Welcome to the latest installment of To Be Blunt, the Question & Answer series that aims to put the spotlight on the people, places, brands and companies that make the Arizona cannabis community unique. Today's feature is on , a dancer and yoga practitioner who founded and leads the "" series at on Sunday's here in Tucson, Arizona.
Here at , we like to get out and try new experiences, like the amazing five-course meal put on by and .Ìý
People are also reading…
As part of that ethos of seeking out new and unique cannabis-friendly experiences, we've noticed lately a string of canna-yoga events popping up around Tucson lately, and decided host should give a session at one of the new events a try.
So to preview what's to come later this weekend, Celaya spoke with Stoner Stretch session leader and dancer Nicole Young.
Young, who also teaches a weekly adult dance class, came up with the idea for Stoner Stretch during the pandemic, and recently started hosting sessions on Sunday at The Downtown Clifton hotel.
In the latest To Be Blunt interview, Young talks about what folks can expect at a Stoner Stretch session, how she came up with the idea and what sort of community she intends to build.
NOTE: The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.
To Be Blunt: So tell us a little bit about what's going on Sunday for Stoner Stretch...What should people expect?
Nicole Young: So what happens at 9 a.m. is that everybody convenes on the patio and there are tables and chairs and we arrange them so everyone can kind of see themselves in a kind of a loose circle so that we can see each other and talk to each other as we choose.
We are smoking and consuming during that first half hour. There is coffee and pastries and I'm trying to get healthier foods there, and they're (The Downtown Clifton) going to open their kitchen in November.
So for 30 minutes or so, we're talking and token. And then for an hour, we are stretching. We're either stretching out on the patio if the weather is good or it's inside in the lounge. We clear the chairs and everything.
And it's all at The Downtown Clifton Hotel. They're a cannabis friendly hotel. One of the only ones in Tucson, I believe.
TBB: How did you come to settle on The Downtown Clifton as the venue?
Nicole Young: They have a lot of events, and they've had like cannabis pop-ups. I found out through them about a cannabis event with Roadrunner Cannabis and Flowers and Bullets.
They put on a cannabis dinner and my partner Joe Watson and I attended. So that's how I found out about the hotel, and then I approached them about doing a yoga class, since I smoke cannabis and I know other people do too.Ìý
TBB: What kind of folks have come to your Stoner Stretch sessions so far?
Nicole Young:Â I've had all sorts. I've had lawyers. I've had accountants, CEOs of companies and stuff. I've got a mixed bag, so you just never know who will be there. And then also it's open to hotel guests to participate in as well.
It's not just locals, hotel guests are allowed to participate, and I'm sure they would think it's lovely.
TBB: How much is a session? And how often are they?
Nicole Young: Classes or sessions are $18. I hold them every Sunday.
TBB: So now that we know what we're getting into, how did you come up with the idea for Stoner Stretch? We've heard of some similar things, but it's a new concept, isn't it?
Nicole Young: There is one other similar experience in town, it's called Ganja Flow, it's at Harambe Café on the east side of town, but I didn't know about them until I started doing mine.
But the reason I started was I wanted to smoke weed, but I didn't like to smoke weed by myself because I will over consume and not get anything done. I'm more of a social smoker than a stay-at-home and hide-in-my-room kind of person. I don't like that.
So I wanted to add more fun to Tucson's marijuana scene. Marijuana is such a huge thing here, like every marijuana shop is filled to the brim with people all the time, but they have nowhere to come together in a safe space where alcohol is not involved.
And nobody's put together activities where you can enjoy your marijuana and participate and stay connected with people. I think COVID had made staying home and smoking or drinking like the thing.
And, you know, alcoholism has risen in our country because of this.
So I wanted to give us something, give the grown ups something, to do when they're consuming cannabis. They can hold off smoking until they get to this event where they're with other people and they can have open conversations.
It's really about building community over any healthy activities.
TBB: In the sessions you've had so far, what's been what's been the kind of breakdown between genders? Are you finding more it's more popular with guys or gals? What, what is the breakdown?
Nicole Young: It's always more heavily female because we're more in tune to taking such a class, but because of the marijuana part, I'm getting more men taking the class, so I would say, It's about 60/40, but that's growing, so I know at the next class I'll have more men because more men have contacted me about joining.
Because I want this to be a class for humans, I don't want it to be just for women. I mean, my stripper flow class is definitely more female-centric, but I have announced many times that men are allowed to go, but they are not there to watch, they're there to participate.
But yes, Stoner Stretch definitely has more of a 60/40 split.
If you're interested in attending a Stoner Stretch session, follow the linktree link here:
You can also follow Nicole Young on Instagram for more information:
Eddie Celaya is a breaking news reporter and host of the "Here Weed Go!" podcast. He graduated from Pima Community College and the University of Arizona and has been with the ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV since May 2019.