#when he chose to create the founder disease. it is a one vs the many

[the-last-dillpickle]

I've been thinking lately about a possible fic concept where Julian gets poisoned while on a mission with Sloan (Julian was warned against sympathy for the target! But tsk tsk no good deed goes unpunished), and due to the mission being too secret for Julian to show up at a real medbay, he must ride out the effects under the care of an EMH and Sloan. (This was going to be a kinda hazy creepy nightmarish fever dream type fic). Anyways, the concept led to me thinking about the reverse---Sloan is unexpectedly poisoned while on a mission, and Julian must care for him. It's an alternate take on The Wire. In that episode, Julian protects Garak from interrogation by Odo, puts his own life in danger for a cure, and forgives him. We know Garak is/was a bad man. Julian knows this too and has seen the devastation the Cardassians wrought, but he's not personally a victim of the Cardassians or of Garak.

So here we ask: would Julian behave similarly with a man like Sloan--someone who continually manipulates him, has tricked and tortured him multiple times, and who is a member of an organization that Julian is actively trying to dismantle? Would Sloan's life and health take precedence over an opportunity to interrogate an addled-minded Sloan? Especially if Julian can calculate that the knowledge gained could save so many more? Would Julian put himself in danger if it was Sloan's life at risk, and he was the only one who could save him? What's more important to Julian in the end: his oath and duty as a doctor, or the opportunity to take back control of his life and remove a rot from the Federation? Where does Julian draw his lines?

[hiddenknives]

-- Intro to ‘Orphan Black’ --

A majority of my muses are from Orphan Black so I thought I should write up a little post for those who aren’t familiar with the show. Obvs you don’t need to know most of this cuz my muses are really flexible but if you’re curious then here it is!

This post mentions (but does not go into detail) the following triggers: eugenics, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, terminal illness, arson, and dementia.

NEOLUTION

Neolution was founded by PT Westmoreland in the late 1800s. The basis of Neolution is the same as eugenics: creating better human beings by excluding “undesirable” groups and traits. The founder went missing on an expedition and reappeared years later, seemingly unchanged. It turns out that the founder had died in the jungle and a young Cambridge student named John assumed his identity. The ruse has made it seem like Westmoreland is the immortal founder and has made it easier to attract supporters all over the globe. However, Neolution itself is fairly secret. It has only started to become known in the mainstream media because of Dr. Aldous Leekie, one of the founding members of Project Leda, but even then the full extent of its’ eugenical actions is not known.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLONING PROJECTS

In the 1970s, the fake Westmoreland recruited Susan and Ethan Duncan to create the cloning projects. They started first with Project Leda (female clones) and then Project Castor (male clones). The United States military eventually took control of Castor and the DYAD Institute remained in control of Leda. Neolution has always retained a tight hold on both projects.

When the Leda clones were about eight years old, an explosion devastated the lab the Duncans and others were working in. The couple was presumed dead but both managed to escape. Ethan hid under the radar for the rest of his remaining years while Susan left Rachel to the care of Dr. Leekie while she continued working on other scientific endeavors.

Over the years, many branches of followers have developed including the extremely religious group called the Proletheans. Old World Proletheans are staunchly against interfering with God’s plan while the New World Proleatheans embrace the clones with open arms. Henrik “Hank” Johanssen worked for Ethan Duncan and managed to steal the original Castor DNA. He attempted to create a Castor clone and the child was named Abel. He is one of two who remain separate from the military raised Castor clones. In an effort to find this original DNA, Mark was instructed to infiltrate the group and do whatever it took to find the DNA. During this time, he fell in love with Hank’s daughter, Gracie.

Brightborn, Topside, and the DYAD Institute are subsidiaries under Neolution’s control. Neolution’s control stretches far and wide on an international scale. Their supporters and monetary backers can be found all over the world.

PROJECT LEDA

The Leda clones have been used as a nature VS nurture experiment and placed in homes across the globe, only one was ever intended to be self-aware. Rachel Duncan, the daughter that Susan abandoned, became the head of DYAD and was raised to be the ultimate CEO. Unfortunately for her, Beth Childs ended up uniting many other clones so that many more became self-aware. Sarah Manning and her twin, Helena, have caused numerous issues for the DYAD Institute and Castor clones alike.

The most recent attempt at restarting Project Leda only produced one living clone: Charlotte. Susan Duncan and Marion Bowles were the main scientists in charge of the project and the little clone was eventually adopted by Marion.

PROJECT CASTOR

Doctor Virginia Coady was one of the original researchers that Westmoreland and the Duncans recruited. She worked alongside Susan and eventually became a military contractor in order to oversee Project Castor. Coady became a reluctant mother and raised the children in an extremely dysfunctional environment.

At some point, Coady started to notice a trend that any woman who had sexual intercourse with a Castor clone would become ill and then infertile. With this in mind, she started encouraging promiscuity among the Castors. They were given journals to record information on their partners for further research. This effort combined with the strict military environment, her poor parenting, and the values instilled in the clones have deeply affected them in ways one cannot imagine.

Only one of the clones escaped this fate. After the laboratory fire, Susan went into hiding and decided to adopt another child. She decided on adopting one from Project Castor and Coady chose one of the boys at random to go with Susan. She adopted Ira, who has become much more than just her pride and joy.

THE CLONE DISEASES

The Duncans decided it was the most ethical choice to manipulate the clones’ DNA to make them infertile. No one anticipated that the edit would cause future harm. For Project Leda, the infertility gene causes severe damage to uterine and pulmonary tissue. It starts with coughing up blood and ultimately ends with death due to lung failure and tissue damage throughout the body.

Project Castor’s fate is, arguably, much worse. The disease is due to a misfolded protein which accumulates in the brain. It starts as forgetfulness, then seizures and trouble walking. Within months they develop severe dementia and die a slow death less than a year after the onset of symptoms.

In canon, all of the Leda clones receive a cure that was created by Cosima Niehaus (a clone) and Susan Duncan whereas the only living Castor clone receives a cure but later dies at the hands of Dr. Coady. Most of my Castor muses are portrayed before their respective deaths but either way, I ignore canon and most of them are eventually cured.

[keshajanaan]

Why Black Lives Matter? An explanation for those who do not understand.

Photographer: Clay Banks | Source: Unsplash

What does Black Lives Matter mean?

Black Lives Matter simply means that the lives of Black people are important. It does not mean that Black people are more important than others. It serves as a reminder that they are important. If you feel that Black Lives Matter is an unfair statement remove the invisible “only” from the beginning of the statement and add an invisible “also” to the end (Only Black Lives Matter versus Black Lives Matter Also). Here is a chart to help explain this further.

The movement vs the organization

There is a huge misconception on multiple fronts regarding Black Lives Matter (BLM), so I am going to try and clear up some of the confusion. On one hand many believe that Black Lives Matter is an organization that is behind the movement Black Lives Matter and many do not want to participate in the movement because they do not agree with the tenants of the organization. While there is an organization called Black Lives Matter and it does support the Black Lives Matter movement, it is not entirely responsible for the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement.

While the organization does support the movement that shares its name, the org does not own the phrase Black Lives Matter. There are many organizations and individuals involved in and supporting the movement who have nothing to do with the Black Lives Matter organization. A person can attend a march, protest, or even say Black Lives Matter without agreeing with or supporting the organization Black Lives Matter. For those just learning about the Black Lives Matter organization and wondering what they are about and what may be disagreeable or controversial about it, I will give more information and try to remain unbiased.

Here is a history of the BLM Movement through the lens of a British news channel. I chose this because I felt that having a foreign perspective would help remove some bias.

Black Lives Matter organization

The Black Lives Matter organization was born from the #blacklivesmatter movement. In fact, one of its founders came up with the hashtag. Here is what the organization is according to its website BlackLivesMatter.com/About

Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.

What the Black Lives Matter organization believes

Here are the tenants of the Black Lives Matter foundation also found on its website at blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/

We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities.

We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people.

We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.

We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others.

We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who exist in different parts of the world.

We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location.

We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead.

We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.

We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.

We practice empathy. We engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts.

We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.

We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.

We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).

We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn.

We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.

Is Black Lives Matter a Marxist organization

One of the biggest problems I’ve heard people say that they have with the Black Lives Matter organization and movement is that it was founded by a Marxist. While there have been interviews where the founders have mentioned that they are trained Marxists I have not read any particularly Marxist ideology in any of the literature about the Black Lives Matter organization and I do not see any Marxist ideology reflected in the movement. I do think that the average person does not understand what Marxism is so I will provide a definition. Marxism is a doctrine developed by Karl Marx that included economic and political ideology that is considered the foundation for socialism. Where Marxism gets its bad wrap is its variation, Soviet Marxism adapted by Vladamir Lenin and Joseph Stalin that became the foundation for communism. While I do not know which type of Marxism the founders of the organization were trained in; I will assume it was the original version that gave way to socialism. I came to this conclusion because many of the policy changes both the organization and movement are advocating for, involve reallocating government funds to programs and resources for communities. I am including two short videos one explaining the original form of Marxism and the other explaining Soviet Marxism.

An introduction to Classical Marxism

An explanation of Leninism or Soviet Marxism

Why is it not alright to say All Lives Matter?

While answering this question I am making one assumption about the person asking the question and that is that this person truly believes that everyone’s life has meaning and is important so they believe that Black Lives Matter is an extension of All Lives Matter and therefore saying All Lives Matter includes Black people. While this sentiment seems obvious it is not that simple. All Lives Matter has become a phrase that is used in response to Black Lives Matter in order to discredit issues brought up by the Black Lives Matter movement. The analogy I find helpful is saying All Lives Matter in response to Black Lives Matter is like saying all diseases are harmful when someone is talking about the dangers of breast cancer. Here are a few other analogies others have found helpful.

Takin from Ben Brainard on TikTok

Taken from a Law Professors Response to a BLM Shirt Complaint

What about black on black crime (aka crime)?

After hearing about the Black Lives Matter movement many people ask about black on black crime and what the movement is doing to solve this issue OR why it hasn’t done anything about this issue. First, as someone who has studied the migration and settlement of people and people groups as well as community and economic development I would like to say, backed up by all of my formal and elective education, that black on black crime is not real. It is just crime. Black on black crime is a concept that was created to support the stereotype that black people are inherently more violent than others.

In America, crime is committed by people in close proximity. This means that the majority of crimes are committed by people in the same community as their victims and unfortunately (at least in my opinion) many communities are still segregated. This means that most white people live in communities that are predominantly white, most black people live in communities that are predominantly black, most Hispanic people live in communities that are predominately Hispanic, etc. This means that white people are more likely to commit a crime against another white person, black people are more likely to commit a crime against another black person, and so on. Many people know the statistic that one is more likely to be sexually assaulted by someone they know than by a stranger, well this statistic holds true across all types of crime.

With that being said, I would like to address the portion of the argument that asks why BLM is not addressing crime in the black community. The answer is because this is not the mission of the movement or the organization. There are specific organizations such as the National Urban League that actively address issues that cause crime in urban areas. Here are a couple of videos that provide additional points of view.

Takin from Ben Brainard on TikTok

Conclusion

I just wanted to add a bit more of my opinion. While I attempted to remain unbiased I’m sure some of my own implicit biases made their way into this article. I would like to add some context so that anyone who reads this may see where I’m coming from and understand those biases. I am a 34-year-old black woman who graduated from the United States Military Academy (GO ARMY!) and served for 5 years on active duty to include one tour to Iraq. I love my country and desire for it to be everything and more than I could ever imagine.

While I have not experienced first hand some of the experiences of those who are active in the BLM movement, I have experienced overt racism on many occasions in my life and I do believe that less obvious forms of racism, such as systemic racism and unconscious negative biases toward people of color, exist in our country. I recognize that I grew up privileged in that my parents made the decision to give me a private school education, even though it made things more difficult for them financially. I had the privilege of growing up with a mother who went to college and was very active in helping me take the necessary steps to apply to and get accepted into one of the best institutions of higher learning in the country. I recognize that as a heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied person I have the privilege of fitting into society’s idea of what a “normal” woman’s life looks like. In acknowledging the ways that I am privileged I am in no way saying that my life is easy. I have had many struggles and hardships but none of them were because of my gender identity, sexual orientation, physical abilities, or education.

That being said, I will do everything in my power to make this country one where every person, regardless of their identity, is treated with the dignity and respect that every human life deserves.

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[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/baby-boomers-swearing-by-marijuana-as-miracle-cure-for-ageing-problems/

Baby boomers swearing by marijuana as miracle cure for ageing problems

Barbara Buck first tried cannabis when she was 17, and loved how it made her feel — more motivated and distinctly less depressed and anxious. But she had to give it up for 15 years because of random drug testing when she worked in the recreational therapy field with the elderly.

Now 54 with a new career path as a realtor, she’s one of the many people finding cannabis to be a great healer later on in life.

“The benefits for me have been wonderful,” she told INSIDER. “I make edibles for sleep and a pain salve that works wonderfully on sore joints and muscles. I don’t have depression issues and haven’t since using cannabis again.”

Buck also uses CBD — a molecule from cannabis that doesn’t make you feel intoxicated — to stay calm and clear-headed if she has a stressful day at work.

“For me cannabis just makes my life better,” she said. “It’s also been a Godsend for menopause symptoms. Cannabis and CBD help to regulate my mood, and help with hot flushes and sleep like nothing else I’ve tried.”

Cannabis, which can be smoked, taken orally with oils, teas, and edibles, or absorbed through the skin with balms and salves, contains hundreds of different molecules. Research over the past few years has tried to decipher their different uses and effects on the human body. Running alongside the science are the people taking their health into their own hands, passing on through word of mouth how cannabis products help with their ailments and wellness.

One demographic that appears to be reaping the benefits is the over-50s, who, after a period of changing attitudes, are now embracing it as a miracle cure for some of the problems that come with ageing.

How cannabis can help older people

Marc Lewis, the CEO of Remedy Review, an online hub full of the latest research and information about cannabis, told INSIDER that certain molecules can “empower your body to better regulate itself,” so it should be no surprise older people find it to be helpful with their aches and pains.

“We talk to a lot of people who just want a little more relaxation, but then quite a few people are using these products for pain and sleep,” he said. “I think also in some conversations with older folks, the feeling is maybe that they can treat pain or improve quality of life without the side effects of other medications.”

Jonas Duclos, the founder of CBD420, which manufactures and sells CBD-based products, told INSIDER that most people over 50 who contact him are looking for a solution to the general discomforts of getting older. Sometimes, it’s a last resort because traditional pharmaceuticals are causing them more harm than good, upsetting their stomach, damaging their liver, and causing other uncomfortable side effects for people with already sensitive systems.

“Cannabis and CBD work as a great anti-inflammatory for the organs as well — the stomach will be better, digestion will be better, all those things,” said Duclos. “And that creates a tremendous change for older people in pain.”

Leading US medical cannabis campaigner Dr Frank D’Ambrosio told INSIDER a review of his practice demographics revealed that 40% of his new patients are aged 50 and above, and cannabis has been incredibly effective for them.

“Older patients, who invariably suffer from age-related disease processes and thereby incur expensive pharmaceutical costs, see cannabis as a cost-effective way to decrease their needs for a host of medications,” he said.

“The biggest drawback that I have seen is not medically related. Years of disinformation propagated against this healing herb by the powers that be to the elder population has left them fearful to recognize cannabis as a medicine.”

Read more: People use cannabis products for health problems like Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and acne — but misinformation and out-of-date regulations are stopping most from benefiting

Duclos said being able to bring more comfort to older people is a duty, and they shouldn’t be written off just because their body isn’t working quite as well as it did before.

“Honestly, if anything, I think it’s pretty amazing that we can help these people who have actually been working really hard their whole life, who when they retire, they can’t do things because they’re in pain all the time,” he said.

“We’re all going to get old. So taking care of those people is actually taking care of our future selves.”

Jonas Duclos.

CBD420

A 70-year-old French CBD420 client who chose to go by the name Mrs. Y.P. told INSIDER she suffered with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and incontinence for 20 years before she decided to try the “CBD that everyone kept talking about.”

“Not only were the pains from fibromyalgia gone, but it also reduced the pain from arthritis,” she said. “To my surprise, it also fixed my bladder issues. I used to need 4-5 diapers a day, but now — none! It changed my life.”

Regulations are out-of-date and inconsistent

Meanwhile, Mr. T.P., who is 64 and also lives in France, has used cannabis to help with the spasms and pain caused by Parkinson’s disease. He wasn’t comfortable trying cannabis with high amounts of THC — the chemical that makes you high — from the black market, so instead started growing the plant himself.

“The police destroyed it and charged me,” he said. “Cannabis is very illegal here … The police are everywhere and they’re making a lot of arrests. I’m really afraid to be arrested again, but the pain and discomfort is too much, so I take the risk of treating myself with CBD.”

He added that it’s nearly impossible to find safe and reliable cannabis products in France. That’s where CBD420 comes in, because it allows people can order CBD oils and teas online.

In France, CBD420 products are legal under EU law, but they’re illegal under French law, so there’s a lot of confusion and inconsistency about what authorities rely on.

Duclos believes these unreliable and out-of-date laws and regulations are the biggest barrier stopping many people from accessing cannabis, because they lead to the spread of misinformation.

“For us, it’s extremely important that people know what they can expect from the plant, and that there are ways to use it very safely, and to raise awareness about the products themselves,” he said. “There’s still a lot to do in terms of quality and misinformation, and there’s no standards and controls, so it’s very difficult to navigate on the web.”

It’s hard to really know which companies are being fair and transparent about their products and which aren’t, he added. For instance, cannabis is legal in nine states in the US for recreational use, and in 31 others for medicinal use only. But making it legal doesn’t mean products will automatically be clean and high quality.

Read more: A man’s heart attack may have been triggered by a cannabis lollipop that was 12 times stronger than a typical joint

“For us in Switzerland we’ve found many companies who aren’t honest about what they’re working with,” Duclos said. “It’s important to bring that information out there, how to identify a product, how to ask the right questions.”

Someone in their 20s and 30s will probably have a better chance of rifling through all the information online to find the products they want, compared to someone who’s older and less tech-savvy.

Hero Images / Getty

Cannabis products don’t all deliver the same effects, and if someone buys an oil with very high THC content it could give them an intense high they might not enjoy. It may even scare them into never using any cannabis products again — even the ones without psychoactive effects.

“That’s why I spend hours on the phone with older people,” Duclos said. “For me it’s a pleasure to spend a lot of time explaining to those people what they’re working with. And it’s even more satisfying when two months later, they call and say it changed the way they perceive their future, because they’re going to be able to do more things.”

When people have a bad experience with cannabis, it fuels its negative image, and adds to social stigma. This can have a wide ripple effect, pushing interest underground and indirectly stifling scientific advancement.

Anecdotal stories vs data

Research has shown CBD’s medicinal effects. One small study suggested it could help with epilepsy, and a large review found it is effective in relieving chronic pain. There’s also some evidence that cannabis can reduce the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

But so far, many of the perceived wellness benefits of cannabis products are anecdotal, meaning the data isn’t there to back them up yet.

Duclos believes the taboo around drugs like cannabis means people are reluctant to come forward about their experiences, though it’s in the personal stories where the most interesting impact can be seen.

James Malaspino from Florida, for instance, was recommended cannabis for treating his symptoms after a massive right side hemorrhagic stroke. He told INSIDER it left him with limited control over parts of his left arm and leg, severe tremors, and “left neglect,” which is a lack of awareness of the left side of the body.

“The first time I tried CBD, I immediately felt like I had better sensation, improved control, and almost complete negation of the tremors,” he said. “The most incredible thing was that after a few months I started getting impulses to do things like use my left arm to close the microwave or slide it normally into a shirt sleeve instead of pulling the sleeve onto the left arm with my right hand.”

Read more: Here’s what marijuana actually does to your body and brain

Malaspino is now in his 40s, but has never been particularly bothered by cannabis or those who used it, except for thinking “stoned people always seemed kinda stupid.” But since he found it to be such a helpful part of his recovery, he started recommending it to others, including his 74-year-old father who has been dealing with cancer on-and-off for about a decade.

But he quickly found there is still taboo, “especially in the older ‘Reefer Madness’ silent generation,” who grew up with an overly dramatic 1930s propaganda film about how marijuana could cause accidents, suicide, rape, murder, and a descent into madness.

“Multiple people were trying to get [my father] to try cannabis for his nausea, appetite, and so on without success,” Malaspino said. “It was not until I made him a bunch of CBD chocolates for Christmas that he was willing to even try it.”

Petri Oeschger / Getty

His friend’s 90-year-old mother with brain cancer was also vehemently against trying CBD for her symptoms, for no other reason than that she saw drugs as illegal, and therefore wrong. But for people like Malaspino, with everything he’s learned about cannabis, it’s hard to imagine ever going back.

“The low THC strains are like magic for my stroke symptoms,” he said. “So far I’ve seen it help friends with PTSD, anxiety, arthritis, even someone who had a root canal told me that it was better than the Oxycontin they were prescribed.”

What does the science say?

According to Lewis from Remedy Review, the latest research has found that CBD empowers your endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate mood, appetite, pain, and other major physiological functions.

“Your body’s natural state is to be balanced — it’s not to be anxious, or to be in pain — and what CBD does is it gives you the ability to achieve that natural balance,” he said. “That’s what the science is telling us, it’s that CBD helps your body be its best self, if that makes sense, more so than actually treating a symptom.”

For example, research has shown how cannabis can be used as an anti-inflammatory with the potential to treat skin conditions like psoriasis. With psoriasis, the body over-reacts and creates too many skin cells, so CBD doesn’t exactly repair the patch of dry and irritated skin, but rather helps your body to regulate itself and work better, Lewis said.

A recent survey from Remedy Review found that 9% of 1,000 seniors asked had used CBD for health reasons. Out of these, over 65% said they had a good quality of life compared to just 31% who said the same before trying CBD.

Among the reasons listed for using CBD were inflammation, chronic pain, and poor sleep quality, but many seniors also use it for anxiety and depression.

“The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that nearly 18.1% of the US population over the age of 18 suffers from an anxiety disorder, and only 36.9% of those suffering choose to get treatment,” the report says. “It’s encouraging, then, that some seniors are attempting to self-heal with this type of nontraditional ‘treatment.'”

Read more: Researchers are studying women who use marijuana while pregnant. Lots of expecting moms already partake in the practice.

Buck, for example, tried many different antidepressants, but she said they caused weight gain and blunted emotions. By the time she started smoking again in 2010, medical cannabis was legal in her state, so she tried her hand at growing plants. She then became a medical caregiver, supplying up to five patients with her 0.3% THC content cannabis.

Buck was always open-minded about cannabis, and now uses it both socially and for her health. She said it’s just like when people enjoy cigars, craft beer, wine, or bourbon when they relax, without the attached stigma. But she is also aware not everyone sees it that way.

“The worry I have about what people will think is more regarding my professional life in real estate,” she said. “In my personal life I don’t shout it from the rooftops but I will be candid with people, especially if they have a negative attitude toward it with no experience with it.”

Cannabis could change someone’s future

If you want to guide the older people in your life towards trying cannabis for their wellness, Lewis said it’s best to start with organic products that have been tested recently, with a brand that is transparent about where the original plant came from. It’s also important to guide them through what different cannabinoids are meant to do.

“I think the first thing we have to tackle is trying to separate CBD and THC,” he said. “Marijuana will make you intoxicated, CBD will not. And even then I think we’re only starting to scratch the surface.”

He added a caution that substances work differently for everybody, and a dose for one person won’t necessarily be the equivalent dose for another.

“You have to start slow and work your way towards a dose that works for you,” he said. “If you take a gummy bear or capsule, your body has to digest that, so it may take a couple of hours for you to feel any effects, whereas an oil or a vape pen you might feel pretty quickly.”

In other words, if you don’t feel the effects, be patient and give it time to work.

If you’re recommending cannabis to someone who is on a lot of medication already, Lewis said you should also speak to a doctor beforehand about any possible drug interactions.

“I don’t want people to turn away from talking to healthcare professionals because they’re not up to speed on what everyone’s buying,” he said. “It seems the market and consumers are well ahead of the science which isn’t always a good thing.”

Johnce / Getty

When someone does find a product that works for them, it can change their life. Duclos has even seen with his own parents.

“For three years my mother was on medical leave because of her hips and neck,” he said. “And thanks to CBD she’s not only back at work, but she’s gone skiing with my dad. To me, that’s mind-blowing.”

It can also just mean living life with a bit more enjoyment. Years of suffering from pain, loneliness, and isolation in their old age would make anyone bitter, Duclos said.

“It’s going to sound ridiculous, but cannabis is a great way to help people socialize,” Duclos said. “CBD helps against anxiety, helps against stress … It’s part of wellbeing and creates a better environment and better physical comfort. All those elderly people could have all that instead of suffering.”

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