Back to School and a Break from Budtending

When I applied for my first job in the cannabis industry I had no idea where my career would take me. I would have laughed if you had told me that cannabis would take me across the country, well weed and love, and back again. I could not have anticipated spending almost 4 years, FOUR YEARS, selling legal weed. WHAT!? I couldn’t have imagined the amount of people, hundreds of thousands, that I would explain Cannabis to for the very first time. My heart bursts when I think of the amount of people with severe medical (mental, emotional, physical) disabilities I have been able to help find relief and solace. The amount of people whose quality of life I have had the pleasure of helping improve makes me prouder than words can say. My passion for cannabis was born from my own medical needs and my desire to help others find the natural healing that I did. I feel so blessed to have spent so many hours on the front line of this new, amazing industry and to have been able to interact with so many incredible and interesting people in this amazing world. That’s why I do what I do. It’s not for the money (ha what money?), it’s not “coolness factor”, or the industry even, it is the people and the difference we have the chance to make!

With that being said, not everyone in the Cannabis Industry is in it for the heart and the impact we can have. That’s fine, we all have our priorities, but I refuse to continue working for others who don’t share the same vision I do. I can offer suggestions and recommendations but ultimately I yearn to be in a position to make a real difference. So, I’m going back to school, and taking a break from budtending. I’m changing my degree from Exercise and Sports Science and Outdoor Recreation and Education (thanks Western State Colorado University) to Marketing and Advertising and Business Management. While I’m going to school full time I am going to continue my position as Social Media Manager of Canna Brothers Distribution and still active in the cannabis community as an activist, educator, and brand advocate. I plan on always defending our plant, spreading accurate and current information and knowledge, and normalizing all uses of this beautiful flower.  Over the past four years I have held many different titles, from budtender, and shift lead, to assistant manager and social media manager, and I am very excited to be taking on the title of student once again. The ultimate goal is to take on the title of leader, motivator, and boss babe, I just need to sharpen my tools and acquire a couple more skills before I am fully equipped, and I can’t wait for this journey. I am also excited to have the opportunity to continue educating other on this incredible plant and our industry but without being confined to a retail setting. I will also be devoting more time to this wonderful website, I want to really give it the time a dedication it deserves, that you all deserve. As always, thank you for all your love and support in everything I do. I am so grateful you’ve chosen to come along for this wild ride.

Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned!

K

My Graves Disease Journey

   Four years ago I woke up in a hospital bed, confused, tired, and finally, hopefully, on the road to being happy and healthy again. I had just undergone a major surgery, one that I had been told over and over again for almost two years was necessary, but one that would make me dependent on a Thyroid hormone pill for the rest of my life. I was twenty years old. Looking back, there are things I wish I had done differently or had known, but hindsight is always 20/20 and no matter how it happened I am healthy today, that’s all that really matters. But four years has allowed for some time to think and I wanted to share not only my story, but what I wish I had known, what I wish I had done differently, for anyone who may be experiencing something similar or might know someone who is...

   Rewind to 2012, I was 18, a professional skier, fresh out of high school and I planned on competing and traveling while figuring out my place in the world. I also didn’t feel right, something was off, and my body didn’t feel like it belonged to me. I was constantly shaking, my heart was racing, it was hard to breathe, and for some reason, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t lose weight.  My mom took me to the doctor, they ran blood tests, an EKG (to see if my heart had sustained any damage) and hormone tests. Turns out I have Graves Disease, a form of hyperthyroidism, causing my heart to race, my blood pressure to spike, and my whole body to shake, all while the weight just kept piling on. I was not myself; anyone who has had thyroid problems will tell you that your emotions, behavior, sleep, anxiety, heart rate, weight, eyes, and hair are affected. I was in constant pain since my body was destroying it’s own muscles faster than it could create it. I was always exhausted but unable to sleep comfortably or rest enough. On the outside, you would never have known anything was wrong, unless you noticed my tremors or weight gain. There wasn’t a sign I could wear around my neck that said, “be gentle, my body is fighting itself and it’s exhausting” to help others understand.

   Initially I was given three options, treatment with anti-thyroid hormones, radiation treatment, or a thyroidectomy. My first doctor put me on anti-thyroid hormone pills and beta-blockers (to control my heart rate and blood pressure) but insisted one of the more drastic and permanent options (radiation or surgery) was necessary as soon as possible. I was not interested in removing or killing off a vital organ before giving it a chance to become healthy again. I chose to get a second opinion; my second Doctor was more understanding and willing to try medication before drastically altering my way of life. We began attempting to manage my symptoms with medication.

   For almost 2 years I tried medication to manage and control my symptoms. While the medication helped keep my symptoms in check they weren’t bringing me back to where I once was. I got frustrated and tired of constantly going to the pharmacy for more medication that I would take 2-4 times a day. I didn’t’ feel well, or like myself and I was tired of people telling me what to do. Especially since it seemed like nothing they told me to do was helping.

   I stopped taking my medication. It was the dumbest thing I could have ever done.

   I do believe I was getting to a manageable point with my meds, but instead of maintaining my meds and letting my body get there itself I just stopped, I stopped helping myself get better.  

   My doctor and my mom found out, they were upset and insisted I get back on medication. When I got back on my medication I had an allergic reaction. This can happen when the body is not weaned off of the hormones and then put back on them abruptly. Unfortunately once my body reacted negatively, medication was no longer an option, and according to my doctor my symptoms were not in check enough to go untreated. So I had two options, surgery or radiation.

We scheduled my surgery.

   I believed my body was headed into remission, I asked for another blood test, I pushed for more examination of my numbers, but I was also so exhausted. At this point I was 20 years old and I was tired, tired of being sick, tired from being sick, and tired of going to the doctor every 2 weeks. On the day of my surgery I fought with my doctor, asking for one more blood test, one more chance to let me body heal itself. He told me he was tired of my childish behavior and he didn’t see what another blood test would do. He was rude and uncaring, telling me surgery was my only option or he was over treating me. Even though this was going to affect ME for the rest of MY life. Ultimately he was right in the end, my body most likely would not have entered remission for long and surgery put me on a manageable plan. I wasn’t the easiest patient to interact with during this time, but I believe the situation could and should have been handled better.

   I remember being hysterical in the doctors office and deciding I couldn’t live like this anymore, feeling like I was completely insane all the time, deciding that with surgery at least I would have a path to walk down, a solution to follow for life. My surgeon was one the best in the game, and I knew if I wanted the surgery done right without complications this was my chance.

   Before I went into surgery I made it completely clear I never wanted to see my Endocrinologist again.

   Since then I have found an Endocrinologist I trust more than anything. One that understands me and my desire to treat myself as naturally as possible despite not having a vital organ operating within my body. She also encourages and is interested in my use of cannabis as a wellness tool and medication. I feel better now at 24 than I have since I was 18 and for that I am very grateful. I’m grateful to have made it this far and to be able to help others along the way. If I could go back in time, ultimately, I wouldn’t change anything other than staying on my meds, but I would insist on MY voice being heard, on it being done MY way and in a way that felt right to me. After all it is MY life that is affected by this sickness and surgery, forever.

Looking back there are a couple things I wish I had known and that I will keep in mind in the future:

1.                    Ask ALL of the questions you have. Doctors are busy but it is also their job to take care of you, you are never asking the wrong questions when it comes to your health.

2.                    Insist on the treatment that feels right to you. If you want more tests, get them, if you want a second opinion by all means GET IT!

3.                    Get a second, third, and possibly fourth opinion. What I thought was nerves was my gut telling me to find someone else, eventually I did, I just wish I had found her sooner.

4.                    Take all of your medications, as prescribed. If you think a treatment plan you are on is wrong, ask questions. Make sure you and your doctor feel it is the right treatment for you, don’t just do what you think will be easiest or least scary at the time.

5.                    Consult with your doctor before stopping any medication.

6.                    Maintain a healthy lifestyle as mush as possible. Eat good food, drink water, go on walks (even short ones), read books, and let yourself rest when you need to.

7.                    Above all take care of yourself, don’t do things or push yourself past where you are comfortable, there is no need to make yourself sicker for no reason.

8.                    Heal at your own rate, your own pace, health is a constant journey and rushing through the healing process will only harm you in the end. Take your time, you have plenty of it, might as well be as healthy as you can be. In the end there is only you and the vessel you have been given, take the best possible care of yourself!

9.                    And last but not least, SPEAK UP! I have to work on this myself, but when someone is wrongs you or doesn’t value you or your opinion let them know how you feel. Put yourself out there and let others know how you feel and why, it doesn’t matter if they don’t understand, you will feel better and be understood better by speaking your truth. The only thing that can come from more communication is better understanding of the situation as a whole.

   In the end I am extremely grateful to be healthy and happy. This journey is a never-ending one but I finally feel like I am the one sitting in the driver’s seat. Don’t be afraid to let others know what you need, what will help you be the best version of yourself you can be. Don’t be afraid to speak up when someone wrongs you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid of following your gut and doing what you know in your heart is best for you. And last but not least don’t be afraid to let others know when you appreciate them, or something they did to help you on your journey. You are not in this alone.

   If anyone ever needs someone to talk to or vent to, I am here. Also if you are looking at/seeing Endocrinologists in the Denver/Colorado area and you would like feedback on Doctors I am more than happy to share my story in more detail, just let me know!

   Thanks for reading this long, not-so-weedy, post; it took me a long time to figure out how to say what I wanted but it finally feels right…

 

Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned!

Visiting my Roots

I’m going home, not to stay, but to visit. I am so excited to be back in the mountains, in the snow, and sunshine. I can’t wait to go skiing and exploring in the winter wonderland that I’m blessed to call home.

As much as I am excited though I am nervous, nervous because I’ve changed and home has changed too. Not in bad ways, we’ve just changed. The streets I grew up roaming have seen thousands of other people pass by since I last rambled down them. The places I used to run and hike with my dog everyday have held countless other adventures for other people. The homes I lived in and made my own through out the years have sheltered many other college kids and ski bums by now. The places I used to work surely have brand new shining faces, and probably not a trace of me left…and that is all perfectly fine. I know this is a part of life, things change, people move on, and nothing really ever stays the same.

But home just feels like it should. I guess that’s the thing about home though, it’s not really a place. My self, animals, and man are what make my home, no matter where I go. So I guess I’m really going back to my roots, and that is incredibly amazing and terrifying still, but somehow easier to deal with…if that makes any sense.

I am so excited to get back to my roots, to ski my favorite runs with my favorite partners (mostly my family), I am excited to eat good food and smoke some dank ColoRADo weed. I can’t wait to fill my heart up with love, my mind with peace and memories and my lungs with good smoke. I am excited to take some time to myself and reset, refuel, recharge, and hopefully create. I love the calm that the mountains bring. I can’t wait to soak up my family’s love and good energy. I’m hoping for some good ole Colorado sunshine to bask in and some delicious powder to slash turns through. Fingers crossed!

Mostly I’m just excited to be going back to the place that raised me for 22 years, to be where I feel strong, and protected. A place where I know no matter how long or far I go, the tribe will always have my back. No matter what I choose to do or where I choose to roam this place will always hold my heart and my roots, deep in the heart of the Elk Mountains. I am so grateful for that and blessed to be born of the Mountains, to be apart of that wild tribe.

As John Denver eloquently once said “Mountain Mama, take me home, country roads…”

Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned!

(p.s. If anyone wants to create, sesh, adventure, or chill, let me know!!)

A Year of Growth

         It’s been 365 days of sunrises and sunsets in Washington. A year, a long, crazy year of insane change, growth, lessons, and opportunities, a year I am so incredibly thankful for, but also extremely glad to have behind me. It was a long year filled with obstacles, lessons, and change, an extremely necessary year at that.  Last year when I left home I wasn’t sure what to expect, I knew I would be working with weed, and stoners. I knew I wanted to work on my self and my cannabis education website. I knew I wanted to nourish my relationship and my fur babies and make them as happy as possible. I didn’t anticipate how hard it all would be at times…

       Somewhere in there I lost myself, I don’t know if it was the endlessly dark winter that I was unprepared for or the lack of purpose I felt in a lot of aspects of my life. But I got myself stuck in a deep hole, I hate to call it depression because I know people who have had a much harder time than me, people I have lost because they thought there was no other way. I have even had it worse than this, being sick at such a young age gave me a sort of stupid confidence, if I got through that…I can get through anything, even my own shitty mental state.

      But this time I got extremely stuck, I was always exhausted and crying, I put my boyfriend and myself through hell too many times to count. I could have anticipated a bit of emotion and difficulty adjusting…I thought I was prepared to figure it out, and I thought I was going to share it with you all. I anticipated it being ugly, weird, and uncomfortable. I knew it was going to be different and maybe a little too raw. I thought I was going to be ok with all of this, just like it had always been ok before…I didn’t anticipate my sudden aversion to the camera though. I was not expecting that, for almost 3 years I had been posting on instagram and snapchat, pictures and videos of me ripping bongs, taking dabs, and posing with fat top colas. All the while dealing with everything life threw at me; school, work, stress, pain, insomnia, my cannabis use and productive lifestyle. Suddenly I hated every single picture, every single video. Nothing looked right, I hated my face or the way my hair looked in the middle of a video, the silliest things. Especially since self love and appreciation for the vessel I was given are some of my biggest priorities. But I didn’t like the way I looked, I still don’t a lot of the time, but I’m trying to push past it and get back to my usual self.

        My social media content, didn’t suffer from this change necessarily, it just changed, and with that change I feel like I lost touch with a lot of people I had made a connection with and people visiting my page have definitely gotten less of a “full frontal and real” version of me than people who have followed me for years.

       My followers know my thoughts and feelings-I’ve taken to posting prose, or passages about life/the day/challenges/strengths-as they come to me. But they don’t know ME, not the way they should. I am determined to fix this. Besides I have tons of followers that support me more than people I know in real life, people I have known my whole life, people I see and talk to daily. So THANK YOU for your support, and I’m sorry you haven’t been getting the fullest version of me. I am remedying that, and hopefully sharing everything I’ve learned along the way.

       There are tons of things I’ve learned and done in the last year that I wouldn’t change for the world. I have gotten to explore one of the most naturally beautiful places and create memories I had only dreamed of. I have had some of the most amazing experiences and met some of the most amazing people while living up here in Washington and I determined to explore and create even more. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the opportunities I have been presented with so far.

        I am also so incredibly grateful for the reminder that no matter where I am, who I am surrounded by, I am worth every bit of energy I put into myself. My relationship with myself and the love my life, my family, is worth every single second. Without my man and my relationship, his support, and love, I would not be the woman I am. I would not feel strong, or proud. I would only be able to see myself as weak. He shows me the light in the dark, the good in me when I can’t seem to see it in myself.  He pushes me to be better, and do better everyday.

       I am proud to say I am getting back into a routine of taking care of myself and making my goals a priority again. I am extremely grateful for this year of growth and learning. But I am even more excited for the coming year and all the adventures ahead!

     Thank you so much for going on this incredibly crazy journey with me, I appreciate everyone single one of you more than you know!

                            (I hope you guys are OK with seeing more of my face!)

Stay Stoked, Stay Stoned

Cannabis and Wellness

         Cannabis use, in my opinion, is not a recreational activity but a form of wellness; a way of taking care of one’s mental, emotional, and physical well being naturally. Cannabis helps the body maintain homeostasis and keeps each of us healthy, helping regulate body temperature, and digestion among many other vital body processes.  Our bodies are made to consume cannabis, to use cannabinoids to our advantage and to keep us healthy.

            Working in the Recreational Market in both Colorado and Washington has been somewhat confusing; I have gone back and forth about how I feel about the term “Recreational Cannabis”. The conclusion I have come to…is I really dislike the word “Recreational”. It doesn’t apply to cannabis.  All cannabis is in one way or another used as a form of wellness. It may not be purely medicinal, who doesn’t like getting high? But everyone I encounter uses cannabis for one thing or another, to help with appetite, mood, discomfort, sleep, focusing, understanding, studying, socializing and so much more!

            Cannabis use spans every generation, from newly 21-year-old “kids” to 95-year-old grandmas and grandpas. Young people use cannabis as much for appetite stimulation, discomfort treatment, social stimulant and sleep aid as they do to unwind and relax at the end of a long busy week.  The elderly use it to treat their discomfort, ailments, diseases and also to relax and enjoy life. Everyone in between uses cannabis to aid in daily routine, rest, relaxation and to help enjoy the little things in life. No matter who you are cannabis can help you slow down, gain perspective, take time for yourself and recharge. Cannabis is one of the coolest plants on the planet because of its ability to treat numerous ailments and diseases but also because of its’ power to span the generations. Its ability to bring mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents, friends and coworkers together is so beautiful and powerful.  I love seeing families, grandsons and grandpas, moms and daughters, all well over the age of 21, come in and shop together, help each other remember what they liked and disliked and exploring new consumption methods together.

            Cannabis use as a wellness tool is very important and understanding it’s use can sometimes be very confusing and difficult. Depending on previous experience many do not know much about the many benefits and wide variety of uses of cannabis. I love helping others’ discover and learn more about the amazing and wonderful plant that is cannabis. Being able to help others naturally is one of the most rewarding and wonderful things I have ever had the pleasure of doing. Cannabis use in wellness and whole plant medicine is so extremely important and I love being able to share all this information, endless options, benefits and experiences with all of you!

Stay stoked, Stay stoned!

What is a name?

            As some of you may have noticed along with the birth of this website there has been a “name change” to my online persona as well. It’s interesting to me to see the reactions to the change, some haven’t mentioned it, some have commented on it, both good and bad, and either way it doesn’t matter, not really. What is a name anyways? A name isn’t worth anything if the person behind it doesn’t give it substance and life. I started ThatOneMountainGirl on instagram just about 2.5 years ago and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to come from it, all I knew is I wanted a place where I could share my love for cannabis, the cannabis community, my cannabis use and my body without offending people like my conservative grandparents or my partner’s family…it’s not that I was or have ever been ashamed of my cannabis use and the naked body but I also understand that many people, especially people I love, are not in a position to share their interest or appreciation as openly and freely.  Appreciation of the cannabis plant and my newly healthy self fueled the creation of this account but I could never have predicted where it would take me

          ThatOneMountainGirl was born right after my 3 year long battle with Graves’ Disease, when I was starting to love myself completely again, so I created a safe place to share that love when I felt like it. I also created a place to share my love for cannabis and it’s incredible healing capabilities.  Through my instagram I have met so many amazing souls and made friends that I could have never met otherwise. I have had more opportunities than I ever could have imagined and I am happy to say this is just the beginning!  About a year ago I dove head first into the cannabis industry and thus began a shift in my goals, plans, and posts, all becoming centered around cannabis use in wellness.

            This fall I was telling my extended family about my work in the Cannabis industry and my desire to reach more people and share my knowledge and passion for cannabis beyond instagram and the dispensary. It was my uncle who came up the idea of a website with the name CannabisKlaraty. An emphasis on my industry, the place I now know I belong and desire to make a difference, and my name. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to find myself and create a place to share my passion. I can only hope to bring Klaraty to all your cannabis questions and help others discover this amazing plant. It is my hope to show that you can live a healthy, conscious, productive lifestyle and consume cannabis responsibly. It is not the end of ThatOneMountainGirl by any means, just an evolution and growing into the woman and educator I know I am and am striving everyday to be.  I am so excited to see where the next 2.5 years and beyond take me and I couldn’t be more thankful for you all for following along with me!

Stay Stoked and Stoned!

Klaraty (formerly @thatonemountaingirl)

           

           

My Cannabis Story

High there! First of all thank you, for taking the time and interest to get here. For being interested in cannabis, for wanting to know more, and lastly for being maybe the tiniest bit interested in me…I figured I would take a second to introduce myself, my story, my cannabis use, history and goals. I hope this blog will provide some insight, and knowledge into the world of cannabis, at least through my perspective. So here goes nothing…

I was born and raised in the last great ski town of Colorado. A beautiful, sleepy little mountain valley was the perfect backdrop for a childhood filled with adventure, playing and learning in the mountains. Born to two die hard ski bums I was on skis before my 2nd birthday, telemark skiing by the 4th grade and competing in big mountain events before my 15th birthday. I was a sponsored, 3x National Champion telemark skier by the age of 17.  I graduated highschool early, planned on taking a year off from school to compete, ski and travel and moved to North Carolina for the summer. 

By the time I moved home something was different, and wrong…my heart rate was always racing, my hands and legs constantly shook, I got out of breath too easily and I had gained close to 30lbs. After blood tests and doctors visits, we ruled out Parkinsons and MS, and I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, a genetic form of hyperthyroidism. At the age of 18 my world stopped, I was told I could not ski, or even walk more than a block or two at a time. I was put on medication and told to decide between surgery or radiation treatment.  My life was a cycle of work and napping, I was always exhausted and my body constantly hurt.  Eating became a chore, and I could not for the life of me control my emotions. I was constantly hot and then freezing cold, and anything and everything made me cry.  For 2.5 years I took medication, hoping for remission, the whole time without skiing or really working out-per doctors orders.  After medication failed I had my thyroid removed and am now happy and healthy. Besides a daily thyroid pill I do not take any medication to help with the rest of my residual symptoms and that is all thanks to cannabis.

Go to virtually any ski town in North America and you will be able to find cannabis, ski bums smoke weed. But growing up with a strict training schedule and never really feeling the need to partake I only smoked once or twice in highschool.  I never saw a problem with consumption, much like alcohol and cigarettes why not let people do what they want? And it was baffling that something so common place and renowned was still “illegal”. After being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease I started using cannabis to help with my lack of appetite, insomnia and to regulate body temperature. I also discovered certain strains that helped with my anxiety and crazy emotions. Since getting better I have been able to incorporate cannabis into my daily life to help ease residual symptoms and ski injuries while living a conscious lifestyle. After discovering the many uses of cannabis and how it works for me I was hooked.  It didn’t take long for me to decide I had to educate myself and teach myself about this amazing plant and it’s many uses!

Discovering my passion for cannabis lead to the creation of my instagram page, which in turn lead to my work as a cannabis activist.  After about a year of advocating locally in my home community, the state of Colorado, and online through various forms of social media, I landed my dream job as a budtender at Rocky Mountain Cannabis in Gunnison Colorado. I also was blessed to work as a growhand for one of the most amazing grows I have personally ever seen. It was and is still one of the most pivotal and important moments in my life. I quit my job as an assistant manager at a coffee shop and walked away from the industry I had been in for 8 years, into the unknown and have not once looked back…All the while exploring and adventuring around our beautiful world. This fall I moved to Washington state and continued to pursue my career in the Cannabis Industry. I am very lucky to be working for an amazing i502 recreational dispensary. I feel so fortunate and lucky to be a part of such an amazing team of budtenders that are dedicated to helping others discover this amazing plant! I can’t wait to see what the future of cannabis holds and am so excited to be apart of it!

It is my hope that this website and the information I share will help others better understand cannabis, the cannabis community, different uses of cannabis, acceptance of cannabis use, feel better naturally and debunk the myth of the “lazy” stoner that society says we are.  I can’t wait to share knowledge, adventures and good vibes with all of you wonderful souls! Thank you for reading, feel free to comment, ask questions and provide any feedback you would like!

Stay Stoney!