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Photo by Brigid Ayer

Ron Lewis’ New Lease on Life

"I still cannot believe that I get paid to do this and it’s legal!"

From 2014 until 2020, before working at Kannavis, Ron Lewis was a funeral home service counselor. There he learned that even though we all have individual differences, everyone’s the same when they lose someone. He finds the Cannabis industry to be very similar, especially now that we are all going through a year like 2020 together. Ron says distributing Cannabis as a budtender makes him feel like a badass, and finds it mindblowing that he is being recognized for it in a positive way.  

Who was your mentor growing up, and why?

My good friend Ted Smoot, because we come from the same place – Sterling, Va. He’s a real go-getter kind of individual and has always challenged me to try to understand how systems work, why they fail, forecasting and the importance of accountability.

Does your family use Cannabis either medically or recreationally?

Absolutely yes, there has been Cannabis use in my family – and the answer would be recreational. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s when I was a kid, I understood that marijuana was illegal and plenty of people around me used it, but I didn’t really think anything was ‘wrong with it.’

If you went to a psychic, what would you want to know about your future?

I would want to know what pitfalls to avoid in hopes of making my ‘Keep Off Ground’ project successful. Since 2018 I’ve had a patent pending for a pooper scooper-ish style prototype I made in my house, designed to catch dog’s poop or pee … possibly before it hits the ground, thus avoiding the whole hand-in-bag pick-up from the grass or carpet cleaning process dog owners know all too well. ‘Keep Off Grass’ was honestly the original name …haha. That evolved into ‘Keep Off Ground,’ which I named it because I had so many prototype concepts, why choose one? Trashcans come in many forms, as long as they ‘Keep Off Ground,’ it’s all good!

Does Cannabis inspire the art that you make?

YES! Cannabis use has been behind almost all of my artwork, from drawing, painting and digital photo editing, to music production most recently. When making art, I use Cannabis to expand the mind and an energy drink to keep me going.

What are some of your favorite or most-used art mediums?

Jambl, Drum Pad Machine, Kinemaster, Prismacolor colored pencil and watercolor painting. I like to make art on my iPhone because it’s just all in one place and it’s everywhere I go. I listen to music on my phone when I’m making art, and you can connect to others without going into a gallery. You also never run out of paint!

How does it feel to be dispensing medicine to patients on a daily basis?

It feels great dispensing medicine to patients … thank you very much! I started working in this industry in 2020 and it has been a stressful year for everyone! I still cannot believe that I get paid to do this and it’s legal! I wish more people offered themselves the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of medical Cannabis.

Photos by @brig_ayer

About Wyatt Early

Wyatt is a Maryland native, stoner by nature, obsessor of hash rosin. After getting his start in the printing industry with a family company, he took on the role as state director for Maryland Leaf, and frequently contributes to the magazine with photos and articles.

This article was originally published in the January 2021 issue of Maryland Leaf.

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