Jane West, Founder of Women Grow, Founder of Shop Jane West and the co author of Cannabis Cleanse.
It’s the first week in January and chances are everyone you know has made a resolution to be healthier. Whether it be eating better, exercising more, drinking less, or losing weight, January is famous for its easily made, even more easily broken resolutions. It’s also the busiest month of the year in gyms across America, yet February is a ghost town. This year, I’m determined to make my resolution stick, and I’m going to use Jane West’s The Cannabis Cleanse to do so.
The Cannabis Cleanse is not a way to flush THC out of your system, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Author Jane West, founder of Women Grow and the Jane West Collection, co wrote this short, easy to read book, with Kristen Williams to help people incorporate cannabis into their lives as part of an overall clean, healthy, and mindful lifestyle. The book, which is great for first time cannabis users and people with experience alike, explains how weed affects the body and mind, different modes of consumption, and types of weed. It even has a quick quiz to help readers figure out what’s best for them individually.
The cleanse itself could not be more perfect for “Dry January” because the first and most important step is to stop drinking alcohol for at least seven days. It argues that alcohol is a major contributing factor as to why so many people are sluggish and overweight; that you can replace alcohol with cannabis if you pair it with exercise and a healthy diet. West makes some great points about how the body metabolizes alcohol and the food you eat while tipsy, how many calories are in each drink (I was shocked!), and generally how cannabis is a healthier and more natural way to relax, unwind, and even socialize. Not to mention how dangerous and unhealthy drinking is for women; in 2013 alone over one million women in America ended up in the emergency room for binge drinking, and in 2014 over 30,000 people in America died from alcohol-induced causes, not including drunk driving accidents. When considering marijuana has never killed anyone, The Cannabis Cleanse makes more and more sense.
Dry January has never been easier or more chill. West’s book comes with great printable worksheets to help you keep track of your food and alcohol consumption (if going cold turkey is impossible). West wants the cleanse to be easy, hands-on, and totally doable, so everyone can succeed and feel fabulous. If you’re new to cannabis, you might also want to try Jane West’s “Steamroller”. It sounds intense, but this little pipe is perfect for newbies because of its small bowl (so you can take small tokes) and it’s smooth hits (way less harsh than a regular bowl).
The Steamroller is a contemporary, one-piece take on an iconic pipe design. With perfectly placed finger rests, the Steamroller feels substantial and natural in hand, with an intuitive, oversized carb and lifted exterior bowl.
The book also has great tips for exercise and being more active. If getting in shape is your goal this year, The Cannabis Cleanse can help. It teaches that a big part of living a healthy, active lifestyle is to make conscious, healthy decisions throughout the day. Advice like, do you have healthy snacks on hand and a dinner planned (so you don’t fall victim to the munchies)? It also recommends any type of activity you enjoy for exercise, it doesn’t necessarily have to be dragging yourself to gym. Yoga, hiking, dancing? Whatever makes you feel good, do it and cannabis can help. Not only is incorporating marijuana into your workout a great motivator, it helps you be open and loose, enhances your ability to handle pain, is a bronchodilator, and boosts your recovery time. Making time for yourself and having fun are essential, the rest will follow.
West wrote the book because this method helped her lose, then maintain, a healthy weight in her forties, after having two kids. If losing weight is high on your goals list, definitely consider giving this a shot. There’s specific, nutritious recipes, tips on snacking, eating more slowly, and how to incorporate new, colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet. Sometimes the the tips seem simple, but if we all followed this “easy” lifestyle advice, we’d all be quite fit and thin. In fact, multiple studies have shown that cannabis users have smaller waistlines, more good cholesterol, and “jump-started” metabolism when compared to non-users.
The best part about the cleanse: it’s not super strict and doesn’t set you up to fail like other diets. It suggests trying it for seven days and seeing how you feel – really being self-aware and allowing yourself to feel and identify negative emotions and struggles along the way. Listening to your body and doing what feels right is key. It goes on to say if you do something for thirty days it’ll become a habit. Then you’ll be living your New Year’s resolution all year long. You don’t have to tell me twice to smoke weed to get skinny – I just don’t know what my resolution could possibly be next year at this rate! Besides, what’s cooler than using marijuana to fight the lazy, overweight stoner stigma?
This piece was co-created by Catherine Goldberg and Michelle Janikian for BrainBuzzOG.