While some of us are just now relaxing into the warm embrace of stretchy waistbands, Raina Casey’s been sporting tomboy chic sweat suits since well before the pandemic. It’s no wonder she opts for comfort when her life’s work is dedicated to, well, death. Casey is an end-of-life doula—a profession that evokes a mix of emo teen and otherworldly sage and one perfectly suited for this cannabis activist/empath. Equal parts caregiver and spiritual guide, the death doula is like a midwife during labor, coaching clients through a life-changing transition, only unlike childbirth, the goal here is eternal peace.
The work wasn’t a big jump from Casey’s early stint as a mortuary affairs specialist, but after suffering a stroke following a complicated brain surgery eight years ago, she took time off to reconcile her own feelings of grief, pain, and loss. During her self-imposed sabbatical, she researched the benefits of cannabis for pain management (she was already familiar with its recreational perks) and saw the potential to incorporate it into palliative care.
Casey’s first client was in hospice for breast cancer, enduring pain from wounds and a broken leg. On one visit, Casey casually broached the subject of cannabis (not unlike her go-to first date icebreaker where she asks about their fave strain). For this client, smoking was not an option, but a little sativa tincture and suddenly her appetite increased. And after applying some herbal salve, even her wound care team was amazed at the results.