Small town Missouri opens up to cannabis forum
By Brandon Dunn with Heidi Rayl
The small town of Versailles, located in the heart of Missouri, hosted the “Wellness with Cannabis Seminar,” sponsored by Tranzform Wellness and its owner, Julia Crabtree, on Tuesday, May 28, at the Hunter Civic Center.
The event was organized in an effort to help educate community members about cannabis in efforts to overcome stigma and provide information and resources seldom offered in rural areas.
The presentations covered the history of cannabis, pharmaceutical connections to addiction, the Endocannabinoid System, as well as the rules and regulations of the new medical marijuana industry in Missouri.
Speakers included Kriston Bench, Heidi Rayl, Amber Kidwell, and Julia Crabtree.
Organizers and speakers stated that the event was a success and were excited and optimistic about the reception and response from community members in attendance.
Crabtree had previously petitioned the Versailles city council for a variance waiver to reduce or remove the 1000 foot buffer zone in city limits.
Attendees expressed some concerns and asked questions regarding a dispensary being located in Versailles, but observers felt that those who had concerns seemed to be at ease after hearing the responses and statements from speakers, and that the crowd was supportive of moving forward with a dispensary in Versailles.
Community forums and outreach events have become essential tools in bridging the gap between business applicants, patients, advocates, and the general public.
By and large, the days of reefer madness are evaporating – but social stigma is much more prevalent and can be an even more restrictive inhibitor to progress than the archaic and wildly outrageous claims that the general public has come to understand are false about cannabis.
The average citizen knows that cannabis doesn’t kill, generally understands it as less harmful than other drugs – including some prescribed by physicians, and may even know that cannabis has scientifically accepted medicinal uses.
But socially – marijuana still resides in the minds of many of those here in the Bible belt and heartland as a means of getting stoned.
The words “marijuana” and especially “pot” elicit imagery of “potheads,” “hippies,” “lazy stoners,” and “burnouts” in many of those minds.
By promoting marijuana as a medicinal tool and educating the public about cannabis as a plant, speakers have been able to tear down many of the unfounded ideas clouding the vision of the open, but uneducated.
Pictures via Chris Smith | Agonist Cannabis Company
