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Jane is any self-identified woman who chooses plant medicine to confront, process, and heal trauma. The stigma of discussing trauma causes a cycle of retraumatization, isolation, and silence. The Jane Project believes cannabis can be both a bridge and a vessel in ending that silence.
As part of its mission, This Is Jane Project creates a safe space for women who courageously bring their voice to the stories that might be left untold. They seek personal and collective healing via plant medicine through an active and involved community.
The Bluntness caught up with Shannon of #thisisjaneproject to learn more.
How did you get involved in cannabis?
There are a few of us working on #thisisjaneproject, so each of us brings a different story about what brought us to this plant and, ultimately, to the project! My story is that it took a gun to my head for me to try cannabis. Literally. I was carjacked at gunpoint in 2016 and left riddled with anxiety, paranoia, and perpetual illness because of it.
After battling debilitating insomnia for over a year, I finally decided to see if cannabis would help. While it didn’t help with my sleep, at least not right away, I immediately noticed a difference in the way I saw the world and my place in it. I noticed that I’d been hiding behind masks and organizations instead of doing the real healing work that I needed. I noticed that I was inauthentic in areas of my life, mostly in my relationships and ultimately to myself, and rather than fall apart, cannabis gave me the wherewithal to confront such understandings with courage and grace.
You know how many people are walking around afraid to say something? To tell someone how they feel? To quit that job? You realize what really matters after thinking you’re going to die.
What is your mission with @thisisjaneproject?
The mission of #thisisjaneproject is to organize and document inclusive communities of women for honest conversations about trauma, healing, and medicating with cannabis. Our vision, though, is to document 1 MILLION women’s stories through a black-and-white photo-activism campaign. We invite women who’ve experienced trauma to gather together in small, intimate, and safe groups to discuss the things they’ve experienced in life and how cannabis helps them navigate life after trauma.
While many have social-service or medical backgrounds, we do not provide counseling or medical advice. We do provide a safe space to speak freely, share in healing, and find community. We look to end the stigma of talking about trauma, healing, and cannabis.
Where do you see yourself in the industry in 5 years?
That’s a tough question. I see us on a trip together, the founding members and whoever else the Universe sees fit to bring our way, bonding over the work we’ve done and the difference we helped make. Perhaps, we played a part in destigmatizing the role of cannabis in health.
More specifically, I see a feature documentary telling stories of healing through connection and cannabis. After establishing non-profit status, we will be seeking grants and donation funds for product.
Email: hi@thisisjaneproject.com for more information or to get involved.