On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt with Montel, Emily Paxhia, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Poseidon Asset Management talks with Montel about the business of raising capital and investing in the cannabis industry. Emily is also a board member for the cannabis industry organizations, Athletes For Care, Marijuana Policy Project, and The Initiative.
ONE WORLD PHARMA | DR KENNETH PEREGO
On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Dr Kenneth Perego, a practicing urologic oncology surgeon who has a strong background in research and new drug discovery. He serves as executive chairman of the board for One World Pharma, a cannabis cultivation company based in Columbia, alongside the companies CEO, legendary NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Dr. Perego discusses the endocannabinoid system, the latest in cannabis research, and why Columbia plays an important role in the future of the cannabis supply chain worldwide.
Montel’s guest on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Michael Sanicola, was a preacher once adamantly opposed to cannabis. His world was flipped upside-down when his three sons were diagnosed with PANDAS which eventually led to a cancer diagnosis in his son Michael. He did a complete 180 with his beliefs in cannabis and became a strong advocate for it once he saw what an incredible impact on him and his sons lives. Now, he works to spread his gospel about the medical benefits of cannabis and is writing his memoir, The Pot Preacher.
On this Let’s Be Blunt Short, Montel Williams chats with Karson Humiston, the Founder and CEO of Vangst, the world’s largest recruiting platform focused specifically on the cannabis industry. The marijuana industry is projected to top more than $30 billion in legal sales by 2025, and with this projection comes increasing job opportunities. Montel asks Karson to talk about Vangst and explain the opportunities they provide. She explains that Vangst not only helps hire people who are trying to break into the cannabis industry to find the job that’s right for them, but also partners with their clients to make sure they’re hiring the best talent on the market.
Jessica Gonzalez, like millions of others, was suffering from anxiety and depression. When she decided to trade in alcohol and prescription medication for medical cannabis, not only did she feel better and become more productive, it helped her to lose100 lbs. She is a mother, a wife and a full time cannabis influencer and educator. Also known as The Mommy Jane, Jessica talks with Montel on this episode of Let’s be Blunt about giving up alcohol and medicating solely with cannabis. The outcome was remarkable. Cannabis high in THCv combined with conscious consumption (micro-dosing) and an active lifestyle was the Holy Grail combo in her weight loss journey. She became a strain hunter, looking for terpenes like Humulene that would give her the energy to do yoga or go to the gym and not make her want to eat the pantry once I got back home. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel speaks with Moriah Barnhart. Moriah founded CannaMoms in 2013 after her daughter Dahlia was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer and she discovered that cannabis provided much needed relief in her daughters care. She is a strong proponent of taking rights to one’s body and health and putting it back into the hands and homes of the patients and their caregivers, and she fights diligently alongside those with the same mission and message for legislative changes on a federal and state level. In 2015, Moriah helped launch Women Grow Tampa Bay, serving as founding chairwoman of the organization aimed at connecting, educating, and empowering women in all segments of the cannabis industry. She also organized large-scale advocacy efforts in support of Amendment 2, the successful 2016 ballot measure that established Florida’s medical cannabis program. Moriah currently sits on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Hemp Advisory Committee and Consumer Education Subcommittee. Moriah is a founding board member of WISE Florida, The Women’s Initiative for a Safe and Equitable Florida, launched by a diverse group of supporters who recognize the harms caused by cannabis prohibition and share a commitment to advancing sensible cannabis policy reform in Florida.
https://youtu.be/XoNi_WsLyKk
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Adam Eidinger, a Washington D.C. businessman and cannabis rights activist, known for his role in spearheading Initiative 71, which legalized cannabis in the District of Columbia in 2015. His activism extends to a wide range of efforts; key among his causes have been the marijuana and hemp politics, GMO labeling, anti-war, and social justice. He has been featured in The Washington Post and The New York Times for his work. He is the Social Action Director for Dr. Bronner’s body care company and the founder of DC Marijuana Justice which recently announced its plans to offer free cannabis at vaccination sites across DC in Spring 2021.
On this Let’s Be Blunt Short, Montel Williams sits down with George Hodgin, a former US Navy Seal with an MBA from Stanford University. He is the founder and CEO of Biopharmaceutical Research Company which is based out of Monterey, California. In their informative exchange, George expresses his frustration with the lack of evolution of the US federal cannabis industry since the early 1960s and explains that 92% of veterans feel that the federal government should be looking at cannabis as a potential alternative for healthcare treatment.
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Gina Vensel and Elizabeth Sheldon, the Co-Founders of the Plant Media Project, a boutique marketing company specializing in services for plant medicine and wellness businesses and co-hosts of the Vine podcast, aimed at providing an insightful look into the world of plant medicine. They discuss everything from their personal experiences with cannabis as patients to regulatory advocacy to business practices.
Imagine your child is sick…and then you discover that there is something that can bring them relief…BUT you must break the law in order to access that it, and risk the wrath of law enforcement, and worse yet, the threat of Child Protective Services knocking on your door one day and taking your child from you. Would you take the risk to help your child? The new documentary “Weediatrics”, explores stories of families at the heart of this issue. These brave parents went on camera to tell their stories, in hope of creating a greater understanding and empathy for desperate families across the country in similar situations. On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel explores this topic with the films producer, Erin O’Hearn.
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Lisa Quarrell, a mother who lives in East Kilbride, Scotland, who has been tirelessly campaigning for a National Health Service-funded prescription that her son desperately needs. Her 8-year-old son, Cole, was diagnosed with a rare form of severe epilepsy as a baby and suffered up to 20 seizures a day. He had undergone brain surgery and tried 20 different anti-epileptic drugs before before he was prescribed a life-saving cannabis oil which has helped him tremendously. The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for her to afford the medication since the fundraising nights she was having were put on hold. She has since been campaigning to have cannabis oil and medications provided and paid for by the NHS but she continues to struggle with the bureaucracy of the Scottish government and NHS Scotland.
Montel talks with Kentiuky native Jim Higdon on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Jim wrote the first non-fiction account of the Cornbread Mafia which tells the story of the biggest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history, which took place in his hometown of Marion County, Kentucky. With the books success, he became a nationally recognized cannabis journalist, covering Kentucky for the Washington Post and cannabis policy for POLITICO. In 2018, he left journalism to co-found Cornbread Hemp.
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with film director Craig Pryce about his latest project, The Marijuana Conspiracy, based on the true sporty of a Canadian government experiment in 1972 on the effects of cannabis consumption by women. Craig is an accomplished writer, director and executive producer for film & Television. He is the Creator, of the Good Witch series of films (of which there were a whopping 7!) and Executive Producer and lead director on the Good Witch television series starring Catherine Bell, now in its 7th Season.
On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Bryan Buckley and George Sadler. Bryan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Helmand Valley Growers company and the Founder of the Battle Brothers Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to empowering veterans through community-based personal development, economic upward mobility, and progressive medical treatments to better their lives and the lives of their families. The Battle Brothers Foundation recently received IRB approval to launch an observational study on the use of cannabis to help combat PTSD in veterans. George is the CEO and Co-Founder of Platinum Vape and host of the podcast PV Unfiltered, and a proud supporter of the Battle Brothers Foundation.
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Mark and Christy Zartler. They are parents to twin daughters, one of which, Kara, suffers from Autism and Cerebral Palsy and struggles with severe self-injurious behavior related to her condition. Whole plant cannabis has helped to relieve some of her symptoms when traditional medications didn’t. That wouldn’t be a problem if they lived in a legal medical cannabis state, but they live in Texas. The Zartler’s risk the wrath of law enforcement and Child Protective Services (when Kara was younger) in order to bring their daughter the only medication that brings her relief from her self injurious behavior. They are sharing their story in hopes of helping other families who are coping with similar situations.
On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Corvain Cooper. Corvain spent nearly 8 years in a maximum-security prison, serving a life sentence without parole for a non-violent marijuana offense. He was sentenced under the 1994 Federal Crime Bill’s three strikes law because of two previous non-violent convictions which were later vacated. On January 20th, 2021, after the hard work of many individuals and organizations, he finally and fortunately received a grant of executive clemency from Donald Trump in his final days in office. Out on 10 years of parole, he is reuniting with his loved ones, rebuilding his life, and working hard to make change. He is now a Chief Brand Ambassador at 40 Tons, a black woman-owned premium cannabis, clothing, and accessories brand from LA, California. 40 Tons advocates for restorative justice, reduced sentencing, and rehabilitation for non-violent cannabis offenders. He now serves as an advisor to the Last Prisoner Project, and the author of a four-part memoir “Look Into My Eyes” set to be released later this year.
Montel talks with Chris Walsh, the CEO and President at Marijuana Business Daily, on this episode of Let’s be Blunt. Marijuana Business Daily is a Colorado-based business news outlet for professionals in the recreational and medical cannabis industry and the most trusted business-to-business news source for cannabis in the US and Canada since 2011. Chris earned his MBA in international business from Regis University and has over a decade of business reporting and editorial experience. He is a legendary journalist, one of America’s foremost cannabis industry analysts, and the first journalist in the United States to focus exclusively on covering the business of cannabis.
Montel talks with Cooper Andrews on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Cooper is best known for his starring role on the long running series The Walking Dead. His character on the show, “Jerry” brings some much needed comic relief to the zombie apocalypse series. When’s he’s not on set, you’re likely to find him at a fan convention passing out his favorite cobbler. He personally came on board the cannabis bandwagon in 2017, and is now an outspoken advocate for its many benefits.
On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with the Chief Medical Executive for AMVETS, Cherissa Jackson. AMVETS is one of the oldest and largest VSO’s (Veteran Service Organization) in the US, and the only one to pass a resolution stating their support for veterans access medical cannabis. Cherissa is a combat nurse veteran who served a total of 23 years in the Air Force, 10 of those as an Air Force nurse. She is a veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, having served a total of 3 combat deployments. She is on a mission to help address the needs of our veterans through education and awareness.
