What We Stand For

  • We recognise lived experience as a vital source of insight in health, wellbeing and care. It helps reveal the questions, barriers and tensions that often sit outside the consultation room.

    Many people are left to make sense of plant medicine through rushed consultations, online forums, trial and error, stigma, product changes, driving concerns, family conversations and workplace uncertainty. These experiences matter.

    Lived experience helps us notice what formal systems often overlook. It brings forward the human, practical and emotional dimensions of care, without replacing evidence, clinical advice or professional responsibility.

  • We recognise that cannabis may be experienced in a variety of different ways.

    Cannabis can be experienced as medicine, a source of difficulty, or something more complex than any single label can capture.

    We aim to hold space for that complexity, rather than forcing every experience into celebration or condemnation.

  • We advocate for a more intentional relationship with cannabis.

    Intentional use means paying attention to purpose, context, patterns and impact rather than treating use as automatically beneficial or automatically harmful.

    It may involve reflecting on why cannabis is being used, what someone hopes to gain from it, how it affects their wellbeing and whether their relationship with it remains aligned with their own values and goals.

    Intentional use is not about holding one “correct” relationship with cannabis. It is about encouraging awareness, honesty and informed choice.

  • We believe people should be able to speak honestly about cannabis without shame, fear or unnecessary judgement.

    We do not present cannabis as harmless or appropriate for everyone. We create room for accurate information, nuanced conversation and respect for the different roles cannabis may play in people’s lives.

  • We recognise that for some people, prescribed cannabis may form part of a harm-reduction approach.

    This may be relevant where the realistic alternative involves greater harm, such as returning to an unregulated supply, using substances with a less favourable risk profile, or disengaging from support altogether.

    Harm reduction does not assume that every form of use is safe or ideal. It begins with the reality of a person’s circumstances and seeks to reduce avoidable harm.

    Root to Rise does not determine individual treatment choices. We advocate for informed, non-judgemental conversations that consider real-world risks, benefits and alternatives.