Be You, The Mamba Mentality

“We can always kind of be average and do what is normal. I’m not in this to do what’s normal.” - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers #24

Those that are familiar with the “Mamba Mentality” know it is a frame of mind were an individual embodies the best version of themselves in the upmost positive and inspirational manner achievable, even if it means going against societal norms.

Although I am not the person to discuss basketball stats as well as play-by-play choreography, I’ve always admired Kobe for his humble personality as well as his endless appreciation for the sport of basketball. And even more importantly, his approach to living life to its fullest and inspiring others along the way.

So how does one use The Mamba Mentality” to make a difference in their life? The answer is not too complicated but requires some self reflection. The first step is finding what you are passionate about, followed by discovering your niche, then doing the necessary work and research to make you stand out in your field. Humility, consistency, and commitment are all fundamental principles to guide you on your journey.

My Journey

Growing up in Philadelphia, I remember being in middle school when representatives from D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) presented a week-long campaign.

We were all required to watch countless videos and participate in various “ice-breaker style” activities throughout the week and ultimately assigned a book-report style report due at the end of the week. At the end of it, all I could remember was how the cannabis plant was so demonized and labeled as a dangerous narcotic.

The D.A.R.E programming was ingrained in me for many years after that even though I was convinced that their messaging was very narrowly scoped and felt like propaganda. I knew there had to be more to the cannabis plant than what was the information being disseminated to us.

Fast forward three year later and I awoke one morning with excessively painful migraine symptoms such as severe nausea as well as significant insomnia. Although I was aware of the symptoms, I never expected to experience such physical debilitation, resulting in my inability to perform daily activities.

Prior to looking into a Pennsylvania cannabis medical card, I found out (to my surprise) that my mother had already acquired one herself. She later convinced me to obtain the card in hopes of finding products to help alleviate my symptoms from the migraines. I remember her saying:

“As a retired registered nurse with over forty years of experience I can say that since receiving my medical cannabis card, I’ve noticed significant improvement in my arthritic symptoms directly due to cannabis consumption that has been more effective than traditional forms of pharmaceutical medications.”

After that conversation, I remember thinking about what the “Mamba Mentality” meant to me. It was then I found my passionate cause and knew what I wanted to do.

I knew I was passionate about cannabis patient advocacy and I knew I wanted to fearlessly explore cannabis education in hopes of trying to give back to my community.

Soon after receiving my medical card later that year, I began to intensively study the biology of the cannabis plant and the body's own endocannabinoid system. After that, I began research into effective cannabis products I had come across during my journey.

In conclusion, my Mamba Mentality has taken me on a path that I could not have predicted or imagined. I am now a tireless advocate for medical marijuana patients and consumers and am committed to changing the narrative of cannabis and inspiring future generations to make a difference in their communities.

Below is one of my favorite cannabis brands due to their strong patient advocacy and their overall company values, social equity efforts and product functionality:

Ardent Cannabis: Est. 2013, Boston, MA; Shanel Lindsay Founder

As a New England-based biotech and medical cannabis device company Ardent Cannabis provides products in hopes to enrich the cannabis community with products formulated to promote unique ways of cannabis infusions as well as flower stabilizations.

More specifically, with regards to the concept of edible production processes, regardless of THC or CBD measurements, the process of “decarboxylation” is required to achieve cannabis-friendly food and drink recipes.

The Ardent FX in an all-in-one, portable canna-kitchen! Backed by science, the FX is perfect for the Cannabis advocate, Home Chef, Wellness-Obsessed, Edible Enthusiast, Gadget Guru, and more.

With settings to infuse, cook and bake internally, this new DIY device fully activates your plant material (97 – 100%), including flower, kief, concentrates, stems and various complimentary cannabis/hemp physical characteristics.