About the book
Choosing cannabis is a healthcare decision and a birth choice.
When I became pregnant while working as a cultivator in the medical cannabis industry, I made the decisions that many families make; I chose to consume cannabis during pregnancy. This is the journey of how I overcame stigma, turning poison into medicine to heal myself and other women who consume cannabis as medicine.
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The Cannabis Doula is the transparent enlightenment of my own rebirth. It journeys through the first 30 years of my life, exposing societal ills and offering healing and inspiration for Black girls who consume cannabis through essays, journal entries, poetry, blogs, letters and self-reflection.
Let's Shatter the Stigma.
Release any negative thoughts, emotions,
and any prior misinformation you may hold about cannabis.
Take a moment to think
about all the negative cannabis propaganda and the fear-based information
you may have been taught, or you may have seen in the media due to prohibition.
​Inhale.
Now, exhale deeply and release it.
Repeat as often as necessary.
By releasing these negative associations, we are able to really take in the vast healing potential of cannabis.
The stigma surrounding cannabis, (hemp, weed, marijuana, ganja, maryjane, or whatever you choose to call it) and women is so strong, and if we don’t actively address it, through cannabis education, support, and care, we will miss out on the tremendous benefits of cannabis for our individual and collective health and wellness.
Cannabis has been used by our ancestors for thousands of years, especially for supporting women’s health concerns and discomfort during pregnancy in childbirth. The prohibition of the 1930s and negative propaganda specifically targeted to female consumers have caused many women, especially Black and Latinx women, who were directly affected by the War on Drugs, to avoid its use or associate cannabis use with negative behavior and effects.
Now, that we’ve put that aside, we can celebrate cannabis as medicine! As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the world, more research is being done DAILY on the benefits of cannabis, terpenes and cannabinoids, and our body’s Endocannbinoid System, and the vast healing possibilities across hundreds of diseases, illnesses, and symptoms.
Sharing Joy Through Cannabis
The Cannabis Doula gives light to my personal journey through motherhood, using cannabis during pregnancy and postpartum, and my experiences working as a doula who supports families in the use of medical cannabis. As I reflect on my first thirty years of life, I must examine all areas of my life in order to move forward and to uplift my sisters as we climb, leaving not one behind.
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I love nothing more than being a Black woman. To be a Black woman, one must explore the intersection of race and gender, or be crushed by them. To be a Black woman, one must understand the paradoxes that exist in the history of Black women, or else fall victim to them. A woman once praised and revered as the creator of all of humankind is now religiously hated, diseased and disrespected. I've come to learn and understand these truths in order to know my self and my place in this world. I had to learn where we have been in order to help shape where we will go in the future. I've come to understand how society works in such a way to limit the creation of Black women; our art and offspring. These systems can often prevent us from reaching our highest potential and cause us to pass down centuries of hurt, trauma, and anguish to future generations.
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After learning about these systems and how they have affected my life, I was able to work on reversing the psychological damage and despair that I had inherited, learned, and created, by holistically consuming cannabis. This is my journey to discovering the medicinal benefits of cannabis and supporting women along the way.
Melanin Ajé
Author | Publisher | The Cannbis Doula
Using cannabis a tool toward enlightenment, MJ, a Chicago-native, medical cannabis patient, and mom to two toddlers, is combining her love of cannabis with her passion for supporting women and families as a doula & childbirth educator, yoni steam practitioner, certified cannabis educator/consultant.
Owing to the belief that, "no one is going to give you the enducation you need to overthrown them," MJ is dedicated to providing evidence based education and support to women and birthing families through The Cannabis Doula.
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Learn the ABCs of Holistic Birthing & Comfort Measures to support birthing people.
TWERK!
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Twerking is an African form of movement and dance that involves squatting, thrusting, and rotating the hips and booty to the flow of music or drums. This cultural and collective dance is performed in many ways across various African and Indigenous communities, it promotes womb healing and wellness using divine feminine energy. Twerking is an expression of self-love, confidence, joy, and abundance.
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TWERK is also an acronym I created for women
and birthing people to support a holistic pregnancy and healthy childbirth. Twerk 'sum for a healthy childbirth!