CBD, or Cannabidiol, has been a term thrown around a lot within the medical marijuana community. It’s become so popular, many may have heard it before (maybe even used it themselves), but don’t fully understand what it means.
We talked with CBD expert, and CEO of East Fork Cultivars, Mason Walker. Walker reveals his knowledge on CBD, medical marijuana quality, and the benefits of CBD for medical marijuana patients.
How has medical marijuana personally affected your life?
When I was a teenager, I had a traumatic spinal injury that resulted in temporary paralysis and spinal fusion surgery. Through a small miracle, I regained full function and strength. However, I still deal with chronic pain related to the injury. Medical cannabis has provided stable pain management without unwanted side effects or dependency I experienced with pharmaceutical options. Cannabis is an essential component of my current quality of life.
What can be the benefits of CBD for medical marijuana patients?
As we continue to crawl out of the shadow of prohibition, we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of what cannabis can do for ailments of the body and mind. From findings in preclinical trials to more robust peer-reviewed research, it’s increasingly clear that cannabis is medically efficacious in a wide variety of applications. Cannabidiol (CBD), the second-most prominent cannabinoid in cannabis, holds particular promise for the role it plays in our central nervous system, without side effects like intoxication.
Craft Cannabis has gained a lot of buzz lately. Why do you think it’s so important to care about the quality of our cannabis?
All cannabis is medicine, so it should be grown with the care that medicine deserves. The word “craft” describes something that’s created with the details in mind. By using a craft approach, we can develop incredible medicine, continually improving our cultivation methods and scientific rigor to create superior cannabis.
What are the implications of being environmentally and socially responsible with cannabis?
While cannabis has been cultivated for centuries, it’s only now starting to formalize into a legal agricultural industry. As cannabis cultivators, we have a ripe opportunity to grow this plant in a way that’s truly sustainable, using the excitement and newness of the industry to use it as a force for good. Without arguing for the implicit societal advantages of environmental and social responsibility, growing sustainably is also simply smart business. Lower resource inputs and happier communities result in healthier economies.
How can a medical marijuana patient ensure what they consume is high quality, environmentally friendly and socially responsible?
Ask questions! When you walk into a dispensary, don’t be afraid to grill your budtender. “Who grew this? Do they use organic methods? Do they treat their employees well? Has this been tested for pesticides?” By asking these questions, we demonstrate that we care where our medicine comes from. If we care, the dispensaries will care. If the dispensaries care, the cultivators and processors will care. Aside from asking questions, look for third-party certification, like those issued by Clean Green Certified, Certified Kind and Dragonfly Earth Medicine. There will soon be more certifications coming online from groups like the Resource Innovation Institute and the Cannabis Certification Council, as well. Lastly, reach out to the source of your cannabis — your farmer! They’re often among the most passionate people in the industry.
What makes you passionate about what you do?
I’m passionate about breeding and cultivating CBD-rich cannabis because I’ve seen what it can do for people. It has the power to drastically improve lives, without a lot of the baggage that comes with much of our medicine. I believe in the plant’s medical capability (there are more than 400 compounds in cannabis that can meaningfully interact with the human body!), and it’s capacity to bring people together over a shared experience.
About Mason Walker, CEO of East Fork Cultivars
Mason Walker is the CEO of East Fork Cultivars, an Oregon craft cannabis farm. East Fork farms are more than growers; they are cultivators. They look beyond their plants and work to create a brand that expounds on ideas and cultivates an educated community. East Fork Cultivars devotes itself to the development and preservation of sungrown cannabis, and believe that sustainable farming methods produce superior holistic medicine. Their desire to provide Oregonians with a superior plant based medicine drives their selection of cultivars that are high in CBD.
It’s their belief that CDB cultivars have the power to heal and bring relief to those in need. Rooted in a commitment to environmental and social responsibility, they take great pride in the processes and practices implemented on their farm. Their mission is to develop and preserve sustainable sungrown farming methods to produce the highest quality organic CBD cannabis with a resolute commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Want To Experience The Benefits Of CBD?
The first step is to get your medical marijuana card. PrestoDoctor offers online medical marijuana card evaluations. Talk with trusted doctors and a flat rate, and receive your money back if you do not qualify. Get yours today!
