Tiffony Demory
“I wish people would see cannabis can saves lives.”
My name is Tiffony Demory and I am 32-years-old. I am from Baltimore, Maryland.
I grew up with family members, older family members rolling up joints. I always used to think they were cigarettes, until I got older I found out it was weed. But a lot of my older aunts and uncles, they used to smoke for pain. Like, I got one uncle that did it because he had the gout and every time he’d smoke, it would make him feel better, get him to sleep.
By the time my tail was, what, 14/15, the first person I smoked with was my brother, and we smoked at a playground. And it was just because I wanted to understand what everybody else was feeling. I also was feeling a lot that people didn't know about when it came to depression and stress like that at a young age. It was definitely a coping mechanism, I ain't going to lie. But growing up and seeing it, seeing like my aunt and them, I ain't never seen nobody strung out over it, hungover, you know what I'm saying? Nor have I ever seen anyone die from it. I just always think that it's something positive.
I won't say it's for everyone. Be honest with yourself and know what are you using it for, what's your purpose? If you're using it to run away from the world, no, I wouldn't advise you to use it. But if you're using it just for meditation and some form of relaxation in itself, then, yeah, I would definitely promote it in a positive light.
Unfortunately, I've been pulled over before in a vehicle that was not mine, that smelled like it, and law enforcement was very aggressive. I didn't even smoke at that time.
First, he pulled me over for speeding. Then it went from speed to saying, ‘Your car smells like cannabis.’ And I'm like, ‘Well, this isn't my car.’ And he was like, ‘Well, if it's not your car, would you mind being searched?” I said, “No, I don't want it to be searched.” So he says, ‘Well, then just give me a few moments,’ and walks to his car.
I guess that was his fear tactic, to scare me into thinking he was going to call in a unit or whatever. But I just stood my ground. When he came back, I was like, ‘Look, I don't smoke. If you guys need to do a mouth swab, run a test, or whatever the case may be, I don't mind doing those types of things, but you're not going to search a car that I don't own.”
I feel like in those types of situations, they could definitely lighten the load when it comes to cannabis. It made me have a different outlook on how people perceive smoking because they make it seem like it's such a bad thing. I grew up with people that didn’t mind it, but that doesn't equate to the outlook of others. They put a judgement on you and make you look like such a bad person. But I know for a fact that I'm not a bad person just for smoking.
That situation with the police made me fearful for sure. It taught me even if I do smoke, to be more aware of what could happen just off of a scent. I wish police would more so just be honest with themselves, because I know probably half of the law enforcement does it themselves.
At the end of the day, I wish people would do the research and see how cannabis can save lives and what the positive effects are. Especially in comparison to all the other things people do to cope, even just food and drinks and all the other stuff they pass along in this world. Like from the FDA; you’re giving us harmful food and products and stuff, the least you could do is give us something that's going to actually help us.
