Celebrating the Canna Dads

Adam Wideman is the Infused Joints Manager for Vibe Cannabis, leading their Hash Hole Team to victory.

Adam started using cannabis when his son was around two. He has always combated mental illness and, in doing so, has been prescribed many different anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications. “I loved the empowerment cannabis gave me as a parent, and I also enjoy the freedoms from the pharmaceutical side effects.” He looks forward to the day he can refer his son to cannabis when he’s old enough. If his son has questions, Adam answers them. “I’m honest. He knows it’s my medicine.” In his cannabis journey, he has been a heavy smoker and a casual user. Currently, Adam enjoys getting ritualistic with his medicine. Adam will come home from a long day at work and enjoy some incredible hash with his amazing fiancée, Jayne. When I asked him how he breaks through the toxic masculinity, he replied, “By being self-aware. I think that’s the most important thing. That and supporting the women who I work with. I am so proud of my fiancée for starting at the same position as me and growing our careers interdependently.” Adam’s favorite strains right now are Strawberry Guava by Proper, with the forever classic Gelato by Vibe coming in at number two. When asked if he had any advice for medical users who can’t quit using cannabis due to medical issues but still want to be parents but are scared because of the stigmas, he replied: “I believe if you really desire to be a parent, then be a parent. Other people will always have opinions about everything. So stick it to them. That will be empowering.” I asked Adam if he had ever been discriminated against as a parent who uses cannabis. He replied, “Not blatantly, but absolutely, I’ve been judged silently. My parents aren’t really hip with cannabis and don’t always approve of the way I choose to parent. I think it’s empowering to prove them wrong and break those stigmas.”

Matt Epple is Timeless Refinery’s Operations Manager.

He says, “Cannabis helps me relax and takes away the overstimulation anxiety gives me. Cannabis helps parents not have rash reactions and causes you to take a step back and think.” He loves going to his kid’s games and seeing the positive reactions when people ask what he does. Matt enjoys a good joint on a walk outside. “Nature is so calming and there aren’t as many distractions. Yes, there are visual distractions, but those help calm and focus you, not like inside where there are physical distractions.” The outdoors can really help ground us just like cannabis can. Putting the two together just makes sense. He says, “I don’t ever hide my cannabis use from my children, and they know it’s my medicine.” Matt has always stuck to his values and ethics. He says, “This may sound cheesy, but stay true to yourself. As long as you do that, you’ll do great.” Matt wants his children to know they can always come to him about anything, no matter what it is. He believes being open with communication leads to safe and happy relationships with your children, and I absolutely agree. Wedding Cake is Matt’s all-time favorite strain for its beautifully structured buds, the terpenes that provide the strain its classic flavors, and incredible effects. Matt enjoys utilizing pens and carts a lot because they are discreet for those worried about judgment. Especially with Timeless’ adorable flip cases, you can control your high’s intensity very easily, and they’re simple to operate. The flavors also come through better sometimes. Matt says, “Vapes and carts are a good place to start if you would like to consume cannabis. Especially with their wide range of flavors and effects.” He has not faced any judgment that he can remember, but he knows other people do. He says, “I think people who judge just haven’t gotten out of that stigmatization yet.” Wouldn’t you agree?

Brendan Williams has helped launch a brand new exciting extract brand called Ace Solventless.

He is the Director of Sales and Procurement for Ace Solventless. He says, “Cannabis makes life easier as a parent. It just does. As someone who deals with being on edge due to anxiety, cannabis takes that away. Anxiety causes me to be angry sometimes, and cannabis takes that edge off.” Brendan is an everyday smoker and consumes cannabis by blunt, dab, or his all-time favorite way, the bong. His children know what cannabis is and know they are not allowed to be near it. When asked how he combats toxic masculinity and the bro culture commonly associated with the cannabis industry, he replied, “Maintain professionalism at all times. Treat everyone with respect, and keep interactions efficient and focused.” His favorite strains of all time are the OG stinky sticky strains like Bubba Kush. A current favorite of his is Black Maple. Anytime he sees it from Proper, he makes sure to pick it up. Brendan’s favorite way to consume is by bong bowl because they get the job done quickly and efficiently. “It’s old school.” When asked if he had any advice for parents who would like to consume cannabis, he said, “Stand your ground. The people of Missouri voted to make cannabis legal, and that means something. It’s an amendment to our Constitution, and that’s huge.” He also would like to remind parents who are new to cannabis to become educated and know their limits. “Cannabis is a mind-altering drug. If you’re going to consume, do so responsibly.” Brendan described to me when he first started using Instagram for cannabis content. Brendan said, “I had pictures of my kid, so when people saw cannabis, there were definitely DMs asking me what my content would be about. I just posted the nug because it was a beautiful picture. It was art to me. I used to post every day to grow my Instagram, but I just don’t do that anymore.” I asked Brendan, “How is working for a startup company different from working for a corporate, well-established cannabis brand? And, how do the two differ in how they affect you being a dad?” He replied, “Oh, the two are very different. The corporation I worked for helped me get to where I am today. They have processes and procedures they’ve been doing for years, and they work. It really works, and for people who say it doesn’t, they just had it hard, so they don’t think you could do it. But you can. Now I get to work for myself, and it’s even easier on my family. I can go work for three days in St. Louis and come back and be with my family the rest of the time.”