Cannabis ‘care-mongering’ in the time of COVID-19

TORONTO — With so much COVID-19 doom and gloom online, some in the cannabis community have opted to turn the channel with what they call “care-mongering” on Instagram.

People have been dropping off or mailing cannabis-related products, including pot seeds, to friends, explained Lisa Campbell, the Toronto-based CEO of the cannabis sales and marketing company, Mercari Agency Ltd.

“A lot of people have been talking about care-mongering as opposed to fear-mongering where you can go down these Youtube or Google spirals where you’re just reading about horrible things happening,” said Campbell.

“People are trying to move away from a state of fear to a state of caring on social media,” she added. “What I’ve noticed is there’s this trend, especially on Instagram, where the cannabis community is really strong, with care-mongering with cannabis. So it all started the first package I got.”

Campbell first heard from someone who asked for her address to drop off seeds, hemp rolling papers and some weed.

“Because it was the first week of COVID-19 (lockdown) we did not see each other, we did not touch, we did not smoke cannabis together,” she said.

“He just left the care package on my front door and I just took photos and thanked him and sprouted all the seeds, smoked the cannabis, and it was just like this really awesome thing,” added Campbell. “And it’s becoming almost like a trend. Like if it happens to one person you kind of pay it forward.”

Since then, several sources have provided Campbell with cannabis products, including a rosin press which can make cannabis oil extract from the marijuana buds. She decided to drop seedlings off to pals.

“I made these little to-go packs,” recalled Campbell. “I found these like little clear plastic Dollarama containers that had a little handle on them and put a little bit of soil, a few of the seedlings ‘cause they’re still really tiny, and I just went to all my friends who I know would appreciate it and I dropped off two to four plants per person.

“So now for my friends in Toronto …, I’ve got four or five different friends growing (plants) from the seedlings from the seeds that were given to me. It’s just like a really cool trend.”

Single households can have up to four weed plants (and condos and apartments, too, as long as it’s not prohibited by a lease agreement). If you’re mailing cannabis, the law allows Ontario residents aged 19 and up to send others up to 30 grams of pot or as many as four seeds.