{"id":2126,"date":"2021-11-01T21:24:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T21:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=183062"},"modified":"2021-11-01T21:24:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T21:24:40","slug":"growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=2126","title":{"rendered":"Growing cannabis re-roots Indigenous father and son"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Growing cannabis re-roots Indigenous father and son &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.2 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><label for=\"select-province\">Which part of Canada?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__age hidden\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--unavailable hidden\">Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Like many of us at the beginning of the pandemic, Isadore Day, former Ontario Regional Chief and Indigenous entrepreneur, was looking to do something with all his spare time. In addition to co-founding <a href=\"https:\/\/redmarketbrand.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Red Market Brands<\/a>, which just launched their first strains, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/search\/shop?q=miigwetch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Miigwetch and Chi Miigwetch<\/a>, and running his consulting business Bimaadzwi, Day decided to do something he had never done before\u2014grow cannabis at home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before he built a backyard greenhouse with his eldest son Keegan, Day hadn\u2019t had much of a relationship with cannabis. In an interview with Leafly, Day shared that despite working on the policy side of cannabis, it had been roughly 30 years since he\u2019d consumed the plant. He realized that in order to truly understand cannabis and its potential\u2014both personally, and professionally\u2014he would have to grow some weed.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-connecting-with-cannabis-in-a-meaningful-way\">Connecting with cannabis in a meaningful way<\/h2>\n<p>The greenhouse was a father-son project that yielded 11-foot cannabis plants and some unexpected learning experiences. Day and his son built the structure from the ground up, a DIY home project to spice up the isolation of pandemic life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"518\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183108 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>The background greenhouse was a father-son Covid project. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although Day hadn\u2019t consumed cannabis for decades, he did have a long career in politics working on the policy side of the plant. Now that those days are over, Day wanted to connect with cannabis in a different way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew it would be better if I grew the plant, understood it, and established a relationship with cannabis itself,\u201d says Day during a video call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"507\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183110 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>From seedlings to 11-foot plants, the greenhouse was a homegrown success. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cCannabis has so many different dimensions, dynamics sequences, colours, taste smells, everything to it. I was learning about something different every day. During a global crisis? That right there gave me an opportunity to broaden my perspective on a lot of different things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first thing he learned? That his son knows way more than he does about cannabis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>They did everything themselves, erecting the greenhouse, germinating the seeds, carefully cultivating the plants. When the plants outgrew the original structure, they added panels and improved airflow to give them the space they needed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat you put into it, that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to get out of it,\u201d explains Day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"502\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183107 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Isadore Day commemorates his plants outgrowing him in height. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt was unreal, 11-foot plants. It\u2019s because of the time and care that we took, you know, using the right type of organic nutrients, making sure that they\u2019re watered every day. Then there were times where we had to troubleshoot; there\u2019s a little bug there, a bite mark on a leaf, we had to figure out how to keep the pests out too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Watching his son in his element was exciting for Day. Keegan was the authority and he enjoyed the role reversal, letting his son take the reins. \u201cI watched him, he watched me, and we both grew together, right alongside our plants,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"426\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183117 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Stunning white hairs and sticky trichome-covered leaves. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It was in that greenhouse that they built together, that Day had one of the most profound natural experiences of his life. Sitting in front of his plants, Day describes experiencing an enveloping feeling of pure bliss. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was like I could feel the life force in that greenhouse. Cannabis was everywhere, I could feel the energy in there. I felt really good about what I was doing, I had this deep feeling that I was on the right path,\u201d says Day.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-strengthening-family-bonds-healing-intergenerational-trauma\">Strengthening family bonds, healing intergenerational trauma<\/h2>\n<p>Growing cannabis has helped Day overcome his own hesitancy and stigma around consumption. He came from an abstinence mindset, which caused friction with his sons back in the day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen my teenage sons were doing what teen boys do and experimenting, I was like \u2018no, that is the opposite of what you should be doing,\u2019 which was counterproductive,\u201d shares Day. \u201cMaybe it would have been better if my sons were smoking versus drinking alcohol, which I will always say is the best way to go now. But I didn\u2019t see that back then.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"601\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183106 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>Father and son in the greenhouse they built. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cultivating cannabis has helped Day destigmatize it in the most intimate level of his life\u2014his family. The greenhouse project with his son helped him understand cannabis on a different level, it also deepened his connection to his family. Now, he\u2019s completely incorporating his children into the many aspects of his businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCannabis, when applied properly, has a lot of really good impacts for me. It has helped me open up the relationships in my family a little more,\u201d shares Day. \u201cThrough the lens of cannabis, I saw the world in a very open way. And with those barriers of perception removed, I saw the plant in an entirely new way. Cannabis became a legitimate discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The pair didn\u2019t do a greenhouse this past season, but Keegan remains a pillar of knowledge for Day on all things cannabis-related. He shares that Keegan makes sure Day is always stocked with \u201cthe good stuff\u201d and knows which doses and formulations work best. When he spoke of Keegan\u2019s work ethic and knowledge base, the pride of a loving father was visible on his face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"507\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183112 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>They grew more than weed that season. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cCannabis has brought our family together in a lot of ways, and it\u2019s actually helped, you know, strengthen our relationships,\u201d says Day. \u201cBut also, it helps in such a demanding marketplace to work with my children. Family businesses work together, succeed together, and we thrive together.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-indigenous-sovereignty-in-the-cannabis-industry\">Indigenous Sovereignty in the cannabis industry<\/h2>\n<p>In his community, cannabis was accepted as a harm reduction tool for those dealing with the intergenerational effects of colonialism. For Day, the cannabis industry is a path to economic reconciliation and Indigenous Sovereignty. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a foundational element of multi-generational trauma from the residential school era, [affecting] communities, families, and people on the individual level. People moved away from alcohol and would move to cannabis because cannabis has a very different effect than alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>What\u2019s good in Canadian cannabis?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Day shares that sovereignty for Indigenous folks in the cannabis space can be an important part of the Land Back movement. \u201cIt\u2019s all part of coming back to the land. To be able to work with that seed, germinate it, cultivate it, all in a way that brings equilibrium and wellbeing back to Indigenous communities across Canada.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s talk about <a href=\"https:\/\/landback.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Land Back<\/a>. You\u2019re hearing a lot about how our people have been affected by colonial systems and the Indian Act. The apartheid of Canada, economic deprivation, lack of control of lands dispossession of lands. Now we\u2019re looking at Land Back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Day and his family are helping to destigmatize cannabis. Not the stigma surrounding consumption, which Day says is fairly well accepted already, rather the stigma of whether or not it\u2019s legal or illegal to sell unregulated cannabis on their land.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"498\" height=\"640\" alt class=\"wp-image-183115 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-7.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-7.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-7.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son-7.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>In the weeds. (Courtesy of Isadore Day)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere still needs to be that level of regulatory fabric to protect the communities and reduce liability and risk. That\u2019s the stigma piece, if you will, in terms of what the legal interpretation of that is\u2014whose laws apply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The greenhouse may have been a one-time thing, but the seeds sown were greater than a single harvest. Now, he is a man on a mission to help Indigenous brands seize their space in the cannabis industry. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to destigmatize the [legislative] processes that allow us to take formal responsibility for cannabis in our communities. Let\u2019s put the proper community-based laws, policies, and regulations together so that way our people can flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s make the path wider so there is room for Indigenous business in the mainstream. And I think we\u2019re getting there.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son.jpg\" alt=\"Ashley Keenan's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Ashley Keenan<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Ashley Keenan is the Canada editor at Leafly, as well as a freelance journalist, consultant, and patient advocate in the cannabis industry. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @askcannaqueen for hot takes on cannabis and chronic illness.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/news\/author\/ashley-keenan\">View Ashley Keenan&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-11-01 21:14:24 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Growing cannabis re-roots Indigenous father and son &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? Which part of Canada? Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Like many of us at the beginning of the pandemic, Isadore Day, former Ontario Regional Chief and Indigenous entrepreneur, was looking to do something with all his spare time. In addition to co-founding Red Market Brands, which just launched their first strains, Miigwetch and Chi Miigwetch, and&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/growing-cannabis-re-roots-indigenous-father-and-son.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}