A Cannabis Consultant Joins Us This Week
Heather Pepper on the potential of this humble-yet-mighty plant, and why it's okay to be a stoner
“My hope is that using a tincture, lighting up a joint, eating a gummy, or using other ingestion methods to manage our health won’t raise an eyebrow, the same way it doesn’t when we reach for an Advil or a glass of wine”.
Heather Pepper
Heather is a free spirit, a talented ceramic artist, a mother of three, and sports one of the best smiles in all of Montreal.
Her quietly creative bent has always intrigued me. This is a woman who plays by her own rules, operates below the radar, and if you haven’t guessed it already, is an all-around lovely person.
In short, Heather has inspired more than a few of us.
When I heard about her new profession as a certified cannabis consultant, I knew we had to hear from the woman herself about this fascinating next chapter.
In a nutshell, what do you do and how did you get there?
After staying home for years to raise my three amazing kids, I entered a new chapter in my life and needed to find something that I really wanted to focus my energy on. I came across the words “Cannabis Coach” and was very intrigued. Could this be a real thing?
Turns out it is!
I’ve spent the last couple of years learning about cannabis and how it interacts with our bodies. I’m a Certified Cannabis Health Consultant and Educator. I can help guide anyone who is interested in using cannabis to improve their mental or physical health.
Can you tell us a little bit more about being a certified cannabis consultant?
I want to start by saying that I love being a cannabis health consultant.
I love being in the cannabis field, it’s exciting and ever changing now that prohibition is lifting in many places around the world. This is a hopeful time for cannabis research and enthusiasts of all kinds.
We are very lucky to live here in Canada where cannabis has been federally legal since October 2018. There are now many products available, and little information about how to best use them.
CBD for inflammation, pain, and anxiety? THC for sleep issues, pain, or depression?
Dosing and ingestion methods can be a confusing place.
This is where a cannabis health consultant comes in.
I can help by targeting your main issues, discussing which medications, if any that you’re taking, to check if there are any potential drug interactions, and finding the best way to add cannabis to your health and wellness plan.
What’s the biggest misconception about cannabis?
There are many misconceptions and still so much stigma associated with cannabis use. The image of someone glazed over, glued to the couch, eating a bag of cheetos is still what comes to mind for many. This needs to change, and I’m seeing people’s attitudes and mindsets evolving.
In fact, the fastest growing demographic of users are seniors.
The more we can talk about cannabis, the more more we can learn about the far reaching health benefits that this beautiful plant holds.
Unfortunately there still remains a lot of secrecy and shame around cannabis use. We still have a long way to, and a lot to learn.
Many people have been self prescribing cannabis for a variety of reasons without really understanding why it is helping them to feel better. Others have prescriptions from their doctors. Whether you’ve come to cannabis use through self medication or through your doctor, it’s all therapeutic, it’s all medicinal and healing.
It’s also really lovely to use recreationally. If it makes you giggle, that’s good medicine too.
It’s ok to be a stoner!
This plant has been used by many cultures for thousands of years both in spiritual ceremony and medicinally. We have evolved with this plant. We have receptors all over our bodies to receive cannabis molecules, as well, our bodies create their own cannabinoids with what we now understand to be the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
This major regulatory system has the function of creating homeostasis, or balance in our bodies. It is designed to protect us. Adding cannabis can boost or mimic what our own systems are already designed to do.
Understanding the ECS will help you make informed decisions on how you can work with this plant ally.
What trends do you see in the next few years?
As everything old becomes new again, my hope is that a bottle of cannabis oil or tincture in a home medicine cabinet is as commonplace as it once was 100 years ago before the historical blip of prohibition.
I hope to see safe and affordable access of all medical cannabis products covered in part by insurance, as pharmaceutical drugs are. Right now cannabis is not only an expensive treatment for many, but the only one that is taxed. The market is currently flooded with increasingly high THC offerings. What’s lacking is a full range of what this plant has to offer. There is so much more to cannabis than just THC.
My further hope is that cannabis use is not just a trend, but part of the current movement towards a more wholistic approach to our overall health and well being.
That we grow a healthy respect and relationship with this plant medicine and learn to use it intuitively and with intention.
Do you have a secret life hack?
Having a soak before bed with epsom salts, seaweed, great smelling oils, music, cannabis and someone you love makes you sleep like a baby.
What or who inspires you?
Anyone who is living their life fully as their authentic self.
Where is your happy place?
So many to choose from… lucky me!
To name a few, my home (classic Cancerian answer), with my family and friends, and my love. On a ski hill, on a beach, immersed in nature, creating something with my heart and hands, then sharing it.
For more information from Heather, or to enquire about her services, please reach out at heather@cannabisborealis.ca