zine vol. 99
all faces of cannabis photos taken by derrall peach
Pg 4: Pride, Mental Health, and the Plant by dustin hoxworth
Pg 8: cannabis and sleep by rn collins
16: cannabis and grief by
Pg. 26: set, setting, and structure in psychedelic therapy spaces by rn collins
Pg 34: hotbox with luann sun by dustin hoxworth
Pg. 44: cannabis in nature by rn collins
Pg 52: hotbox with mark nelson by dustin hoxworth
by dustin hoxworth
June is an interesting month It's Pride Month It's also Men's Mental Health Awareness Month-thanks to the Beard Bros for reminding me on a call the other day
At first glance, those might seem like two completely separate conversations. But when you dig a little deeper, they share something important in common: both are about people who have spent far too long being told to stay quiet.
For generations, men have been taught to suppress emotions, hide pain, and carry burdens alone. The result has been devastating Depression, addiction, abuse, loneliness, and suicide continue to impact millions of men every year, often because they never felt safe enough to ask for help
The LGBTQ+ community knows something about that silence too For decades, LGBTQ+ individuals faced discrimination, criminalization, rejection, and stigma simply for being who they are During the AIDS epidemic, entire communities were forced to fight for compassion, healthcare access, dignity, and survival while much of society looked the other way. And woven into that history is a story many people forget
Long before cannabis became a billion-dollar industry, before legalization campaigns became politically popular, and before dispensaries appeared on Main Streets across America, cannabis was helping AIDS patients manage pain, nausea, appetite loss, and quality of life Many of the earliest and most influential medical cannabis activists were members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, particularly in California during the height of the AIDS crisis
People were fighting for access because they were suffering and dying and compassion mattered more than some dumb politician and their beliefs driven by campaign donations (bribes) That legacy deserves to be remembered
Today, cannabis continues to play an important role in conversations around wellness, trauma, stress, sleep, anxiety, chronic illness, and overall quality of life While cannabis is not a cure-all and mental health treatment looks different for everyone, the broader conversation is ultimately about the same thing it’s always been about: helping people live better lives
Whether we're talking about Pride Month, Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, or cannabis advocacy, the underlying message is very similar People deserve dignity, support, community, and the freedom to seek the care, connection, and understanding they need without shame or imprisonment. We deserve to live a life where the wealthy ruling class brainwashed ways of thinking don’t interfere with freedom, justice, healthcare, and basic human rights.
As an industry, we spend a lot of time talking about products, regulations, business challenges, and market trends Those conversations matter, but this month is a good reminder that cannabis has always been about people first The plant may bring us together, but compassion is what keeps us together. And in a world that often feels determined to divide us, that might be the most important thing we can remember
Love, help, and support each other.
pretty chill these days
