Cannabis Illusions: Lies We Tell Ourselves
“Live not by lies.”
Russian author and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was arrested on February 12, 1974. That day, he released a short statement that has since become a manifesto for people in times of disorder.
The full statement is worth reading, but it can be boiled down to the above 4 powerful words.
“We lie to ourselves to preserve our peace of mind,” Solzhenitsyn observed at the end of his warning. “If we are too frightened, then we should stop complaining that we are being suffocated. We are doing this to ourselves.”
It’s time many in the cannabis community took Solzhenitsyn’s counsel to heart.
Given industry issues and the personal challenges they trigger, we can no longer afford to live by self-deception.
We lie to ourselves for many conscious and sub-conscious reasons:
> Wilful ignorance, committing to a soothing narrative or wishing to ‘fit in’ with our peers
> Cognitive dissonance
> Hubris
But sooner or later, reality bites. Wearing rose colored glasses can be dangerous for your professional and emotional health. To wit:
- Potemkin Village-style environments are breeding grounds for unethical behaviour and politicking;
- Pathological managers will find and exploit the professionally immature and vulnerable;
- Market illusions are a rickety foundation for sound strategic and tactical decision making.
Many employees deal with their frustration by doubling down on their beliefs. Unfortunately, the longer your head is in the sand the bigger will be the inevitable emotional, financial, and professional crash.
Some of these lies, or more charitably half-truths and myths, will include:
1. Cannabis can be fully legalized in the US versus today's uncertain, haphazard approach.
Cannabis will not be a major electoral issue come this November. Given political and social realities, there is little chance of complete liberalization in the medium term
2. Stigma is evaporating
It is but slowly. Social attitudes don’t change quickly or easily, and frankly cannabis is just not that important for many people. Like alcohol, there will always be a cannabis temperance movement.
3. Major institutional capital will soon enter our industry
Perhaps (IC is a large, heterogenous space) but the premise rests heavily on your definition of ‘poised’, what eventually happens on the regulatory front and where the equity markets are heading.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m an optimist and see a bright future for cannabis. However, I’ve learned the fastest route to success and enlightenment is by being a critical thinker and seeing things as they are not what I wish them to be.
What lies do you hear?
#strategy #decisionmaking #personalgrowth #employeeengagement #culture