Social Media Burn Out – When Working in Social Media Makes You Hate Social Media

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We’re living in the age of information, where connecting with people from all different walks of life is only a few keystrokes away. And what a wonderful world it is! However, working in social media can make maintaining your personal social media feel like, well, work. Here are some tips to keep your creative juices flowing! 
 

Take time to unplug 

Social Media is a 24 / 7, 365 job. Trends happen and disappear in the blink of an eye, and consumers expect near -instantaneous responses to their questions or comments. At this point, I feel naked if I’m not attached to my phone or computer. The constant screen time can block creativity and make everything feel fabricated, which makes creating content and captions feel like pulling teeth.  It’s so important to take some time for yourself – to put down the electronics and simply observe the world around you, and not through a camera lens or Snapchat filter. Pressing the “reset” button on your brain is as simple as taking a 5 minute walk or meditation break, and it works wonders for clearing out the white noise of endless social media profiles. 

 

Use what you know!

When you work in social media, you learn all the tips and tricks of the game: the best times to post, when to use or not use hashtags, how to up your engagement, etc. There’s no shame in putting these best practices to use in your own social media profiles. Taking the guesswork out of the details frees up your mind to focus on what matters: utilizing your creativity to put out authentic content. 

 

Utilize a scheduling platform

Life gets busy, and when you manage social media accounts for others, managing your own can be tedious and time consuming. Utilizing a scheduling platform, such as Sprout Social Media Manager, is such an easy way to make sure you’re getting out the content you want people to see, without having to take time out of your busy day to post something spontaneously. Whenever you have some free time and are feeling creative, schedule out the next few days’ worth of content and then forget about it! It’s liberating to not have to think about it, and all it takes is a little forward thinking and pre-planning! 
 
 
Social media is an ever-present part of our lives, and connecting with people from all across the globe is made easy by this information age. Taking advantage of the things you’ve learned and the technology you’ve been introduced to through social media marketing is a great way to save time and energy on your own social media. Don’t forget to take a few minutes each day for yourself, away from the tech, and you’ll find the joy in staying connected! 
 
Photo Credit: Courtesy of HTSABO

Growing Knowledge: Ask a Grower

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Are you curious about where your weed comes from? Who is growing this cannabis? What is their experience cultivating my medicine from seed? It has always intrigued me, but it never occurred to me to talk to my master grower father until I got into the cannabis industry. My dad, Duane Cattanach, owns Eagle Green Farm, a Southern Oregon craft cannabis grow. I had way too many questions to include in this post, but here are some of the questions I asked my dad! 


What is growing cannabis like?


A lot of work! A serious challenge, constant changes.

Why is it hard to grow weed?


Nature controls the rules and keeping up with the state’s regulations is hard. You can’t control nature and regulations are constantly changing. 

Soil vs. Hydroponics— what do you think is better?


Soil! It’s natural! I don’t use any chemicals to make it do what it does naturally, but I have never grown in hydroponics, I am a sun and soil kind of guy. I try and keep it as simple as I can.

What are the greatest challenges of an outdoor grow?


The weather constantly changing. Hot, rainy, plants get cold in the ground and sometimes their growth is stunted. Sometimes you have to start over if they are stunted too bad. Temperature is a big challenge, but it’s a double edged sword because it is a great climate for weed, yet you cannot control it.

How do you avoid pests/mold outdoors?


We use all natural products. Right now we are using an oil that combines cinnamon, thyme, and a couple other natural oils.

 

I thought that you could use some chemicals on weed and it won’t affect when you smoke it? 

 
You never know with those chemicals. They say some are safe, but then when further research is done they pull those products and come out with another chemical blend. There’s no sense in using chemicals when it could be ingested into somebody’s system if we can produce it using natural products. 
 

What’s your advice to consumer’s buying weed?


Use it in proper proportions, abuse with any substance is not good. Too much of anything is not good. I think the concentrates are way too over the top.

 

Thank you to Eagle Green Farm and my father for letting me take my Unicorn friend Blessings for a photo shoot and showing me your amazing plants! CANNOT WAIT FOR CROPTOBER! 

How Cannabis Helped Relieve my IBS Symptoms

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A lot of people have asked me recently how cannabis specifically helps my IBS symptoms. I’m happy to share, because cannabis is medicine and cannabis promotes unity and community in a way that’s unlike any other medication!  
 

 

Let’s start with a little background.

I have had tummy troubles for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until high school that I finally saw a gastroenterologist, had my first colonoscopy, and was diagnosed with IBS. After that, it was a seemingly never-ending parade of different medications: one for the nausea, one for appetite, one for the cramping, one to help “move things along”…. so many medications with so many side effects that I felt sick, bloated, and uncomfortable whether I took them or didn’t. My sophomore year in college, my hair broke off in my hand, because the meds made it weak and brittle. That’s when I really understood the havoc I was wreaking on my body through the prescription meds. And that’s when I decided to stop taking them. 
 

Enter: Cannabis 

What then, would I do for the cramps? The nausea? The inability to eat? Enter: cannabis. I have always been a cannabis user, but it wasn’t until 2012 that I found myself a cannabis patient as well. Instead of using it recreationally, I used it medicinally. It soothed my cramps, eased the nausea, and gave me an appetite when I had none. My hair grew back, I lost a bunch of weight (60 lbs!), I wasn’t tired and I didn’t feel sick all the time. I haven’t looked back since. 
 

Let’s talk Treatment

Now let’s talk treatment. Every body is different, and not everything works for everyone. I have found success with indica-dominant strains. I’ve also utilized CBD-only strains, which are wonderful for pain and spasms. If you’re like me, you like a little THC, so I would suggest grinding up both the CBD-only strain, and your favorite strain that contains THC in your grinder together. The bud tenders at the dispensaries are an invaluable resource- use them! Ask them about strains that help with pain, cramping, and nausea. They can point you to specific terpenes, like myrcene, linalool, and limonene, which all have a variety of properties that help with a variety of symptoms. 
 
 
I’m not symptom-free, but my quality of life has improved ten-fold! My symptoms are managed and my life is in control. I give a lot of credit to cannabis. I hope that I’ve been of some help to you, and that you find relief and peace. 

Get Connected: Be Vulnerable

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The Internet is connecting people everywhere every day. Why do we want to connect? To feel community, to not feel alone in our thoughts. One of my favorite aspects of cannabis is its ability to connect people. Combining cannabis and the Internet has been refreshing and exciting! Learning about branding has shown me how much fakeness is out there. These are some reasons to be authentic and vulnerable on social media.
 

Genuine Connections

Honesty is the best policy, you’ve heard it before! People do not want to interact with fake accounts. They want to talk to the source! Create a brand voice that people can connect with. Get comfortable with your products and brands and be honest about them. If you are speaking from a comfortable place then you create a comfortable environment, people will want to join in on the conversation!  
 

Inspire Others 

Showing your true self will inspire others to be themselves as well. You never know who you will connect with when you’re genuine online. When you put words together they have the energy to move people. You cannot bounce off of each other’s energy if only one of you has the energy. Present your magic every day and you will attract the right people. 
 

Be Real

Be honest even on social media! This may be curated content, but we, the people, are the ones generating it! Use your passion, curiosity, and experience to produce amazing posts. Sharing your knowledge is caring for the betterment of others. 
 
There is strength in your vulnerability. How amazing is it to have an online community for everything nowadays? Everyone can express their true colors and support one another. Let’s get real and get connecting today! 
 
 
 

Children and Cannabis

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Children and cannabis don’t seem like an ideal pairing for many folks. I appreciate why. When individuals under the age of 25 consume cannabis it can affect memory and brain development, so just the very topic of children and cannabis can be a conflict. As a mother and cannabis entrepreneur, I have been transparent with my children about the industry I am in, the medicine I work with, and how consumption of that medicine before their developing brains are ready can affect their health. Cannabis has about as much excitement in our house as Benadryl. 

Last week my daughters asked if they could attend the monthly Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association’s Market Trends in Marijuana panel. We were serving Unicorn Poop (a dessert ice cream truck) and they wanted the opportunity to see their mother leading from the podium. So, they came with nanny in tow- just in case things got out of hand. They enjoyed the Unicorn Poop ice cream, but what surprised even their own mother was just how interested they were in the conversation. Later that evening, as I tucked them into bed, they asked questions about branding and brand development, but were mostly moved by the stories of cancer patients using cannabis to conquer cancer. 

As a parent it can be uncomfortable to have conversations about topics that make you uncomfortable. However, it is important to have those uncomfortable conversations in the safety of your own home. No matter how you feel about cannabis, communicating with your children about what cannabis is will help them to grow into adults who can make their own decisions about cannabis. Access resources like NORML and Leafly to have constructive conversations that educate your children. 

VaporSlide Product Review

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As a human, I came ready-made with a whole host of physical ailments – including anxiety and IBS. Because of this, I have turned to medicinal cannabis to manage my symptoms, rather than a host of prescription drugs that have unwanted side effects and can interact negatively with each other. I have always been a hardcore cannabis flower fangirl. If given the choice, I would always prefer to use my waterpipe than almost any edible, vape, or transdermal product out there. So when I challenged myself to use only my VaporSlide for an entire week, I was admittedly a little nervous that I’d miss out on all my favorite aspects of smoking flower. Instead, I had an awesome experience! 
 
For the last week, I’ve used my VaporSlide as my primary vape pen on the go, and with my bong when at home. I discovered some definite upsides to choosing the vapelife over flower.
 

1. My bong was never dirty! 

 
I don’t know about you, but I hate cleaning my bong. I hate the smell of isopropyl alcohol, I hate how the little bits of flower get stuck in the down stem, I hate the whole thing. Because I bought a bong thats a massive pain in the ass to clean, the whole production takes about half an hour and I end up smelling like a noxious combination of old flower and cleaning products (sexy 😘). With the VaporSlide, you’re vaping concentrates through your water pipe, so the whole thing stays gleaming and clean and odor-free. This aspect alone makes using the VaporSlide an awesome addition to your cannabis repertoire. 
 

2. It’s super convenient 

 
I didn’t reload my bong with flower once this whole week. I didn’t have to go to my stash and grind up herb every time I wanted to light up. Because I have anxiety, sometimes that process is harder for me than it sounds, and can be overwhelming when you’re fending off a panic attack. Whenever I needed to medicate, I just grabbed the VaporSlide either by itself or with my bong, and relief was close at hand! If I had to leave the house, I just grabbed the pen out of the waterpipe and hit the road. It was so easy to go from dabbing to vaping, and the adjustable heat settings on the battery ensured a perfect cloud every time. 
 

3. You can choose your own adventure in terms of oil 

 
Often times, I find that the taste or quality of preloaded vape pens can be lacking. I also prefer to spend some time with my bud tender discussing the THC and CBD content of each oil, along with any added or natural terpenes contained. I’m relatively picky when it comes to my vape experience, and the VaporSlide comes with an empty cartridge so you can load it with any oil that suits your fancy. I prefer cannabis distillates, and have even dabbled with pure CBD oils for all the aches and pains associated with my IBS. It was surprisingly stress free to be able to choose exactly the syringe oil that I wanted to use, and the process of loading the VaporSlide takes way less time than loading and cleaning my bong. 
 
 
 
I’m still a flower fangirl, and will always appreciate cannabis in it’s natural form. That being said, the benefits of using the VaporSlide were not lost on me, and I’ll definitely be adding it to my cannabis regiment for convenient, discrete, and easy medication. This experience shifted my perspective on vaping, and I’ve found a product that lets me utilize the convenience of vaping with my favorite piece. I’d definitely recommend including the VaporSlide in your daily life. 
 

Reclaiming the “Stoner” Image

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As I get older and grow further as a cannabis professional I find myself cringing at words like “pothead” or “burnout” because it paints this picture of lazy good for nothings smoking copious amounts of bong bowls on their couch. Being a “stoner” is about more than just being a cannabis consumer it’s about integrating cannabis into your routine as a way of bettering your overall quality of life.

 

 In over 4 years of interacting with patients and consumers I find a majority of toking enthusiasts would describe themselves as a “functional stoner” because simply put cannabis allows them to function better.  That could mean cannabis facilitates the anxiety relief they need to get through a challenging presentation.  It could mean treating their chronic headaches that used to keep them bedridden they’re now able to go about the tasks they need to accomplish. Not only do I find most herb lovers use cannabis to alleviate symptoms but also to fuel their ambitious goals in life.  I’ve met teachers, doctors, lawyers, former police officers, social workers, CEOs, professional athletes – the list could go on endlessly because my point is the “functional stoners” are all around us.

 

The “stoner” usually has a full-time job, engages with their family, and strives to educate on cannabis rather than to proselytize. Sure, on the other end of the spectrum you might have an overindulgent consumer that isn’t productive aka the “pothead”. It’s a critical time be a “stoner” and not a “pothead” because this will be the image of cannabis future generations will be exposed to.

5 Ways Cannabis Changed My Life

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5 Ways Cannabis Changed My Life 

1. Cannabis improved my grades.

It was never my intention to get high before doing homework. But one day I forgot to do a discussion post and had already indulged in my nightly toke, so I had to write it high since it was due that hour. It was the first discussion post that scored 100%! I thought this could not be a coincidence. Cannabis got me an A! I realized it was not hard to do my homework high, it was actually easier! It killed my writing anxiety and replaced it with curiosity and enjoyment. I stopped procrastinating. If I was high, I was working on something. Cannabis inspired me to figure out what I could achieve. 

2. Cannabis made me more creative in school and at home.

I became interested in classes I never thought I would like before. Philosophy class was truly inspiring. I never liked English, but somehow I enjoyed reading and writing about the often lame required subject. I found that I wanted to express myself with art, something I had not liked since elementary school. Cannabis enabled me to fill my room with hand painted canvases.  

3. Cannabis helps me connect with myself and others.

I’ve never wanted to spend more time with myself than when I started smoking cannabis. When I started spending more time with myself, I found it easier to be around others as well. I have more patience and more understanding for people. Cannabis helps me honor my time with myself and with others. It slows time down and makes me appreciate the time we have here.

4. Cannabis makes boring life chores fun.

No one likes washing the dishes or doing laundry, but I smoke and enjoy myself while doing all my chores. It makes me curious like a kid again. Cannabis keeps me present and helps me focus. I am more productive at home and cannabis gives me the desire to live life more efficiently. 

5. Cannabis gave me a career.

I studied psychology and social work in college so I knew I always wanted to help people. Cannabis became a passion of mine throughout college, but I never thought I would make a career of it. After I graduated University and I found out a lot of jobs drug test their potential employees. I would never pass a drug test and I refused to give up my cannabis. Soon I was exclusively applying to jobs in the cannabis industry. Getting involved in the industry has inspired me tremendously, I never thought I would love working so much. I work with cannabis brands and talk about cannabis all day. It is a dream come true that I get to help connect people with cannabis daily. 

I believe everyone is a patient of the earth and this is our medicine. Cannabis changed my life, has it changed yours?