aspects of my life: one of those aspects was finding my joy through community.
Talking to my tribe today on more than one occasion within that day, I found myself having conversations around the word JOY. It was serendipitous that this 3-letter word was on the minds of those around me, because I was truly feeling it and actively manifesting it every day. Feeling joy can be tantamount to our self care and also self identity especially for the community I identify with (queer, black, kinky and polyamorous) To be a minority, within a minority, within a minority (yeah imagine how I feel…ha!) the small victories that affirm and validate who you are can be the single most exuberant experience of your life. But alas that doesn’t happen every day, so how do we cultivate, multiply and share our JOY?
In my sisterhood of the cannabis community, I see and am inspired everyday to not give up on myself. No matter how difficult no matter how rough we always find a way through, heck that is stoner culture too, isn’t it?! I have seen through some incredible black women, queer women, latinx women and also kinky women. How resilient we are and how and where that joy resides. The whole history of cannabis is about resilience and joy. The freedom that it grants you the open mindedness and the ease of connection and the thought of hey I know everything is going to be alright. Isn’t that what joy is?
As with everything it starts with US! How can we embrace our natural gifts, talents and skills if we are always looking down at others and their talents that are different than ours? When will I realize that my black girl magic is equal and in proportion to my sister’s joy? They are not only one and the same but they are contingent on each other. I always loved the phrase “Your vibe attracts your tribe” this is truth and I experience it every day! When I make space to rejoice and foster my tribe’s joy my joy in turn is doubled. Now THAT is the real MAGIC of my sisters in cannabis and all girls.
Angie Willoughby, The Green Baker, LLC, can be reached at thegrnbaker@gmail.com or visit www.thegreenbkr.com.
