Sheila Pasene
Photo Credit: Joe Budd
“We want to be a part of the movement”
My name is Sheila, and I am 36-years-old. I'm from here, San Francisco, born and raised. Raised in the Ingleside district, Sunnyvale to be exact. I've been here my whole life. I'm not going anywhere no time soon. I have four children. Four small children.
Marijuana has been a part of my life throughout my teenage years.
I would sell, and I would have my weed on me so I could get high while I was doing what I was doing. It helped me to be calm. It helped me to relax. Then the police would come to see me so much out on the block. They would arrest me, take me in, take my drugs, and I would sit in jail. The longest I've been in jail was...I did like two county years, so like eight months a piece. 16 months total.
It had a big impact. My parents were really sad. They came to see me during the incarnation. Luckily, I didn't have children at that time. I would've been devastated if I had children and being away from them. It just wouldn't have been right. I had siblings that were missing me while incarcerated. They would come see me.
It was a huge time out of my life, time lost for me being away from my loved ones. Although I did receive my GED while being incarcerated. So I did turn it into a positive. There are no regrets. Everything that I've been through as a youth made me the woman that I am today.
Now I support because I know people that do smoke marijuana and they do it for various reasons. They have health issues. It's more of a natural herb to help them instead of using all these over-the-counter medications that people are getting addicted to.
Now I support because I know people that do smoke marijuana and they do it for various reasons. They have health issues. It's more of a natural herb to help them instead of using all these over-the-counter medications that people are getting addicted to.
I feel like the people that have been a part of a lifestyle should continue to be a part of it, like with cannabis. We should be the people behind the counters helping people because we're the ones that have been a part of that lifestyle. We should continue, on a good note. We want to be a part of the movement. And we should be a part of it.
