246. AIDS & Cannabis: How Love and Perseverance Paved the Way for Legalization

246. AIDS & Cannabis: How Love and Perseverance Paved the Way for Legalization

Author: Ellen Scanlon June 18, 2024 Duration: 38:28
In this powerful kickoff to our Pride series, join us as we honor the resilience and love of San Francisco’s gay community during the 1980s AIDS crisis. Meet Meridy Volz, the woman behind Sticky Fingers Brownies, and her daughter Alia Volz, who witnessed the transformative power of compassion and community from a young age. Discover how delivering cannabis brownies to AIDS patients provided relief and hope, and learn about the pivotal role this played in sparking a national legalization movement for medical cannabis. Celebrate Pride with us and hear these remarkable stories of courage, advocacy, and the enduring fight for compassionate use legislation that led California to become the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996. “I’d be on the playground and people would be using homophobic epithets and associating queerness with weakness. And so I was like, oh no, that's strength, that's real power. Real strength is to be who you are, whether or not it's acceptable to other people, that's balls. It really did shape how I understand strength and how I see the world, in very fundamental ways and I feel fortunate to have grown up in the community that I did, even in dark times.” - Alia Volz If you enjoyed this episode, we’d recommend Episode 245 Marijuana Minister: Celebrating Pride With Stereotypes Podcast. SHOW NOTES: Kiva Confections 20% off with code DOTHEPOT Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana and the Stoning of San Francisco Hosted by Ellen Lee Scanlon Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dothepot.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us: IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dothepot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FB: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dothepot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pinterest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dothepot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Do the Pot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dothepot⁠⁠⁠

Ellen Scanlon’s How to Do the Pot is an award-winning conversation that demystifies cannabis with a focus on women’s experiences. This isn’t a technical manual or a dry lecture; it’s a space where curiosity meets practical, joyful advice. The podcast explores how cannabis can intersect with health, well-being, and daily life, tackling questions that often go unasked. You’ll hear specific discussions about finding the right strain for relaxation or intimacy, using CBD for menstrual discomfort, and the nuanced differences between varieties like Harlequin and Gelato. There’s a deliberate and thoughtful choice in language here, too, favoring the term “cannabis” over other outdated labels. At its heart, the series amplifies personal stories and expert insights, creating a resource that feels both informative and deeply relatable. Whether you’re seeking relief, exploring for fun, or just want to understand the landscape better, this podcast provides a welcoming and smart guide through the often overwhelming world of cannabis, all from a perspective that is genuinely for women and by women.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How to Do the Pot
Podcast Episodes
293. AIDS, Cannabis & Courage: The Doctor On A Mission, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:36
Dr. Donald Abrams was a young gay doctor on the front lines of San Francisco’s AIDS crisis in the 1980s. He watched as his partner and many of his close friends died from a disease no one understood. Yet instead of givin…
291. The Untold Story That Made Legal Weed Possible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:47
Before any U.S. state legalized cannabis—before it was even officially called medicine—people in San Francisco were baking it into brownies and delivering it in secret to those dying of AIDS. This Pride Month, host Ellen…
289. The Summer Edit: My Favorite Cannabis Products Right Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:27
Memorial Day is almost here, and we’re ready for summer. Are you? In this episode, host Ellen Scanlon is joined by innovation expert Nicole Brown to dish on their favorite low-dose THC drinks, CBD + CBG gummies, and calm…
286. How the Endocannabinoid System Could Transform Women’s Health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
The endocannabinoid system could be the next frontier in women’s health, and the future is closer than you think. In this episode, I talk with Caitlyn Krebs, CEO and co-founder of Nalu Bio, a biotech company using cuttin…
285. From Pain to Progress: Ellen’s Endometriosis Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
One in ten women have endometriosis, yet most aren’t diagnosed until they’re struggling to get pregnant or can no longer live with the pain. In this episode, Ellen Scanlon shares her personal story of navigating pain, in…
284. Beyond the Stereotypes: How Women Are Changing the Meaning of 420 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:51
420 isn’t just a party, it’s a chance to reflect, connect, and celebrate cannabis legalization and its evolution in our culture. In this episode, Ellen Scanlon talks with women who share what 420 means to them today. Whe…