I am an entrepreneur, writer, filmmaker, cannabis advocate and content creator, US Navy veteran, real estate investor, and student at Platt College, San Diego. I am also a super proud productive stoner who consumes cannabis intentionally to elevate my mindset, lifestyle, health and overall quality of life. Yes, I smoke weed every day! I’m the only person I know who had being a sailor as an item on their bucket list as a kid. I joined the US Navy shortly after graduating college. I served proudly, traveled the world and also suffered a traumatic accident while working on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis. The accident changed everything. I experienced a whirlwind of “little fires everywhere” in the form of a major disruption to my sleeping pattern, frequent debilitating migraines, chronic back pain, and a gray cloud that I was not able to shake away no matter how hard I tried. Dealing with all the aforementioned aches and pains led to stress and constant irritability, which lead to depression and anxiety, which led to hitting rock bottom and wanting to end it all. I was done with life. I got to the point I would mostly think about ending my life. Until one day, a friend brought weed to my house and asked if I wanted to smoke some with him. I agreed hesitantly due to my uneventful experience with weed while in college. Within 5 minutes, and without even noticing, the gray cloud vanished. The best way I can describe the following 2 hours after we smoked two grams of a cannabis strain called White Buffalo is by saying I felt like I was myself again. For the sake of accuracy, I’d say I felt the kind of happiness I used to feel at the age of ten: carefree, a sense of humor, and simply unbothered. In that moment, I became curious about cannabis. Growing up in a Caribbean Latinx household means that in your world cannabis is a drug that leads to horrible things such as loss of brain cells and sanity, zombie-like appearance, and cravings for hard core drugs? (Ahhh the good ol’ gateway drug narrative). Consequently, when the effects of cannabis dissipated, the gray cloud came back and I found myself thinking I was a bad person or worst a “drug addict”. Fortunately, the seed was planted. In the midst of the fog set forth by my depressive state, I knew it was possible to feel ok again, even if it was temporarily. I began to look into cannabis consumption, and to talk to people about it in an attempt to form my own opinion. During one of those conversations, a friend offered me a 15 mg edible hard candy to help me sleep through the night. That night, I slept six consecutive hours for the first time in 3 years! I woke up feeling carefree and actually eager to get on with my day instead of feeling glued to the bed and paralyzed under the sheets at the thought of going through the motions of being alive. That morning, I made the decision to not only invest in the cannabis industry, but to make it my life’s mission to propagate the message that the cannabis plant is beneficial. I quit my 9 to 5, took the leap, and never looked back. It’s been a roller coaster and I continue to love every second of it. Especially because my mental health is actually balanced from using cannabis as a supplement, which is the reason why I felt compelled to write this piece. Cannabis AND the cannabis community saved my life. The tension that builds up from not sleeping for years is a force to be reckoned with. Once I regulated my sleep with cannabis it felt like a ton of boulders was lifted off my shoulders. I was able to think clearly and recognized I needed professional therapy to help cope with PTSD. Therapy helped, but cannabis provided the element of consistency. I then started learning and experimenting with different strains and methods of consumption. To date, I still document my cannabis use by keeping track not only of how I feel, but collecting details such as the strain name, THC levels, brand/grower (whenever possible), and my experience before, during and after consumption. Yes, I have a cannabis journal! I use cannabis to regulate my sleep, eating habits, mental health, to enhance or evoke creative thoughts, to relax, to focus, to manage mental and physical pain, and to build my entrepreneurial portfolio. From an entrepreneurial perspective, I feel the urge to tell you that there are so many opportunities within this industry. These opportunities have potential for financial gain while doing something good for the world. I said this earlier, and I’ll say it again: the cannabis plant is good and beneficial. There is so much misinformation and fear due to the ramifications of prohibition. But fortunately, technology and the internet have made it possible for the community to share information and research rapidly and at a global scale. Can you believe that nations like Israel have been doing research on the cannabis plant for over 30 years? So far, the research confirms the plant has medical benefits and it is not a threat to anyone. My agenda is to shed light on the astronomical potential of the plant with respect to creativity, wellness, entrepreneurship, and criminal justice reform. Wake-Bake-Create-Repeat is the documentation of my adventures as a productive stoner who consumes cannabis with intention to enhance, design and create the life I want to live. This blog is for those who consume quality cannabis with the purpose to live their best life.
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