My journey with Genevieve began as the stars aligned; it was destiny. I was a cannabis compassion provider, distributing oils to needy people. Struggling with my severe issues and traveling simultaneously, fate brought Genevieve into my life.
On a day like Father's Day, while many enjoy barbecues and family time, I sit behind a computer screen, driven by a purpose beyond the ordinary.
That void in her life, coupled with one I had in mine, and we bonded gave reason to the path of compassion and love I'd been on for so long.
So many hardships and uncertainty marked Genevieve's life, but amidst the chaos, one thing brought her joy – a local carousel.
Genevieve's magical spirit came alive in 2017 as we bonded on that enchanting ride she loved. Captivated by her happiness, I shared this transformative experience on social media, unaware of the future.
Suddenly, without warning, the Carousel vanished from Genevieve's life - and I realized how much it was part of our bond. In late 2017, she discovered that the building that once housed her beloved ride stood empty, but she has not stopped demanding that her Grandmother, Uncle, our best friend, and her aide - take her there and show her. She looks at that empty building, and it's so sad.
Little does the world know about CBGa or that the name "Genevieve's Dream" holds a profound significance rooted in her desire to have a carousel.
Her Dream drove all our endeavors, even if it meant having it on our private property. Through joint ventures, attempts that didn't come to fruition, partnership attempts, and even one with just us alone - all didn't work.
Nobody locally wanted to step in, and not one of the big Cannabis farmers with connections to the county showed interest - which doesn't surprise anyone connected to the industry that's long lost touch with the people that it serves and that serve it, the attempts to get the county or city to agree to a carousel have been futile.
So, as I sit here on Father's Day, anyone who knows who I am and my mission knows it's because Genevieve's Dream has yet to be on the market.
People and I are talking to the masses, not just those in a movement, who are entirely unaware of the difference between CBGa and CBG - and in one-on-one talks with many in the Cannabis scene, I find there's so much confusion starting from the basics is necessary to explain that vast difference.
As Genevieve's conservator and mom, we fulfill her needs and look over every aspect of life as she cannot. Making sure her wishes and dreams come true doesn't fall into this job duty, but I've decided they should. However, the complexities of obtaining a large carousel and securing a suitable property have made this task incredibly challenging, to put it mildly.
A three-seater carousel was not enough, as part of the experience for Genevieve involved others on the ride, laughing and pointing out different aspects of the horses. The need for a grand carousel experience became evident.
Then we started looking at her life and how people with developmental delays like hers are marginalized and minimized, just like the plant she uses. She's at the end of waiting lists for services - behavioral therapies are a primary example.
By making people like Genevieve wait for medications they need, doctors, or specialists, the chance of them ending up in the system and out of their loving parent's arms increases - and their freedom decreases. I'm working on Father's Day for all these reasons and so many more.
Genevieve's infatuation with carousels has grown over time. It's gone from a simple obsession to a demand to be on them and a challenge to control her desire or even be aware that it's impossible to be on the ride.
She's such a beautiful young lady, and all she's wanted all these years we've spoken of Genevieve's Dream - was that - the ride, her ride.
That's why Daddy is in his office on Father's Day and stays here typing after a few days ill while she rides with her assistant and mommy - a temporary relief as even then, she always thinks she's on the way to the Carousel.
I'll trade 1000 lonely and challenging days for her single bright future. As her Dad, I love her enough to sacrifice everything; as her conservator, Genevieve's Dream can come true with a brand named after that she owns and gets cut out of. Genevieve loves smiles and seeing people happy; CBGa does that for so many it's uncanny - so it's all copasetic.
We talked up the coming of the next Carousel ride around her birthday in August, and that's what's helping us redirect her from the fair that was two months ago. She didn't even wait to get to sleep to start asking, demanding, to go back - she didn't understand.
She eagerly awaits their arrival in town, and once she experiences the ride, her obsession persists for days. She stays up, meticulously examining the photos taken and reliving those beyond joyous moments. It's become evident that her need for a carousel extended beyond a temporary experience – she yearned for a permanent fixture in her life that's grandiose like the one she had. With the overwhelming push to make that happen like a brick wall, I gave up after two years of it - in 2022.
But then, out of nowhere, I got sick again at the end of 2022. Non-Hodgkin's remains the upstaged diagnosis that rides along a GI disorder known as Mesentery Panniculitis. Cancer is positive in the PET scan, but my body has fought back, relying on Nature from every source imaginable - my food is even my medicine. Some days, I make it look good when I'm having a hard time - but I know the result is in this beautiful girl's Dream coming true - and much more.
There have been many battles in this current cancer war that I'm winning, but the bottom line is knowing that Genevieve's Dream is in the process of being created right now; just knowing that fueled me to get up and go. After the last two days in bed, I had to get up regardless of the date on the map. I know it's a federal holiday on Juneteenth - but I work on all of them.
As time passed, I realized Genevieve's needs surpassed the Carousel alone. She requires long-term care that insurance companies or government-funded programs take time and effort to fulfill; her mom is her caregiver and has an Aide and Respite worker. But she needs more. The state behavioral program that ran 10 hours a week had very unreliable employees, one of which was causing issues for Gen just quit - and walked off the job with no replacement.
These reasons are why Daddy works on Father's Day - she needs a future, and it's so much more than a Carousel or her Dream Ride - it's a life where she doesn't have to rely on a system that even for the able bodies has become unreliable.
It turned off the operational systems for the Genevieve's of America that don't have parents with bucks. So there's only one option to reintroduce her to it right now: to re-create it in our way - which requires funds far beyond a Carousel ride or the property.
I'm working on Father's Day to create a life for my kids, two girls who both once had someone else on this earth who was 'Dad,' but that person is gone; it's now my duty. So when I look at Genevieve's Dream brand and the CBGa Crumble ECS Balance Control, I don't think of some fancy cars because the last time I could drive ended in a racing wreck in 1995. I look at both girls and their futures, how Genevieve's Dream for a Carousel allows the world to learn about CBGa.
And without Genevieve's little sister Sydney, none of this would be possible because she's become my best friend in life, and without one of those, we don't do too well - especially when fighting off what life brings at us. Tragically, she lost her father a couple of years ago and is just getting on with life, with me as her 'Bonus Dad.'
That's why I'm working on Father's Day
Initially, I had envisioned a "Dream Farm" as a solution, but I soon recognized that it was my own Dream and not necessarily Genevieve's.
Both girls have future needs, with Genevieve having long-term specific requirements for her care.
Now, that part is my infusion into the 'Dream.' Still, Genbug isn't thinking about all the particulars that surround her care, nor are many others, but - it's legally my responsibility.
And that's why I'm working on Father's Day. (Written on Father's Day 2023)
I had to assemble a team, and when that team fell apart, I grabbed the remaining members, and here we are as ECS with all kinds of products and information for people who want to learn, be happy, and have a better experience with Cannabis.
I worked on Father's Day in 2023, but in 2024? I'm taking most of that day off, if not all!
And Genevieve's Dream is once again back on the drawing board with a large entity; they haven't made a label yet, so that's a good sign - so far, all to make one without making the product first fell though, which tells me that planning anything based on a piece of paper vs. a specific contract isn't very smart in the Cannabis Space!
-Mike Robinson, Global Cannabis Educator and Creator of ECS Balance Control, The Researcher OG
