Madison Margolin and cannabis visionary Jesce Horton talk about the cannabis industry and changing the culture of cannabis use.
Jesce Horton is Chief Executive Officer at LOWD, an award-winning cannabis company that embodies the art of urban craft cultivation. LOWD exists effortlessly at the intersection of urban culture and epic nature unique to the city and the Pacific Northwest. An engineer by education, energy management and automation expert through certification, and horticulturist by passion (plus plenty of time in Amsterdam), Jesce founded LOWD after experiencing successes in medical cannabis cultivation. Jesce also co-founded the Minority Cannabis Business Association. MCBA is the first and largest non-profit organization developed to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs. Catch an interview with Jesce in the Netflix Documentary Grass is Greener.
To keep up with Jesce and LOWD, please visit: THELOWD on instagram or at lowd.com.
A Positive View of Cannabis
Jesce entered into the world of cannabis when he was young. He feels that cannabis helped his development, his ADHD, and his math grades. When Jesce learned that his own father had been arrested on cannabis charges, he saw the shame and negative repercussions that cannabis use could cause. Later, he went to Amsterdam (where weed has been legal for some time) and realized that cannabis does not need to be negative. There are ways to use cannabis responsibly and in a way that betters oneself and the community. Being away from the war on drugs in America opened Jesce’s eyes to all the possibilities that a cannabis-friendly world could offer.
To learn more about Marijuana and the law, check out Ep. 76 of Mindrolling: Marijuana Matters
Challenging Conventions (19:50)
Madison and Jesce talk about the potential positivity that can come from cannabis use. Madison says that when people incorporate cannabis into their lives they can have a shift in consciousness that opens up their mind to alternative ways of thinking and understanding themselves. Jesce expands on the ways marijuana use can challenge conventions. From a young age, we hear that cannabis is a drug, we must say no to drugs, drugs will ruin our lives, etc. Once we realize that cannabis is medicinal and actually benefits people in a number of ways, it makes us wonder what other conventions could be challenged. What other blacklisted substances or activities are actually good for us?
Tune into Ep. 206 of Here and Now to hear Ram Dass speak about shifting consciousness: Shifting Contexts
Feeling Succesful (34:59)
Jesce and Madison talk about the newly saturated field of cannabis. Personally, Jesce feels successful in the field due to making his business larger than himself. He works in advocacy, equity, racial disparities, and more. He has been able to incorporate his love of cannabis culture into a much larger picture of activism. The more positive work is done in the cannabis industry, the less stigma there will be around the substance.
“We are holding connoisseur, cannabis, stoner culture on a pedestal in the most professional, beautiful way because we want to get rid of that stigma.” – Jesce Horton