Three residents of Village Concepts of Burien — El Dorado West, a retirement community, attended a presentation on cannabis and did a little shopping Friday, Sept. 7.
Evergreen Market gave an hour-long presentation explaining the alternatives to smoking pot, and testimonial from Jean, the mother-in-law of Evergreen Market’s operations manager. At the presentation, presenters and attendees talked about destigmatizing marijuana and understanding the wide variety of medical issues different strains alleviate.
Before purchasing a few small cannabis topicals, resident Connie said the presentation was educational. She’d attended another shop’s presentation before, and appreciated that Evergreen had the higher level of educational information related to relieving chronic pains and other issues, talking about research. Connie said this information is important to help end the stigma with cannabis.
In her testimonial, Jean said since retiring from Boeing at the age of 50, she has smoked every day. She said it’s offered a stress free, happy feeling, which creates a more enjoyable quality of life for someone a little older.
She described how she uses different strains for arthritic pain, for her creative art inspiration, and for help sleeping.
Jean’s husband had a brain tumor and was prescribed marijuana. When he wasn’t able to smoke, he took edibles and Jean said even though he’s since passed, he was able to have a happy outlook until the end with the help of medical marijuana.
Cannabis also helped her after his passing with grief. She said if it wasn’t for weed, she isn’t sure she would be here today.
The presentation was done in a meeting room separate from the sales floor. After an introduction from lead educator Jason Ardelean, educators Wacheke and Elan Gratix took over.
Wacheke has been an educator with Evergreen Market for 2 ½ years. Her presentation covered tinctures and topicals, alternative to lung smoking that offer two different ways to use cannabis. She discussed using these products for physical aches and pains.
“It comes in to help your quality of life, and then it lets you get on with your day,” Wacheke said.
Connie agreed with this, saying she used topical lotion for her joints.
“Now you know why I’m so happy all the time,” Connie said with a smile.
Wacheke discussed the differences between THC and CBD. Products with THC create the psychoactive, “standard stoner” feelings, she said. But CBD is non-psychoactive, and can also be used to help balance the psychoactive effects of THC. Combining them can be a good introduction to cannabis for people concerned about the negative psychoactive effects.
“CBD is the absence of what’s bothering you, and THC is forgetting what is bothering you,” Wacheke said.
“That should be your banner,” Lori Crow, executive director of Village Concepts, said during the presentation.
Then educator Elan, who has been working with marijuana since she was at a medical dispensary in 2012, discussed edible and vaporized cannabis.
She discussed using these products to help with all day pain relief, and about the importance of balancing CBD and THC with edibles. Elan said she used edibles for muscle discomfort from sports.
Vaporizers are a good way for dosing throughout the day, relieving pain with less smell, Elan said. She used the example of vaping before going to the movie theater as an alternative to taking Oxycontin.
The resident women had a small discussion following the presentation.
“I think people of my age should be educated more,” one said. Another echoed, “You go to the doctor and all they do is give you more pills.”
Murmurs of agreement filled the room.
“Research is crazy limited as marijuana is still a schedule 1 drug,” Evergreen Market Brand Strategist Nikki Marangon said. “But this (presentation) in and of itself is a step in the right direction.”
