WTF is Wellness with Mary Pryor
For our WTF is Wellness highlight (and for our catalog, have you seen?!) we talked with Mary Pryor, a marketer and strategist for things that make your life better.
But beyond marketing Mary Pryor focuses on making cannabis inclusive. Mary is a co-founder of Cannaclusive, which was created to facilitate fair representation of minority cannabis consumers. They were inspired by the growing opportunities yet disappointed by the diversity issues taking root in mainstream cannabis culture and have since become a leading voice in the industry.
So let's learn more about Mary and WTF Wellness means to her.
What is your relationship like with medicinal plants and herbs?
My great elder ancestors relied on plants, gardening and growing in their backyard. Respectfully, I feel that I have learned a lot over the past few years by diving into herbalism, plant medicine, and psychedelics for my own education and inner expansion needs.
Have any wellness rituals been passed unto you by grandparents or relatives?
I consider this clutch. Coking is an art and act of love. My parental and maternal ancestors (especially my maternal grandmother) were about that life.
Your go-to recipe this season? Beverage or food -- cocktail or cocktail -- your choice!
Mulled apple cider, collard greens (I have a recipe in January 2015 edition of Essence Magazine that I highly recommend), and Captain Morgan on ice which is Detroit-style baby!
Growing up, were there any natural ways you treated ailments? My maternal grandmother had a host of remedies that definitely dipped into hoodoo culture now that I think about it. And they worked. Sliced raw onion under your feet for a fever is a legit remedy.
What do you think the legacy if wellness is in the Black community?
In the US, it's a history of disruption due to propaganda and unjust policies, policies shaped by racism, white supremacy and inequality. Results of this disruption are Black legacies ended through violence, and the infusion of unhealthy drugs into our communities. I want wellness to become the new top-of-mind. We need to improve our conditions, including the removal of stigmas around wellness which are currently skewed only to support white populations.
What is "white wellness" and how do you define it?
White wellness is where privilege, gender inequality, sexism, and exclusion are allowed to be marketed as the norm.
What does "Black girl wellness" mean to you?
Black girl wellness means that white people stop trying to hurt us, men protect women and hold themselves accountable and access to wellness and health aren't kept away from us due to the color of our skin and white supremacy.
Individually speaking, what do you look for in order to register a wellness product as intentional and meaningful?
Inclusive marketing, staff, outreach and care for wellness no matter what color or size.
