The Muso Melting Pot
The Safe Interface between Medical Marijuana and a Music Buying Public
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Wellness, (1) approximately 10% of Australians smoke medical marijuana. Of that 10%, 49% use it to help them with anxiety. (2)
We recently conducted a survey of our music work force and discovered that just under 40% are using medical marijuana to manage their anxiety before they get on stage to perform. The reported benefits range from reduced cortisol, increased energy, decreased anxiety and an overall degree of wellness.
It has been a game changer for so many musicians paralised with self doubt and anxiety before going on stage.
Recently, for the first time in our history, one of our venues complained about the artist we booked, smoking their medical marijuana in their car just prior to starting their gig. They were concerned about the potential negative impact of the artist smelling like pot on stage before their baseline patronage. They were keen to ensure their customers regarded their venue as a safe space.
To counter possible complaints like this in future, we suggest that if you use Medical Marijuana and are a gigging Live Music Artist, that you always have your Doctor’s letter on hand to explain the medical cannabis in your possession.
The TGA have declared that medical cannabis cannot be smoked in public. Smoking in your car which is situated in a venue car park may be construed as smoking in a public place depending on who you speak to at the time. So we suggest you consider your usage at a gig and apply discretion and common sense – for example – move away from other patron cars and take measures to ensure your hair, clothes, hands etc do not reek when you start your show.
A public performance brings with it a veritable soup of social influences so this topic can be a little tricky. So moving forward, use discernment, read the room, be mindful of the venue OHS requirements and curate a Health Plan for yourself to ensure your use will continue to offer you benefits while minimizing possible public safety challenges in a public space.
(1) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/cannabis-consumption-among-musicians-about-a-series-of-37-cases
(2) https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/medicines/medical-marijuana-cannabis
Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterprise A Little Pitchy Copyright 2024 #musicmeansbusiness
