Curaleaf, Restore, Veri-life and Trulieve…the business names are many.
In the last few years there’s been a significant demand for marijuana dispensaries that market the “life giving” wonders of the marijuana plant. The decriminalizing of its use has caused this market demand to soar. The convenience of having a store that offers consultative services for any ailment that might be served by ingesting this “miracle” drug is in high demand. What’s so fascinating to me however, is how the names of these resource centers have chosen to market relief from pain and the restoration of healthy living. Feels more like false marketing to those of us that know strategic sales strategies.
The idea that you can “truly live” seems a bit disingenuous. These clever marketing strategies don’t just appeal to users but more so, are being promoted to other curious souls who might be feeling lonely, discouraged, and hopeless with their current life circumstances.
As someone who has had first hand exposure to addiction in my own family and extended friendship circle; I know that these claims are not true. Anything that must be ingested repeatedly and frequently to “feel good” can actually lead to more stress and loss of one’s best self. This commitment to continue to purchase these products can lead to dependency and in even financial stress. Hardly seems life giving to me!
Scripture reminds us that God is our Divine Healer. We are reminded of this especially In the Old Testament in the book of Deuteronomy 31:8: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you”. There are thousands of references to God's greatest desire to heal us with His unconditional love. Prayer is a free source and a direct line to God, our Father who is ready to work through us to bring about the healing necessary to become our “best selves”.
The problem today is many of us are not willing or capable of being patient or trusting in a process that might require us to sit in our pain, feel anxious or experience discomfort for any period of time. We live in an “insta-fix” society where we can ingest readily many available solutions that might help us temporarily to not feel the sadness, the pain, or the discomfort, but once the euphoria is gone—our reality and our problems are still there. Numbness is not living-it’s a brief break from reality when the marijuana wears off.
I currently have several planting beds around my own home where I have a serious weed issue. No matter how much I pull these intrusive weeds out of my gardens—the roots are deeply embedded and they come back more fiercely than ever. They grow and become tangled and actually choke healthy flowers trying to grow. I would suggest that marijuana that some consider to be a “miracle weed” isn’t much different in the long run—chokes real life and impedes the growth of the seeds God has planted in us to grow in peace and joy every day.
There’s no leaf that cures, no restoration and definitely no “true” life -giving power in weed. These businesses are simply using effective marketing campaigns to make money off our most vulnerable. If our faith leaders and churches used more attention getting marketing strategies --our pews would be filled and more healing souls would be fed by longer lasting spirit driven solutions.
God’s love is free and addicting in the best way. That's the real miracle.