In 2015, Dr. Chanda Macias became the African-American woman to receive a medical marijuana license. And her advocacy for the plant hasn’t stopped. Dr. Chanda is CEO of medical marijuana dispensary Natural Holistic Healing Center, first vice chair of lobbying group National Cannabis Roundtable, and CEO of cannabis educational platform Women Grow. In this episode, the cannabis superstar explains why she’s so passionate about the plant, and what her experience has been like advocating for cannabis in places like the White House. She also talks about the special role minority figures have in the industry and where the country is as far as national legalization.

Marianne Cursetjee wasn’t very familiar with cannabis before her cancer diagnosis. But after she was diagnosed in 2015, her friend introduced her to Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)—and she found she was able to eliminate many of the pharmaceutical drugs she was taking in response to her cancer treatment’s side effects. Now she serves as the CEO and co-founder of Alibi Cannabis, a self-funded, top-shelf cannabis company based in Oregon. On the pod, Maryanne talks about her eye-opening experience of using cannabis to help with cancer treatment and what advice she’d give to cancer patients considering cannabis. Marianne also talks about using her business skills to enter the cannabis industry, and how her business is adapting to the increasingly competitive Oregon market.

When Al Morentin was in the sixth grade, he was told his glaucoma would likely cause complete blindness in the future. By the time he was 30 years old, he started losing his vision—which pushed him to figure out alternative medicines and methods that would save him from blindness. His efforts eventually led him to the world of cannabis products—and with a little bit of experimentation, he found a certain extraction process of CBD oils was able to help him keep his vision. In this episode, Al shares his life-changing story and how it inspired some of his entrepreneurial endeavors in the cannabis space. He also talks about the value of holistic medicine and his advice for people considering a holistic practitioner.