Cannabis Society aims to break stigma through community events

A new organization geared toward breaking the stigma around cannabis is gearing up for its first event that combines warm, soothing drinks, relaxed guided meditation and of course, marijuana.

The Cannabis Society of Springfield is hosting Mindfulness and Cannabis on Wednesday, July 26 from 7-9 p.m. at The Coffee Ethic. The after-business-hours event is a part of The Coffee Ethic’s Human Beans series, an invitation for community members to celebrate humanity through exploring the unknown.

The event will begin with a discussion about cannabis application and appropriate THC dosing. When it comes to marijuana-infused products, or edibles, first-time users are encouraged to start with 2.5 mg doses, then waiting an hour before consuming more if needed.

Cannabis Society of Springfield co-founder Annie Sicard said this discussion will be “very intentional,” as she hopes to portray the different, useful ways cannabis can aid in a user’s life.

“It’s not just about getting stoned, it’s also about using cannabis as a tool toward personal development, creativity, trauma transformation,” Sicard said. “Cannabis is a tool, a plant medicine, that can also be for enjoyment, pleasure, celebration and intoxication.”

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Diving a bit deeper, Sicard said she will discuss how folks can use cannabis to “train the mind to come into the body.” Dedee Cullens, founder of 2 Leaf Nurses, a marijuana resource for patients, caregivers and medical providers, will expand on this further, discussing cannabis’ physiological impact on the body.

The event will also include a candlelight meditation and seated yoga nidra session lead by Kirsten Vlasic, a trained yoga instructor and budtender at The Farmer’s Wife. As the yoga session will be seated, Vlasic said attendees do not need to bring yoga mats. Instead, she will provide blankets for attendees to help them get comfortable.

Yoga nidra is focused on helping get the brain into the delta brainwave state, the state between being awake and asleep. Vlasic said being in this state allows one to access their subconscious while remaining relaxed and focused. Vlasic’s session at the Cannabis and Mindfulness event will be between 15-20 minutes.

Before the event kicks off, marijuana-infused samples will be available for interested attendees.

“People are going to leave there feeling like they’ve been to the spa; it’s going to be so incredible how they feel when they leave that place,” Sicard said.

Tickets must be purchased in advance to attend the event, which is open to adults 21 and up. Tickets may be purchased on Eventbrite for $10 at bit.ly/3Dilwcm. Only 30 total seats are available.

The Coffee Ethic is no stranger to the marijuana industry. Last year, the downtown coffee shop partnered with Missouri’s Own Edibles, a part of the Show-Me Organics marijuana brand, to release cannabis-and-coffee pods. Each pod contains a combination of Brazilian dark roast coffee and 10 mg of THC, 5 mg of CBD and 5 mg of CBG.

Pushing Springfield’s marijuana industry to the next level

Sicard, who has more than 20 years of marijuana industry experience, founded the Cannabis Society of Springfield alongside Cody Shackleton, director of operations and marketing at The Farmer’s Wife, this year. The organization centers around cannabis event planning in Springfield.

Working in the marijuana industry for several years, Shackleton has attended countless cannabis events geared toward industry professionals, but he wanted to curate more local events geared toward consumers.

Shackleton said the goal of the organization is to encourage expanded social acceptance of cannabis through “upscale” shopping events at dispensaries, outdoor events with marijuana-infused food and ultimately a city-wide 4/20 festival in 2024.

“We’re really trying to push the society forward outside of the small smoke sessions in your backyard or at your home,” Shackleton said. “We’re trying to push this to the next level and do something really amazing for Springfield.”

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