WHEN YOU FIND YOUR CALLING, WHY KEEP LOOKING?
World-Rekonwned Mycologist
Paul is the author of six books (including Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, and Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World), he has discovered and named numerous new species of psilocybin mushrooms and is the founder and owner of Fungi Perfecti, LLC, makers of the Host Defense Mushrooms supplement line.
He has received numerous awards, including Invention Ambassador (2014-2015) for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Mycologist Award (2014) from the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), and the Gordon & Tina Wasson Award (2015) from the Mycological Society of America (MSA). His work has entered the mainstream of popular culture. In the new Star Trek: Discovery series on CBS, the Science Officer is portrayed by an Astromycologist…. a Lt. Paul Stamets. Paul’s work with mycelium is a central theme of this series.
Paul Stamets is considered an intellectual and industry leader in fungi: habitat, medicinal use, and production. He lectures extensively to deepen the understanding and respect for the organisms that literally exist under every footstep taken on this path of life. His presentations cover a range of mushroom species and research showing how mushrooms can help the health of people and the planet. His central premise is that habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are cellular bridges between the two. Our close evolutionary relationship to fungi can be the basis for novel pairings in the microbiome that lead to greater sustainability and immune enhancement.
Paul funds research to save rare strains of mushrooms that dwell within the old-growth forests. He is a collaborator with numerous scientific organizations and research institutes. Currently, he is testing extracts of these rare strains at the NIH (National Institutes of Health/Virology) and with Washington State University/United States Department of Agriculture against a wide panel of viruses pathogenic to humans, animals and bees.
Paul’s philosophy is that “MycoDiversity is BioSecurity.” He sees the ancient Old Growth forests of the Pacific Northwest as a resource of incalculable value, especially in terms of its fungal genome. A dedicated hiker and explorer, his passion is to preserve and protect as many ancestral strains of mushrooms as possible from these pristine woodlands. His research is considered a breakthrough by thought leaders for creating a paradigm shift for helping ecosystems worldwide.
Brain Games / Storyteller, Futurist
Jason Silva is an Emmy-nominated and world renown TV personality, storyteller, filmmaker, and sought-after keynote speaker and futurist.
Jason is known for hosting 5 seasons of the Emmy-nominated, global hit TV series Brain Games, on the National Geographic Channel, broadcasted in over 171 countries.
His inspirational videos, Shots of Awe, have received over 100 million views across social platforms. The videos explore topics such as futurism, technology, creativity, the science of awe, disruptive innovation, relationships and mental health.
Most recently Jason hosted the global miniseries ORIGINS: The Journey Of Humankind, on the National Geographic Channel, seen in 171 countries.
A global keynote speaker, Jason has given talks at events for Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Oracle, Adobe, Electronic Arts, Cannes Lions, Tribeca Film Festival, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, 20th Century Fox, Cosmopolitan, PHD Worldwide, Google Zeitgeist, TED Global, The Economist, and more.
Cannabis & Psychedelic Physician
Dr. Michelle Weiner is double board-certified in Interventional Pain Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. She completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Miami. She is the Chair of Florida’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee.
Dr. Weiner’s unique approach of personalized and preventative medicine focuses on empowering her patients to cultivate health using lifestyle and plant medicine. Her research focuses on using cannabis as a substitute for opioids in chronic pain patients and cannabis’s effect on seniors with chronic pain. She is conducting a pharmacokinetic study at the University of Miami investigating how to optimize the bioavailability of cannabinoids using water-soluble nanoemulsions.
She is faculty and a preceptor at Nova Southeastern University in which she educates the medical students through shadowing opportunities in her office. Dr. Weiner is the Vice President of Mr. Psychedelic Law, a not-for-profit with the mission of responsible legal reform of psilocybin mushrooms in Florida.
She uses cannabis and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy as a catalyst to identify the root cause of one’s suffering optimizing their quality of life.
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys. Learn more about Rick by listening to his Origin Story and watching his TED Talk.
CEO, Wana Brands; Founder, Wana Brands Foundation
Heralded as “The Queen of Legal Weed” by Inc. (May 2017) and “The Martha Stewart of Edibles” by Entrepreneur (Jan. 2019), Nancy Whiteman is co-founder and CEO of Wana Brands, a top international brand already available in more than 3,000 dispensaries across the United States and Canada. In October 2021, Canopy Growth Corp. announced it had purchased the right–upon federal permissibility of THC in the US–to acquire Wana Brands. With proceeds from the deal, Nancy established the Wana Brands Foundation, an organization working to enhance the world by supporting a wide variety of nonprofits in Wana’s communities. Nancy leads Wana Brands’ strategic vision and has been instrumental in the company’s growth into new and emerging markets. She also directs the development of partnerships and licensing agreements domestically and internationally. Nancy serves on the Marijuana Business Daily Advisory Board and the Benzinga Cannabis Advisory Board. She has been recognized for numerous awards including Forbes’ Most Influential People in Cannabis (April 2022), High Times 100 (April 2022), Green Market Report’s First Ever Women Leadership Award for Leading Brand (April 2022) and Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business (July 2022). She is a member of the US Cannabis Council, Colorado Cannabis Manufacturers Association, National Cannabis Industry Association, Colorado LEADS and Marijuana Policy Project. Prior to Wana, Nancy was a principal with The Whiteman Group, a sales and marketing consultancy, and previously held a range of senior-level marketing and business development positions including Vice President, Marketing and New Corporate Ventures for the Paul Revere Insurance Group in Massachusetts. Nancy holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
GRAMMY Nominated Artist
Afroman (born Joseph Edgar Foreman, on 28 July 1974 in Mississippi) is a rap artist from South-Central Los Angeles, California, but later moved to eastern Palmdale (which he has referred to in his songs).
His best-known song is the 2001 hit "Because I Got High", which gained popularity through Napster, local radio play, a feature on Howard Stern's radio show, and the 'stoner' movie 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' (and accompanying soundtrack). His other most popular song, "Crazy Rap", is often referred to as "Colt 45" because of its lyric "Colt 45 and two Zig Zags".
Afroman is also fond of referencing his independence from record labels and the "corporate world" and cites himself as an example of how an artist can take recording and distribution into their own hands.
In 2014 Afroman became a spokesman for NORML and Weedmaps, remade "Because I Got High" in favor of legalization, and released the EP "One Hit Wonder" and concept album "The Frorider."
Journalist, FORBES
I am an author and freelance multimedia journalist focusing on culture, business, science, and health in the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. I am currently a contributing writer at Forbes and Leafly, as well as the co-founder and editor-in-chief at Inside the Jar. My first book, “The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life”, was published by Greystone Books in 2018 on the same day cannabis was legalized in Canada. In 2019, the Toronto Star bestseller was named the #1-selling non-fiction cannabis book in the country. In my second book, "Psyched: 7 Cutting-Edge Psychedelics Changing The World," I break down the history, science, and cultural and medical uses of seven different psychedelic drugs and plant medicines, contextualized with case studies and interviews with scientists, doctors, therapists, advocates, ethnobotanists, practitioners, and users. It will be in bookstores everywhere on October 18, 2022.
My byline has appeared in The New York Times, Vice, The Dales Report, Calgary Herald, The Georgia Straight (where I received national and regional awards for my work), and CannCentral, among others. I have been featured on CBC and Global News, a wide variety of national radio shows, and have spoken at several cannabis- and health-focused conferences. I've also hosted important conversations about psychedelics at events like SXSW in Austin, Texas, and the Wonderland conference in Miami, Florida.
CEO & Co-Founder, Psychedelics Today
Joe Moore co-founded Psychedelics Today in 2015 with his business partner Kyle Buller. As CEO, Joe has created one of the world's best known psychedelic podcasts, blogs and training platforms. Joe combines twenty years of avid research and training in psychedelics with twenty years of experience in software and multinational project management. Joe is a leading expert in dreamshadow transpersonal breathwork and much sought after international speaker on the intersecting subjects of psychedelic medicine and healing, breathwork, drug policy, medical innovation, international justice and environmentalism.
Medicine Woman
Lizzy Jeff's passion for global healing, sacred activism, & sensual, creative expression has placed her at the top of a new wave. She is the leader of a new, emerging renaissance, dedicated to elevating consciousness through plant medicine education, social justice awareness, & curated events.
She's an activist on many levels, leading people into personal evolution & spiritual awakening.
Having curated and hosted hundreds of events, Lizzy Jeff is a woman who has activated her platform to amplify stories that need to be heard. She has performed and spoken at dozens of community gatherings & festivals.
She is an advocate for the voiceless, creating powerful opportunities for her community.
As the creator and founder of Zen & Kush, Lizzy Jeff has built a loyal and thriving community and fan base in which she empowers thousands of people on a daily basis through her music, workshops & social media.
You are invited to explore this website for inspiration, guidance and healing. Give yourself permission to ride the beautiful cosmic wave curated by Rap Priestess and Medicine Woman, Lizzy Jeff.
Stay Inspired.
IRI, Chacruna
Joseph Mays, MSc, received his Master’s in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent upon researching responses to globalization by indigenous Yanesha of central Peru. After graduating with biology and anthropology degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, he conducted an ethnobotanical survey in the Ecuadorian cloud forest and published a medicinal plant guide for the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve. His conservation work emphasizes how cultural-conditioning influences approaches to biocultural sustainability, and the importance of ground-up structures that emphasize local agency and challenge conventional philanthropic models in attempts to support Indigenous autonomy and biodiversity. Joseph is Program Director of Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative of the Americas (IRI), where he builds connections with Indigenous communities throughout the Americas to support Chacruna’s mission of increasing cultural reciprocity in the psychedelic space. Joseph’s activities as IRI Program Director include raising unconditional funding for 20 Indigenous community organizations with strict adherence to the parameters determined by its partners, presenting at conferences and universities and publishing articles that explore reciprocity, biocultural conservation, plant medicines and Indigenous rights, and engaging with Indigenous and local stakeholders on their own terms to provide on-the-ground support and ethnographic and audiovisual materials.
Psychedelic Concierge
You may be familiar with Zappy as the director behind the acclaimed documentary, The Reality of Truth, which follows actress Michelle Rodriguez and friends on a deeply personal journey of discovery. Featuring interviews with top leaders including Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Marianne Williamson, and Joel Osteen, the film explores the relationship between spirituality, religion, meditation, and plant medicine, and continues to inspire millions of people.
Today, Zappy is often called on as a “psychedelic concierge” to help celebrities, thought leaders, and business icons have a conscious transformation. Known as a visionary and futurist, Zappy has been spotting trends for decades such as internet domain names, legal CBD and cannabis, and now the burgeoning psychedelic economy.
As the youngest Vice President in the history of one of Wall Street’s most successful investment banks, Zappy is a frequent commentator on the emerging psychedelic industry and investment opportunities.
MBBS (MD) MRCPsych – Psychiatrist, Researcher and Writer
For over 15 years Dr. Ben Sessa has been at the forefront of psychedelic research in the UK through his affiliations with Imperial College London. Ben qualified as a medical doctor from UCL in 1997 and went on to specialize in psychiatry. For 30 years he has worked as a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with young people and with adult patients in the field of addictions and trauma-related psychiatry. Ben started studying psychedelics as a junior doctor, and has taken part in research projects at Bristol University, Cardiff University and Imperial College London with LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine and MDMA - receiving and/or administering all of these compounds in legal research settings. One of the first doctors to develop the field of contemporary psychedelic research in the UK, he is the co-founder and Head of Psychedelic Medicine at Awakn Life Sciences, a Bio-Tech company opening carrying out psychedelic research into addictions and opening twenty high street psychedelic medical clinics throughout Europe, providing psychedelic psychotherapy – initially with ketamine, then with MDMA and psilocybin - for a wide range of psychiatric indications. He was one of the first Medical Cannabis psychiatric prescribers in the UK. Ben is an approved and registered MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin therapist. He has led research into MDMA-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder and is published widely in the academic and medical press. Ben is the co-founder and past president of the Breaking Convention conference. He is the author of The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012/2017), the novel 'To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic' (2015) and Altered States (2021). Ben lives and works in Bristol, UK.
President & CEO of Bhang Inc.
A rare, second-generation cannabis executive, Jamie has decades of experience in global operations, deal structuring and negotiation as a former multi-national real estate entrepreneur and investor. Fluent in German and English, Jamie is responsible for Bhang’s capital markets initiatives, national and international expansion, and overall corporate management. She leads the company’s diverse executive team in the development and execution of Bhang’s strategic plan. Widely considered one of the most influential women in cannabis, Jamie’s cannabis expertise, operations experience, and deep legacy and legal industry relationships elevate Bhang and the entire industry. Jamie was selected two years running from over 7,500 nominees as a High Times Female 50 Honoree and keynote speaker. In her viral speech, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” Jamie outlined the measurable benefits of including women and the BIPOC community in leadership and board roles on purpose. Jamie believes the cannabis industry should be positively disruptive to the very framework of business and encourages her colleagues to share access, to reject the plant’s stigma, and to promote cannabis as a gateway to wellness for our bodies, our companies, and our communities.
About Bhang
Bhang is committed to making the fairly enjoyable ridiculously fun. For over a decade Bhang has delivered exceptional sensory experiences to consumers through its extensive portfolio of over 50 master-chef created cannabis, CBD and terpene products including gourmet chocolates, pre-rolls, CBD isolate, and Hempsticks™. Bhang’s highly-awarded chocolates are among the top-selling edibles in 7 U.S. states and Canada. Bhang’s CBD products are globally-distributed and are known for being safe, efficacious and delicious. Learn more at www.bhangnation.com and purchase our high-quality CBD products at www.bhangcbd.com
Entertainer and Entrepreneur
JoJo Simmons is a multi-faceted entertainer and entrepreneur whose last name rings bells in the music industry. As the son of legendary rapper Rev Run of Run DMC, he spent his teenage years starring on MTV’s hit show Run’s House which ran from 2005- 2009 and landed him a NAACP award for outstanding reality series. He is currently the star of Growing Up Hip Hop, in its seventh season on WETV.
JoJo is the CEO and co-founder of Whos House Entertainment, a music production company that
manages and develops artists and, following his family’s humanitarian legacy, he is general manager of
Whos House Ballers, a traveling basketball team for underserved youth in his hometown of Queens, NY.
He is also in the process of building a veteran transition home in metro Atlanta, Georgia in partnership with the Vet22 organization.
Most recently, JoJo co-founded 3isFor, a media production company that uses intentional storytelling to elevate traditionally oppressed/underrepresented voices and event production to cultivate experiences
and community.
Lately, JoJo has been lending his voice to amplify the message of nonprofits like the Cannabis Voter Project, which informs, registers and turns out voters who are interested in cannabis policy, and Backline which connects music industry professionals and their families with a trusted network of mental health and wellness providers.
When he is not spreading positivity and motivation to his 550,000 social media followers, JoJo enjoys spending his time with his family. He is a proud husband and an attentive father of two. @jojo_simmons @3isFor
ABOUT 3isFor
3isFor was created by three childhood friends who are dedicated to doing good. JoJo and his partners, a regenerative farmer and network TV producer, all come from philanthropic families and bonded over their belief in plant medicine. They decided to use their passions, platforms and areas of expertise to elevate the plant, empower the people and protect the planet. They want everyone to have equal access to the information and the industry. They believe they can help make our society more equitable and leave the world a better place for generations to come.
Original Shark & Success Catalyst
An original “shark” on the hit TV show Shark Tank, the creator of the infomercial, pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand, and co-founding board member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization—Kevin Harrington has pushed past all the questions and excuses to repeatedly enjoy 100X success.
His legendary work behind-the-scenes of business ventures has produced well over $5 billion in global sales, the launch of more than 500 products, and the making dozens of millionaires.
Twenty of his companies have each topped $100 million in revenue.
Cannabis Epidemiologist
Unlike Colorado and California, the State of Florida is a not as progressive when it comes to legalizing cannabis. Dr. Denise Vidot is ahead of the game when it comes to making a difference within the cannabis community. She is a public health professor at The University of Miami, Founder and President of CanaVee, and the eldest of 7 children, so being a leader is nothing new for her. Read more below on how she has scientifically proven the benefits of the flower.
Based on your studies, what have you found to be some core benefits of cannabis?
“I’m an epidemiologist that studies the mental and physical health impact of cannabis use on multiple diseases. I’m sure you have heard the hypothesis that cannabis makes you a lazy person with the “munchies”; the research my team is conducting is actually disproving that. For example, our studies comparing cannabis consumers and non-consumers (controlling for age, sex, and income) have shown that cannabis consumers have lower waist circumference, glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels. I’ve also studied metabolic syndrome which is a cluster of different risk factors that put people at risk for cardiovascular disease. I’m seeing that those who use cannabis are having a lower prevalence of getting these diseases.”
Where do you think the stigma comes from?
“It really is about the delivery of a topic through media. If they say something is bad, the population runs with it until proven otherwise. The person who tells the story is who makes the rules. Even in science, information can be extracted; we learn what is taught. Think about this in the context of the endocannabinoid system. Despite being our body’s master regulator, it is not formally taught in medicine, nursing, nor public health. Any extra knowledge gained is totally up to the individual, which can contribute to stigma of cannabis is a drug, not a medicine. Education is important, but comprehension and implementation of the knowledge gained is key to reducing stigma.”
What is CanaVee and how is it helping those within your community?
“It’s a nonprofit organization that I birthed and gave life to. I created a space for evidence-based research to help patients outside of my role at The University of Miami. I may say certain things in my role as a scientist at the University, but outside of the academic setting I can share and help the communityinterpret and have access to literature that can change their circumstances. ”
Why is it important to you as a Latina woman to educate others on the benefits of cannabis?
“As a Puerto Rican with roots in Seychelles, it is important for me to help remind our community of source and nature because it is part of my DNA, but also because I have lived through personal experiences that demand I take action. I can think of 3 examples immediately, all that occurred in high school and still impact my passion for educating about cannabis:
First, in high school my boyfriend, Obel St. Vil, was murdered; since he sold cannabis, he was labeled a drug dealer. People dismissed the fact that a 17-year-old black male was murdered by a 25-year-old white male. We have to get rid of this stigma.
Second, in highschool, my father was diagnosed with cancer and scleroderma. Cannabis has helped him so much, but he was always nervous about buying and consuming which impacted his mental health. With the knowledge we have about the benefits of cannabis in cancer patients; nobody should feel that way. We have to get rid of this stigma.
Finally, here in South Florida we have a large population of older Hispanic women who have been raised on the idea that “devils’ lettuce” is going to get you deported or make you crazy in the head! I want my people to stop being brainwashed and to know that its ok cannabis can be good for us.”
And how is that going?
“I must admit that in the beginning it was really hard. I started advocating when Florida was only medicinal for special cases, so I was working against the stigma a lot in the beginning. During the pandemic, cannabis was seen as essential, and it really did help with our fight. In fact, we are seeing more people than ever interested in the plant and it’s hard to keep up with the inquiries.”
“What I’m most excited about now is that after being one of few medical professionals who openly support this movement, other clinicians are opening up to the possibilities of cannabis as a treatment or therapy. For a while, I was only helping those who came to me for my studies but now I’m educating more physicians. It’s almost irresponsible to only focus on the patients when they are saying things like their providers aren’t listening. I enjoy doing rounds at different hospitals and letting them know why cannabis is an alternative. I’m also focused on mentoring the next generation, my lab at the university is 90% student driven and 90% are from culture backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in their profession. These are future nurses, doctors, cultivators, and even lawyers learning about the medicinal components of Cannabis and that’s a good network of future changemakers.”
How has cannabis helped you personally?
“I’m a lupus patient and an athlete so I apply ointments to my muscles when I have a lot of pain. It’s the reason why I can still be a scientist and athlete. Being a lupus patient, I have learned that I need to be plant based in all aspects of my healing journey so I can get back to the way nature intended my body to be. Cannabis has opened my eyes to plants in general, but I’ve began to study other terpenes and plants also.”
What can we expect from you and CanaVee in the future?
“Regarding CanaVee, we will have more engagement within the community. Right now we are here for whoever finds us… but we will be more active in the world at the end of the year. Regarding the science, my team and I just launched the Herbal Heart Study. It represents the future of cannabis science since it’s the first long-term study on cannabinoids within 18–35-year-olds and the heart that is funded by the National Institute of Health. In this study, we are examining the relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular disease risk based on how cannabis is consumed (blunt, joint, or cart/vape). The most exciting part is that we are building a family cannabis consumers that will contribute to science through our team’s studies hopefully over their lifetime that way there can be no more questioning of data because we are now funded! There’s so much to look forward to.”
How can people support you?
“If people would like to be a part of transformative studies, we are looking for 400 participants in South Florida for our herbal heart study (www.herbalheartstudy.com). If not in South Florida, we would LOVE if you follow us on social media (@dr.vidot, @vidotcannabislab, @herbalheartstudy), but mainly continuing to pass our messages with evidence is the best way to help.”
Psychedelic Professor, FIU
Dr. Joseph Lichter is a teaching professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department and the Director of the Office of Pre-Health Advising. Dr. Lichter grew up in South Florida before leaving the area to pursue degrees from Florida State University (B.S. Biochemistry) and Emory University (Ph.D. Chemistry) before joining FIU. He teaches chemistry courses including the course, “The Psychedelic Renaissance”, which investigates the history, chemistry, neurobiology, risk and potential of psychedelics. There has been a great paradigm shift internationally in the last 2 to 3 decades and Lichter offers a course to critically investigate this movement, evaluating the research and aiming to create a course to ask the questions of whether the movement has true value or not. He coordinates his teaching with guests from Hopkins, Ohio State, and a variety of other experts in the field. Outside of his teaching, Lichter is an avid ultra runner and endurance coach.
Co-Founder, Psychedelics Today
Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began at the age of 16 when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. After this near-death experience, Kyle’s life changed dramatically. Kyle subsequently earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology from Burlington College, where he focused on studying the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, Reiki, local medicinal plants and plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has been studying Dreamshadow Transpersonal breathwork with Lenny and Elizabeth since October 2010.
Kyle earned his M.S. in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in somatic psychology from Prescott College. Kyle is a Licensed Associate Counselor and offers psychotherapy services specializing in psychedelic integration, spiritual emergence, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Kyle’s clinical background in mental health consists of working with at-risk teenagers in crisis and with individuals experiencing an early episode of psychosis and providing counseling to undergraduate/graduate students in a university setting.
Author, Psychedelica Lex
One of America’s foremost authorities on psychedelics law, Gary Smith advises companies and organizations around the country on matters related to drug laws and treaties, application of federal acts, public initiatives and religion.
General counsel to the nation’s oldest multi-racial peyote church and legal consultant in numerous cases, he also devotes significant time and effort advocating and rallying support for the proposed Uniform Plant and Fungi Medicine Act. This is a model law public initiative he’s driving that would create regulatory structures under state law to legalize certain psychedelics.
Gary is a prolific writer, including author of Psychedelica Lex, the preeminent legal manual for individuals and organizations with a vested or growing interest in psychedelics and entheogens. Lobbyists, policymakers, lawmakers, advocacy groups, physicians, religious leaders, business professionals and enthusiasts alike appreciate the valuable and timely information he provides. He expands on many of the book’s themes in his popular Psychedelica Lex podcast, bringing on some of the leading figures in the field for engaging conversations.
Beyond Psychedelica Lex, Gary regularly contributes articles on psychedelics and cannabis media outlets around the country, including Psychedelics Today, Chacruna, Green Entrepreneur, Hemp Grower, Phoenix Business Journal, In Business Greater Phoenix and Arizona Attorney.
Before delving into psychedelics law, Gary built a successful cannabis and hemp practice at Guidant Law in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to representing dispensary owners, growers and investors in multi-million-dollar litigation and receivership disputes, he served as amici counsel to the former Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services in the pivotal Arizona Supreme Court petition State v. Jones, restoring cannabis extracts and concentrates to legal status under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act.
Gary also co-founded and is a board member of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association, where he currently serves as president, and serves on the board of directors for the Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. He is a sought-after source for media stories on cannabis, providing insight in numerous TV interviews and Arizona business publications.
Admitted to practice law in Arizona, Colorado, New York and North Carolina, the U.S. District Court, 9th Circuit District of Arizona, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
CEO, Entheoconnect
Greg Lake is a maritime trial and appellate attorney licensed to practice in Texas and Louisiana. He is an author of two books: “Psychedelics in Mental Health Series: Psilocybin” and “The Law of Entheogenic Churches in the United States.” Greg is also a partner in the law firm of Benouis & Associates, PLLC where he specializes in helping entheogenic religious practitioners enshrine their rights under the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. Greg is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Entheoconnect.
Partner, Zuber Lawler
Jeff Zuber is a founder of Zuber Lawler. A selectee of Best Lawyers in America®, he focuses on intellectual property, regulatory, and commercial litigation. He frequently handles hotly-contested corporate and partnership disputes. Mr. Zuber’s litigation experience includes trial and appellate advocacy in federal and state courts as well as arbitration and mediation proceedings.
Mr. Zuber’s clients include iconic Fortune 500 companies and utilities, as well as leading companies in emerging industries and technologies. He is especially passionate about his work in relation to legalized cannabis and legalized psychedelics. He is the Chair of Zuber Lawler’s Psychedelics Practice Group.
He represents his clients both domestically and internationally.
Mr. Zuber is a founder of the magazine Psychedelia, and host of the Psychedelics Today videocast Legally Psychedelic.
Associate, Zuber Lawler
Lizzie Fanckboner focuses primarily on plant medicine matters, including as to both cannabis and psychedelics. She has experience with deals, regulatory compliance, license applications, contract drafting, and other related regulatory and corporate matters. Particularly, she counsels dispensary owners, infused product manufacturers, cultivators, transporters, and other businesses, including those seeking new cannabis and psychedelics licenses, through the complex and interconnected state and local regulatory frameworks. Lizzie has represented clients before various regulatory authorities in connection with applications and license acquisitions. She has also assisted clients with conducting complex due diligence, and identifying, reviewing, and drafting documents necessary for license acquisitions and applications.
CEO, Green Horizons
Carlos “Los” Arias, J.D., is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Horizons, a large-scale cannabis business in Coachella, California in partnership with Tommy Hilfiger. Arias is also Co-Founder of OmniStem, specializing in intravenous & localized reintroduction of multipotent umbilical cord matrix stem cells.
Arias’s mission in life is to impact the planet as an advocate for natural medicine and wellness. Arias is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, and moreover has trained with multiple plant and amphibian medicine modalities in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Africa.
Arias’s core modalities are Ayahuasca, Kambo, 5-MeO-DMT (Sonoran Desert Toad and Phalaris Grass), Psilocybin, and Peyote. As a result of his lifelong interest in natural medicine and the socio-political issues associated with plant prohibition, Arias focuses his professional energy on the regulated cannabis and emerging psychedelics & wellness sectors.
Co-founder of Freedom Town Holdings, LLC
Manuel Gil is the Co-founder of Freedom Town Holdings, LLC, and Founder of Bermuda Triangle Seed Co. He has designed cultivation facilities in multiple states including Oregon, Michigan, Florida, and Washington D.C. Manuel also specializes in cannabis genetics breeding, acquiring elite cultivars and brand building.
Natures Lab Extractions
President, Durée & Company
WHEN YOU FIND YOUR CALLING, WHY KEEP LOOKING?
President Durée Mellion Ross fell in love with public relations at the age of 19 during a fated college internship. Originally a double major in broadcast journalism and sociology at the University of Miami, she found her place in the world of PR.
Now an award-winning PR entrepreneur, Durée leads a talented team of media relations and marketing specialists in South Florida. The reach of her PR agency, Durée & Company, is global with clients who provide services and impact lives from South Florida to around the world.
Durée is also a pioneer in her adaption of emerging industries, including CBD. Her strategic public relations work in the space has resulted in a growing list of clients, from processing facilities to consumer products sold in big box retailers. Through a watchful eye on local and federal legislation, a strong pulse on key expos and leadership conferences and proven relationships with influencers and thought leaders, Durée understands how to navigate the rapidly-growing cannabis industry to achieve client goals.
LOCALLY GROWN, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
Born, raised and raising a family in South Florida, Durée maintains a headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and a satellite office in Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company has a wide variety of clients, and the firm has joined the ranks of some of the nation’s most elite professional organizations.
Durée & Company is:
ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH HER COMMUNITY
Durée & Company builds its reputation, brand and impact through community service. Personally, Durée has devoted time and resources to missions she believes in. Her work for charitable causes has included, but is not limited to:
Her honors include being recognized by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation at its 8th Annual Comedy Night in 2017. In 2016, she was a March of Dimes Women of Distinction honoree, and in 2013, Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County named Durée one of 100 Outstanding Women of Broward County.
AWARDED BY HER INDUSTRY
Durée and Durée & Company have been celebrated within the PR and small business communities. Their most recent professional accolades include:
SHARING HER EXPERTISE
Beyond training her own team, Durée is in demand to present at various professional events and has served on a range of marketing panels. Some of her most noteworthy engagements include the South Florida Business Journal’s Bizwomen Mentoring Monday in Fort Lauderdale (2014–2020), the Women’s Success Summit IX, Miami (2014), and a recurring invitation to speak to students in the MBA program at FAU’s College of Business and at the University of Miami, her alma mater.
In addition, she volunteers her time and PR expertise to a number of non-profit organizations, including Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer, and MADD.
Durée is a published contributor to Inc. magazine, an American weekly magazine which publishes about small businesses and startups.
In 2018, Durée was invited to create and serve on the committee to establish Florida Atlantic University’s Women in Leadership program, which she did very successfully.
A SOLID FOUNDATION
Prior to establishing Durée and Company, Durée honed her skills with DindyCo PR & Marketing; Best Buddies International, a non-profit organization founded and operated by Anthony Kennedy Shriver; and Zynyx Marketing Communications, which became The Nixon Group and is now part of the GolinHarris family. Durée presently resides in Fort Lauderdale with her husband, son and daughter.
Cannabis Attorney
Scheril Murray Powell, Esq. is currently the President of cannabis consulting firm Green Sustainable Strong, LLC and Managing Partner at Scheril Murray Powell, P.A. She is also General Counsel for Minorities for Medical Marijuana and General Counsel for Patience with Patients. She is In House Counsel for the EOP Foundations Medical Cannabinoid Research and Policy Institute. She is a graduate of Florida International University College of Law. She is a member of the Florida Bar, Dade County Bar Association, Broward County Bar Association, Palm Beach County Bar Association, and National Bar Association, and was selected by her peers to speak at the FIU Law Commencement Ceremony.
As a Cannapreneur, Scheril is the President of Canna Headhunters, a staffing agency in the Cannabis Industry that connects Cannabis talent to opportunities. She has been selected to present at a number of Cannabis Conferences including the South East Cannabis Conference, Canex Jamaica Conference, South East Cannabis Conference, Cannaday, Detroit’s Canna Con, Boston’s Canna Con, Florida Medical Marijuana Conference, The Marijuana Expo, The University of Technology Medical Cannabis Integrated Symposium, and Canna-Ed Conference hosted by the Florida Cannabis Coalition. She is on the Advisory Board for CannaGather Florida and has been asked to speak at Jamaica’s Pharmacological Board Mandatory Meetings and Jamaica Bureau of Standards meetings based on her international reputation as a Cannabis Expert.
Scheril is the regular Cannabis Law expert on Cannabis Law Radio every Saturday morning on Cannabis Life Radio. She presented at the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists Joint Conference in August 2016 on the topic of: “Exposing the Truth: Getting Access to Audio and Video Evidence in Police Involved Shootings”. Scheril is the Treasurer of the FIU College of Law Alumni Board. While at FIU Law, she was the Charter President of the Palm Beach ABA Student Organization and a member and coach of the Board of Advocates Negotiation Team. In 2013, Scheril won the FIU Law Intramurals Negotiation Competition, also she and her partner won the ABA Southern Region Negotiation Competition.
In 2014, she and her partner came in 2nd place in the Nelson Mandela International Negotiation Competition and she was awarded the distinction of Best Overall Negotiator for her efforts. Scheril served on the Black Law Student Association’s National Board for two years and is passionate about eradicating sex trafficking and other social justice issues such as police brutality. She has interned at the State Attorney’s office in the 15th Judicial Circuit of Palm Beach County and for two judges of the 17th Judicial Circuit of Broward County. In the summer of 2014, she served as an Anti-Defamation League Summer Associate. She believes that practicing the law and advocacy for the disadvantaged go hand in hand.
She is an activist and has dedicated her time and resources to promoting awareness, access to educational resources, and support for survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. She has a Facebook page called “Police Chronicles” which documents national police interactions with the community. She sits on the board of two non-profit organizations: Project Ship Foundation which guides the youth through the various “ships” of adolescence including “Leadership”, “Citizenship”, “relationship”, “entrepreneurship”, and “sportsmanship”; and Project 360 Degrees, an advocacy organization for survivors of sex trafficking. She mentors Pre-Law and Law School students of diverse backgrounds and has been a speaker at the Black and Hispanic Prelaw Conference, the Diversity Prelaw Conference, and the HBCU Prelaw Summit and Expo.
Law is a second career for Scheril. She spent over a decade in the wireless industry working for T-Mobile, USA; T-Mobile, UK; RIM BlackBerry; and MetroPCS as a Customer Retention Strategist and Marketing Interface Manager rolling out training, technical change, cultural change, and process improvement projects Nationwide.
Scheril received her undergraduate Business Management degree from Florida Atlantic University with a minor in Marketing where she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and served as the Student Government Senate Speaker for seven campuses. Scheril credits her hard working and strict Jamaican parents James and Judith Hall for her work ethic, tenacity, persistence, and commitment to excellence. She was taught at a young age that we all have a responsibility to each other and must be the example that tears down stereotypes while opening the door for others to follow in your footsteps.
She stays motivated by remembering that her son Judah is watching how she lives her values and “walks the talk” in her daily activities. Scheril believes that every test is for a testimony that will glorify God. If He can do all that he has done for me…imagine his plans for you.
NFL | Dignitary Cafe
Ian established the Dignitary brand in 2015. His knowledge, integrity and popularity have helped catapult him to an exalted status among retired athletes who have settled in the Bay area.
His Dignitary Tea and Kava House has become THE place for the best Kava and Kratom in the entire Tampa Bay region. The establishment’s soulful vibe has attracted many customers from various walks of life, and has become a popular, healthy and safe alternative to bars that sell alcohol.
Ian played guard for nine seasons in the National Football League, his first seven with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his final two with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ian started a long career in radio following his playing days, and his daily show, Beckles & Recher on Tampa’s sports radio 95.3 WDAE, reaches a very large and varied audience in the tens of thousands.
Veteran and Registered Nurse
Nurse Deb is a USAF Veteran and Registered Nurse with over 25 years of experience as a medical professional. Over the years, both as a medical professional, and as a curious citizen, she has amassed a vast wealth of evidence-based knowledge on the benefits offered by entheogenic plant medicines. She is committed to providing evidenced-based research with a desire to change the legal landscape surrounding these misunderstood and stigmatized plant medicines. Entheogenic plant medicines are tools, much like western medicine. She strives to dispel the lie we were told and pivot future conversations.
As a nurse, Deb is very passionate about providing positive patient outcomes and is an active member of several associations. Deb is striving to advocate for her patients by attending state and federal legislative events to better assist in breaking the stigma to allow patients the choice of entheogenic plants as medicine.
Always seeking improvement and additional knowledge, Deb graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BSN in 2020 and is currently in the process of obtaining her master's degree with a focus in Healthcare Regulation from Florida State University School of Law.
Founder, AxisWire / House of Saka
Cynthia is also the Founder of the cannabis industry’s newswire and entrepreneur tech suite, AxisWire, as well as the luxury brand House of Saka. She is also the Co-founder of Green Market Media which is currently most recognized for its cannabis finance news publication Green Market Report and its conference series Green Market Summit as well as a Co-founder of the network Industry Power Women.
KCSA Strategic Communications acquired her leading cannabis and hemp public relations firm Salar Media Group after being in operations for three years. She is a council member on Forbes Communications Council as well as a contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media on the leading women and business of cannabis. Cynthia also sits on the advisory board of the innovative hemp and sustainable hospitality company MoonCloth Designs.
In 2018, Cynthia was nominated as Entrepreneur of the Year and CEO of the Year by her peers through Cashinbis, she was named by High Times as one of the 100 Women in High Places and featured by Dope Magazine as one of the “Outstanding Women in Cannabis”. In 2019, she was named as one of 15 of the most Powerful and Innovative Women in Cannabis by Forbes, one of 20 Women set to Dominate the International Landscape in Cannabis by Benzinga as well as named as one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Cannabis by High Times as well as GreenDorphin.
Cynthia received her degree from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a certificate in political journalism from Georgetown University.
South Florida Ketamine Clinics
Doctor Of Humane Letters, CCJS, MAC, CAP
Mr. John Giordano is an expert in the treatment of addiction, mental health, and the founder of The National Institute For Holistic Addiction Studies (NIFHAS). He is the author of “Proven Holistic Treatment For Addiction & Chronic Relapse”, “How To Beat Your Addictions And Live A Quality Life”, and his most recent book is the acclaimed: “The Kid From The South Bronx Who Never Gave Up,” and is the co-author of “Molecular Neurobiology of Addiction Recovery: The 12 Steps Program and Fellowship.”
Over twenty years ago Giordano founded the prestigious G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center in North Miami Beach, Florida — a 62 bed in-patient/out-patient JCAHO accredited addiction treatment facility.
Visionary l CashoM
Philip Wolf is a widely recognized cannabis pioneer and visionary. He’s a 12-year legal cannabis industry veteran who started out opening medical dispensaries in 2009.
Since his dispensary days, the legal cannabis market expanded, and so did he. He founded a cultivation consulting company and worked with a Wall Street banker/investor to open OBT Ventures, a holding company focused on the ancillary side of the plant. OBT Ventures inspired Philip to do the work he was born to do: open the minds of Americans to the benefits of cannabis, and showcase them in the form of celebration, ritual and elevated dining.
Since then, he’s founded Cultivating Spirits (Colorado, Las Vegas and California), co-founded the Cannabis Wedding Expo (Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and Toronto - New York/Chicago in 2022) and is currently creating CashoM, a Cannabis Masterclass program for beginners and connoisseurs. His focus: to bridge the gap between mainstream America and cannabis through experience and lifestyle.
Philip has been featured on CBS Nightly News, NBC, Business Insider, New York Post, Rolling Stone, Forbes, Time Magazine, Bloomberg, Vice, Entrepreneur, Playboyand many more. He’s appeared in viral Facebook documentary style videos with over 12 million views, and starred in an episode of the popular television show Bong Appetit on Viceland. Philip was recently honored this year by the Rolling Stone Magazine Culture Council to join its ranks. He was also invited to speak at the National Association of Catering and Events Expo in Las Vegas.
What’s in his wheelhouse:
‘Mastermind’ - Newsweek, 2015
“Pioneer of the Cannabis Hospitality Space” - High Times Magazine, 2016.
Founder - Noted as a “Master Mind” by Newsweek, 2015
Cultivator - Designed and set up 8 production facilities. Produced over 1,500 pounds of premium grade cannabis. Trained over 15 growers who are still using his techniques today.
CEO and Founder of Magical Brands
Barnes Caplan LLP
Licensed to practice law in California and Colorado, Courtney Barnes is a Founding Partner at Barnes Caplan LLP, a boutique law and policy firm based in Denver, Colorado, and serves as Counsel at Feldman Legal Advisors PLLC, a cannabis and psychedelics business law firm located in New York State. Ms. Barnes specializes in advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk management, and strategic operational matters relating to the production and distribution of hemp, cannabis, and other natural products in emerging industries. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Barnes is a passionate psychedelics and criminal justice policy reform advocate who has vast experience drafting and helping to implement state and local policy change relating to the regulation of cannabis and the decriminalization of psychedelics. Most notably, she assisted with the drafting of Denver’s cannabis social use ordinance in 2016, Denver’s psilocybin decriminalization initiative in 2018, Texas House Bill 1325, establishing a state commercial hemp program, in 2019, as well as California Senate Bill 519 and Michigan House Bill 631 in 2021. Both bills would decriminalize non-commercial activities involving psychedelics. Ms. Barnes also serves as State Policy Advisor for Decriminalize Nature, General Counsel of the Society for Psychedelic Outreach, Reform, and Education (SPORE), and is an Advisory Board Member of Heroic Hearts Project, Inc.
Oakland Hyphae / Hyphae Labs
Reggie has over a decade of political campaign experience ranging from city council races to presidential elections. On the West Coast Reggie worked on a local level to replace police with guidance counselors in Oakland public schools with the Black Organizing Project in West Oakland. More recently he managed the western and southwestern state campaigns with Color of Change PAC that turned the state of Nevada blue.
Reggie has consulted with the largest mushroom cultivators in the world. He has worked with the largest cultivators in The Netherlands and has recently advised in the establishment of the largest commercial mushroom farm and state of the art testing lab in Jamaica.
Over the past two years, Reggie has established Oakland Hyphae which hosted the Psilocybin Cup and The Oakland Psychedelic Conference, which was the most impactful psychedelic event of 2021.
He is a co-founder of Hyphae Labs which is leading the industry in psychedelic mushroom potency testing. Reggie has also founded Hyphae Nootropics offering adaptogenic medicinal fungi from Cordyceps to Lion’s Mane. Reggie is a strong advocate for who he calls, “the little guy” or the “legacy plant medicine workers”. It is Reggie’s goal to create barriers of entry to prevent big money interest groups from the same industry take over they did in cannabis. Ultimately he aims to protect the legacy plant medicine workers from corporate vultures.
He also has over 10 years of domestic experience in the US cannabis industry. Reggie is a member of the Advisory Board for Decriminalize Nature and is active and passionate in The Movement for Black Lives and an abolition of the police state.
President/Founder WCI HEALTH LLC
Dr. Ohonba is the founder and CEO of WCI HEALTH LLC, an alternative health and wellness company. She’s a public speaker, clinical pharmacist, Adjunct professor of cannabis science, best-selling author of “A Pharmacist’s Guide to Cannabis: Perspectives of a non-conformist clinician; and the host of the podcast “Let’s Talk Plant Medicine: Cannabis, Psychedelics and Pharmaceutics.” Available on all podcast platforms.
Dr. O graduated with honors from Texas Southern University with a major in biology and minor in chemistry (Cum Laude). She later attended Union University College of Pharmacy, Jackson, TN, where she obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She worked for several years as a staff pharmacist for a major retail pharmacy chain; and later transitioned to one of the top Fortune 5 companies in the country as a clinical pharmacist in charge of prior authorization, appeals and grievances for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial clients.
Dr. O is a speaker specialized in medicinal herbs including cannabis and psychedelics. Some of her appearance includes Global Cannabis Intelligence (GCI) Conference; American Cannabis Nurse Association Conference; Sensi Magazine Events; MACE MEDIA V365 Conference; CBD Health & Wellness; Mid-West 2021, The Original CBD EXPO TOUR; Women in Plant Medicine Summit; Cannabis Public Policy Conference by 20/20 Growth Summit and has been featured in many publications.
Dr. O is an advocate for social justice. As a black woman living with physical disability, she is passionate about the issues affecting the “forgotten” in our communities, with emphasis on the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Veterans and the disabled communities! She works with various organizations to give back not just to her community, but also women, men and children all over the World.
She is the host of Cannabis-Psychedelic club every Saturdays 12P; and African Cannadelic club every Sundays 12P EST on clubhouse.
Medicine Man, Traditional Artist, Musician
Marakame Modesto Rivera comes from the lineage of the Wixarika people of Nayarit, Mexico. He is a Medicine Man, Traditional Artist and Musician who has traveled all over the planet following the teachings of both of his parents and grandparents, also Traditional Wixarika Healers.
Through his visionary and unique traditional form of art, Modesto shares the ancestral wisdom and creation stories of his people. Ancestral ceremonial and land centered wisdom is manifested in Modesto’s art and traditional way of life, offering us an opportunity to expand our consciousness and the way we look at the origins of visionary art.
Co-founder of INTIEM
Dr. Lia Monique Jiannine is an Assistant Professor, Exercise and Sports Science in Department of Health and Human Performance at Nova Southeastern University, USA. Prior to that, she was Assistant Director of Wellness and Fitness Programs, Department of Student Affairs, Florida International University. She holds a Professional Memberships in American Association of Health Education, American College of Sports Medicine, Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, DanceSport, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association and National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Native American Community Leader
Gustavo is a community leader who carries altars from South and North America and provides assistance to Indigenous elders in organizing and facilitating Native American Ceremonies. Gustavo is a professional chef with over 20 years of experience highlighting and advocating for Indigenous people through food. He is the cofounder of Munay Wasi indigenous cultural center.
Bestselling Author & Psychedelic Entrepreneur
Kaia is the bestselling author of The Joy Plan, a practical guide to the neuroscience of joy, which was featured on the TODAY Show as the inspiration for the hosts’ week-long “complaint cleanse.”
Integrative Medicine
After experiencing a period of critical illness himself and being massively let down by the conventional medicine system, Dr. Fields knew he had to look for alternative treatments if he wanted to survive.
Eventually, he was able to make a full recovery with only non-pharmaceutical and non-surgical methods like Acupuncture & Functional Medicine. Having lived through that himself, he vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to help others in similar situations.
His mission is to assist people in finding the root cause of their issues and getting them lasting results!
Dr. Jonathan M. Fields, DAOM is an internationally known Acupuncture Physician, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Martial Arts Instructor and Public Speaker. He was born into a medical family, grew up in martial arts, and had a background in music and design. After a serious health crisis of his own yielded no results from conventional medicine, he was able to heal with Acupuncture, Herbs & Functional Medicine. Thankful for his miracle recovery, he dedicated the rest of his life to helping others in similar situations.
NCCAOM Nationally Board Certified for Acupuncture, Herbology, Foundations of Eastern Medicine and Western Bio-Medicine.
Shaolin Temple Medical Center
CEO & CBO at MY Self Wellness
My name is Charles Patti and my journey to self awareness and healing began over nine years ago. Like so many others who have been through trauma and addiction, I found myself lost and unable to cultivate healing that sustained me long term. I spent many years hiding from myself, and unable to understand how to create healing within me that could impact true change in my life.
It was not until I began to incorporate psychedelics in a therapeutic way that I began to see a transformation taking place within me. There is a connection to healing our trauma and re-wiring our nervous system. Psychedelics can be a useful tool when done in a safe set and setting, and incorporating integrative practices to assist you in the long term. The journey is not in the medicine, but when you take what you have witnessed and bring it back into a daily practice.
Everyone matters, there is not one soul on this planet that is less worthy or deserving to receive these healing modalities. It is my mission to bring these these healing modalities to the collective on a global level. I believe monetary status should not be what stands in the way of anyones healing journey. We rise and heal together is what this is all about.
Cannabis & Psychedelic Nurse
Elizabeth Hayes, RN NC_BC, is the Director of Compassionate Care Nursing Services and the Pot Luck Book Club. She has 15+ years of experience in Oncology Nursing. In 2015 she found herself suddenly wheelchair bound and unable to walk. While 90% of her small nerve fibers have been destroyed, the medical doctors have been unable to find the cause.
She struggled for several years unable to walk unassisted, having to crawl upstairs. Traditional allopathic pharmaceuticals gave her life-threatening side effects and her world was turned upside down.
As a nurse educator and patient, she was increasingly frustrated at the lack of accurate medical information and support for patients. She finally found a knowledgeable medical doctor, joined the American Cannabis Nursing Association, the International Psychedelic Nursing Association and began to learn and study everything she could about natural, alternative plant medicines.
Elizabeth no longer needs assistance to walk. She not only can walk upstairs but she is back to dancing and daring to dream. She has used quarantine to become a Board Certified Integrative Holistic Nurse Coach. Elizabeth knows neither cannabis, nor psychedelics need to be your lifestyle to be your life saver.
She has left working in the hospital setting and through her business; Compassionate Care Nursing Services, she helps fellow patients, other medical professionals, and the greater community understand the true medical benefits of all types of natural medicine. She works with individuals and groups through education, advocacy, and holistic nurse coaching to find safe solutions to better their lives.
She is passionate about the need to break the stigmas surrounding natural medicines, the importance of nurses participating in harm reduction and integration of these medicines. She hopes that all of you will fight in your given communities to get cannabis out of its Schedule 1 drug classification, fight for more funding for psychedelic and cannabis research, and if you are a patient, will help others understand the importance of these medicines in your lives.
Co-Founder, Hunter + Esquire
Bryan Passman is the co-Founder of the retained executive search and strategic human capital advisory firm Hunter + Esquire. Bryan and his wife Jessica launched the firm in 2017 to exclusively serve the leadership level hiring needs of the most aspirational cannabis businesses and expanded to serve the psychedelics industry in 2020. Hunter + Esquire is a Boulder-based boutique agency that has spent the past 4 years successful fulfilling leadership roles across the cannabis economy in nearly level legal U.S. market as well as LATAM and EU.
Before co-founding Hunter + Esquire, Bryan spent 18 years as an SVP Recruitment and Client Leader at two different retained search agencies where he and his teams were responsible for successfully managing talent searches globally. Bryan has spent his entire 22-year career succeeding in retained executive search - with a foundation of classical training by the MRINetwork and Dale Carnegie.
Bryan is globally renowned in executive search and advisory in the Cannabis, Psychedelics, Life Sciences and Food & Beverage CPG industries.
Hunter + Esquire’s hiring partners benefit greatly from Bryan’s ability to communicate, train and execute on the intricacies of the "high-touch" executive search and talent acquisition process as well as from his eye for talent and "fit". Hunter + Esquire’s recruitment success is driven by a culture of transparency, candid communication, goodwill, attention to detail, follow-up, passion for always putting the client first, creative problem-solving flexibility and an overall obsession for delivering results.
Author, Journalist
Josiah Hesse is an author and journalist from Denver, Colorado, whose work has appeared in Vice, Esquire, Politico, and The Guardian. Hesse casts a wide net in his journalistic curiosities, covering everything from science, crime and politics, to pop culture, the arts, sex and drugs. After a decade of covering the slow-burn legalization of marijuana, Hesse wrote “Runner’s High: How A Movement of Cannabis-Fueled Athletes Is Changing The Science of Sports,” released on Putnam in 2021, which Kirkus Reviews called “an eye-opening and potentially mind-expanding read for runners and stoners alike, not to mention the culturally curious.”
Hesse is also the author of two psychological horror novels, "Carnality: Dancing On Red Lake,” and “Carnality: Sebastian Phoenix and The Dark Star,” both of which focus on the childhood trauma inflicted by evangelical Christian culture.
He is currently working on a memoir about the poverty and mental illness his family endured while living under the bubble of the Christian right in rural Iowa, which will be released on Pantheon in 2024.
Dir. of Marketing & Creative, FLUENT
Oswaldo has built a successful career in television, digital media, branding, and advertising. Working with Sony Pictures, HBO, and YouTube to name a few, his work has been praised by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. He’s also been honored with multiple awards in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. These have ranged from celebrations of content creation and digital success in advertising to ongoing contribution to human rights cause, including the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in 2017, an award given by the Human Rights Foundation in Oslo, Norway for his contributions to promoting democracy and free speech in his native country of Venezuela. Always looking for new challenges, in 2018, Oswaldo saw a fantastic opportunity in the cannabis industry. Now he leads the new wave of cannabis branding and marketing.
Founder, Nexx Holdings
Brianna Bowes is a cannabis industry leader and founder of Nexx Holdings, a network of expanding cannabis service lines, products and entities such as clinics, gourmet edibles, and restaurants. She has a vision for the U.S. cannabis industry that protects it from turning into Big Pharma. Instead her goal is for the cannabis industry to focus on research, conscious development and helping people learn how to use cannabis for health benefits, whether medical, recreational, or aesthetic. Seen as a trailblazer for young minority women, Brianna places emphasis on education and establishing industry standards for the benefit of the consumer and industry alike.
She is on track to revolutionize the cannabis industry in major U.S. cities with full-fledged health care clinics, Cannabis infused food & beverage offerings and fine dining, consumption lounges, ketamine treatments and more. Beyond holding the coveted position of the Florida Executive Director of the Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, her vision and strategy includes establishing partnerships with well-known brands and organizations to facilitate her mainstream efforts of cannabis products in the U.S.
MS-Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics
Meagan began her career as a nurse working in oncology and end of life care. Five years in, she was up to 20 medications to treat her aggressive MS and doing her best to keep practicing as her body shut down. She began to question the resistance both her doctors and the doctors she worked with had against medical cannabis, and decided to leave her nurse practitioner program in 2019 to obtain an inaugurals masters degree in medical cannabis science and therapeutics. These days, she treats her MS only with plant medicine and she organizes cannabis and consciousness events, has her own line of infused self care products, and works part time at Curaleaf bringing her passion for education to employees and patients alike! She is particularly passionate about cannabis use with other plant medicines and as an entheogenic tool.
Cannabis & Psychedelic Journalist
Rachelle Gordon is a freelance journalist and writer focused on cannabis and entheogens. She has been featured in several leading outlets, including Beard Bros, Skunk, High Times, CannabisNow, DoubleBlind, and Cannabis & Tech Today, among others. Rachelle pivoted from education into writing after facing a felony-level cannabis possession charge in 2011. She has a particular interest in the many ways in which sacred medicine can help treat neurological conditions and mental health disorders. Her favorite cannabis cultivars include Tangie and Super Silver Haze. Follow Rachelle on Instagram @staygold612
Cannabis Consultant, Owner/THC Girls
Krysta Jones Cannabis Business Consultant, Owner/ Operator of the THC Girls, Board Advisor and Consultant for Unified Global Cannabis
Her mission is simple to help create sustainable brands and connect the community.
Starting her Cannabis Career in the earlier stages of the Medical Cannabis market in Colorado, Krysta quickly learned how to be nimble and quick with in the space. Her background consist of many start up companies across Colorado as the legal market came together. From Dispensing to Cultivation Krysta pivoted through out the industry building a strong reputation.
2014 Krysta started the The High Country Girls aka The THC Girls as she notice that traditional outlets were not available for the Cannabis Industry.
In 2017 as Krysta continued to build her career in Cultivation she was recruited to Direct a 35,000 sq ft start up in Oregon where she and her team successfully established a huge Brand, utilizing the THC Girls team and event capabilities.
Currently Krysta sits on the Board of Directors for multiple company's around the Globe and continues to build her brand and name with in the space in both THC and CBD.
Www.kjones.life
Www.thehighcountrygirls.com
Freedom Town Holdings / Fluent
Jose Bermudez is a seasoned cannabis grower and expert with decades of experience. Born and raised in NYC, he moved to Florida in the late 90 as his studies expanded his knowledge and interest in cannabis cultivation, where he perfected methods for growing legacy strains such as Exodus Cheese, NYC Sour Diesel, and Cuban Black Haze. Joe first joined the industry in 2015 where in operated a outdoor Organic farm in Washington state soon after smokeable flower became available to state medical marijuana patients. With his expansive knowledge, he founded Freedom Town Holdings in 2019 A rising name in the Florida market, and has continued developing and improving cultivation for premier exotic strains. Freedom Town Holdings are behind Sweetwater, the premium flower brand developed by Fluent Cannabis for the Florida market.
Psychedelic Nurse
Born in Miami, Jessica is a native Floridian who has lived in southwest Florida since 2003. In 2004, while attending college, she was introduced to yoga.
After a life of trauma and depression, the practice of yoga was the first place she truly felt at home and she began her own wellness journey. After receiving her nursing degree in 2008, she continued working in the field of dialysis.
Six years later Jessica became a yoga instructor, where she began community-based teaching while still working in dialysis. This allowed her to bring her passion of yoga and patient care together with full mind/body wellness.
After 20 years in the dialysis field she yearned for a new beginning. The next part of her journey led her to MY Self Wellness, where she found ketamine therapy. Since then she has dedicated her career to helping other who suffer in their own healing journey, and has immersed herself in the practices of psychedelic therapy for mental health. She belongs to IAPN, and is currently working on translating the book “Ketamine infusions: A Patient’s Guide” 2nd edition from English to Spanish.
Founder CANNECTD Wellness
Transformational Life and Psychedelic Integration Coach
Jenelle Becerra is a psychedelic integration coach who teaches people how to mindfully use psychedelic medicine and transformational coaching to achieve optimal well-being and peak performance. She earned her bachelor's degree in Health Science from Florida International University and is a certified life and wellness coach.
People interested in psychedelic medicine and mental health hire Jenelle because she uses a human-centered approach to redesign ingrained habits and beliefs, which extends the transformational benefits of the psychedelic experience into their daily lives for lasting positive change.
Jenell has participated in and guided psychedelic journeys for the last twenty years. In recent years, she has reaped the transformational benefits of using psychedelics and integration coaching. Last October, she participated in a two-day Ayahuasca retreat and shed 25 years of unprocessed grief and resentment; and has improved her quality of life and relationships since integrating the insights gained after the experience.
Jenelle is most passionate about empowering others to transform their lives through intentional life and wellness design. She loves the grounding nature of adventure travel and hiking. And she can whip up some of the best conversations and cafecito in Miami.
Registered Dietitian, Owner of The Root Cause Method
Jillian Acosta is a registered dietitian and owner of the functional nutrition private practice, The Root Cause Method. In her practice she works with clients to uproot life-long behavioral patterns and deeply buried traumas that result in physiological imbalances. Through her expertise in functional nutrition, she provides personalized dietary guidance to support the body, but Jillian takes her clients beyond the physiology to address the underlying psychological and emotional reasons that drove each client to their current state of health. Her work results in measurable and lasting changes, that dramatically improve her clients’ relationships to food, their bodies, and themselves. Uncovering and uprooting what shapes our relationship with food is, in her experience, what’s missing in the reversal and prevention of obesity and associated chronic illnesses, and what’s standing in the way of true embodiment, fulfillment and connection.
Jillian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition where she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida International University. She has received extensive training from the Institute for Functional Medicine through the University of Western States. She lives in Delray with her dog, Daisy.
Plant-Based Chef / Culinary Anthropologist
Shadi Ramey, M.A, has been a plant-based chef for the past decade. As a culinary anthropologist she loves exploring the intersection of food and culture.
Shadi Ramey discovered her passion for food at an early age growing up in a first-generation Persian household where the act of preparing food was always slow and always intuitive. She learned at an early age that real food takes hours to create and that the same reverence must be given to experiencing that food. Shadi is a self-taught chef combining her interest in cultures from around the world with local, organic ingredients. She began cooking professionally in 2005 and continues honing her passion as a chef. Her culinary passion has led her to study the cuisine of Japan, Italy, France, Mexico and Nepal. Her M.A. degree in Cultural Anthropology led the foundation for her work as a culinary anthropologist, a field which she has been exploring for the past two decades.
In 2008, Shadi began a journey to spread her culinary wings to include culinary herbalism, ayurveda and food as medicine. For the past decade she has been elevating her culinary skills to incorporate health, wellness and vitality. Shadi has studied with Vasant Lad from the Ayurvedic Institute and brings her knowledge of Ayurveda to her kitchen, her recipes and her events.
Shadi started growing hemp on her small, organic micro-farm north of Boulder in 2015. It was then that she started spending time with hemp on a daily basis and experimenting with hemp food on a deep, immersive level. Her work with hemp food includes all edible parts of the plant; the leaves, flower, hemp seeds and hemp seed oil. In 2015 Shadi set out to make a hemp-based body cream that was good enough to eat and her hemp body care line, Satya Kama was born.
Shadi loves to nerd out on all things mycology. She has been cooking with mushrooms for the past twenty years. She is delighted to see mushrooms growing in the mainstream consciousness. Shadi’s approach to culinary mushrooms is much like her other work as it stems from multicultural uses and flavors. Shadi is fascinated by the concept of terroir as it relates to culinary mushrooms and works to bring this to her guests through her culinary work.
In the spirit of prasad, Shadi’s events are a testament to food as a spiritual experience. Her natural talent as an event manager, no doubt stemming from her Persian ancestry, has earned her the reputation of an excellent hostess of immersive culinary experiences, combining environments, unique flavors and plenty of conversation-starting dishes. Her high-end culinary skills and zero-waste approach to all of her events, workshops, classes and farm dinners make for memorable and impactful experiences.
Shadi does both savory and sweet, traditional and modern, and loves fusion-inspired food. Shadi has been a plant-based baker for over 20 years.
She is an advocate for people, plants, regenerative farming and the intersection of plant-based cuisine, high-vibe food and vitality.
Her first cookbook, Hemp: Feed Your Vibe will be published in the Spring of 2020.
Ramey graduated with a Masters of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from New Mexico State University in 2001. She did her field work in Nepal and wrote her thesis on sustainable development. Sustainability continues to be an integral part of her lifework as it relates to zero waste events, regenerative agriculture, mission-driven business and plant-based food.
Mr. Psychedelic Law & Mr. Cannabis Law
Dustin Robinson, Esq. is licensed in Florida as an attorney, a Certified Public Accountant, and a Real Estate Agent. He focuses his practice on providing legal, accounting, financial, and business consultation to various businesses and doctors operating in the hemp and marijuana industries. He has worked at one of the largest national accounting firms – Deloitte – as well as one of the largest national law firms – Holland & Knight.
Dustin was introduced to the psychedelic industry when his cannabis-business-clients started exploring psilocybin mushroom opportunities in Jamaica; and his cannabis-doctor-clients started exploring research opportunities related to psilocybin mushrooms. After talking with hundreds of people about their spiritual psilocybin experiences and then discussing the medicinal value of psilocybin with dozens of doctors, Dustin decided that it was time to push the psychedelic movement forward by building a team of the top medical, spiritual, and legal professionals in Florida with a focus on RESPONSIBLE legal reform. And, hence, Mr. Psychedelic Law was created.
Founder @LiquidGold Consulting; Investor @Zeise Farms, Dir. Of BD @Panacea Plant Science
Lucas W. Gerler has been active in the cannabis and psychedelic space for over two decades. He believes in the freedom to medicate your body as you see fit and is an advocate of legalizing all drugs (not regulating).
Mr. Gerler founded LiquidGold Consulting, bringing much needed operational talent and hands-on go-to-market direction to emerging business in the space. He served as the Director of Digital Marketing for AltMed/MUV prior to their acquisition by Verano, helping them grow from one 5,000 sq ft grow in AZ to the MSO they are today. Concurrently with his other duties, Lucas is the Managing Director at X Social Media - INC 500’s 159th Fastest Growing Company - managing $50M in annual advertising spend for his clients.
He is an active Investor and currently holds investments in companies such as Ziese Farms, which received the only FDA letter of approval for hemp greens to be sold as food items in the USA (now being served at Gusto Green restaurant in LA). Lucas plays an active role in the business development of Panacea Plant Sciences, which holds 1 of 2 DEA licenses for mescaline production for research purposes in the US and is currently raising $6M after announcing partnerships with other leading research companies and universities. Psychedelics are the next wave of therapeutic and recreational products and Panacea has filed patents covering a variety of formulations and form factors containing psychedelic compounds.
Lucas has always made a point to be at the forefront of emerging technologies. At one point, he stopped The BOX Purify & Infuse from going to market after exhaustive R&D testing - citing his personal ethics. Before he put the BOX to rest, he developed an infusion method and sold into the AZ market the first-ever truly infused cannabis pre-rolls. An article was later published in Terpenes & Testing Magazine for his work with the BOX.
Hashinista
A founder, producer, and all-around industry powerhouse, Elise McRoberts develops strategy and produces experiences with and for some of the most respected names in cannabis. In addition to launching and growing brands, Elise has nearly a decade of experience evaluating cannabis products around the world from California to Barcelona, since judging her 1st Cannabis Cup for High Times in Amsterdam 2012.
A published writer, national speaker and former CMO, Elise founded her own Hashinista Consultancy in 2021. Specializing in culture, communications and events, current brand clients include Heavy Hitters, MyHi, The Original Z, Doc Green's and more.
The Grateful Veteran
Jeffrey DeMond is a retired U.S Navy Senior Chief 100% disabled veteran, with over 20 years active duty service. Injured late in his career, after multiple deployments, he required several reconstructive surgeries to repair his ankles and shoulders. His medical conditions were treated with a cocktail of Opioids, Benzodiazepines and countless anti-depressants. After several (7-9) years of being over prescribed harmful opioids both on active duty and retirement, Jeff found a better way of life. He was introduced to Cannabis and its use as medicine. By using cannabis as medicine he has been able to stop the majority of his pharmaceutical prescriptions. He has been addiction free since 2010 and continues to use cannabis to control his pain, PTSD, and depression. Since finding a better way to manage his conditions, he has been advocating for the use of medical marijuana and educating to break down the stigma that surrounds it. A passionate patient rights activist, Jeff and his wife Tara recently founded The Grateful Veteran – a non-profit designed to aid service members financially with their doctor visits and state fees.
Florida Cannabis Action Network
Jodi James is a respected speaker, teacher, debater, strategic planner, thought-leader, and mentor with more than 25 years of experience in cannabis policy. She began as a patient volunteer in 1996, bringing a decade of business experience to the movement to change marijuana laws. By 1998, she had a staff position with the Coalition Advocating Medical Marijuana (CAMM) while volunteering for the newly formed Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN).
Jodi served as the Executive Director for the FLCAN from 2011-2019, overseeing the development of their four-prong platform. During her tenure, the organization put together the first marijuana bill in Florida since 1978, introduced and eventually passed the legislation removing hemp from the controlled substance act, produced dozens of public education programs annually, helped patients earn medical necessity through the courts, and built a statewide constituency that influences lawmakers to this day. In addition to her work with FLCAN, Jodi spent three years with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an international speakers bureau of current and former law enforcement professionals.
Jodi has spoken at national conferences including the National NORML conference, the Marijuana Policy Project conferences, Patients Out of Time Conferences on Cannabis Therapeutics; Cannadelics Miami 2022; and international events including the Drug Policy Alliance and MENSA. In Florida, she has shared her humor, wisdom, and experience with audiences from the Panhandle to the Keys. In the spring of 2014, she shared the stage with Florida Sheriff Association President, Sheriff Grady Judd, in a panel discussion regarding Amendment 2.
Jodi is the managing partner for McKinney James Works, a private consulting firm, and Director of Business Development with Cooper James Enterprises a cannabis product company. Currently, she is serving as president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network Board of Directors while training a new generation to advocate for access to the Cannabis plant.
Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Certified Mental Health Practitioner/ M.A., CCC-SLP, CMHP
“Yasmine” Jeannette Egozi M.A., CCC-SLP, CMHP developed the line of Planta Rx®️ products because of her passion for healing. Being of Hispanic descent and exposed to special needs populations her entire life, her personal story is one of strength and triumph, which is an inspiration for health and healing through cannabis and wellness. She brings her twenty (20+) years of experience, dynamic style and cutting-edge approach as a Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Certified Mental Health Professional, (W)holistic Wellness Guide, a Soul Focused Healing practitioner and an Internationally Certified Stress Management Consultant. Furthermore, she is well versed in the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of how humans heal.
Integrative Medicine
After years of suffering with debilitating headaches and hormonal issues as a teen, and not having any success with the standard medical care, Dr. Lauren was able to find relief through alternative medicine. Ever since then, she has been passionate about helping others as naturally as possible.
She is 4x national board certified, a primary care provider and licensed acupuncture physician in the state of Florida. She has her Doctorate & Masters in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, a Bachelors in Health Science, and is a trained food therapy chef with a degree in culinary arts. She's also certified in functional medicine, injections and iv therapy.
Her Doctorate research was on; the benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushroom in comparison to the pharmaceutical drugs for Alzheimer’s Disease, from a Traditional Eastern Medicine perspective. In addition to her schooling in the United Sates, she's also trained in China at the legendary Shaolin Temple and Beijing Gu Lou Hospital.
She currently specializes in pain management and women's health at Integrative Medicine US in Coral Springs and CR8 Health Anti-Aging & Wellness in Boca Raton, FL. When she's not at work, she plays mom for two young boys, loves to exercise, travel and design custom jewelry.
CEO, Sunburn Cannabis
Sunburn Cannabis is the brand created by Florida-based Sunburn Holdings, LLC, which was created to build the authentic ultra-premium southern cannabis brand that celebrates America's rebellious, rock n roll, free spirit. The Sunburn Cannabis brand is based on the true story of CEO and Founder, Brady Cobb, and his late father, Clyde Walton "Bill" Cobb, who was a cannabis smuggler in the 1970s and 1980s. Sunburn incorporates traditions passed down from its founders, employing a team that is passionate about the plant and cultivating only the highest quality product. For more information, visit www.sunburncannabis.com.
Ecolution
Eric Steenstra co-founded the pioneering hemp clothing and lifestyle brand Ecolution with Steve DeAngelo in 1992. Eric went on to lead the nation’s first hemp trade group, serving as the Executive Director of the Hemp Industries Association from 2007 to 2016. Eric also served as the president of Vote Hemp and Vice President of the California Hemp Council. He has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences and trusted source to the media, including CBS, New York Times, Forbes, CNN, Rolling Stone, Reuters and the Washington Post.
In his role at Vote Hemp, Eric led the effort to introduce and pass hemp farming legislation nationwide and defend the hemp market. In 2001, Eric was part of the team that led the legal effort to overturn the DEA rule banning hemp products containing “any” THC in them.
Eric was part of groups that obtained dispensary licenses in Maryland, Oregon and West Virginia and helped to oversee operations in. the Maryland store. He currently provides consulting and is working on various hemp and cannabis projects including advising the Rosebud Sioux Tribe hemp commission.
Third Wave
Gabrielle Pelicci, Ph.D. “Dr. Gabby” is Head of Provider Relations at Third Wave, a trusted, research-based psychedelics education and community platform. Dr. Gabby completed her doctoral work in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies with a dissertation on women healers -- and studied plant medicine with indigenous healers in New Mexico and Guatemala. She has been a University Professor of Integrative and Holistic Medicine since 2007. Her first book, All This Healing is Killing Me, will be available in April 2023.
Church of Psilomethoxin
Benjamin Moore is an Army Veteran and after almost 10 years of service realized a higher calling and transitioned into the path of spirituality and religious freedom. Benjamin is an avid freediver and a specialized military mountaineer and cold weather expert who spent 24 months training in mountain and cold weather survival in the arctic. This connection to nature and self has led him on this path of awareness and healing that he believes will improve the quality of life for all humanity. In 2020 Benjamin took 8 veterans to Mexico to connect with themselves and source through plant medicine and ancestral exploration. Benjamin is also Co-Founder of the Church of Psilomethoxin, through this and other initiatives he continues working with Veterans and First Responders using Sacred Plant Medicines to help people better understand their purpose and optimize their human experience.
Florida Cannabis Action Network
Jodi James is a respected speaker, teacher, debater, strategic planner, thought-leader, and mentor with more than 25 years of experience in cannabis policy. She began as a patient volunteer in 1996, bringing a decade of business experience to the movement to change marijuana laws. By 1998, she had a staff position with the Coalition Advocating Medical Marijuana (CAMM) while volunteering for the newly formed Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN).
Jodi served as the Executive Director for the FLCAN from 2011-2019, overseeing the development of their four-prong platform. During her tenure, the organization put together the first marijuana bill in Florida since 1978, introduced and eventually passed the legislation removing hemp from the controlled substance act, produced dozens of public education programs annually, helped patients earn medical necessity through the courts, and built a statewide constituency that influences lawmakers to this day. In addition to her work with FLCAN, Jodi spent three years with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an international speakers bureau of current and former law enforcement professionals.
Jodi has spoken at national conferences including the National NORML conference, the Marijuana Policy Project conferences, Patients Out of Time Conferences on Cannabis Therapeutics; Cannadelics Miami 2022; and international events including the Drug Policy Alliance and MENSA. In Florida, she has shared her humor, wisdom, and experience with audiences from the Panhandle to the Keys. In the spring of 2014, she shared the stage with Florida Sheriff Association President, Sheriff Grady Judd, in a panel discussion regarding Amendment 2.
Jodi is the managing partner for McKinney James Works, a private consulting firm, and Director of Business Development with Cooper James Enterprises a cannabis product company. Currently, she is serving as president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network Board of Directors while training a new generation to advocate for access to the Cannabis plant.
Founder of Ganjasana + Suelo Vivo
Rachael works for the plants – she lives in service to plant medicine with a focus on the cannabis master plant. Her practices start in the soil with regenerative farming practices. Rachael speaks on behalf of the natural world, honoring the plants and life in the soil by transmitting their messages for the wellbeing of all— regenerating body, mind and soil for the collective. Rachael is the Founder and Director of the Ganjasana Plant Medicine School where she facilitates courses on comprehensive cannabis education including plant cultivation, regenerative farming, permaculture, plant spirit medicine, sexual health and offers a 100 Hour Yoga Alliance YTT approved CEU training.
She developed ‘The Green Tent’ - Women’s Cannabis Circles to support womb-wellness through ancient ritual. A trail blazer in the eco-conscious movement, Rachael was awarded the first Cosmic Sister Plant Spirit Medicine Grant, a merit-based program that supports outstanding women, for research on Ayahuasca Psychedelic Therapy in the Peruvian Amazon. She actively promotes the Cosmic Sister message, to uplift females who strive for the rights of women, wildlife and wilderness.
A Co-Founder of Suelo Vivo, a Certified Regenerative Hemp seed-to-sale CBD Company, Rachael lives in alignment with the natural rhythms of the sun, moon, and stars, and grows living soil, regenerative cannabis, and vermicompost.
Rachael earned her Certification in Mindfulness Education at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate Program, and is a Certified Yoga Instructor with an academic foundation in Pre-Med + Plant and Soil Sciences from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As a DEM Pure Certified Regenerative Agriculture Educator, she certifies farms and companies who uphold ethical restorative practices. She works with many plant allies including a deep passion for cannabis, hemp, and ayahuasca, and contributes to Skunk Magazine with her ‘Cultivation Column.’
Entourage Consulting Services
Dawn-Marie has always found a way to serve her community and advocate for patients. She owned and operated one of the very first Maryland Assisted Living Homes for over 20 years caring for elderly and vulnerable psychiatric patients discharged from hospitals in the early 1980’s. She has also been a highly effective bedside nurse since 1996. Dawn-Marie’s specialty practices include: skilled rehabilitation, subacute care, orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary, ventilator management, brain injury, palliative care, hospice and community health in the public sector. In caring holistically for her patients, she noted many issues with communication lacking within the healthcare system and patients frustration in not accomplishing goals in treatment. As a passionate advocate for those who seek out her care, these specialties have dovetailed into her current consulting practice of "Cannabinoid Therapeutics" with Entourage Consulting Services. She has been approved by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission as a Clinical Director for Dispensaries and works directly to help care for patients who have chosen to utilize cannabis for treatment for distressing symptom management. As a founding board member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association and Cannabis Nurses Network, Dawn-Marie is a pioneer in this new emerging aspect of healthcare with over a decade of experience with hundreds of patients.
Dawn-Marie is also an effective, dynamic instructor and public speaker, enjoys teaching and mentoring nurses in the field and teaching integrative practices for wellness to patients.
Dawn-Marie's objective is to teach and assist both patients and peers, working in a collaborative effort with dispensaries and staff, for best practices and patient outcomes in Maryland and conversely to the entire US as legalization efforts for cannabis and other adaptogens increase. She was a founder of the National Clinical Director Consortium working to bring all clinicians together in assisting patients in their utilization of cannabis as an herbal ancient medicine for national standards in treatment.
On a personal note she enjoys traveling the world, snorkeling for hours and spending time with her 5 grandchildren.
Dawn-Marie Steenstra LPN, SDC,QA,SCC
Clinical Director/ CEO
Entourage Consulting Services
Dawn-Marie has been a bedside and community nurse for 26 years. As a passionate advocate for medical cannabis since her own cancer journey a decade ago, she now owns a consulting practice for cannabinoid therapeutics as an approved Clinical Director of Dispensaries for Maryland: Entourage Consulting Services. She works to help care for patients who have chosen to utilize cannabis for treatment for distressing symptom management. As a founding board member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, Cannabis Nurses Network, and the National Clinical Director Consortium, Dawn-Marie is a pioneer in this new emerging aspect of healthcare with over a decade of experience with hundreds of patients.
410-967-3183
www.entourageconsulting.net
dawnmarie@entourageconsulting.net
Psychedelic RN / Holistic Health & Integration Coach
Jessica is a prior traveling nurse who decided to leave the hospital to study and pursue Psychedelic & Holistic medicine. Working as a Ketamine integration nurse and sitter, she is with each patient from beginning to end. By Coaching the patient prior to their treatment, remaining with them as they go about their journey, and assisting in integration afterward, Jessica provides a safe and peaceful space during the psychedelic conquest. She believes in the importance of bringing both the spirituality and science of medicine together. Jess holds much empathy for each individual and believes everyone has the power to connect to their highest wisdom. With this belief, she strives to provide accountability to her patients while instilling a peaceful, lasting change to all aspects of their health- Mental, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual.
Healer Collective
Ashley Southard is an advocate for responsible psychedelic medicine and holistic care. She holds advisory and consulting positions in holistic and psychedelic marketing and management. Ashley was most recently the co-founder and CEO of DTC product company Mushroom Design, is an advisor for Beond Ibogaine Clinic, and is co-founder of a wellness-niche marketing agency, Healer Collective.
Director of Training and Development, Planet 13
Jeffrey Trappe II is a certified and experienced operations, business development, and project management professional with a proven record of building teams, driving sales, and increasing operational efficiencies. He started his career in the United States Marine Corps as a Small Arms Repair Technician and Heavey Weapons Instructor. He then moved into the hospitality industry, where he cut his teeth managing and operating 7 bars and restaurants in Tallahassee, FL, and later the Seattle, WA area. After seeing how many of his veteran colleagues could benefit from the use of plant medicine, including cannabis and psilocybin, Jeffrey joined the cannabis industry in 2016. He has since built a career in operations and business development for cannabis businesses through his experience in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. He is currently the National Director of Training and Development for Planet 13 Holdings, a multi-state, vertically integrated, publicly traded cannabis enterprise which owns the largest dispensary in the world located in Las Vegas, NV.
Co-founder, RITUAL
Sara Stewart is a pioneer in cannabis hospitality with experience opening and operating two of America's first licensed cannabis lounges: Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood and Rise Mundelein in Illinois with Green Thumb Industries. Sara also spent 15 years in some of the country’s most lucrative and successful restaurants and five years working in LA's prominent nightlife scene managing celebrity guest lists and front door services for major events including the Golden Globes and American Music Awards. Sara also provided valuable insight into regulatory conditions in new markets such as Nevada and Illinois. She has a BA in Marketing and a deep passion for finding solutions in every aspect of the merging of cannabis and hospitality-driven operations.
Ketamine & Wellness Clinic of South Florida
Sonia Cotto, CRNA, APRN is a 22+ year transplant native of South Florida, growing up in Iowa before moving to the Sunshine State in 1997. After spending a few years pursuing different career paths with her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Sonia found her true calling to heal and help others, returning to school and becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2009. With years of experience in critical care and open-heart nursing, Sonia achieved her ultimate goal, completing her Master’s degree in Anesthesiology and becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist (CRNA) in 2016.
Sonia and Khali met working as nurses in the open-heart unit in Miami-Dade and again as CRNA’s at various hospitals and centers in South Florida. In discovering the benefits that ketamine provides for patients suffering from mental illness, Khali and Sonia set out to make it available for their community in South Florida. They, along with Dr. Delvena Thomas, opened the Ketamine & Wellness Clinic of South Florida in May of 2020 and have quickly become the providers of choice for individualized ketamine infusion treatments in the South Florida community. Their mission is to empower everyone to take control of their mental health and live their best life.
Sonia has a focus on increasing awareness of the benefits of low-dose ketamine for mental health and avidly stresses the importance of Integration and journaling as a way to solidify and expand the relief of ketamine in its use as psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Her contributions to the psychedelic space start with ASKP, Microdose, Cannadelic Miami, Osmind, and more.
CEO of NorCal Seeds and Genetics
J.J. Michaels aka Jungle Jenny is the co-founder and CEO of NorCal Seeds and Genetics (NSG), one of the largest collections of cannabis genetics in the world. J.J. is a wildlife and cannabis advocate, expert in skin care, product development and marketing being the primary formulator and creator of Cannassage topicals and Spiffy Spray (patented). Known as “NorCal Jen” throughout California’s cannabis community, she was an early member of Women Grow and is a lifelong member of the Sonoma County Growers Alliance.
J.J. also co-founded two of the largest medical cannabis collectives—Crystal Garden was one of the largest full service medical cannabis collectives in California with over 10,000 active members and Wine Country Connoisseurs (WCC) in Sonoma County supplying a complete range of unique cannabis products similar to a dispensary. WCC was the first collective to hold private soirees in Sonoma County, featuring food, wine, and cannabis, which promoted the medicinal benefits of terpenes.
Woman CEO, Cannabis Product Developer, Wellness Professional and Wildlife Advocate
As CEO of NSG, J.J. presides over Wine Country Cannabis, a lifestyle cannabis company that markets several “wine” cultivars and creations that mimic the aroma, color, and flavor of their wine varieties. J.J. helped create and develop Merlot Kush, Cabernet Kush, Pink Champagne, Cuvee Kush and other wine cultivars that have unique profiles containing beneficial medicinal compounds.
After receiving her MBA, J.J. studied clinical aromatherapy under Master Aromatherapist Jeanne Rose and completed her Postgraduate Honors Diploma from The International Dermal Institute. She provided professional treatments to clients for health and wellness specializing in touch and aroma therapies. At Crystal Garden Spa, she focused on cultivating whole body wellness through botanical medicine and restoring balance through stress reduction techniques.
Jungle Jenny has always been fascinated yet very concerned with our changing world and the flora and fauna struggling to survive in it. Her curiosity in understanding how human population and increased developmental activities have affected the Earth’s ecosystems & wildlife habitats over the years led J.J. on a “Earth Protector/Restorer” type of mission over the years. Her mission is to help protect tropical rainforest, preserve indigenous species, habitats & wildlife, protect critically endangered animals, provide education and be the voice that addresses threats to these conservation challenges. Her voice is the help humanity understand that we are all interconnected and believes that change starts with ordinary people (like herself) doing extraordinary meaningful work to make a difference.
J.J. has been covering the cannabis scene while documenting her wildlife adventures as a photojournalist for over two decades. During her travels, she explores exotic destinations, encourages eco/wildlife tourism, and shows how visiting these exotic animals in their natural environment has the greatest impact on helping them survive. NorCal Seeds and Genetics LinkedIn: Jennifer J. Michaels IG: NorCal Jen, NSG, Jungle Jenny Twitter: Jungle Jenny jen@norcalseedsandgenetics.com jj@junglejenny.com
info@winecountrycannabis.com
Cannabis Expert and Master Breeder
Jay W. Michaels curates one of the largest collections of cannabis genetics in the world. He is COO of NorCal Seeds and Genetics (NSG) and has been a cannabis advocate for over 50 years.
Writer, Cannabis Researcher, Breeder, Cultivator, Inventor, and Cannabis Expert.
Jay is considered one of the top breeders of cannabis in the world creating whole classes of cannabis that never existed in nature. He is a master breeder with intimate knowledge of how to exploit modern genetic techniques. Jay has decades of experience cultivating indoor and outdoor cannabis for research and development and commercially for consumption. He has hands on experience on collecting landraces, traveling abroad for genetics and sourcing rare cannabinoid ratios.
Jay also consults breeders who wish to patent and or license their genetics and is often called upon to opine on cannabis in litigation matters as a recognized cannabis expert. NorCal Seeds and Genetics Linkedin: Jay W. Michaels Instagram jay@norcalseedandgentics.com
Board-Certified Brain Trainer
Toby Pasman is a board-certified brain trainer and founder of NuroFlex, a mobile, peak-performance brain training & assessment service in South Florida.
Toby has a Master's in Psychology from Lynn University and is a Certified Human Potential Coach, helping clients implement evidence-backed tools and techniques for optimal brain health.
Toby is the host of the NuroFlex Podcast, which features interviews with leading clinicians, researchers, and neuroscientists, often exploring topics such as psychedelics and cannabis.
Cannabis & Psychedelic Nurse
Colleen Murray, RN, is a cannabis nurse and a member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association. She is also a medical canabis patient herself and is intimatley familar with Florida medical marijuana products. Nurse Colleen has managed several medical marijuana clinics, as well as worked at several Florida dispensaries.
A trained medical professional, who is also trained in the endocannabinoid system, with personal cannabis experience, Nurse Colleen has a unique perspective you won’t find anywhere else.
She works with medical patients who want to include cannabis therapeutics in their health management program.
More speakers to be announced.
