Let’s Be Honest: Weed Is Already Here
In Iceland, cannabis is still strictly illegal — no medical program, no prescriptions, no legal supply. And yet, hundreds (if not thousands) of people are using it quietly for pain, anxiety, inflammation, cancer, sleep, spiritual clarity, and, of course, for fun!
This October, we’re breaking the silence.
I’m hosting a cannabis conference for the second year in a row for the Icelandic Hemp Association — alongside Tota, Thorunn Jonsdottir, Iceland’s only “weed nurse.” She’s not certified (that would be illegal), but she’s helped more patients than most doctors are even willing to talk to. She’s street-wise, brilliant, and has a contact list that could crash a dispensary’s phone system.
And for me, this isn’t theoretical. I lost my husband to cancer seven years ago. During his illness, THC brought him real relief — it helped him eat, sleep, and put a smile on his face in his final battle. That experience opened my eyes — and it hasn’t left me. I never imagined I’d end up talking about weed publicly, let alone hosting a whole damn conference about it, again. But here we are. Someone has to do it.
The Unofficial Weed Nurse of Iceland
Steinunn: You’ve become kind of infamous. People call you Iceland’s weed nurse, but technically, you’re not licensed.
Tota: That’s right — and I never claim to be. I can’t legally administer anything. What I do is help people who are already using cannabis and want real information. I guide. I share what I’ve learned. I grow my own hemp. I’ve studied the plant, the endocannabinoid system, cannabinoids, terpenes — everything I could get my hands on. Because patients are already out there using this plant, and they deserve better than silence.
Steinunn: So in a country where it’s illegal to prescribe or supply cannabis, you’ve just… been helping anyway?
Tota: Quietly. Consensually. Carefully. Always.
Weed After Menopause – It´s A Whole New High
Steinunn: My interest in weed came much later in life — not for the high, but for the regulation. Especially after menopause. My hormones disappeared, my sleep evaporated, and it was like menopause hired a ghostwriter for my life — and she was not a fan of joy. Weed didn’t fix me — it reconnected me. Especially low-dose THC. It didn’t knock me out — it brought me back into my body. And I am super excited to learn more about women and cannabis at the coming conference.
Tota: You’re not alone. Estrogen supports endocannabinoid tone. When it drops, so does your resilience. Cannabis isn’t just for pain or sleep — it’s regulatory. Women in their 40s and 50s are finding it helps with anxiety, inflammation, libido, and yes, meditation. But no one’s talking about it. Especially not here.
Steinunn: Actually — Oprah is talking about it. In her 2025 podcast with Michael Pollan, she called plant medicine “a higher level of the deepest meditation.” She wasn’t talking about stoners. She was talking about women like us, finding clarity through the fog.
The Speaker Lineup That Says “We’re Not Kidding”
Tota isn’t just tough — she’s magnetic. And the proof is in the lineup. Here’s who’s coming to Reykjavík this October:
- Jamie Pearson, President & Founder, New Holland Group
- Rebecca Abraham, nurse
- Jeff Lowenfels, author and auto flower expert
- Sara Payan, host of Planted with Sara
- Bob Hoban, Hoban Law Group
- Clara Norell, Svensk Hampaindustri (Sweden)
- Dave Barton & Dustin Hoxworth, Fat Nugs Magazine
- Many more — scientists, growers, policymakers, healers.
Legal or Not, Iceland Needs This
Steinunn: Hosting this conference in Iceland feels like organizing a dance party during prohibition. It’s not legal. But it’s necessary.
Tota: Exactly. We’re not promoting illegal use — we’re confronting legal hypocrisy. People are using cannabis. They’re healing. They’re regulating their nervous systems. The law just refuses to catch up.
Steinunn: So what can people expect?
Tota: Conversations like this. Scientific lectures. Grow workshops. Real patient stories. Policy panels. Whether you’re into soil, trauma healing, chronic illness, or menopause — there’s a seat for you.
Hemp in Iceland: Why Now?
Steinunn: So why this? Why now?
Tota: Because people are suffering. Because women are being ignored. Because the plant has been demonized for too long. And because Iceland deserves a real conversation — not just stigma and silence.
Steinunn: For me, it’s personal. Grown-up women don’t need to be shut up by sedatives, antidepressants, or to hand over their savings to attend another round of breathy moon retreats with essential oils and questionable enlightenment. Cannabis, used wisely, reminds us of our own resilience—a plant that knows our bodies better than the systems that dismiss us.
Join us in Reykjavík on October 2 -3, 2025 to reclaim that wisdom.
