I am in my early 50s. A mother, a grandmother, living my dream now working from home. A busy working life, honest and kind, caring in nature, people nurturer, lover of the land, our environment, healthy kai. I’ve smoked cannabis casually since my 20s. An alcoholic father saw 5 out of 6 of my siblings become weed smokers as adults but not drinkers. That generation were harsh. They would tarnish a person for life as a ‘useless druggy’ if they were a smoker but it was OK to be a pissed menace? Yet, personally weed was better choice for us all. The true crime is that alcohol is legal, and available everywhere at all hours under flashing lights.
Now I have osteoarthritis and limits my mobility badly on some days, can be a constant pain that disturbs sleep and I smoke a small cone to get me through bad nights. I don’t take pills unless I’m absolutely desperate. Rarely need to see my GP. Always used and make natural remedies and I consider marijuana as nature’s gift as well. My rongoa for me. Also the many I have met in life and working in community health, have similar stories. We know what works for us and yet it's illegal.
The shame of being labelled a criminal, police on your doorstep, powerless and fear of prosecution.
To have a drug conviction will affect job prospects, you're named and shamed in newspapers, the whole process is archaic and a breach of our rights to personal choice and well-being. Conviction for cannabis is wrong on so many levels.
It is rongoa. It is nature’s gift, it works naturally and doesn't do me nor those around me any harm. It isn’t a man made drug.
I will be advocating for change.