Taking the High Road and Taking it Higher

 Taking the High Road and Taking it Higher:

On navigating the treachery of lies, slander, gossip, abuse, misogyny, mean girls, and bullying in the Cannabis industry and the world at large.

There is something within Toltec teachings they call the worthy opponent or the worthy tyrant. The idea is that those who cross us, belittle us, betray us, abuse us, or seek to harm us can ultimately be the ones who shape our soul into its greatest expression. Through their actions, we are forged like a sword in the fire—strong, courageous, fearless, invincible, and ready to take on any test life may throw our way.

This article is truly dedicated to victorhood, not victimhood. It’s dedicated to being a victor in any situation or circumstance rather than being a victim. It’s about deeply understanding that within every challenge and every test of character, there is treasure hidden within the situation—and it is up to each of us to find it. Seek in earnest, and we will find it every time.

 

Lessons in Strength and Resilience

As a certified herbalist for the past 26 years and a cannabis user for 33+ years, I know cannabis and other plant allies help open up pathways to consciousness, insight, healing, and empowerment. However, they cannot do the work for us. We must each choose to do the work from within, be disciplined with what we learn, and continue to take it higher.

In my time in the industry, I have dealt with narcissists, abusers, opportunists, charlatans, misogynists, and mean girls. I have dealt with verbal, emotional, and physical abuse and people trying to ruin me and my good reputation through lies, slander, gossip, and fraud. 

All of this became an invitation for me to find my greatest self-love practice and my strongest, most fearless soul expression. It was an opportunity to come into full, complete soul alignment and to realize that no one and no circumstance can ever take me off my path. This is my true power—my only power—the power of my response to any given person or circumstance. I have no control over others’ actions and choices. What I do have control over is what I choose at each moment of the day.

Trials by Fire

About two years ago, I dealt with a minority investor who I brought into my company who attempted a hostile takeover. This woman was the likes of which I had never encountered in my life. There are so many wounded, damaged people in the industry, as many have experienced. It’s part of the landscape.

Two months after bringing her in, I was actually warned by a few women that she had attempted similar behavior before—and in one instance, she succeeded in getting the woman to leave her own company. At that point, I was warned it was too late; she was already embedded, and there were many dark moments on my own journey where I almost gave up, but Mother Earth and plant spirit and all of my allies and guides told me to keep going at any cost, so I listened from within and kept battling for what was right. 

This woman systematically set about creating a campaign to poison my name with minority investors and other women in the community, even getting me wrongfully and unceremoniously removed from a so-called women’s empowerment company where I once served on the board. What was particularly appalling is that she was able to convince people of things that were completely untrue. She created false documents with fabricated information, which she used to try to get me ousted from my own company. She failed miserably. Her lies, slander, negative gossip, fraud, and extortion didn’t succeed because the truth always comes out in the end. As they say, the truth sets us free.

I also had strong allies and protectors who fought hard by my side to ensure that I—and the sacred vision for Skunk Magazine seeded in my heart—were protected. To those who stood by me and fought this battle with me, I will be forever indebted and deeply grateful. I had two incredible lawyers take my case on pro bono, and they helped me be protected. Their loyalty and support, as well as the support of my other two integrous team members at the company (who I call my Earth Angel protectors at this point), helped heal my heart and reminded me that good people still surround me and truly love me.

Recently, I discovered this woman shared fraudulent documents with a group of prominent women in the cannabis space—highly illegal behavior. One of these women who she shared it with, who is considered a global champion in the community then took that document and began sharing it with others wrongfully. I’ve learned that this other woman (someone who I have heard has bullied several women in the space) had continued passing around these fraudulent documents to many of my once-trusted colleagues. 

Some have informed me of her actions; others have turned their backs on me and given me the cold shoulder. The last incident I heard of happened only a month ago, but luckily, this person is an honorable person and revealed to me that she showed him this document at a cannabis event and after party. How ugly is that? She actually had the audacity to pull it out on her phone while at the party. It shocked and blew me away that she was so hell-bent on trying to ruin my good name for others when I had never done anything to her.

It’s a classic case of mean girls, gossip, and bullying. It shattered my heart. In my darkest moments, I cried out to the universe, Mother Earth, and plant spirit, asking: Why? Why is this happening to me, and what is the invitation here?

This original minority investor I spoke of also attempted to embolden my abuser, the former owner of the magazine. This, too, failed, as I am contractually protected. While it went nowhere, it tested every fiber of my being to face my abuser again and speak truth to power. He, like the others, is forever blocked from my world. They will never speak to me again—they can speak to my lawyer.

Setting Boundaries and Reclaiming Power

Part of the gift of protecting our power and sovereignty is setting firm boundaries with those who have abused us and wronged us repeatedly. As Maya Angelou says, “Believe people the first time they show you who they are.” The test from the universe is to show up for ourselves first, ensuring those who seek to harm us cannot touch our energy again. Through doing this internal work, we rise higher and leave the past behind and those who never truly were worthy of our presence. We take the energy higher when we set proper boundaries for ourselves and protect ourselves from those who have shown they will only harm us. 

I believe the great invitation from the universe while we are here on Earth is to become the embodiment of unconditional love for ourselves as that radiates the frequency of true authenticity. Authentic expression is the highest frequency in the world because it stems from the unconditional love of the self. 

At this point, I do not need to lift a finger or a word against anyone; the truth has protected me every step of the way, and no weapon or word formed against me has prospered. Eventually, karma comes for everyone, and as a white witch and herbalist, it is my practice to do as I will but harm none. So, I will seek to harm no one; my best response is to rise on my own soul path and my own success in these types of scenarios. And that is what I have focused on. I have continued to put out the highest caliber of work, and that is what I will continue to do till the end of my days.

I now know who my true allies are and who I can never trust again. I know who my true friends are and who were never truly my friends in the first place. That is a treasure in it of itself. And in this situation as well, the truth will come out in the end and the truth will protect me. I have all of the proof of what has taken place; I have all of the documents that refute the slanderous, fraudulent ones that were passed around. I am protected. 

The friends who have come to me and shared what took place. I know that I can trust them implicitly because they truly had my back while others did not. They protected my name even in rooms that I was not in. I know who has integrity in my world and I know who does not. This is a great treasure and I am in deep gratitude to those  true-hearted friends.

The Universal Call to Heal: A Path to Victorhood

I am the strongest I have ever been and the clearest and most aligned with my soul path. Through sacred alchemy, I have transmuted the lower vibrations that these wounded people have inflicted upon me in these circumstances, and I have taken them higher. I transformed what could have been a victimhood moment into a victorhood moment. I am victorious because I chose to seek my insights, my healing, my courage, my perseverance, and my strength.

I can be in gratitude to those who tried to harm me because I took the high road. Hence, this all becomes treasure, just like the philosopher’s stone; I turned the lead into gold and became living gold. That’s what the sacred tests were all about in the first place, and that is what the sacred plant is guiding us in doing when we work with her. We are the living, breathing philosophers’ stone; this is our sacred birthright if we choose to take the opportunity. It requires great emotional strength and maturity to do this work, but it is the most gratifying work in the entire universe. 

I also feel that this Global cannabis community needs to do this work. This is the deeper invitation; it’s certainly not to tear each other apart and tear each other down. When I pray to Mother Earth and plant spirit, this is what she reveals to me in this Green Renaissance that I always speak of, It’s about a revolution from within. It’s about bringing consciousness and our sacred Earth and universal connection back to ourselves. We can utilize the situations that are testing us for great gain within our soul expression.

I often recall the Bhagavad Gita, when Shiva comes to both Ravana, the demon King, and Hanuman, the hero monkey, and he says to them, “Who wants to play the hero and who wants to play the villain in this one?” He explains that the villain will repeat many fewer lifetimes than the hero. What I learned from this sacred text is that the villain is sacred because. Through their dark work and malevolence, they give us the opportunity to make our souls truly great. To be the hero in our own lives and to be the hero in any given circumstance or test of character. This is the great gift, and it’s why shadow and light work together forever in Union on this earthly plane. The shadow and light work together to birth new realities, and it’s our choice which role we will play in any given circumstance. Any farmer knows that they work with birth and death, shadow and light; look at the compost heap! We turn the shit to gold every time we make compost!

Closing Thoughts

This is the point of this article to hopefully share my journey with others who could be helped to find their own pathway and be the victor in their own lives. I have been in the global industry for the past 18 years, and I have spoken to hundreds of people around the world who have also gone through these types of circumstances. This article is not to drag anyone through the mud or to ruin others as they have tried to ruin me; it is, however, intended to clear my name, and those who have been involved or those who have been confused by what has taken place will now know the truth. 

I will continue to speak out against lies, abuse, slander, gossip, misogyny, mean girls, and bullying in the industry. I simply will not stand for it in my life, and I will do everything in my power to be in service to the global community and help foster and nurture healing and empowerment for everyone who is seeking it. 

May this article serve as inspiration to others to find their own path to victorhood.