SCHOOL OF MARY JANE?

     I want to know where these schools were when I was young and "experimenting" with marijuana? Well, when marijuana was legalized in Washington D.C. last year, many people celebrated, but some with less smoking experience scratched their heads as to why? Some even pondered, "Weed is legal, great! But how do I grow it? Where do I find it? How do I smoke it?" A few months ago, the answer to those questions was to "just Google it," which is much less conventional than the old-fashioned way the way I learned--through friends. But the D.C. School of Mary Jane, a new educational business based in Columbia Heights, aims to change all the questions. 

     Basically, the School of Mary Jane teaches you how to consume marijuana recreationally and safely. The school's founder, only to be known as Ryan, said his goal is to "weed" out falsities based on 'decades upon decades of misinformation and stigma tied to marijuana.' Ryan said, "This is a conversation that we need to be having. I suppose the class is one way of having it."

     Ryan, a former teacher, said that before launching his company, he took some time to seriously study the "kush." Yeah, I'm sure he had to study really hard too. He said, "I spent four or five months doing research, drawing from my own personal body of experience. We have a presentation that goes through the ins and outs of marijuana." For about a hundred dollars, if you live in the Washington DC area, Ryan or another instructor will come to your residence with a pipe and a presentation. You are allowed to bring three friends and they will tell you how to consume weed, whether it's smoking, eating, or vaping. He will also share recommendations for acquiring it. He will also share the risks and benefits associated with marijuana use. 

     Ryan said, "The class is to say, this is what's going on. This is what you're putting into your body this is what it's doing, and that this is a safe recreational drug to use." There are a few ground rules related to the rule of law: Ryan will not teach on federal property. All participants must be 21 or older. And most importantly, Ryan will not provide the weed, but he will partake in friendly conversation and quiz you on your marijuana factoid knowledge. 

      Since launching the business about a month ago, Ryan said the response has been overwhelmingly positive. He said, "The reception has been great. We're still young, but we've demoed a couple of classes so far. People are interested. My inbox is swamped every day with questions." Even though, Ryan's goal is to make some money with these classes, he also added that the main objective of the class is to educate as many people as possible. I have to be honest, with my experience, I can literally be doctor of marijuana in this school. Hell, I might even be a guru at this school. 

     Ryan finished up by saying, "When I started using marijuana recreationally about six or seven years ago....I didn't know what I was putting in my body. It took years of traveling the country and abroad, years of experimentation, some of it costly, and not all of it pleasant. UI want to make a shortcut for people that I didn't have and sidestep the mistakes that they may make, the unpleasant trips and the misinformation." This sounds like a great class. I hope Ryan franchises this out. I wish there was a school like this when I was "experimenting." Just like everything else in my life, I was self-taught!