Cannabis helps Gavin Young (he/him) “become a better person.”
The Ethos Supervisor, 30, started out as a patient in the medical cannabis program before joining the cannabis industry. Now, he leverages that experience when welcoming new patients who come to Ethos.
“Cannabis helps take the edge off so I can fully be myself when talking to patients,” Young said.
Young considers himself to be a confident individual, but he said cannabis can help ease the situational anxiety that can arise from interacting with someone new, without knowing their feelings toward the LGBTQ+ community. Cannabis can help ease anxiety due to the role the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in anxiety responses. It’s believed that phytocannabinoids like Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — particularly when consumed in a relatively even ratio – boost the effect on anxiety endocannabinoids produced by the human body already have.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this much in the cannabis community, but I’ve worked in places where people don’t feel comfortable having a gay person assisting them,” Young said. “I find that cannabis breaks down my anxiety – it’s easier to talk to patients, especially if someone has not really interacted with gay people before.”
Young added that cannabis help him manage day to day worries in all aspects of his life, not just when he’s at work.
“Some days can be a little stressful, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” Young said. “Incorporating cannabis into my regimen helps me stay calm and confident so I can be the person that I am.”
Young said he knows precisely what it can be like for an LGBTQ+ person to walk into a new place and not know how employees and customers inside will react to them, which causes unease and stress before they even open the door. To help combat this, Young personally ensures that he connects with these customers from the moment they walk in.
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
Cannabis helps Gavin Young (he/him) “become a better person.”
The Ethos Supervisor, 30, started out as a patient in the medical cannabis program before joining the cannabis industry. Now, he leverages that experience when welcoming new patients who come to Ethos.
“Cannabis helps take the edge off so I can fully be myself when talking to patients,” Young said.
Young considers himself to be a confident individual, but he said cannabis can help ease the situational anxiety that can arise from interacting with someone new, without knowing their feelings toward the LGBTQ+ community. Cannabis can help ease anxiety due to the role the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in anxiety responses. It’s believed that phytocannabinoids like Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — particularly when consumed in a relatively even ratio – boost the effect on anxiety endocannabinoids produced by the human body already have.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this much in the cannabis community, but I’ve worked in places where people don’t feel comfortable having a gay person assisting them,” Young said. “I find that cannabis breaks down my anxiety – it’s easier to talk to patients, especially if someone has not really interacted with gay people before.”
Young added that cannabis help him manage day to day worries in all aspects of his life, not just when he’s at work.
“Some days can be a little stressful, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” Young said. “Incorporating cannabis into my regimen helps me stay calm and confident so I can be the person that I am.”
Young said he knows precisely what it can be like for an LGBTQ+ person to walk into a new place and not know how employees and customers inside will react to them, which causes unease and stress before they even open the door. To help combat this, Young personally ensures that he connects with these customers from the moment they walk in.
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
Cannabis helps Gavin Young (he/him) “become a better person.”
The Ethos Supervisor, 30, started out as a patient in the medical cannabis program before joining the cannabis industry. Now, he leverages that experience when welcoming new patients who come to Ethos.
“Cannabis helps take the edge off so I can fully be myself when talking to patients,” Young said.
Young considers himself to be a confident individual, but he said cannabis can help ease the situational anxiety that can arise from interacting with someone new, without knowing their feelings toward the LGBTQ+ community. Cannabis can help ease anxiety due to the role the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in anxiety responses. It’s believed that phytocannabinoids like Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — particularly when consumed in a relatively even ratio – boost the effect on anxiety endocannabinoids produced by the human body already have.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this much in the cannabis community, but I’ve worked in places where people don’t feel comfortable having a gay person assisting them,” Young said. “I find that cannabis breaks down my anxiety – it’s easier to talk to patients, especially if someone has not really interacted with gay people before.”
Young added that cannabis help him manage day to day worries in all aspects of his life, not just when he’s at work.
“Some days can be a little stressful, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” Young said. “Incorporating cannabis into my regimen helps me stay calm and confident so I can be the person that I am.”
Young said he knows precisely what it can be like for an LGBTQ+ person to walk into a new place and not know how employees and customers inside will react to them, which causes unease and stress before they even open the door. To help combat this, Young personally ensures that he connects with these customers from the moment they walk in.
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
Cannabis helps Gavin Young (he/him) “become a better person.”
The Ethos Supervisor, 30, started out as a patient in the medical cannabis program before joining the cannabis industry. Now, he leverages that experience when welcoming new patients who come to Ethos.
“Cannabis helps take the edge off so I can fully be myself when talking to patients,” Young said.
Young considers himself to be a confident individual, but he said cannabis can help ease the situational anxiety that can arise from interacting with someone new, without knowing their feelings toward the LGBTQ+ community. Cannabis can help ease anxiety due to the role the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in anxiety responses. It’s believed that phytocannabinoids like Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — particularly when consumed in a relatively even ratio – boost the effect on anxiety endocannabinoids produced by the human body already have.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this much in the cannabis community, but I’ve worked in places where people don’t feel comfortable having a gay person assisting them,” Young said. “I find that cannabis breaks down my anxiety – it’s easier to talk to patients, especially if someone has not really interacted with gay people before.”
Young added that cannabis help him manage day to day worries in all aspects of his life, not just when he’s at work.
“Some days can be a little stressful, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” Young said. “Incorporating cannabis into my regimen helps me stay calm and confident so I can be the person that I am.”
Young said he knows precisely what it can be like for an LGBTQ+ person to walk into a new place and not know how employees and customers inside will react to them, which causes unease and stress before they even open the door. To help combat this, Young personally ensures that he connects with these customers from the moment they walk in.
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
Cannabis helps Gavin Young (he/him) “become a better person.”
The Ethos Supervisor, 30, started out as a patient in the medical cannabis program before joining the cannabis industry. Now, he leverages that experience when welcoming new patients who come to Ethos.
“Cannabis helps take the edge off so I can fully be myself when talking to patients,” Young said.
Young considers himself to be a confident individual, but he said cannabis can help ease the situational anxiety that can arise from interacting with someone new, without knowing their feelings toward the LGBTQ+ community. Cannabis can help ease anxiety due to the role the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in anxiety responses. It’s believed that phytocannabinoids like Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — particularly when consumed in a relatively even ratio – boost the effect on anxiety endocannabinoids produced by the human body already have.
“Thankfully, I don’t have to deal with this much in the cannabis community, but I’ve worked in places where people don’t feel comfortable having a gay person assisting them,” Young said. “I find that cannabis breaks down my anxiety – it’s easier to talk to patients, especially if someone has not really interacted with gay people before.”
Young added that cannabis help him manage day to day worries in all aspects of his life, not just when he’s at work.
“Some days can be a little stressful, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” Young said. “Incorporating cannabis into my regimen helps me stay calm and confident so I can be the person that I am.”
Young said he knows precisely what it can be like for an LGBTQ+ person to walk into a new place and not know how employees and customers inside will react to them, which causes unease and stress before they even open the door. To help combat this, Young personally ensures that he connects with these customers from the moment they walk in.
“Some of my patients are used to going into businesses that don’t accept them, let alone embrace them,” Young said. “LGBTQ+ people want to walk into spaces where they are not being judged or looked at funny. So when I see someone who is LGBTQ+ come inside the dispensary, it makes me want to go the extra mile to help them. I can feel the energy shift when I help them or take them to the patient consulting floor.”
For some patients, Young said, they may feel extra pressure due to the stigma that both cannabis and being LGBTQ+ can carry in some places, further compounding these difficult emotions.
“Being gay and consuming cannabis aren’t the same stigma, but that’s two different whammies against someone,” Young said. “If you’re so used to dealing with stigma, you know what it’s like to be treated in a different way and to have your life frowned upon. People are unfortunately so used to cannabis being frowned upon
Young said that he uses his instinct – which he playfully refers to as his “gaydar” – to reach out to LGBTQ+ customers who come into the dispensary.
“There’s an unspoken bond between me and other LGBTQ+ people who walk through the door,” Young said. “I don’t let them know my sexuality, and they don’t tell me theirs, but my aura is all about making them feel welcome and being friendly so they feel at home.”
For Young, an LGBTQ+ presence in the dispensary signals stability to those customers who are acutely aware of the challenges the community faces when it comes to visibility and stability.
“When they come to our dispensary and see gay people, bi people, trans people working here, it makes them happy and makes them want to come back,” Young said. “This is important because people in my community don’t really land in long-term positions because they’re so used to being judged and frowned upon. So me still being here is really important – gay customers love coming to the store and seeing that I’m still here. It makes them feel at ease.”
