Women of Weed: Barbara Blaser
Women of Weed is a High Vibes Media series highlighting admirable ladies who work to educate and advocate for the cannabis community. This story was originally posted on HighVibesMedia.com
Barbara Blaser is a registered nurse with over 50 years of experience. She grew up in a small town in Indiana. Her mother used to say to her, “Be a nurse and you will always have a job.” Her mother was right.
Barbara has spent the last 4 years working as an onsite nurse for a cannabis dispensary, Magnolia Wellness. The Oakland dispensary is owned by her daughter, Debby Goldsberry. With the help of Barbara’s nursing experience, Magnolia offers cannabis education classes for seniors. The 65-and-over bracket is the fastest-growing group of people consuming and spending their money in cannabis stores.
For patients with more questions about trying to incorporate weed into their wellness routine, they can set up a one-on-one with Barbara. It’s a huge deal for people to be able to set up appointments with a nurse practitioner because even for those of us who know what we’re looking for, the plethora of products to pick from can be intimidating.
Cannabis isn’t what it used to be. It used to be just weed. You smoke it, what it is, you don’t really know but you smoked it. Nowadays you can pick from different strains, terpene profiles, and even different modes of absorption. And smoking weed isn’t to just get high anymore, people are starting to take it seriously as a medicine. They look to consume weed to help them sleep, to help them ease anxiety, for chronic pain, for arthritis and so many other ailments.
At 68 years old, Barbara got sick. It progressed until she was in a coma and on a ventilator. She woke up with PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. As a result of the illness, she lost her ability to walk. It took her a year to relearn. Her daughter recommended her to try cannabis. Throughout Barabara’s recovery, she studied and used cannabis. This led to her providing her medical expertise in helping seniors with choosing a dosage that was appropriate with their medical requirements.
Barbara mentions that seniors come to her to discuss how cannabis might interfere with their current medications prescribed by their doctors. With over 5 decades of medical experience, she is able to help guide them to decide which products might be helpful or advise them that maybe cannabis might not be for their current situation. Senior patients not only look to her as a nurse but as a peer. Barbara is also available to meet and provide training to adults over 21. She also speaks to the community on areas like stress, insomnia, and sexual health.
Check out the interview we had with Barbara Blaser:
