A local educator in cannabis use has been named 2023 Best Cannabis Educator of the year.
Terese Bowors sits on the board representing EduCannation and has become highly involved with promoting the beneficial uses of cannabis through online coaching as well as in-person through Selkirk College’s continuing education program.
Bowors says she is proud to receive this award and being nominated for it is a first in the industry.
“Most often these awards deal with the product, with the biggest bud, flavor, or growth,” Bowors says. “There isn’t much recognition for influencers, or education efforts, and this year those options became available.
“When we first got the nomination we were blown away, winning felt like a huge breakthrough.”
Bowors says there is a stigma attached to cannabis and the only way to eliminate it is through the work of education which is often done behind the scenes.
“We need to start accepting, and looking at the facts behind cannabis,” she says. “Cannabis users have a history of being an unmotivated person sitting on the couch not doing much, and it needs to end.
“It is slowly evolving to people who want to look at cannabis for medical purposes to improve their wellbeing and their health.”
She says the award will help her team grow awareness over the next few years and one of the first places change is needed is the healthcare field.
“We need to have this inclusivity within the medical system, especially in the seniors population,” she says. “They are the fastest growing consumers of cannabis for medical reasons and also experience the stigma with their doctors.”
According to Bowors cannabis has been highly effective when dealing with patients who have suffered neurological conditions such as seizures and strokes.
She says her goal is to provide education that cannabis use is not about getting high, it is about the health benefits.
EduCanNation is a group of cannabis educators across Canada who say they provide the highest standard of responsible cannabis education for consumers and health practitioners.