Van Der Pop gets me curious about cannabis

As a cannabis virgin I have a lot of questions about it. That’s where Van der Pop comes in. The female-focussed cannabis brand is bringing women and weed together to explore and learn about the marijuana flower-powered pleasures and benefits that can be had.

I feel like a bit of a “square” as I’ve never had a desire to toke up in school and as I hit adulthood, it seemed even less likely that I would start using cannabis. But with legalization in Canada now a reality, I find myself very curious about cannabis. What can this mystery plant do for me exactly? I met with Van der Pop founder April Pride and her team of ambassadors when they stopped by Calgary. It was an inspiring evening talking about cannabis from all walks of life like wellness, psychology, food and more. Here are a few of the things I learned.

Van der Pop survey: What do Canadian women think about cannabis?

In a recent survey of women, Van der Pop found that:

• 4 million Canadian women are interested in how it can help them relax
• 51% of female users are curious about its potential skincare powers
• 52% of users say it helps them sleep
• 3 million Canadian women want to try it as an ingredient

“It’s time to put the image of the under-achieving stoner to rest and have a frank conversation about where cannabis fits in the modern woman’s life”

This all describes me to a ‘t’! Just like other Canadian woman I too would love to find an agent that could help with relaxation, improve my skincare and help me go to sleep at night. Sounds like quite the magic ingredient!

Cannabis as a lifestyle

Much like how wine has become a go-to female lifestyle activity, cannabis can also fit the bill. However, stigma is still high with 66% of women feeling that they need to hide their cannabis use. But with time and normalization, that number should come down significantly as we are able to come out publicly with our cannabis use. Lighting up a doobie will be no different than drinking a glass of merlot right?

What will also come with cannabis culture are new ways to partake in the plant. Instead of a psychedelic bong that gets hidden in your closet, Van der Pop creates beautiful cannabis containers and products that you can leave out in your living room or carry around in your purse. If you’ve never rolled a joint before, you don’t even have to learn as female products like metal cones can let you enjoy cannabis with minimal work. Check out parent company Tokyo Smoke for their online shop of products.

Why women need their own weed resources

Much like any other drug or chemical, cannabis can affect women’s bodies differently. Women also have different issues and challenges so Van der Pop is helpful at addressing these concerns. This includes things like using cannabis while breastfeeding or how cannabis can enhance sex. Stories from women for women are always a welcome addition for me – as a newbie navigating the world of cannabis, I appreciate sharing this interest with others in the sisterhood.­­­­­­­­­­

Consuming cannabis

The different varietals and parts of the cannabis plant can provide different experiences. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are two of the active compounds that can have effects on the body when consumed.

As I’m keen on the healing properties of cannabis, CBD is the component that I am most interested in. CBD doesn’t have any intoxicating effects so it doesn’t get you high. It is used for its anti-inflammatory, pain reducing, and antioxidant properties. It commonly comes in the form of oils, capsules and sprays. Rather than smoking cannabis, CBD oil could be a good addition to a therapeutic massage for relaxatoin85. Living in dry Calgary, I would want to see if CBD oil could help with my eczema and skincare regiment as well.  I will also be interested to see how cannabis edibles will play out once this subset becomes legal in Canada next year.

So am I ready to give cannabis a try then? I’m not sure yet. I’m still curious but at least I know where to get started.