SPIRIT MEDICINE: Because of its criminalization, cannabis has been demonized, fetishized, glamourized, and cloaked in misconception for decades. Now, as it all begins to thaw, the damage is obvious: We have lost our connection to and respect for the power of this plant. This is particularly obvious in New York City, where despite it being the capital of the world, there is almost no awareness of the qualities hidden in cannabis to heal both body and spirit. People consume a vast array of “weed” available for sale from delivery services and dealers, but without a thought to how it affects them, where it is from, and how it has been treated. Would you do that with your food? Medical growers in Maine are rediscovering this sacred connection as they battle the opioid epidemic that has been pushed upon them by the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the effects of many other illnesses.