MassRoots: A Smoke Circle for the Digital Age

I have no problem discussing my medical marijuana use with others, but I’ve always been hesitant to post pictures of myself medicating on my social media accounts. Prior to getting a job in the medical marijuana industry, I was definitely concerned about potential employers screening my social media and passing judgements about my marijuana use. Despite the fact that I’m a legal Prop 215 patient and I would never medicate while working, there are employers who wouldn’t want to hire me simply based on what I do in my free time. So there’s a balancing act, a portion of myself that I leave out on Instagram—not because I’m ashamed of smoking marijuana, but because I simply don’t want to deal with the unnecessary negativity. I imagine I’m not the only patient who does this. Thankfully, Isaac Dietrich and Tyler Knight got together with Stewart and Hyler Fortier in the summer of 2013 to create a social media network exclusively for medical and recreational marijuana users called MassRoots.

The premise behind MassRoots is simple—provide cannabis users, growers, dispensaries, and advocates with a safe platform to share content and connect with one another without fear of having their accounts shut down, which happens unbelievably often on Instagram. (The Higher Path has had its Instagram account shut down TWICE, despite the fact that we are a legal pre-ICO & prop D compliant dispensary!) Instagram’s terms simply don’t take legal marijuana users and dispensaries into consideration; if there’s weed on your feed, it’s a problem. That’s where MassRoots comes in. In order to download the MassRoots app to your phone, you’ll need to prove that you are in a state where marijuana is medically or recreationally legal by allowing MassRoots to use your location. (This is how MassRoots is able to allow its users to post whatever cannabis content they want.) From there you can post pictures of the bud you’re smoking, film a video of yourself taking a dab, or even find local people to smoke with. It’s a lot like Instagram—you can upload a picture from your camera roll or take one in the app, there are filters to choose from, & hashtags are used the exact same way.  If you use Instagram, you basically know how to use MassRoots.

Most importantly, you don’t have to censor yourself when it comes to your legal marijuana use. There’s something wonderfully communal about smoking cannabis and MassRoots helps us connect back with that in the age of social media. Wanna be buds with The Higher Path? We’re on MassRoots as @TheHigherPathLA!