AACE: Cannabis advocacy in the Asian Pacific Islanders communities. part 2
I never imagined my traditional pharmacy career path would pivot towards cannabis and plant-based medicine. When I first told my family about it, most were supportive, but a few had reservations, associating my job of overseeing a medical dispensary with the equivalent of operating an opium den.
Conservative upbringings and stoic Asian cultures don't always foster great environments for open dialogue, but one thing I've learned to implement while working in this industry is to empathetically look through the lens of the other person in the conversation. Understanding their viewpoints and WHY they believe what they believe is a crucial piece of the puzzle that's often times missing.
We're only at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to integrating cannabinoid-based therapy into daily health routines as well as debilitating medical conditions. I'm proud to be able to advocate for this plant and the potential that it has for life-changing improvements. - Alan Ao / PharmD
Rudaba Naqvi and I started managing our ailments with cannabis extract (full sepectrum CBD), it was a life changing experience for both of us. She managed her fibromyalgia, and Type II diabetes, and I managed my chronic migraine and obstructive sleep apnea. This is how Blue Gem® Hemp was born, with a vision to help other fellow humans and furry friends to elevate their wellness with the mighty cannabis plant. We integrated AI and Machine learning with our extraction machines. We proudly make Pharma grade cannabis extracts. - Irfan Sadiq / Blue Gem Hemp
It’s a long story … I was in advertising technology for over 20 years. I broke my ankle and when I had extra time at the end of 2017 I called up my boy who owns dispensaries in Los Angeles I started talking to his marketing co. There was a young dude, Matthew Shterenberg, Who knew everyone and their mother that was in the Cali cannabis industry. I saw an opportunity to bring a lot of technology and marketing, as well as business acumen into the space so we started a marketing and technology agency. We did everything under the sun! We had dozens of events. Our consumer events turned out to be close to 1000 people and our B2B side was 200+. After a year our POS partner raised a little money and I jumped over to help run the point of sale company, BLAZE. We tripled the business in about a year and a qtr. I was fortunate enough to meet so many people along the supply chain. We raised a series A and after that, I left to go start my consulting business and build my own technology company. - Raj Chauhan / AdButler