by Brittiany Ralls
Working within the cannabis community has been a dream come true. Especially at this point in my career, because I get to write about my passion. I speak to, and even train community members through my consulting firm. Really, I love talking about cannabis so much you don’t have to pay me in order for me to want to teach you about anything related to the subject. Being honest with my clients, family, friends and even acquaintances is something I pride myself on.
Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m honest with them about who I am.
This includes how I feel towards women and men. This isn’t something that defines who I am, so I don’t advertise it to the whole world. But if asked about it, of course I’m honest. Everyone loves who they love, it shouldn’t define me just like being a cannabis patient doesn’t define me.
Most in the community who have met me know that I am a mother of five kids, I have a husband and we are a blended family. We have been a family for eight years now and it has been one of the most rewarding learning experiences ever. My husband and my children know I’m bisexual. Being honest about this within my home allows me to lead by example for my children about living their truth.
Growing up religious, my family had very strict feelings on the subject.
Looking back, I always knew who I was. As an adult I moved further away and I tend to see certain family members less because of their ill feelings towards me because of my bisexuality. So this was an ever present important aspect in our home. My husband experienced a similar upbringing and didn’t want that for our children either. Being honest and feeling safe is important.
Since starting on my journey of learning all things cannabis I have felt nothing but welcomed by the LGBTQ community within the cannabis industry. When you see business owners within an industry create policies not allowing discrimination, you realize you might be in the right place. So when I say the LGBTQ community, I mean even those that just support the freedoms that our flags represent.
The cannabis community supports me in so many ways that I couldn’t imagine being in another industry. Those policies that are upheld not allowing discrimination gives so many an opportunity that might not have otherwise have been available.
One of the proudest moments I want to share with the cannabis community is how my children feel about this medicinal plant. They feel that cannabis has helped me in numerous ways with my anxiety and depression. That the atmosphere of honor, rather than judgment, that it helped to create in our home and amongst our close family, friends and cannabis community has helped our family.
We are all learning more and more about how to be better humans.
One of the most amazing moments for me, was my children realizing that they really do have the chance to love what they do for work. That there really might be a future where all might have equal opportunities. How proud we should be.