We caught up with the brilliant and insightful CannaShame Network a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
CannaShame, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Our focus on canning the shame of cannabis consumption is important to us because the founders of the company experienced first hand the medical and life saving benefits of cannabis and became advocates while working in jobs that frowned upon cannabis usage. Yolanda Bennett and Angela Weston both suffered adverse effects from using prescription medication making their respective conditions worse. When they found cannabis, they had a new mission; share the truth about this plant and advocate for and help the people in Georgia who needed medical access to this plant. In 2019, they founded the Georgia Medical Cannabis Society, a non-profit advocacy group in Georgia. A part of their mission was correcting the misinformation out there about cannabis. They realized that many people were ashamed of their cannabis usage and felt as though they needed to consume in the “closet”.
That evolved their mission in creating a movement to “stomp out” the stigma of cannabis consumption. They recognized that removing the shame was going to be a big part of how they begin to peel back the layers of why the stigma even exists in the first place. So, they had the brilliant idea to get the word out about all the benefits of cannabis consumption and dismantle the lies surrounding the plant through a podcast. They found two other ladies in the Atlanta cannabis community, Tianna Smith and Arica Jefferson, and in 2021 the first episode of the CannaShame podcast aired. There were more show concepts that were simultaneously being developed, and once we did the first live podcast on the road, we knew there was a need to scale and become a full blown network including production, on-location filming, editing and booking. Thus, the CannaShame Network was born.
That same year, we celebrated the 1st Annual CannaShame Awareness Day (CSA Day). CSA Day is celebrated every year on October 1st (10/1) which was the day the Marihuana Tax Act became law in 1937. Propaganda was used to help get the law passed which began the stigmatization of cannabis usage. We celebrate CannaShame Awareness on 10/1 because it symbolizes us turning our back on and taking the power back from the original law that began cannabis prohibition. We encourage people to not be afraid to come out of the cannabis closet, and know that their voice can actually add to expanding the face of cannabis users.
So this mission is very personal to everyone on the team.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are The CannaShame Network. We are a media company whose focus is on “canning” the shame of cannabis consumption. How we do that is by providing and producing content surrounding the truth about the benefits of cannabis consumption. We have podcasts on our platform like The CannaShame Podcast, Yo Rants, Yo T, Tap in with Arica J., and others in the pipeline like TeaHC with Books and The Suite. We have filmed live events, conferences and festivals. We also have network merch and are looking to come online with more products that are for the culture but also have meaning.
There are a lot of people who need help with their production, need their events filmed and need a production team for their podcast. We can help them at the CannaShame Network. If anyone has a cannabis-based show and needs help getting it out there we will add you to the network. We are looking to continue to build and grow with people who have the same desire to free the plant and the people as we do.
At The CannaShame Network, we are a representation of many of the marginalized and underrated groups not only in the cannabis space, but in business in general. Our company is made up of Black American women, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA community. We partner with veterans and veteran organizations, social justice organizations, and give a voice to the incarcerated persons who have lost their freedom and continue to lose their freedom because of this plant. We are not like other networks because we have a cause that is our driving force. We have a message. We are not just here to exploit anyone or just make content. We are different because we are a media network that wants to make a difference.
We are most proud about the fact that people are positively affected by our shows on the network and the productions we create. We have received feedback that people have come out of the cannabis closet and started having conversations with important people in their life about cannabis and how it is helping them. We have notable people in the cannabis space excited and asking to be on our show. We know we are slowly making an impact and making a difference and we are super proud of that.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Our mission is to change the way cannabis consumers are viewed, and destigmatizing the plant is the goal. We think people should be able to use this plant in peace whether for medicinal or adult use purposes. Everything we do from the podcast to production to live filming to our partnerships to Cannabis Awareness Day is all about helping to push the mission forward to change the narrative of who cannabis consumers are, what they look like, and why shaming anyone for their cannabis usage is wrong. We ask people to think deeper about why they believe such a negative narrative about the plant, and challenge where those narratives came from.
Every background design, every flyer, every banner, every t-shirt, every set design, and every CannaShame related product made on this creative journey is about driving the mission of freeing the cannabis plant in its total form, making it affordable for anyone who wants to use it, and freeing the people who are unjustly incarcerated for growing, distributing, or possessing the cannabis plant.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Authenticity and consistency has helped us to build our reputation in the East Coast market. We have made connections throughout the East Coast and we have done that by showing up through the podcast and interviewing people from all over America. We show up for and support other people in our industry. Whether it is agreeing to speak on a panel or film an event or showing up to attend for a good time or even just liking or sharing a post, we are consistently showing up for and supporting the people in our community.
At The CannaShame Network we are authentically us and proud to be. Each individual team member gets to be exactly who they are, and that makes the team stronger. We understand that people, including the audience and partners, can sense when a person, company or show, is inauthentic. At The CannaShame Network we truly only know how to be one way, and that is ourselves, and that authenticity comes across when you watch The CannaShame Podcast, work with our production team, or see us out in public.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cannashame.com
- Instagram: @cannashame
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cannashame/
- Twitter: @cannashame
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@CannaShame