Potcast 200: Addiction, Recovery, Cannabis and Trusting Your Gut
Airing the 200th episode of the potcast is an accomplishment I’m very proud to celebrate with you.
After all, you’re one of the biggest reasons I keep showing up and peeling back the layers of cannabis culture and the highly responsible uses of our favorite plant. We’re in year five and still haven’t run out of things to talk about every week! If that doesn't speak to the diversity of cannabis, I don’t know what does.
Last week we discussed trauma and how it can manifest in our everyday experience. And this week you’re in for a very personal chat with one of my cannabis lifestyle clients about trauma response, addiction, rehab, recovery, and trusting your gut. Melody Jenkins shares her experience managing both bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder. And her current exploration of cannabis as a tool in her wellness toolkit. We also discuss nicotine vaping and propylene glycol allergies.
Melody Jenkins is my first farm-stay guest, one of my cannabis lifestyle clients, and a long-time Potcast patron. Melody is a real firecracker and she’s sharing her story with us on Potcast 200! And what’s it’s like sesh’ing with me in the wine and weed country.
One of the most freeing lessons I’ve learned in this lifetime is that we are all on our own journey. My life doesn’t need to look like yours and yours doesn’t need to mirror mine. One size doesn’t fit all. And there are no guarantees. But there are also no limits so long as we get out of our own way and treat every experience as a learning opportunity.
So if you struggle with self-limiting beliefs and/or addiction, this potcast is for you. It’s also for the people watching someone they love in the throes of self-destruction. And if you’re curious about incorporating cannabis as a tool in recovery and reconnection, you’re in the right place.
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
MJ Relief is such a gift in my life, but so is listening to my body. If you want a CBD-infused, herbaceous, Ph.D. formulated topical that really works for muscle and joint relief, MJ Relief has got you covered. And when you pair that with work/life balance, it’s relief on an eleven. Order online at MJ Skin Relief dot com.
‘After the Show’ Notes
The Sustainability Roll-up is presented by OCB Rolling Papers. In perfect harmony with natural, sustainable practices, it’s always been the OCB signature to provide the highest quality, responsibly sourced, and sustainably crafted rolling papers.
In my discussion with Melody, we talk about her dropping cigarettes and picking up vaping after rehab. So today’s sustainability roll-up is for all of you vapers out there.
The biggest problem with vape devices when looking through the lens of sustainability is that people tend to throw away the parts and empty liquid boxes to the nearest garbage can. The most significant hazard is the lithium-ion batteries used to power your device. Besides the fact they’ve been known to explode. As these batteries degrade, they leach chemicals into the environment, so if they are put in a regular trash bin, they can pose a risk of fire damage in both waste and recycling facilities. So for the love and appreciation of your trash man, please recycle batteries properly. And that’s not the only reason. Both vape devices and liquid boxes can leak lead, cobalt, and other substances into the environment in toxic amounts. It can accumulate in the soil and water causing contamination, disease, and even death to wildlife and humans.
That’s why it is so important to dispose of all e-waste properly. Not just your vape batteries. We’re talking the batteries in smartphones, computers, cordless tools, digital cameras, and electric cars, bicycles, and wheelchairs. A simple online search for battery recycling led me to battery recycling bins that can be purchased in various shapes and sizes online or places like Home Depot. The cost of the box or bin should include shipping, handling, and all disposal fees. In the past, EPA regulations stated that any product containing nicotine or nicotine salts as a sole-active ingredient, and that weren’t used as intended, must be discarded as hazardous waste.
However, a 2019 amendment to the rule updated the P075 nicotine listing and states that some FDA-approved over-the-counter (OTC) nicotine replacement therapies will NO longer be listed as hazardous waste.
So your nicotine patch or nicotine gum and lozenges are okay to toss in the trash can. But those nicotine vape carts and batteries are still considered P075 hazardous waste. in 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed “nicotine & salts” as an “acute hazardous waste.”
An acute hazardous waste is defined as hazardous waste that is fatal to humans in low doses, has demonstrated toxicity to test subjects, or is “otherwise capable of causing or significantly contributing to an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness.” The serious risks of exposure to acute hazardous waste are mitigated by the legal requirements to handle, treat, and dispose of liquid nicotine properly.
Any nicotine nasal spray or inhaler prescriptions.
The e-liquids and e-juices used in e-cigarettes. This includes all cartridges or vials.
Any Nicotine that’s been used for research and manufacturing.
There are even old pesticides that contain nicotine
Interestingly, I read that the vaping industry asked the EPA to exempt e-liquids from the definition of “acute hazardous waste” and thankfully, thankfully the agency refused to do so.
So what is your responsibility as a nicotine consumer?
When these products are in your possession - in your home, or in your hands, they’re considered Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Be a good steward for your community and our planet by making sure you know how and where to properly dispose of your HHW.
If you’re unsure, check with your local environmental, health, or solid waste agency for more information.
If your community doesn’t have a year-round collection system for HHW, see if there are any designated days in your area for collecting HHW at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.
If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might be able to drop off certain products at local businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Most local garages, for example, accept used motor oil for recycling. Don’t be afraid to ask around. I promise you’ll find what you need and get better acquainted with your community in the process.
I don’t use nicotine and I’ve never been a vaper, but I certainly love smoking flower.
And I want my whole experience to be one with nature. That’s why I appreciate rolling my sun-grown flower with OCB. OCB offers a full line of rolling papers made with sustainable fibers inc. Flax, Wood, Organic Hemp, Bamboo, and virgin wood. All come in a full line of sizes in both booklets and cones. No matter which OCB rolling paper you choose, you can be assured all are vegan, GMO-free, chlorine-free, and dye-free. Plus OCB only uses natural acacia gum for an always sticks experience sourced from 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. ✌️💚
Looking For High-Quality Cannabis-Delivery in the Bay Area?
Use promo code CASUALLYBAKED and SAVE $20 off your first order!