“Seniors don’t want to get high. They want to get well,” says Sue Taylor, an advocate for the safe and effective use of plant medicine.
If you told Sue Taylor back in 2004 that she would soon become the trusted face of cannabis for seniors, she would’ve said you’d been smoking too much.
“I was scared to death of cannabis,” says the former Catholic school principal and mother of three who grew up in what she calls the “reefer madness” era. Now 74, Taylor, who coined the nickname “Mama Sue” from her son’s friends, is the co-founder of Farmacy, a cannabis dispensary in Berkeley, CA that she and her family operate in collaboration with Glass House Brands.
In addition to offering “Mama Sue’s” eponymous line of CBD-rich tinctures, Farmacy sells sustainably sourced cannabis products and works to educate the local community, especially seniors, to promote safe and effective use of the plant.
So how did a spiritually awakened former principal shake her fear of cannabis and become an advocate for plant medicine?
She has her son, Jamaal, to thank for the unsuspecting journey. In 2009, when Jamaal enrolled in Oaksterdam University — “the world’s first cannabis college” — Taylor initially had a terrible feeling. “I thought he was on drugs like cocaine. That’s how seriously I viewed cannabis,” says Taylor. With her maternal instinct in tow, Taylor flew from Atlanta, where she had retired, out to Oakland, CA, “to save him,” she tells us.
She never looked back.
When Taylor got to California, her son Jamaal told her about the healing properties of cannabis: How it’s just one of many alternative medicines people can use to get healthy. That’s when Taylor’s attitude toward cannabis began to lighten up.
Taylor had always believed in a holistic approach to healthcare and that taking tons of meds may not be the best way to help ease aches and pains. “People use pharmaceuticals to manage their health, but they’re getting sicker and sicker,” she says.
At the time in California, cannabis had been legalized for medical use and dispensaries could operate as non-profit organizations. So her son came up with a business idea that would allow his mom to fulfill her dream of running a spiritual center filled with classes like yoga, reiki, acupuncture, and meditation. They would run their wellness center as a cannabis dispensary with classes being funded by the sales of the medical cannabis.
Intrigued by her son’s vision, Taylor then met with Steve DeAngelo, a pioneer in the cannabis industry, as they began crafting plans for their wellness-center-slash-dispensary. That’s when DeAngelo introduced Taylor to the idea that education could empower seniors to benefit from the healing properties of cannabis. He asked Taylor to lead an outreach program, visiting senior care facilities to teach older people about the healing benefits of cannabis and guide them on visits to DeAngelo’s state-of-the-art Harborside Dispensary.
Taylor found that, like herself, “many of the seniors were afraid of cannabis and didn’t want to go near it,” she says. But after seeing the life-changing benefits some seniors were experiencing by using the plant, Taylor realized the substance was nothing to be afraid of.
Shattering long held fears around cannabis turned into her passion
“I became comfortable with it because I witnessed people being healed by it,” says Taylor. “The people I was bringing to the cannabis dispensary would say, ‘I don’t use my cane anymore,’ or ‘I don’t use medications anymore.’ So I saw that it helps people and realized I had to do what I could to help eliminate the stigma surrounding it.”
“Most seniors I work with are on many pills a day, and the chain reaction of side effects can create additional issues,” says Taylor. “Many of these people are miserable, they can’t think, and they’re in so much pain.”
That’s why Taylor advocates for seniors to try cannabis products as an alternative healing tool.
And she’s on to something. Studies show that cannabis use in older adults is proven to reduce chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety, according to the University of California at San Diego.
Taylor specifically designed her line of “Mama Sue” CBD-rich tinctures to help with sleep, anxiety, and pain — the top three reasons seniors are choosing to turn to cannabis, she tells us.
“Some seniors are done with life and are waiting to die,” says Taylor. “That’s no fun and they don’t deserve that.” A self-proclaimed “messenger,” Taylor became one of two teachers certified by the state of California to educate nurses, directors, and administrators of senior care facilities on the benefits of cannabis back in 2018. Her mission? “I’m not just about cannabis,” says the grandmother of five who journals, meditates, and even belly-dances in her free time. “I’m about holistic health and well-being. Cannabis is only one tool for healthy living.”
“I’ve worked with people with brain cancer that don’t have it anymore. I’ve worked with people who couldn’t walk and were in a wheelchair and now move around with a walking stick. Cannabis has changed their lives,” says Taylor. “Seniors don’t want to get high. They want to get well.”
But “Mama Sue” says there’s also nothing wrong with using cannabis products to enhance the positive feelings you’re already experiencing. “People in this country think something’s wrong when people feel good. So what if you want to smoke so you can feel good? It’s better for you than wine or whiskey,” says Taylor. “Feel good with cannabis. It’s healthier for your body, and it’s a plant that God our creator made. You just have to find what works for you.”
The information provided on this site isn’t intended as medical advice, and shouldn’t replace professional medical treatment. Consult your doctor with any serious health concerns.
