Highs & Lows (Introduction)
As soon as my buddy CFloody told me about his goals and aspirations with the Open Gate community, I reached a level of second-hand excitement that I haven't felt in years. As a former scumbag roommate of his, many, many hours were spent discussing, enjoying, and reviewing various cannabis strains throughout a 3 year span of constant curveballs and flubulous events. We lived our own separate lives, yet shared very similar passions: listening & creating music, obsessing over GameCube games, ranting about anything & everything, and of course, getting astronomically high on a regular basis. Although we live a good 16 hours apart nowadays, the launching of his Open Gate platform makes me feel like I'm right back in our notorious smoke room, taking fat bong rips and sifting through expired fast food coupons once again. Additionally, when I found out he was taking submissions to share within his community of cannabis enthusiasts, I figured it was time to kick back, crumble the kief off my crusty thumbs and share my story with the world.
My name is Altayzie, a hip-hop artist from St. Louis, Missouri, who's currently taking a massive shit. Like many stoners before me, my relationship with cannabis has significantly outlasted any romantic relationship I've ever been involved in. From smoking my first joint out of disgustingly thick, brown/yellow dictionary paper at the age of 16, to hand-selecting my strain of choice from Arizona dispensaries at the age of 26, I've been fortunate enough to see it all. My personal goals with the Open Gate community are to provide a relatable voice for the public, while sharing very personalized details about my experiences with cannabis. Don't get me wrong, as wonderful and euphoric as the highs have been, I can't neglect the devastating lows that I've experienced as well.
My mission is to be as honest as possible, while facilitating an open discord for any cannabis-related dilemmas in the world today. I plan to provide an equal distribution of whimsical topics, such as strain reviews, goofy stories, and favorite albums to blaze up to, as well as serious topics, such as the evils of the war on drugs, the flaws of our criminal justice system, and the lack of minority representation within the booming, capitalistic foundation of "big marijuana".
Being frequent cannabis users, I can assume we've all faced various forms of negative stigmas from authority figures or family members who simply don't understand the benefits of incorporating cannabis into our everyday lives. I want everyone in the Open Gate community to know that I am here to establish genuine connections with fellow members, while maintaining a positive, safe space for all of us to openly or privately discuss anything we may be dealing with in our personal lives.
As someone who's struggled with mental health issues their whole life, I know how hard it can be to truly feel safe enough to open up to the ones around us. I strive to be as transparent as possible on this forum, with the hopes of building that trust with each and everyone of you. Thank you CFloody for this exciting new platform, and welcome to the wonderful world of Open Gate ❤
