“THE LIFE OF THE HEALTHY STONER”
For years, the word stoner has been associated with anything but being healthy. Images of college kids gorging on cheese puffed snacks and sugary drinks may be the first things that come to mind when picturing a stoner. That was my perception too until I experienced cannabis for myself and saw another perspective. Negative stigmas have been attached to this plant, so I know it is hard to conceive that using it regularly may make you healthier, but it can. Educating yourself is the first key. Anything can be used incorrectly. Too much water can kill you, but so can not enough. Research has shown that different cannabinoids found in cannabis have anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in muscle recovery without the side effects you get from prescription drugs. We have receptors sites for these cannabinoids to bind to for a reason. There is a perfect balance to life that we all must strive for daily, having a clear mind and a strong body; free of illness are the two key components. In my eyes cannabis must be balanced with meditation and physical activity to work. Through my experiences with cannabis, it has helped me to become more aware of myself, realize where my focus is in life, and become a better athlete.
BASKETBALL & BLUNTS
Basketball has always been and will always be a passion of mine. I was blessed to play two years of Division III basketball at Penn State Harrisburg. Still to this day I’m a hoopaholic. When I think back on my organized career I always caught glimpses of being in the zone, not thinking, just doing. I made plenty of highlights and I’ve always been a good player, but I never played to my full potential consistently. I just couldn’t keep the focus for whatever reason.
My freshman year I was tempted to blaze with my roommates who didn’t play basketball but I was nervous about the NCAA testing. I was going to hold off until the season was over but I ended up tearing two ligaments in my ankle and getting sidelined for about two months, right before Christmas break. At this time I still thought weed was..”bad", I guess. I didn’t really know anything…super naive. Since I was home bound for the break I thought “fuck it they ain’t gonna test” so I decided to get high for the first time. My brother from MD, one of my roommates, our home girl, and I. A blunt, a couple bowl packs and a few shotguns…I’m lit, first time ever. A little while into it we hear a pounding at the door. Immediately my heart is swimming in my tummy. It’s the maintenance man…whew! Cool dude, didn’t mind the smoke. After he left we headed back to my place where I proceeded to eat maybe 10 packs of string cheese. There is nothing like the first time getting high. Time is going in slow motion, everything is enjoyable, and nothing tastes better than string cheese…nothing! But that’s just the first time…what about the second, third, fourth, or fifth. No way was I about to gorge on string cheese and get freaked out by maintenance men every time I smoked. I wanted more out of it. I had heard about these super creative people who used cannabis and wanted to be like them. How did they use it to be creative? What did it do for them? I wanted to know.
I’m a thinker. Like most folks I can be an over-thinker. When I first started smoking weed it was like it amplified all of my thoughts. My body felt good but my mind was racing and I didn’t know how people could possibly function under these conditions. I wanted to be able to function while high. Being high to me was like a superpower I had learned, but didn’t have control over. I really wanted to harness this power, so I made a conscious effort to do so.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE STONER
The key to using cannabis to your benefit is your mindset. You get out of it what you want. What kind of person were you before you tried cannabis? Ambitious? Lazy? Someone who makes excuses? Well you will be the same person after you try cannabis. It can’t change you, it only reveals you to your true self.
After two years of playing college ball I decided to change my major and transfer to the Main Campus. During that ankle injury I was rehabbing at Drayer Physical Therapy. The positive healing energy I felt there lead me to switch my major to Kinesiology. I am a very instinctual person, when I feel a good vibe I act on it. They only offered this major at the Main Campus so a transfer would have to occur. It was perfect! I was done with basketball of the organized variety. We had a coaching change after my freshman year that didn’t turn out well, mainly for me. So I just wanted to focus on school and hoop for fun. No politics, no bullshit, just fun. Without the worry of the NCAA testing I was free to smoke and do whatever I wanted. The first few times I played basketball high it just happened to happen. There were a few instances when I was nervous that I was too high too play, but once I stepped on the court all that went out the window. I would catch these flashes of being in the zone, when I wasn’t thinking about anything and I was just letting my game flow like I had envisioned before but never been able to achieve. The game was slowed down and my movements were completely effortless. The more this happened to me the more I wanted to get high before I played. So it became a ritual of mine. Packing a bowl or rolling a joint before I went to play got me excited to go and helped me relax at the same. It had become as important to me as stretching. Wish they let that fly in NCAA, maybe some day.
My biggest personal challenge has been making sure I use my thoughts to my advantage, and not let them consume me. This goes into all aspects of my life, but especially when playing a fast paced sport; there is no time to think, you just have to do.
Intramural and pick up games really helped me hone my game. With no one to tell me what type of shots to take, I felt refreshed. I began to attempt moves and take shots my college coaches would have benched me for, step back threes, crossover elbow jumpers, fadeaways from the post. In a matter of months I had completely changed the type of player I was. In college, I had to play Center and Power Forward. Now I am bringing the ball up the court, throwing no look passes, and shooting threes. I was letting my game flow with no restrictions. It felt so good. My confidence grew with every jump shot swished, and alley-oop caught. With this growing confidence came the desire to get better. I would get high and go work on my game, going through the moves slowly step by step until they were ingrained in my muscles. All of this happened so naturally. I was more focused than I was when I was playing for the school.
I was really beginning to learn what benefit I got out of using cannabis. Over time I became more comfortable being high, I realized how it enhanced everything I did. It’s hard for a lot of people to get to this point. I’m a budtender, so I’ve heard a lot of stories. Some folks are just afraid to be high. They smoked one time, got freaked out, and were too afraid to try it again. I say, face your fears.
I remember smoking a joint on a park bench by my house back home with my bro Tyler. We were talking about the mindset you get as a stoner; we called it the “fuck it” mindset. It just means things that would bother you otherwise don’t bother you. As I grew mentally I started meditating, and I realized that wasn’t just stoner thing. It was a conscious thing. Cannabis helped me to become a conscious thinker.
The older you get the more you think. There is always more to think about, the past, the future, work, food, weekend moves, dog fed, remembering birthday, what time do I have to go to work tomorrow, the list goes on and on. We have all been there, thoughts racing in and out of your head; you forgot what you were just doing so you attribute to getting older. Nope, you’re just thinking about too much. Being a conscious thinker, you can let these thoughts come and go without letting them consume you. Cannabis combined with meditation has helped me tremendously with that.
PERCEPTION & REALITY
Take a look at history; incredibly creative people have always been known to regularly use cannabis. Musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, writers, shit, even pro athletes have all been known to be fueled by cannabis. The thing is, every human has a different genetic and chemical make up, so the way cannabis benefits each of us will differ. Some folks might not need or want to have that high feeling, but they can still benefit. I just want people to be able to be open to the thought of using cannabis to make them healthier. It should be looked at just like any other plant. It’s not an end all be all, but it is a very viable herb to aid in anyone’s journey to be healthy. Being physically active is another huge key, but cannabis can take you a long way. Combine the two, and you got magic.
Recently, former NFL star Ricky Williams opened a gym that allows cannabis use, so the change is happening. I encourage you all to just do some research online and see what is going on in the cannabis world. Now that I live in a state where cannabis is legal I can access the exact type I need for every situation. It’s a true blessing. I smoke the flowers everyday but I also use cannabis topicals to aid in muscle recovery, and help prevent injuries. If you don’t live in Colorado or California you probably didn’t know you could get cannabis infused Icy Hot, but it exists, and it’s amazing.
To sum it all up, mental health is just as important as physical. Cannabis provides a great starting block to explore your mind and become aware of who you are and what you want out of life. That’s something we all need to think about. What do we really want out of life? Asking and finding the answers is healthy. When you have a direction and a purpose life flows so much smoother, and it is fun! Why would you not want life to be fun? So I am going to leave you all with this quote from Socrates, “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.“ Humans are capable of amazing things. All of us are. What ever you think is your reality and it is different for everyone. So after reading this don’t think I’m telling you how it is. This is how it is for me. I’m a healthy stoner, and this is a quick story about why.
Consciously, Cam
I can't relate soooooo much to this 😍
