From Claibourne Road to the Ohio Cannabis Column 

Growing Up: The Big Secret 

For five years, I served my hometown of Richwood by fixing potholes and fire hydrants, working on plumbing, responding to utility emergencies, coaching football and doing whatever my community needed. At times, I worked seven days a week while remaining on call 24/7 for the village government. 

I did all of that while loving cannabis.

It feels good to finally write that publicly.

My name is Dawson Lake Holtzclaw. I’m 27, an Ohio native and a Cannabis Laboratory Sciences student at Hocking College. Born in Marysville and raised between Hilliard and Richwood, I’m in my rookie year of professional cannabis work, but cannabis has been around my life since the beginning.

I love cannabis, I love people and I make complex cannabis information clear and useful. 

This past year in particular, I’ve navigated all kinds of unique cannabis situations with different people and I’m proud to talk about it publicly.

Welcome to the Ohio Cannabis Column, and thank you for being here. 

I was a kid on Claibourne Road, growing up around people I now think of as local cannabis  legends. In many ways, I still feel like that kid running around them. Some are no longer here and because cannabis stayed hidden, much of their knowledge and history was never formally  passed down. Listening to people talk about cannabis brings back that old feeling of home. 

In my family and community, cannabis was loved and respected, but hidden enough to stay out of trouble. Knowledge moved quietly between people. Many I looked up to loved the plant but never had the chance to participate openly in Ohio’s legal market. I am grateful that I now have that opportunity. 

I played football, did blue-collar work, coached young people and eventually worked for my  local government. 

Growing up, cannabis did not fit comfortably beside the other parts of my life:

● Cannabis and football.

● Cannabis and my jobs.

● Cannabis and school.

● Cannabis and the rest of my life.

Keeping those parts of my life separated was exhausting. I worked extra carefully because I feared losing my job over “weed.” I loved a sport that took a toll on my mind and body while feeling that what I used to cope with pain and stress was off-limits. I carried the fear that one admission or one drug test could outweigh years of hard work and service. That is part of why cannabis education matters to me. I understand how stigma, workplace rules and confusing laws can keep people restricted. I want this column to bring clearer information into those spaces so people can ask better questions, understand their choices and feel more informed

Losing a Friend 

Keeping those parts of my life separated was exhausting. I worked extra carefully because I feared losing my job over “weed.” I loved a sport that took a toll on my mind and body while feeling that what I used to cope with pain and stress was off-limits. I carried the fear that one admission or one drug test could outweigh years of hard work and service.

My life changed after one of my friends, Joseph Suiter, was killed. His death changed the way I  thought about cannabis, danger, silence, and the direction of my own life. It pushed me to think  beyond the plant itself and ask harder questions about the danger and silence surrounding cannabis when it is kept hidden. A few weeks later, I was drug tested by an employer. Those events were different, but together they forced me to confront the same question: How long was I going to keep cannabis separated from the rest of my life? 

I decided to do something that felt radical. I left my hometown, left my job, and returned to school to study Cannabis Laboratory Sciences. 

My educational journey has not been easy. I dropped out of high school, earned a GED, tried college, and left again. Now, at 27, I am working toward an associate degree after an uphill battle with education. It feels good to be finishing what I started in a subject I truly care about. 

It is never too late to pursue your passion. Sometimes it takes a spark. 

Starting the Ohio Cannabis Column 

That journey is why I am beginning the Ohio Cannabis Column through MedicateOH, an Ohio media platform using journalism to bridge gaps in cannabis education. The column will combine personal stories, consumer education, harm reduction, workforce questions, Ohio cannabis history, and community voices. It should be useful and feel alive. 

Cannabis does not stay in one category. It touches health, work, family, education, money, law,  culture, identity, and grief. One question leads to another, and I will not separate these issues when real life does not. This column will be layered and unpredictable on purpose. 

We all need help somewhere in the cannabis world. How do I find work or education? Support a loved one? Explain cannabis to my family? Choose products without wasting money or  guessing? Become a more mindful consumer? 

Those questions can lead in unexpected directions: a consumer question to science, a family  story to policy, a job question to education, a broken vape to hardware testing, and a memory to history. 

People deserve a place where they can ask those questions without feeling embarrassed,  judged, or talked down to. 

I do not know every answer, and I will never pretend that I do. I can listen, research, connect  people, and relay complicated information in a way that makes sense. When a question requires a doctor, attorney, scientist, longtime advocate, or another expert, I will work to bring that  person into the conversation.

From the Dispensary to the Lab: Learning Everything I Can 

I have worked in an Ohio dispensary and helped consumers navigate products in the licensed market. I study the laboratory and scientific side of cannabis, but I also grew up around generations of cannabis culture and knowledge. Every patient, consumer, student, worker, or  longtime cannabis person I meet can make me a better translator and connector. 

Together, we can build a strong, educated, funky, and sticky cannabis network in Ohio. By sticky, I mean connections that last, information that keeps moving, and people who keep helping one another. This column will be a place where Ohio cannabis people weave their knowledge, experiences, questions, and connections together.

Cannabis should not feel like random guesswork. Consumers should not have to waste money, rely on bad information, or feel lost choosing a product. Cannabis should be more comfortable to discuss and easier to  understand and navigate. 

Let’s Connect About Your Experiences 

This is where you, the reader, comes in. Contribute your questions, concerns, tips, resources, and Ohio cannabis memories. This is your invitation to talk back. 

MedicateOH wants to hear from you, whether you work in the industry, are a patient, a casual  consumer, a caregiver, or are simply curious. Please email me, comment, connect on LinkedIn,  and share your experiences. Your response can remain anonymous if you prefer. 

Each month, I plan to explore one subject through articles, reader questions, and conversations. The first subject is cannabis harm reduction: what it means, how people practice it, and how  consumers can make informed choices without pretending cannabis is risk-free or shaming people for using it. 

Do you know what cannabis harm reduction is? What do you wish someone had explained earlier? 

Your answers can shape the first series. You can also subscribe, connect on LinkedIn, submit a  story, and take MedicateOH’s current community surveys.

Gratitude for My Professional Journey 

Writing this first article is special. Thank you to my mom for always being truthful about cannabis, my sister for making room for my love of it, my rebellious friends from back in the day, and everyone who has helped my professional journey. Most of all, thank you to my wife for being the foundation of everything I do. Your love, encouragement, and belief in me during  challenging times give me the energy to do the things I do. Thank you to Gabrielle Dion, Mary Alleger, and the MedicateOH community for giving me this opportunity. 

Finally, I want to recognize Joseph Suiter and his family. His death changed me, changed the  direction of my life, and changed how I will engage with cannabis publicly. 

I was once a kid on Claibourne Road around cannabis legends. Now I am a young man  navigating the Ohio cannabis scene, still learning, still asking questions, and trying to build  something useful with the people around me. 

Thank you for reading. This column may have my name attached to it, but the conversation belongs to Ohio’s cannabis community. 

Join the Ohio Cannabis Conversation 

Industry survey: The Industry Pulse 

Consumer survey: The Consumer Voice 

Subscribe to the Ohio Cannabis Column: MedicateOH & MedicateKY Newsletter

Connect with Dawson on LinkedIn: Dawson Holtzclaw 

Submit a question, experience, story, or resource: dawson@medicateoh.com You can contribute any of the following: 

● Question of the Month 

● Ohio Cannabis Lesson 

● Consumer Confusion 

● Workforce Question 

● “What I Wish I Knew” story 

● Harm-Reduction Tip 

● Community Resource 

● Ohio Cannabis Memory 

● Or just reach out! 

Submitting something does not guarantee publication. MedicateOH can keep your response anonymous if you prefer, and your name will not be published or quoted without your permission.