On today’s potcast we explore many of the reasons why we don’t have an actual healthcare system in this country. And why job satisfaction is low among health workers. And how you can get involved in the evolution from sick care to a hybrid healthcare system where alternative modalities and plant medicines will be utilized as complementary tools for whole-patient wellness.

And because the vaccine conversation is divisive it’s normal to disagree about things with people in your community or even in your own smoke circle and family. But it’s critical to still respect each other’s rights to make personal healthcare choices. And side note - no explanation is required either way. Because personal sovereignty - or free will - is the right of every being. Those are the sovereign shoes you find me standing in during this important conversation with Dr. Kirsten Shepard (LMT, DC), the Founder and CEO of True Stoppers, a hemp-based product lineup for pain management and recovery that promotes whole-body wellness.

If you feel empowered by today’s conversation, I hope you’ll share this potcast with a friend. And if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind cannabis-infused getaway, I invite you to join me in the beautiful wine and weed country of Sonoma County, California. As a cannabis lifestyle guide, I’ve cultivated a one-of-a-kind farm stay experience where you can enjoy the casually baked lifestyle and the magic of sun-grown cannabis farms and vineyards. If you’re into wine, weed, or both, get ready to have a high time customized just for you. Click the link to learn more.

Kumbaya and cannabis, -Jo 💚

This Potcast Is Covered By MJ Relief

‘After the Show’ Notes

Dr. Kirsten K. Shepard (LMT, DC) is the Founder and CEO of TrueStopper’s, a hemp-based solution to pain management and recovery that promotes whole-body wellness.

For more than 15 years, she has established integrated practices that combine medical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy approaches to whole body care, including the opening of clinics across Texas and in Los Angeles.

Dr. Kirsten Shepard started exploring the powerful healing capabilities of CBD in 2015 after her father was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and she witnessed, first-hand, the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiation. This journey led to the creation of TrueStoppers, an innovative line of hemp-based salves, roll-ons, and extracts that are scientifically proven, triple lab-tested, natural, and non-addictive.

Dr. Kirsten Shepard is an expert in her field; she has led educational sessions with other medical professionals and has been recognized by notable leaders across health and fitness communities. She has been selected as a Profile of Prominence award recipient in Health Professions by the Texas legislature and received Special Congressional Recognition from a Texas United States Senator. She is a Cannabis advocate and an active member of Texas NORML, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, and the Drug Policy Alliance.

Additional industry affiliations include membership with California Chiropractic Association, Texas Chiropractic Association, American Chiropractic Association, Holistic Pediatric Association, Bipolar Foundation of Central Texas, International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, and League of Chiropractic Women, among others.

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In my chat with Kirsten, we discuss food deserts and how they affect the health of our communities. We know more now than ever before about the impact of food on not only personal health but also the collective public health. And eliminating food deserts gets to the root of the problem.

Ron Finley is a food justice advocate in South Los Angeles, California. In 2011, Ron got sick and tired of having to travel 45 minutes to get real food. So he decided to grow some himself. He turned the 150-by-10-foot median strip parkway in front of his house into an edible garden, growing food that he freely shared with all passersby. However, this action violated a city ordinance and led to a fine. When Ron refused to pay it, an arrest warrant was issued. Ron fought back and ultimately won in court. And his fame as the “gangsta gardener” was born. 

As a Food Revolution Summit speaker Ron says that in his community, it’s easier to get alcohol than it is to get an organic apple. He explains, “A food desert is a place where there is absolutely no chance, opportunity, or hope to get any kind of healthy nutritious food. The food that is distributed in these communities is sub-par, and it is coming from different parts of the world. It is sprayed with toxins and poisons and picked before its time… On top of that, there is a proliferation of fast food, which a lot of time is the only option that residents of these communities have… The drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”

Did you know that 925 million people across the world are starving? And that 30% of the food produced to eat is wasted - like thrown in the garbage and turned into toxic greenhouse gases - kind of wasted? And that 25% of that wasted food could end global hunger if it was donated instead. The problem and the solution sitting right there like an elephant in the room while organizations and institutions spend millions to conjure complex solutions and systems that’ll likely cost us billions. While those exhausting dog and pony shows continue, I encourage you to consider things we can do as individual, sovereign beings.

As individuals, we can grow and support community gardens and the people behind them. We can support local farms and businesses that treat their employees fairly and that invest in our communities. We can get informed and tell others about the impact of food deserts. And we can support individuals, companies and political leaders that truly invest in a more equitable world. Like my friend Alyson Schill, who co-founded and recently launched The Careit Food Donation & Rescue App.

Careit is a free online donation matching marketplace. CareIt is disrupting the current system of an ever-growing epidemic of food insecurity and malnutrition. Now everyone across the US and Canada can post food for donation and nonprofits can rescue it to feed their communities for FREE. And it’s really easy.

CareIt uses technology to create a network for businesses and institutions to responsibly donate surplus food and goods directly to local nonprofits. And the donors are protected from liability by the Good Samaritan Act. Local hunger-relief agencies utilize the CareIt app to access the network and discover essential resources to serve our most vulnerable individuals and families. And Careit makes good business sense by providing small businesses, corporations, and governments with a revolutionary platform for data and impact tracking - used for taxes, fundraising, and quality control.

I encourage you to join the hunger and climate change revolution in your community by downloading the Careit app, spelled C A R E I T. And don’t forget to share it with your smoke circle and any restaurants, businesses, or farms you know with a surplus of food that simply goes to waste. You can also support the efforts of Alyson and the CareIt team on Indiegogo like I did.

It feels good to support businesses and brands doing the right thing! That’s why I’m such a fan of OCB rolling papers. All OCB papers are “plant to puff” and made in a facility that’s powered by 100% green energy. And all OCB papers are vegan, GMO-free, chlorine-free, and dye-free. You’ll love OCB even more because they make no tear, even-burning, rolling papers with natural always-sticks acacia gum grown in African fields that OCB has been re-foresting for decades.Of course, you must be 21 and older to buy OCB rolling papers and to follow the natural wonders of OCB on social @ocb_usa. 

Roll With Me, a new video series launched on the Casually Baked YouTube channel in April 2021, is a collaboration with OCB Rolling Papers. Get lessons and insights on the craft of rolling while chatting about all things hemp and cannabis culture.

Complete This Form to Roll With Me On An Upcoming Episode

We all know practice makes perfectly smokeable joints so I’m engaging my cannabis industry friends to coach me. And if you’ve got some rolling tricks up your sleeve, perhaps you, too, can school me on an episode of Roll With Me.

If you too are a joint rolling novice and want to learn the craft alongside me, go ahead and get your supplies ready. Visit ocbusa.com/BAKED to get 4 booklets of OCB and a rolling tray for only $4.99! This bundle is worth 20 bucks and is around for a limited time. But the rolling skills and street cred we’re going to earn together, my friend, makes this bundle priceless as far as I’m concerned. As for you OG’s who can roll a joint one-handed, I challenge you to sample the entire line of OCB products and let me know your favorite.

Get 4 booklets of OCB and a rolling tray for only $4.99! This bundle is worth 20 bucks and is around for a limited time. But the rolling skills and street cred we’re going to earn together, my friend, makes this bundle priceless as far as I’m concerned. ✌️💚