AACE INTERVIEW: Tengku Chanela Jamidah of Halal Hemp
Tengku Chanela Jamidah
“Halal Hemp will be supporting this movement through educational programs and strategic alliances. The future is bright and change is coming to the East!”
I met Jamidah at our first AACE gathering last August, we had a room filled with APIs in the cannabis community and industry, a full room of fellow APIs is a thing to behold! And in the center of this room was Jamidah, I am honored today to feature her, she is a shining light that shines on educating others and destigmatizing cannabis to our communities. Her organization is Halal Hemp, their five pillars are Education, Policy, Economic Decolonization, Community, and Sustainability. We look forward to Jamidah changing the world and Halal Hemp’s inclusive and world view motto lays out the path: We are dedicated to empowering the global majority, BIPOC, and Muslims.
Jamidah, your family is descended from the Malaysian Pahang royal family, how has that shaped your advocacy for cannabis, and how it has opened doors for you?
My dear Ophelia, if not for the title in my name, we are all one and the same. It's never been just the name, you have to earn a seat at the table, how do you add value - for me, it is my knowledge and passion about the cannabis plant, my love for brand building, my role as a connector, and my relationship on a grassroots level with our people. They trust me and know that my advocacy is because I genuinely want to help and play a role in developing the industry. I was the first member of the royal family in Malaysia to openly declare support for the decriminalization and legalization of medicinal cannabis, while most are afraid to even speak about the topic for fear of being shunned and jeopardizing their reputation. I've always been a little unconventional and rebellious, this time I'm convinced we are saving lives. So, I will use my name, if it means I have the ear of the decision-makers. What I provide them with is an opportunity to see things from a different perspective, backed by science and data of course.
Tell us about your partnership with Matt Barnes and CrossOvr Collective.
CrossOvr Collective has an incredible way of brand building and storytelling that focuses more on intention and highlighting the human aspect, selecting projects with social good. That impressed us at Halal Hemp and we decided to partner with them as we felt very much aligned. Steph from CrossOvr Collective. introduced me to Matt, there's just great energy and dynamic between all of us. We will continue to produce events and content that resonate with the Eastern audience and BIPOC folks as we know that's missing in the space. At the end of the day, you want to work with genuine people that believe and can support your vision. I wish I could share now but all I can say is something very exciting is cooking, stay tuned!
Your first experience was with CBD, how has it helped you and how do you speak about it to those who are skeptical?
It won't make you high! That's no 1. I feel like most people are scared of the effects, granted it can be a little intimidating if you haven't experimented with cannabis but it's also because we have been conditioned to think it's a harmful drug. I'm naturally curious and have always sought alternatives to synthetics to treat my ailments, I just wanted the pain to go away. My back pain is pretty debilitating so when I discovered CBD, it was allowing me to sleep through the night and lessen the pain. I had to share with my family members, friends, and on social. Most of the questions I get from skeptics are related to addiction and the Islamic permissibility factor. This is why Halal Hemp was born, to clear up those misconceptions and to educate others on the safety of products and from a religious perspective.
How did the epiphany that you were needed to advocate for cannabis happen?
It was actually a gradual process of transitioning in the US since my arrival in 2018, of mind, body, and soul expansion and stepping into an authentic me. I guess I just had a glimpse into the future. I saw the need to switch from synthetic medication back to a plant that has been used for generations to heal - physically and mentally. As a highly sensitive person and empath, I could feel the collective pain. So many people are deeply hurting and experiencing trauma, illness, and sickness - so much anxiety, depression, cancer. All because of how we live our lives. I'm a holistic practitioner (sound bath facilitator and creator of the JIWA ritual) and I believe that we need to rediscover ancestral plant wisdom, respect our bodies, live in our natural rhythm and focus on self-care. We need to go back to our essence; our true nature is to care for the planet and each other. We somehow lost ourselves and humanity. Because I am self-aware and dedicated to my own self-development, I have also been given the gift of empathy. I feel an immense amount of guilt if I do nothing while others continue to be imprisoned and are prevented from using the medicine while I have the freedom to consume. That is how I naturally fell into advocacy and will continue to fight for cannabis acceptance and for the release of cannabis prisoners.
Tell us more about your advocacy in Malaysia?
There's been some great progress in Malaysia. For several years I was sharing on my socials about Dr. Ganja and our mission to decriminalize. Several months ago, I co-hosted a successful fundraiser with The Last Prisoner Project to highlight the Dr. G (Ganja) story and to screen the short film Ayahku Dr. G (my father DR G). DR G is an ex-military captain who was caught with hemp plants, oils, and edibles in his home and was thrown in prison for alleged drug trafficking charges. He has been imprisoned for 4 years and could potentially face execution. He is not a criminal, he was only self-medicating and helping other patients that included children to improve their quality of life and relieve them of their pain and suffering. The Kaji Bukan Keji campaign was created, translated it means to research, not demonization. It has become a safe space for the community to share stories and support each other that have been imprisoned and affected by the criminalization of cannabis. Then just last month, a public university announced its intention to kickstart industrial hemp research and development. Following that, several weeks ago the government (through the home minister) announced it was considering studying legalizing medical cannabis. A few days ago, a bipartisan caucus was formed by a member of parliament to meet with health experts, researchers, industry stakeholders, and NGOs to look into policy formulation. It is finally coming together and Halal Hemp will be supporting this movement through educational programs and strategic alliances. The future is bright and change is coming to the East!
Links:
