April Pride: This podcast discusses cannabis, and is intended for audiences 21 and over. Betsy Ross wove the nation’s first flag out of its fabric. Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence on it, and colonists could pay their taxes with it. What is it? Hemp. Nothing less than a savior of humanity, a miracle plant that will revivify depleted soils, mitigate the threat of climate change, and reestablish harmonic balance between humans and the environment.

April Pride: Welcome back to How to Do the Pot. I’m April Pride, and I do the pot. Have you heard of the Hemp Renaissance? Best-selling author Doug Fine coined the term. And we read first about him in a 2018 Rolling Stone article by Andrew Leonard. I’ll link to it in the show notes. This is the audio newsletter. If you’d rather read it, visit dothepot.com to subscribe to the email newsletter. And if you like How to Do the Pot, please share it with someone, and rate and review us on Apple podcasts. It helps more people find the show.

April Pride: Did you know hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, was used to clean up Chernobyl? It feeds nutrients into the soil, which absorb the heavy metals and toxins into the plants. Unlike corn and cotton that deplete the soil nutrients, hemp is considered a regenerative crop. That’s the good news. If you purchased weed recently, then you can most certainly guess the bad news. One, cannabis packaging is glaringly and unavoidably wasteful. Two, cannabis is a water intensive crop, requiring unsustainable amounts of resources. And three, illegal grows result in polluted watersheds, cause runoff and other environmentally destructive outcomes. Typically, pre-rolls are packaged in plastic Doob Tubes, which takes the fun out of smoking the surprise inside.

April Pride: Recently, I was thrilled to see that Washington-based Volcano, shout out Deep Sea, switched its packaging to paper tubes that are fully recyclable. Brands are not entirely to blame for superfluous packaging. State regulations vary, but most require brands adopt cumbersome yet effective childproof packaging. When buying your hemp or cannabis products, look for brands that choose paper packaging instead. Considering the current climate, now’s the time to incentivize lawmakers to consider the environmental implications of their policies. There is clearly no other choice and thus, no excuse, sadly.

April Pride: Our high five on how hemp helps the planet. Number one, hemp has the ability to pull huge quantities of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, more than other trees or plants of similar size. Number two, hemp plant roots reach deep down to hold the soil together, which reduces erosion. Number three, hemp is naturally resistant to insects and predators, so there’s no leaching of chemical pesticides. Number four, the plant has a quick growth rate, making it an excellent ground cover crop, leaving less room for weeds, and reducing the need for harmful herbicides. Number five, since the hemp plant absorbs toxins and is not regulated, it really matters who you buy it from. Check out dothepot.com for our tips on the questions you should ask about quality and testing.

April Pride: For today’s strain pics, we chose some classics. Blue Dream. It’s America’s favorite strain, and offers a convivial relaxed time. You’ll experience heightened auditory and visual senses. OG Kush, a euphoric stress reducing high. It’s a foundational strain of West Coast cannabis, and offers immediate heavy effects. Sour Diesel, or Sour D. It’s a focused, long lasting high. Definitely know that less is more, and you can expect your mood and the munchies to be boosted.

April Pride: And three podcasts we love, that can help you do your part to help save the planet. I like Material World. Hosts Bloomberg reporters Jenny Kaplan, and Lindsay Rupp, dive into the consumer universe, including a two-part series on how climate change affects what you buy. Ellen likes How to Save a Planet hosted by Alex Blumberg and Dr. Ayana Johnson. What do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? To do the pot, we recommend the Sustainability and Cannabis Podcast, developed by Contempo Packaging. The company invites cannabis professionals to share in two minutes, progressive solutions with other business owners.

April Pride: Thank you for listening to this audio newsletter. Let us know what you think. Find us on Instagram @DothePot, and you can follow me @AprilPride. And for lots more information about cannabis and women, visit dothepot.com. Thanks to my co-founder Ellen Scanlon, Madi Fair, our Marketing Manager, and our Producer, Nick Patri. I’m April Pride, and we’ll be back soon with more of How to Do the Pot.