Asian Americans are warming up for the marijuana industry despite cultural beliefs about cannabis

Certain things have taken the world by storm and are still not accepted by the Asian community, not because they are not “good enough” but because they are not culturally accepted. However, the way Asians view, receive and use cannabis has changed. To strengthen the place of marijuana in the Asian community, one needs to understand what caused this shift.

Asian Americans and the cannabis discourse

Asian culture is a largely conservative space that previously avoided the use of cannabis and drugs. The pressure of the United Nations treaties, promoted by the West, sparked an era of cannabis prohibition in Asia that made it difficult for cannabis companies to enter the Asian market.

For example, people who lived in South Korea in the early 1980s faced decades of imprisonment for cannabis possession. Currently, smokers can face a fine of up to five years and a fine of $ 40,000 to over $ 50 million. The South Korean government also threatened to arrest its citizens for using marijuana in other countries where recreational cannabis was legal. Now, people of the 1980s and previous generation accepted these rules by preventing their children from using “drugs” for fear of the pitfalls of addiction and public humiliation associated with prison sentences.

Young Asians who emigrated to America felt the burden of making their parents proud and not disappointing them by using cannabis. The same message has been preached from one Asian generation to the next: “Cannabis is dangerous.”

Given the tremendous potential cannabis offers and the younger Asian generation taking full advantage of it, one has to wonder why. Why is cannabis so much in the spotlight that the “taboo” has become the most talked about phenomenon? Let’s get answers on the impact COVID-19 is having on the world.

The pandemic situation and the awakening of the value of cannabis

We have experienced a pandemic around the world that has led to the separation of families and friends. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have massively changed the way we live, so people now know that they need to be healthy in order not to become susceptible to the virus.

Research has shown that cannabis has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and protects your immune system even if the virus wins tentacles. With these proven remedies against cannabis, the Asian community could deny its effects longer, which has led many people to embrace it despite cultural barriers.

The Asian community realized that what works and what affects their wellbeing ultimately surpasses cultural preferences. Over the years, cannabis has also had a bad rap (this is about Asian culture). The lousy representative happened because of the ignorance of the people about the potential that cannabis offers.

Cannabis gained a positive reputation after the medical community began paying close attention to its potent compounds, and now the Asian community has joined the cannabis “revolution”.

Tide Change: Why They Chose Cannabis

The new wave of cannabis with Asian communities came from Asians in the diaspora who experienced the positive and uplifting effects of cannabis firsthand in a foreign land. While they still had the initial skepticism, they recorded from home; They started experimenting, researching, and taking an open-minded approach to marijuana.

They saw cannabis as their opportunity to break free of the conservatism that was preventing them from reaping the benefits of marijuana. The cannabis sector is the fastest growing market in the United States, with employment growing at 100% over the past three years.

Because of its growing medicinal value and diverse medical uses, more and more states in America are legalizing cannabis, making it a more socially acceptable substance. The cannabis industry in America is expected to be worth over $ 90 billion by 2026. Such statistics give Asians in the diaspora confidence in the future of marijuana.

Asian leaders and people venturing into the cannabis market

The Asians who accept cannabis do not end up in social acceptance as more leaders and people take the bold move to invest in the marijuana sector.

Most notable are former business analysts Mia Park and Dae Lim, who moved from the analytical sector to selling artisanal cannabis. The partners have launched a collection of cannabis foods blended with Asian flavors like milk tea, sour yuzu, and lychee. Additionally, Papa and Barkley’s CFO Zeeshan Hyder left the banking sector to contribute to the financial side of cannabis companies.

These are some Asian business leaders and people who have become aware of the enormous health and economic impact of cannabis and have joined the community. It is difficult to give an exact figure for the number of Americans in Asia who have found employment in cannabis companies.

However, there are records to show that more and more people of Asian descent are leaving traditional work and pursuing careers in cannabis. Interestingly, Asians born to cannabis in the 1980s are asking to ask the younger generation for CBD cures for some common diseases.

From arthritis to chronic pain and nausea, some members of the older Asian community are beginning to see the value of cannabis as a herbal medicine. You are beginning to appreciate the beneficial aspects of the marijuana plant, leading to a cultural shift regarding marijuana among Asians.

Although a sudden change in mindset about the value of marijuana will not take place, this gradual move by Americans from Asia lays a solid foundation for the future.

Bottom line

The conservative nature of the Asian community toward marijuana for many years deprived it of maximizing its benefits. But unlike in the past, young Asian Americans who have been exposed to the health and beneficial effects of marijuana are starting to change that narrative.

They are quitting traditional jobs to join cannabis companies and manufacture cannabis products because they have seen how cannabis is contributing to American society and economy. As they embrace cannabis despite cultural barriers, they pave the way for the future generation to embrace marijuana and innovate.

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