Shortly after discovering cannabis, I was told I would not be able to achieve success in life if I kept smoking it. 

My parents, family, and friends along with multiple therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists told me I had to stop, otherwise I’d be dependent on the substance and a subsequently failure in life. My world’s outlook on a healthy, functional successful life that includes cannabis use was bleak, to say the least.

That put a HUGE chip on my shoulder, because I felt much differently. I kept thinking, as long as I can stay vigilant and not let cannabis take away my energy or make me lazy, I’ll be doing great.

When I used cannabis, I felt empowered and I felt this "flow state" mostly after the initial high wore off. I’ll never forget the first time I felt this full flow - it was in gym class while playing badminton. I smacked the shuttlecock while jumping and turning a full 360, fully coordinated with an understanding of my surroundings like I had never felt before.

It felt like my body was finally in sync and communicating with itself. Like my nervous system and brain were connected in an almost superhuman way.

I kept noticing instances like this where a connected, flow-like state just takes over. So I kept using it regardless of what anyone told me. Over the next 15 years I would continue using it daily while also studying art, design and marketing.

Turns out, it helped me tremendously with all three arenas: the alternative thought patterns and ideas helped my artwork. The critical thinking of design is made just a little easier and more exciting vs daunting. Through smoke sessions, I met people from all walks of life and I got to understand their perspectives.

I started to truly believe in cannabis as a tool. So much so that when the chance presented itself for a full time job in the industry, I decided to drop out of college to pursue a career along side the plant. This decision would spark a series of events that took me full circle ten years later when I landed a position very similar to the one I dropped out of school for.

Now, I find flow through design, writing and other artistic creations at this job. I stay busy enough to stay in a continual flow state more often than not. If I’m not working, I’m thinking and working through concepts. I’m constantly looking for clues and indulging in a cannabis-friendly lifestyle, extending the culture to my surroundings and the community at large. I’m in a continual state of coexistence with cannabis, society, art and design.

The Green Path is the story of how I got here and how cannabis empowered my mind and body along the way.

A Little More About This Project:

This is no traditional memoir. I have no interest or patience in telling you all about sentimental moments of my past and how much they meant to me.

This isn’t advice either. I don’t aim to tell you how to live or what to do. This is an approach.

I am to share insights from fun and meaningful stories from my journey in becoming a professional in cannabis, while smoking cannabis.

How This Could Benefit You:

In what follows, I will share my story and tactics on how to use cannabis products in a healthy and sustainable way. I'll focus on how I’ve managed to break the "stoner" stigma while building a professional career centered around this plant.

While science supports my claims, this is not meant to be an academic research paper. It’s more like a reference model for how to integrate cannabis into daily life. You’ll find wisdom and practical advice front and center as I explain the effects of different products and the science of these products through my own stories.

Basic facts on cannabis can be found all over the internet. What I offer is a synthesis of the most recent science combined with my first-hand experiences with using cannabis products.

Anything wise you hear, credit to the rebels and scientists who paved the way. Anything foolish, assume it is my error. My contribution, I hope, is to inform the masses with a new perspective on the old ganja plant.

I will highlight the functionality of compounds that come from the plant and how to integrate these into one’s life in a both healthy, fulfilling, but also an exciting way. I will also uncover and explore entirely new ways to think about cannabis. I aim to introduce these ideas in a way that is also highly actionable.

I believe cannabis compounds can be a healthy alternative to both prescription drugs and alcohol. Perhaps the most exciting part is that there are cannabinoids that can work for both recreation and medicine. 

Core Focus Areas:

Cannabis can provide a balanced lifestyle when use of it based on the four most impactful elements of health - mental health, sleep, exercise, and diet. I bring my first-hand experience with using cannabis to benefit each of these four areas. 

Within a span of 10 years, I went from a dysfunctional, overweight bipolar disorder patient to being led on a path of discovery to regain my health and achieve one of my biggest goals - a stable job in the cannabis industry.

While there is a ton of great work being done on the science and manufacturing of cannabis products, there is currently a lack of educational resources to teach the public how to use them. In recent years, researchers and scientists have discovered the connection between good health and the compounds that come from cannabis. Some of this research too will be covered here.

In total, the framework I offer is an integrated model of how to use cannabinoids for specific purposes. I believe it is one of the first models of using cannabis product taking into account for the effects of individual cannabinoids to help with specific daily challenges. While some of the stories may be familiar, I’m confident that the details and application of cannabinoids can change people’s lives for the better. I’ve seen it for myself and for those who I’ve helped.

Our lives and health are always changing - but The Green Path is about what doesn’t change: using the cannabis plant to empower our health.

This writing is about the fundamentals of using cannabis products for wellness. I’ll talk about my experience and how it has helped me overcome mental challenges as well as its impact on my own diet, nutrition, exercise and sleep. This seems like a far reach for the plant, but when used correctly, it can have unique effects on each of these areas of life.

The ideas that follow will almost certainly shake up your truth about cannabis and will show you what it can do to seriously make your life better, and not just make you a stoner.

If you or anyone you know is curious about cannabis, always feel free to reach out to me. I'm happy to help.

kk@kevinkimmell.design

All the best,

Kev