The winter holiday season is often considered a magical time of year—its festive lights, music, smells, and gatherings making some people giddy with glee. But for many people, the holidays and the long cold months that follow can trigger feelings of sadness and loneliness, or otherwise coincide with a decline in mental health. According to […]
Tag: Nature’s Grace and Wellness
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month has come and gone, but its message continues all year long
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month takes place every September, but it’s important to be proactive and keep the conversation about mental wellness going strong throughout the year. But if you know someone struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, approaching them about it can feel daunting. With that in mind, Nature’s Grace and Wellness has […]
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Suicide is an important topic that people are often hesitant to discuss. But the more we talk about it, the more we can break the stigmas, and the more lives we can save. Misinformation surrounding mental health can cause us to downplay the severity of symptoms in friends and loved ones experiencing depression, and perpetuate […]
How does cannabis affect the body and how to avoid overdoing it
Despite the growing acceptance and accessibility of cannabis in states where it’s been legalized, many outdated stigmas surrounding the plant remain. That means that even people who use cannabis for recreational or medical purposes might know more about its associations with party culture or old-school anti-marijuana films that depicted it as a societal menace (remember […]
Conversation, creativity, and coping strategies
Chicago musician Mike Vinopal is the bandleader, songwriter, and guitarist of upbeat funk ensemble Local Motive, the lead guitarist of moody rock band Badcandy, and a pet dad. A former special education teacher, and mental health advocate and speaker, his lived experiences with mental health challenges have inspired his fierce dedication to bettering himself and […]
Fame, Creativity, and Mental Health
Alex Ebert may be best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Grammy Award-winning indie-rock band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the frontman of art-rock group Ima Robot, and a composer who won a Golden Globe for his score for the 2013 film All is Lost but his interests and creative endeavors extend […]
Why We Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health is a part of life. We need to give our brains the utmost care in order for the rest of our bodies to function. Unfortunately, mental health care and mental illness are often talked about in hushed whispers. In order to break the stigmas we have to normalize its presence in our society, […]
Kelley O’Hern: An Interview with Nature’s Grace’s Canna-Mom
How has becoming the owner of one of Illinois’s first cannabis cultivations contributed to your family’s agricultural legacy? My husband’s family has farmed in Fulton and McDonough County for six generations. This in itself is the legacy and something to be proud of. It has been generations of hard work and family effort that made […]
Stigma, a silent killer: cannabis and mental health
Responsible cannabis users find that stigmas are often applied to them. The legalization of cannabis has helped to break some of the stigmas associated with its use.
How and why it’s important to talk about mental health
How do we Spark the Conversation about mental health? Let’s check in with Alia Reichert from the Spark initiative who guides us through some common ways to talk to others about mental health.
Introducing our cannabis and mental health series
Our leaders Alia Reichert and Cynthia Guzman share some of their experiences and takeaways from their time as organizers in these efforts.
Blast off with Dark Matter Coffee’s Supernova Bar
A delicious collaboration with downstate cannabis grower Nature’s Grace and Wellness could be landing at a recreational dispensary near you.