Ryan Sprague | Conscious Cannabis: The Science + Spirit of The World’s Most Misunderstood Plant

“Cannabis meets a lot of people where they're at; maybe they're not ready to do an inner child healing workshop but they might be open to the idea of praying before interacting with cannabis and setting an intention. So, we meet them where they're at and allow them to experience what this whole world is with a conscious cannabis practice. Also, we teach them how to heal without it; you don't need these plant medicines to access a higher self or heal but they do show you what's already possible and what is there in your life. Plant medicines give you the direct experience so that you then have the motivation and inspiration to actually start diving into the real work.” – Ryan Sprague

Wellness + Wisdom Episode 455

Co-Creator of Connect with Cannabis and fellow Podcast Host, Ryan Sprague, breaks down the ethical, conscious, and practical use of conscious cannabis, how to create an intentional cannabis practice if it is right for you, Ryan's journey healing his anxiety with cannabis when prescriptions like Zoloft never helped, and RSO or Rick Simpson Oil and how it has helped people all over the world.

What toxic propaganda has hidden the truth about cannabis for decades? Why was the oldest use of this powerful plant medicine only recently discovered?

Learn about the hard science and spiritual components of this widely misunderstood plant and how to use cannabis in the most conscious way possible for your own development.

Cannabis meets a lot of people where they're at; maybe they're not ready to do an inner child healing workshop but they might be open to the idea of praying before interacting with cannabis and setting an intention. - @OptimizedHighly Click To Tweet

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Listen To Episode 455 As Ryan Sprague Uncovers:

[1:30] The Master of Conscious Cannabis

Ryan Sprague
Highly Optimized Podcast
This One Time on Psychedelics Podcast
Connect with Cannabis – Use the code ‘JOSH' for 10% off!
Highly Optimized Ceremony Circle
Bloom Farms Wellness – Save 15% with the code ‘WELLNESSFORCE' at checkout
Nesa's Hemp – Sign up for the Nesa's Hemp newsletter and receive 15% off!
The Feminine Side of Cannabis
The fact that this episode is not about giving medical advice; just a conversation exploring conscious cannabis.
Ryan's background, his many layers, and who he is today.
Breaking down the yin and the yang energies.
How the feminine energy comes into play with cannabis.
Why cannabis can be good for an individual depending on what they're currently facing in their wellness journey.
The difference between a peek and peak experience.
Ryan's first experiences with cannabis and why he used to abuse it like Josh used to abuse the gym and exercise.
His journey trying to heal his anxiety and why none of the prescriptions like Zoloft he was given were helping him; they were actually making him feel more and more disconnected.
Ryan's interaction with cannabis and how it became more spiritual over time as it helped him heal.

[15:00] The History of Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) and (Full Extract Cannabis Oil) FECO

The Boston Freedom Rally
Research being done on how cannabis can cure cancer.
His first time interacting with MDMA and why he wanted to experience it with his father.
The moment his father told him that he had terminal cancer and the challenges that followed.
How they made RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) / FECO (Full Extract Cannabis Oil) out of the cannabis they grew to help his father.
Chris Bennett, Author at Cannabis Culture
Cannabis and the Soma Solution by Chris Bennett
The history of cannabis including the bold claim that Jesus used FECO in his anointing oils.
Ryan's deep experiences with his father as they sat together and used RSO/FECO.
How RSO/FECO helped his father make amends with his family as well as extend his life by 1 year longer than diagnosed by doctors.
Ryan's experience losing his father to cancer.
Why many people create stories around how their family members and close friends are supposed to die and why that approach isn't helpful.

[23:40] Unlocking Real Life Purpose

His definition of purpose and how he began to unlock his after the death of his father.
Eckhart Tolle
How Ryan knew that his purpose was to begin working in the cannabis wellness industry and how he began his journey from that moment onwards.
His experience working as a patient care advocate helping over 5,000 people on their healing and wellness journeys.
Why Ryan decided to continue working at the same dispensary for another 3 years under new owners even though the cannabis medicine they were selling was suffering because of their business tactics.
How Ryan began to suffer because his actions staying at the dispensary were going against his heart and purpose.
Ryan's dependency on cannabis during those 3 years and the moment an MDMA ceremony helped him realize that he was interacting with cannabis unconsciously.
The incredible transformation and lessons that came to Ryan when he took a 3-month break from cannabis.
284 Mike Bledsoe & Mark England: Cognitive Fitness & Building Verbal Strength
Enlifted
How his friend, Mark England, helped introduce him to the idea of being a coach.
The 2-year experience Ryan went through saying ‘yes' to all of these new experiences and programs.
How he began to create all of these different programs for breathwork, meditation, and manifestation around cannabis.
The spiritual awakening he actually had at a strip club at Las Vegas while attending a conference with Rachel to find investors for their own dispensary business.

[36:30] Honoring & Respecting Cannabis

Why many people will blame cannabis for their problems when they need to take full responsibility.
High expectations people have for cannabis quite often and how to set out with the right expectation before using it for your wellbeing.
How Ryan has created a wellness practice around cannabis where he will now only use it on weekends and with the proper intention.
Feel Free Botanics – Save 40% with code ‘WELLNESS40'
How people can use cannabis and other medicines like kava, kratom, nicotine, or caffeine respectively rather than as a crutch.
Ryan's daily morning practice with breathwork, sunlight, and movement.
Joe Dispenza
breathwork.io
Ryan's different programs for cultivating a good practice and relationship with cannabis at highlyoptimized.me.
The process they're in right now to create a manual to help people use cannabis consciously.
The Modern Mystery School
MitoZen – Save 10% with code ‘WELLNESSFORCE'

[46:00] Pairing Cannabis with Other Healing Modalities

Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know
The Yin and Yang of Cannabis: A Systematic Review of Human Neuroimaging Evidence of the Differential Effects of Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol
CB1 and CB2: Different Cannabinoid Receptors in the Brain
How cannabis can be even more potent when you pair it with other healing modalities like breathwork.
Ryan's journey learning how to relax without relying on cannabis to help.
How Ryan checks in with himself during the week to help him create his intentions with cannabis.
Breaking down the endocrine system and what we need to give it to keep it balanced.
The new science of endocrine mapping and sorting out which terpenes and cannabinoids you will interact with the best.
Other incredible uses of hemp and the fact that the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
History of how hemp has been intentionally blocked and built up to be seen as something taboo because of fear-mongering.
The fact that cannabis had been used for thousands of years and was in a majority of the medicine (including for cholera) before the fear-mongering against it began.
Oldest evidence of marijuana use discovered in 2500-year-old cemetery in peaks of western China
Marijuana | History.com

[1:01:00] The War on Consciousness

Exploring why healing modalities especially plants like cannabis become demonized.
Maybe it's not a war on plants but a war on consciousness when we see fear-mongering happen.
Specific findings on how cannabis can help with depression and why people have to be more careful in this scenario.
290 Dan Brulé
The big difference between interacting with cannabis in a hospital setting vs a more calming environment.
How to separate who you are from the anxiety, stress, or depression that you might feel.
Ryan's advice for exploring and processing different thoughts and emotions before using cannabis consciously to help you heal.
The science behind how cannabis helps us open up our subconscious minds.

Power Quotes From The Show

You don't need these plant medicines to access a higher self but they do show you what's possible. Cannabis gives you the direct experience so that you then have the motivation and inspiration to actually start diving into the real work.- @OptimizedHighly Click To Tweet

Restructuring Your Relationship with Cannabis

“I wanted to make sure that I wasn't just numbing out stress during the week with cannabis so I have restructured my relationship with it. I now only use it for ceremonial purposes during the weekend to help me tune in with myself better. Now when I experience stress, I'm better at recognizing what I need to do to alleviate that anxiety like taking a break if I have too much on my calendar. If I'm just hitting the reset button every night with cannabis and not doing anything else, then how will I know what my body is trying to tell me?” – Ryan Sprague

Setting Your Own Intentions with Cannabis

“It's not my responsibility or my intention to tell people how to interact with cannabis or how often to interact with it. I'm here to bring awareness to how someone might interact with it consciously because I have met people who have a very healthy relationship with the plant that do use it pretty frequently and also people who interact with it only once a month that have a very unhealthy relationship with it.” – Ryan Sprague

Becoming Highly Optimized: Creating a Better Life Experience

“Cannabis can help us create a greater reality for ourselves by opening up our imagination. If we're able to level up our wonder and curiosity with it then we're able to go into our subconscious, look at our belief systems, and the emotions we may have attached to them. Next, we can consciously choose which ones we want to take away, translate, or flip the script on and from that new belief system have a more optimized experience of life.” – Ryan Sprague

Links From Today's Show

About Ryan Sprague

With cannabis gaining traction in our modern world, Highly Optimized is poised to shift the perspective on cannabis. By combining science, ceremony, and integration practices for interacting with Cannabis you can cultivate a conscious and empowering relationship with Cannabis.

As a cultivator and teacher, Ryan is a world-class cannabis expert. Through cannabis, he has been able to engage with thousands of people worldwide, teaching them the language of cannabis.

Through medicinal experiences and ceremonies, Ryan has used cannabis to create spiritual, mental, and physical breakthroughs in hundred of people.

Connect with Cannabis

Ryan co-created the Connect with Cannabis Course as a pathway for those who wish to co-create a conscious relationship with this plant.

And for those called to cultivation, the Grow with Cannabis Course is a world-class experience for anyone wanting to grow their own high-quality medicine.

Together they are leading the conscious Cannabis revolution and helping others step into their roles as leaders and advocates for Cannabis!

The Healing Power of CBD & Breathwork For Anxiety

About Josh Trent

Josh Trent lives in Austin, Texas with his love Carrie Michelle, son Novah, and a cat named Cleo. He is the Founder of Wellness Force Media, host of the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast and the creator of the BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program. Josh has spent the past 19+ years as a trainer, researcher, and facilitator discovering the physical and emotional intelligence for humans to thrive in our modern world. The Wellness Force Media Mission is to help humans heal mental, emotional, and physical health through podcasts, programs, and a global community that believes in optimizing our potential to live life well.

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