Is Cannabis the New Champagne? Cheers to Joy & Connection with Weed

[00:00:00] Ellen Scanlon: This podcast discusses cannabis and is intended for audiences 21 and over.

[00:00:06] Christine Apple: They had massages, they had a sound bath, we had a CBD chocolate fountain, and everyone traded off their heels and put on Yeezy shoes that were relaxing. So the whole theme was about relaxing and It was very beautifully done.

[00:00:25] Ellen Scanlon: Welcome to How to Do the Pot, an award winning podcast, helping you feel confident about cannabis. I’m your host, Ellen Scanlon.

[00:00:40] Ellen Scanlon: You just heard from Oregon based Christine Appel, the founder of cannabis brand Grown, talking about her role in creating Kim Kardashian’s CBD themed baby shower. This is the first episode in our new two part series about celebrating with cannabis. I’ve been celebrating one of my close friends who just had her first baby.

[00:01:07] Ellen Scanlon: I got to meet her beautiful, healthy son at the hospital. Such a little nugget. It’s gotten me thinking about those early days of being a mom. It took me nearly four years to get pregnant, which was really hard. It turns out I have endometriosis, which I’ve talked about before on the show. Every pregnancy has its own unique story.

[00:01:34] Ellen Scanlon: And while giving birth is a peak life event, it’s different for everyone. Being at the hospital with my friend reminded me that the small details about giving birth are something that I think should be talked about and shared. Birth is dramatic. It brings about such profound changes that it seems fitting that a baby’s entrance to the world would be unique to each mother.

[00:02:05] Ellen Scanlon: I got to celebrate her new son by listening to her birth story and to think about and share my own story with her. It was so special. Celebrations aren’t always what you think they will be. This series is all about celebrating life’s most unforgettable moments. Alcohol has been a ubiquitous way to celebrate for more than a century.

[00:02:32] Ellen Scanlon: And that is changing. As cannabis grows in popularity, I hope the stories you’ll hear today will help you consider new ways to celebrate, whether that’s out in the open or in a discreet way, maybe with a THC drink or a low dose gummy. It was so much fun to talk with so many accomplished women on the show throughout this year.

[00:02:57] Ellen Scanlon: All our guests want to share all they’ve learned about weed with you and anyone who might benefit from it. I decided to ask these women a simple question. How do you celebrate with cannabis? In today’s episode, we’ll hear from women who brought cannabis into some of life’s most beautiful and memorable moments.

[00:03:19] Ellen Scanlon: Getting engaged, going on a dream honeymoon, celebrating a milestone birthday, day and even making an appearance at Kim Kardashian’s baby shower.

[00:03:39] Ellen Scanlon: As we get to the end of the year, I’ve been taking time to think back over the past 12 months. The buzz right now in the media world is that people are calling the November presidential election the podcast election. As we saw in this election, podcasts have a lot of influence and have become a powerful way to introduce new voices and reach niche audiences.

[00:04:08] Ellen Scanlon: I take this ability to influence very seriously. It’s been a great honor for me that How to Do the Pot has won three prestigious media awards. We won two gold signal awards last year and this November the show won a gold anthem award We’d might seem like a light hearted topic, but I think every woman deserves clear judgment free information about cannabis Your word of mouth recommendations have brought how to do the pot into the top 5 percent of podcasts globally.

[00:04:46] Ellen Scanlon: We have listeners in all 50 States and in 136 countries. Whether you’re sharing episodes with your friends, reading our Substack newsletter, or spreading the word on socials, thank you for being part of helping to demystify cannabis for women everywhere. After nearly five years in podcasting, I’m watching the influence of this medium surge.

[00:05:14] Ellen Scanlon: Our show’s growth tells me that we are filling a need for smart, accessible, and entertaining information about weed. And I want to continue to shape the conversation around cannabis and women. How to do the pot is on the cusp of something extraordinary, and that is breaking into the top 1 percent of podcasts worldwide.

[00:05:38] Ellen Scanlon: Can you help us get there? Word of mouth is so powerful. If each of you share our episodes or tell a friend or two, I know we can get to the top 1 percent in 2025. Whether you’re looking for better sleep, stress relief, or an alternative to alcohol, My mission is to help you feel confident about creating a cannabis experience that’s uniquely right for you.

[00:06:07] Ellen Scanlon: Thank you for your support of the show. I hope I’ve earned it. And thank you for listening.

[00:06:21] Ellen Scanlon: Data from the national survey on drug use and health tells us that about half the people in the U S have tried cannabis. As more people reconsider their relationship with alcohol, it’s opened up a space for weed to be a modern alternative way to relax and socialize. And as more people get comfortable with it culturally, there’s a real shift toward embracing cannabis.

[00:06:49] Ellen Scanlon: Rebecca Raphael is the Chief Revenue Officer of Maryland based Curio Wellness. Rebecca has redefined gift giving by opting for cannabis instead of traditional gifts for events like housewarmings or baby showers.

[00:07:04] Rebecca Raphael: I will say that now when like Friends buy a new house or if somebody has a baby, I don’t get them a bottle of tequila.

[00:07:14] Rebecca Raphael: I bring them a bouquet of pre rolls because you’re not pregnant anymore. You can smoke like let’s break in your patio, that kind of thing. So I think it’s kind of replaced it as like the hostess gift, which, you know, has the added benefit of making you look super cool when you bring this like awesome, you know, two pack of pre rolls to somebody’s house.

[00:07:33] Ellen Scanlon: Cannabis can also be a part of international celebrations in some places. In 2022, Thailand decriminalized cannabis. Since then, it’s been back and forth on legalization, so check its status before you go. Illinois based Dominique White, the Director of People and Operations at Dispensary Ivy Hall, timed her trip perfectly for a weed friendly celebration.

[00:08:03] Dominique White: I got engaged in Phuket, Thailand with my husband, and that was around the time where cannabis just had legalized there. We got to smoke, and it was so fantastic. Like, we were worried about while we were traveling, like, hey, cannabis is not legal to take in the airspace. So we were like, what are we going to do while we’re there?

[00:08:20] Dominique White: And it was, you know, to our surprise, once we made it there, there were dispensaries and you were able to shop, which was fantastic. The quality of the cannabis really great. So it was just really nice to be able to smoke something different. But yeah, during my engagement, I had, uh, we, we traveled to Phuket, we were there for 12 days and we had six friends with us and we were all able to, you know, kind of enjoy some cannabis together on the rooftop and just had a really fun, exciting night.

[00:08:44] Dominique White: That probably is one of my favorite memories, you know, smoking on the rooftop in Thailand with all my buddies.

[00:08:56] Ellen Scanlon: A few weeks ago, I was listening to a wine industry podcast and heard something that caught my attention. The alcohol industry sees cannabis drinks as their new weeknight competition. Weekends are still for beer, wine, and cocktails. And more women are opting for low dose THC drinks to unwind during the week.

[00:09:20] Ellen Scanlon: I get it. THC drinks are an approachable and discreet way to try cannabis at home. You get to enjoy a light buzz and figure out what feels right for you. My new favorite is Cycling Frog’s award winning grapefruit seltzer. It’s so tasty. Sometimes I’ll split a can with my husband or just start with half and see how I feel.

[00:09:44] Ellen Scanlon: In about 15 minutes, you can tell if you want more. Cycling Frog’s 2 to 1 CBD to THC ratio is perfect for me. It melts away stress, I can feel my creativity coming back, and I get a great night’s sleep thanks to the CBD, which keeps me asleep all day. all night long. And of course, there’s no hangover. If you haven’t tried a THC drink yet, take this as a sign.

[00:10:12] Ellen Scanlon: Treat yourself on a weeknight and see what you think. Life is short. Enjoy the ride with Cycling Frog. Cycling Frog drinks ship right to your door all across the country. Visit their website, cyclingfrog. com, and use promo code DOTHEPOT for 20 percent off your order. Cycling frog drinks are great. I love them, and I think you will too.

[00:10:46] Ellen Scanlon: Ohio based Kate Oles is the Executive Vice President at Acreage Holdings. As an adventurous newlywed, she took off on a two week trip, visiting 14 dispensaries across Washington, Oregon, and California. For She and her husband were on a quest to explore the cannabis culture in each state.

[00:11:08] Kate Ols: I took a cannabis honeymoon.

[00:11:10] Kate Ols: So we started in Washington, then to Oregon, then to California. And like, I think I went to 14 dispensaries along a two week trip. So big fan of traveling. for the weed and what’s out there. You know, it’s really interesting to see how the people are different and the products are different and each program and like some have really weird rules.

[00:11:30] Kate Ols: Like when Connecticut’s program first launched, weirdest rules I’ve ever experienced. They used to have very unusual names. The program has since improved. So I’m excited to see that, but it’s given me a chance to really learn a lot about what makes them all different and also like sense of community.

[00:11:45] Kate Ols: I’ve tried canvas products in all these states. Let’s see what’s up.

[00:11:48] Ellen Scanlon: You may have seen the press about this celebration, Kim Kardashian’s fourth baby shower in 2019. Oregon based Christine Apple, who you heard from at the beginning of the show, was the woman in charge of hosting the CBD themed party.

[00:12:06] Christine Apple: I did cater Kim Kardashian’s fourth baby shower, but that was with a CBD, which was actually, I think, such a cool way to celebrate relaxing.

[00:12:16] Christine Apple: And at the time, this was a few years ago, but I love the idea of bringing cannabis into life celebration moments. And whether it’s intoxicating or not, Using the cannabis plant to celebrate. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures or anything, and it was actually on one of their episodes. So it was filmed. We were recruited for it through a New York event.

[00:12:37] Christine Apple: We brought a CBD chocolate fountain, a four foot chocolate fountain down to her house. And it was really a fantastic party. They had five different stations. Then all of them involved the cannabis plant. So they had. flower arrangements that you could, it was almost like your own floral store that was set up and you could make bouquets.

[00:12:58] Christine Apple: So it was regular flowers that you would see anywhere at a floral shop and then different plants and different varieties and you would make your own bouquet and they have florists there to help you. They had massages, they had a sound bath, we had a chocolate CBD chocolate fountain. Everyone traded off their heels and put on Yeezy shoes that were relaxing.

[00:13:19] Christine Apple: So the whole theme was about relaxing and it was very beautifully done. It was, you know, the Kardashians are always on the cutting edge of doing new trendy things like that. And I hope we see more of that in the future because it was, it was really cool.

[00:13:34] Ellen Scanlon: We’d help to celebrate the arrival of Kim Kardashian’s new baby at the other end of the age spectrum California based Christie Palmer the co founder of cannabis edibles brand Kiva confections Celebrated her dad a high spirited grandpa for a milestone birthday

[00:13:55] Kristi Palmer: I had to do a weed bar for my dad’s birthday and it was a long time ago.

[00:13:59] Kristi Palmer: I can’t believe I don’t do this. I haven’t done this again, but, um, I got all my like cute entertaining stuff and little cake stands and like whatever, little dishes and what have you candles. And I set up like a little weed bar, basically a little flower, like strains, my little pipes and stuff and some edibles that way people could kind of come in and sample different things.

[00:14:22] Kristi Palmer: And then I named all the flower, like after silly stuff that my dad and his. friends would resonate with. And it was super fun and like a totally fun, classy way to present cannabis at a party rather than just like, Oh, you know, there’s a joint over there, go smoke it, that kind of thing. So yeah, that was one of my favorite ways to kind of introduce cannabis into a big milestone event.

[00:14:47] Ellen Scanlon: I hope hearing about these celebrations has made you smile and given you ideas for how you can bring more joy to your holidays. Stay tuned for part two of our series when we’ll hear about two very different 40th birthday party celebrations and offer some tips if you’re considering adding cannabis to a wedding.

[00:15:12] Ellen Scanlon: For lots more information and past episodes, visit DoThePot. com. And that’s also where you can sign up for our newsletter. If you like How to Do the Pot, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. It really helps more people find the show. Thank you to our producers, Maddy Fair and Nick Patry. I’m Ellen Scanlon, and stay tuned for more of How to Do the Pot.