Global Healthcare Conversations with Mieko Perez ft. 101 Hemp Corporation CEO
Tell us a little about the mission of your company.
I love helping others, seeing them realize their potential and being a change for good. I discovered the power of the cannabis plant in its raw form when it brought our child back to us from the fog so I committed my life’s work to pay it forward by educating the world about our story and how the hemp/cannabis plant can help billions of people around the world with its seemingly endless uses.
What is your personal story with choosing cannabis for your child on the autism spectrum?
Our son was diagnosed with severe, regressive autism and we came across some research that cannabis was helping kids with seizures and we prayed it would help our son. When we discovered raw, whole-plant cannabis high in CBDa that’s when we had our breakthrough.
Our son is no longer on the spectrum and so we set 101cbd.org to pay it forward and educate the world about this miracle plant.
Do you think cannabis education for medical professionals and healthcare providers is lacking?
There is a lack of training in the medical profession in the basic functions of the endocannabinoid system and the functions of cannabis in the body. There is an especially large gap in knowledge about the hemp-extracted CBD and the raw CBDa products available in the consumer market.
As many patients turn to these products on their own for pain, anxiety, sleep, and more serious health challenges, it is important for the medical profession to keep abreast of the latest research on benefits, guidance on choosing products, and dosing suggestions.
While there has been more familiarity with THC products in medical marijuana, there appears to be a lack of differentiating the usage and benefits of CBD versus THC.
There also is a lack of awareness of the potential negative effects of recommending THC products for children during brain development up to 25 years of age and the potential negative additive effect of THC on children with current neurological problems such as autism…
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Business Ventures on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. James Henry SF Cannabis Brand
Social responsibility falls upon businessmen to heed the call in any society. Businessmen must review the impact of their decisions and actions on the other sections of the society. According to Peter F Druker, “Social responsibility requires managers to consider whether their action is likely to promote the public good, to advance the basic beliefs of our society, to contribute to its stability, strength and harmony.”
When startup companies include community social responsibility, this provides consumers with a “trusted” sense of assurance that includes: understanding the elements of community responsibility, ethical actions, legal aspects, economic Interests, and philanthropic obligations…
And that was just in the first forty-five minutes into my conversation with John Alston of the James Henry SF…
What is your personal story and mission that motivated you to work with cannabis?
Being a Louisiana native, the state has one of the highest rates of cancer patients in the country and as a result, it has plagued my family. When I had a breast cancer scare with my mother, I researched all the information I could find on cannabis killing cancer cells.
I wanted my mother to try concentrated, full or targeted spectrum cannabis therapy in lieu of chemotherapy. Thankfully, she only needed a few rounds of radiation. I’d now learned the truth about medical cannabis and also forged a social justice initiative to make an impact with my new found knowledge. As a young black entrepreneur, I wanted to change the negative way that our communities viewed cannabis consumption.
And the proof is in the data, we have more states on board with some form of cannabis legalization and federal legalization is in very promising talks. And that’s with more education and information that from brands like James Henry SF and organizations like the Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine have been contributing and working towards.
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Business Ventures on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. entrepreneur, Donnie P.
Donnie P., an entrepreneur and native of Jeanerette, Louisiana, realized early in his professional business career that he was equipped with the necessary drive and determination that would allow him to start businesses—from the ground up—without any money.
He used these tools and, immediately upon graduation from Southern University A & M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he established Community Case Management, an adolescent substance abuse counseling service. Soon after, he would also create Preventive Medical Services, a community-based medical health center.
Later on in 2007, Donnie P. would hone his entrepreneurial knowledge and skills by founding A Plus Home Care Services, a non-medical, in-home health company that focuses on elder and support.
He credits the success of A Plus Home Care Services to his unparalleled motivation and perseverance. During A Plus Home Care Services’ infancy, he assumed every role that was required to effectively run the business. He became an expert in the areas of finance, sales, marketing, and operations.
Today, with over 20 years of experience, Donnie is guided by his unwavering faith in God and desire to develop business platforms that will uplift others. He is currently founder and CEO of OSD Holdings, LLC, which is a cannabis dispensary owner/partner of Greenleaf Dispensary in Houma Louisiana.
He launched A Caring Home Services’ national franchise rollout in the middle of 2012. In August of 2013, he sold his first of many franchises to Karl and Beverley Stephens, LLC out of Nashville, Tennessee. A Caring Franchise was sold in 2019.
In 2014 Donnie P. Authored his first business book titled, How to Catch a Mouse with No Cheese. It was written for people who either have been in business for up to a year or are interested in starting a business, but do not have money.
It discusses five life-changing principles that will help you succeed. Each principle has its own basis for preparing you to get your business up and growing with no money.
What kind of cannabis research is needed that hasn’t been covered yet?
More research is needed on the cannabis plant to discover all of its healing power because it has so many. We have only scratched the surface on how much healing power the herb has which can help so many people.
Where do you see Greenleaf dispensaries in five years making an impact?
In five years, we envision Green Leaf Dispensary operating in several states and bringing other budding entrepreneurs into the industry.
What is the best advice you can give to a first-time cannabis user walking into Greenleaf Dispensary?
Well, for a first-time cannabis user that walks into our dispensary, they speak with our board-certified pharmacist to discuss the health benefits of cannabis after a recommendation from their doctor. With that knowledge, they are ready to enjoy the benefits of cannabis for their symptoms.
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Business Horizons on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. Chef Matt
Chef Matt’s culinary career began in 1998 when he opened his first restaurant in Oklahoma. Since then, Matt has traveled and studied culinary arts overseas and throughout the United States. In addition to pursuing his culinary passions, he has also been in the catering industry since 2000.
He has won numerous cooking events during his time as a chef. He’s won BBQ awards, Cajun/Creole awards, and several other awards to date. His overseas experience is powerfully displayed in his finished culinary works.
While working for the Hyatt Regency, he ran several of their 5-star restaurants including a Teppanyaki restaurant, Italian restaurant, Japanese restaurant, and even their Las Vegas style buffet restaurant. Matthew is well versed in butchery, training, and menu planning.
So, it should be no surprise that Chef Matt has developed a brand of his own CBD products to compliment his passion for the culinary arts. Through this passion he has partnered with diverse companies such as: Nuvo Olive Oil, Pantry Food Company, Deeper Green, Juju Royal, and CBD Daily Eats.
Chef Matt’s products bring chef quality cooking to your kitchen as well as a unique variety of CBD and THC – infused products to the everyday consumer.
He encourages fine cuisine enthusiasts to try new recipes and is a strong advocate and educator to those who are curious about experimenting with THC and CBD-infused ingredients as a part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
What is your personal story and mission that motivated you to work with cannabis?
I started cooking with cannabis in 1994. My uncle was a cannabis grower and I watched my uncle add it to everything like rubbing alcohol, liquor, and sauces.
One day in my 20’s, I had a bag full of buds and we were having a pool party. I threw some cannabis into the BBQ sauce and it was the talk of town!
After that experience I started adding it into everything. And on that day, I really understood what it meant to wear a chef hat (especially one handed down from uncle to nephew.)…
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Business Ventures on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. Oklahoma’s Flower Therapy Dispensary
What is your personal story and mission that motivated you to work with cannabis?
My story and mission that motivated me to work in cannabis probably started originally back in 2004 when I came home from school at Florida A&M University.
That summer, I was incredibly focused on breaking into the music business industry, so much that I felt confident enough to walk into my father’s private practice office and let him know that college wasn’t for me and I wanted to pursue starting my own business.
Long story short, it did not go over well and I was faced with a dose of reality. Making this decision led to me to moving out and figuring things out on my own like how I would make money and pursue my career goals.
I will touch on this lightly over time, because of course in 2004 -2005 the laws were nowhere to the point they are now. However, during this time was when I learned how good I could be as a knowledgeable resource for what people needed and how I could go about it relatively unseen and unheard.
I had an internship that turned into a job in Hollywood so my mobility around the city allowed me to be of service to all different types of individuals, that this plant connected me to.
Genuine conversations and interactions with people from different walks of life began to show me how much positive energy was provided with this plant.
I was able to observe California implement medical marijuana laws and start to see a framework that could make sense, instead of the risks I was previously taking.
Fast forward to life around early 2018, I found myself in Ohio trying to land a marketing job with a start-up company. In preparing for the possible relocation, I asked about how the medical cannabis policy would be handled and the job offer was pulled.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise and one of the primary moments in my life that led me to pursue what it would take for me for me to be able to capitalize in this new emerging LEGAL recreational market in California.
I was aware that less than one percent of people that looked like myself were represented in this new business. However, at the core of what this is, I couldn’t accept not trying. I told myself if I couldn’t find a way to talk to people about the health benefits of cannabis then maybe I need to reconsider everything I’m doing and reset…
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Business Ventures on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. Tammy Pettigrew
Republished July 3, 2021 | By Mieko Hester-Perez
Tammy Pettigrew is a California-based cannabis advocate, educator and speaker focusing on cannabis science, history, business, and debunking countless myths surrounding cannabis. Her goal is to create change by helping others improve their lives by arming them with the proper information and challenging outdated perspectives when it comes to health and wellness.
In 2019, Tammy was market chair for Women Grow Orange County, and hosted monthly networking events, connecting professionals in the industry with those aspiring to be in cannabis.
In 2018, Tammy graduated from the University of Miami with a Master of Business Administration and subsequently launched her cannabis education company, The Cannabis Cutie. This educational platform hosts a cannabis-based book club, cannabis courses, a vlog, and social channels with daily informative lessons. Currently, she hosts educational and informational segments on Herb Magazine’s social channels, as well as KandyPens.
Tammy is used to creating movements and was able to be part of history at Oklahoma State by being one of seven women who chartered the first multicultural Greek-lettered organization on campus. The women met in the fall of 2007 for their first meeting, and on June 13, 2012, they were granted chapter status by Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., as the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter, with Tammy elected as their first president.
During her tenure at Oklahoma State, she also joined ranks with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the newest NBA team in the league. Her job was to manage all entertainment elements during pre-game, time-outs, halftime, and post-game. She helped coordinate game-day scripts and contracts, supervision and leading of the spirit team, held office hours, sat in department meetings, and aided with bookings for half-time and pre-game performers.
What inspired you to start The Higher Learning book club?
I really love to read! It’s how I gather a lot of the information about cannabis, but one of the hardest things about reading books is holding myself accountable to the book. This seems to be a problem for many people, so the book club seemed like a no-brainer! The purpose of The Higher Learning Book Club is to bring like-minded cannabis users and enthusiasts and elevate our knowledge on all-things cannabis, while holding each other accountable.
We are so much more than just “potheads,” and in order to change the public perception and dogma around cannabis, we as users have a responsibility to be that change first. This book club is cultivating advocates to push the mission of freeing the plant, forward.
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Cannabis Lifestyle with Mieko Perez welcomes Big Kush Jay
June 29, 2021 | By Mieko Hester-Perez
Jason ‘BIGKUSHJAY’ Berry is a cannabis influencer with roots in the music industry. Born and raised in upstate NY, he started his career in NYC as an intern at Jive Records in the promotions department.
Quickly learning the ropes, he soon started a promotion and management company for mixtape DJ’s. All while holding down a job as marketing director for The Fridge Magazine, an independently published magazine that focused on the collision of action sports and hip-hop culture. He combined his efforts which led him to Eminem’s Shady Records. After much success in the music industry, he decided to switch focus to Los Angeles and the cannabis industry.
Utilizing his DJ and marketing talent relationships he started the cannabis lifestyle brand Klub Kush DVD Mixtape Magazine, where he interviewed artists such as: B-Real, Method Man & Redman, Raekwon the Chef, Curren$y, & many more on the topic of weed & hip hop. Klub Kush soon morphed into more than just a cannabis lifestyle brand encompassing clothes, bags, and cannabis lifestyle pieces. His book, Married to Marijuana, is his personal journey with weed and hip hop where he tells many of his stoner stories of him smoking and having fun with many of our favorite rap artists. Today BigKushJay is more of a cannabis influencer than anything, working behind the scenes with Oaksterdam University helping to educate the greater Los Angeles area on the finer points of cannabis horticulture and business.
What is your personal cannabis story that inspired you to enter the cannabis industry?
As I worked within the entertainment industry for years, cannabis was always closely associated with most of the creatives I dealt with. When I decided to start my company, cannabis and hip hop was going to be the cornerstone of everything Klub Kush!
Do you think cannabis education for medical professionals and healthcare providers is lacking?
Yes, I feel education of the cannabis plant is very much lacking. Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug which prohibits any federal funded studies. Making it very difficult for any education to happen without proper certified studies. The first priority in my option is to reschedule the plant. Jason ‘BIGKUSHJAY’ Berry klubkush@gmail.com @Bigkushjay @KlubKush
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Global Healthcare Conversations with Mieko Perez ft. Dr. David Wise
June 26, 2021 | By Mieko Hester-Perez
Dr. Wise began his business coaching and workplace consulting career in 1997. Since then, he has worked with numerous organizations in almost every industry and at every level. Such notable companies include Daimler-Chrysler, GMAC, Qualcomm, PPD & Abbott Labs.
He also worked with the government in varying capacities, including the GSA, Fish & Game, and Secret Service. His skill set of coaching C-Level executives and primary decision makers to successful goal and objective attainment made a name for himself as a thought leader, solutions provider, and forward thinker. Dr. Wise earned his Juris Doctorate in 2008, his Doctor of Management in 2002, and his MBA in 1998.
His experience in the following projects have contributed to his success as Chairman and Founder of Infinity Inc . Dr. Wise has been called upon for workplace morale, design, and structure in various capacities. He also developed a situational program for boosting productivity, creating self-awareness, increasing sales and efficiencies.
What is your personal story and mission that motivated you to work with cannabis?
I have always believed in the medicinal benefits of cannabis. My personal experience was the quarter sized mole on the top of my head that was discolored and irregular in shape. My doctor’s suggestion was to remove it surgically, However, that would have left a bald spot on my head.
So, I applied a topical treatment that we created and it completely removed the mole without a trace and did so in 3 months without regular application. Every doctor I show pictures too has a jaw dropping moment. In addition, I took on several clients to try cannabis as a medicinal alternative to pharmaceuticals, especially those recovering from or suffering from cancer.
All of them reported lower inflammation, less pain, and better appetite. Just the relief they felt was enough for me to believe that a natural plant such as cannabis was necessary in our arsenal of medicines to provide relief from a multitude of ailments...
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Conversations with Mieko, Generational Cannabis Connections
February 13, 2021 | By Mieko Hester-Perez
Join The Hungry Medium for her popular Friday evening community event; Exclusively on Clubhouse!
Connecting with Kat Niambi was no accident, you can hear her spirit in her laughter and her soul on a mission as we discussed how important it was for her perspective to be heard from the local neighborhood bodega to the steps of the White House with this blog. It had become apparent we shared the same “soulful journey” in “Changing the narrative” which has become my go-to hashtag these days, and Ms. Niambi does not skip a beat in owning the same calling, “Let us be the ancestors our descendants will thank”.
An open blog by The Hungry Medium, Kat Niambi.
Your teenager knows that you smoke weed. You know how I know? Because I am a mom. A mom who smokes cannabis. Moms do weird things. Weird things like pretending to clean your kids’ room while they are out of the house just to be nosy. We do it! Do not act like you do not. On one of these weird days, as I was “tidying up”, I felt the need to snoop in my youngest daughter’s nightstand. The contents were basic teenage items…lip gloss, a small mirror, markers, spare change, postcards and oh hello…rolling paper, a weed roach, and a teeny tiny dime bag of cannabis!
Lots of thoughts. All of the thoughts.
- Really? She is smoking weed.
- Oh no!!! My baby (16) is a pothead!
- Is she smoking in her room? I have never smelled it.
- I feel bad. The dime or nickel bag is still a thing? Poor baby!
- Is this weed any good?
- Should I tell them that I am a toker too?
It is the last one that I struggled with often since having kids. I had been smoking cannabis since I was 16 but because of the stigma surrounding it, I was afraid that my perfect “image” would be diminished. Even my first reaction to seeing the joint in my kid’s room was more about my perception of what kind of person she must be. It was a fleeting thought but real, nonetheless. There was/is some shame to unpack when it comes to the use of this plant. Even still, as I start to speak more about it publicly, I am met with nervous giggles and even a “shhhhh” once in a while.
There is definitely some judgment, but there was one life event that somehow offered me somewhat of a reprieve from the guilt, to finally open up and reveal my love for cannabis. The life event. Cancer…
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Business Ventures on the Horizon with Mieko Perez ft. Herb of Life CEO
March 20, 2021 | By Mieko Hester-Perez
Known simply as the 1st Lady of the West Coast on her Instagram, if you’re lucky enough to sit down with her to discuss music and medicine, you can call her “E”.
Destined to become major player in the cannabis industry with a product line of infused drinks and cannabis strains, she definitely brings this quote to mind; “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” — Oprah Winfrey
What is your personal story that connects you to the cannabis industry?
Cannabis saved my life from antidepressants. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression back in 2003. You would not know about my disorder unless you grew up with me and witnessed my journey and where I am today. I am proud of myself for choosing life and educating myself on the medical benefits of cannabis for bipolar depression. A lot of people do not know cannabis can be effective for treatment of bipolar disorder symptoms and can act as mood stabilizer. I have worked so hard on myself and the woman I wanted to be in life. I refused to be another statistic especially as a black woman living in America.
I thank my family for saving my life and helping me through everything, but most importantly allowing me to know what love is. I think it’s important for others who deal with mental health to have options, like natural alternative like plant-based medicines to help alleviate their symptoms. Pharmaceutical drugs can be very effective but the side effects can produce their own harrowing symptoms.
Rather than continuing to consume antidepressants, it allowed me to be me again. I felt “stuck” every time I took Prozac and all I wanted to do was sleep or sit in one place. Cannabis was a great alternative for treating my symptoms and I am so excited to help educate others about this amazing plant.
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