Featuring:
Shanel Lindsay, Esq.
HOST
Shanel Lindsay is a co-founder of Parabola Center and an attorney, advocate, and serial entrepreneur. She serves as Parabola Center's entrepreneurship director. She is also the founder and CEO of Ardent Life, a global cannabis hardware and consumer packaged goods company, and Billow, a sesh-friendly filtration system. Shanel was an author of Question 4, the ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts, and was subsequently appointed to the Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board, serving from 2017 to 2021. Shanel also co-founded the grassroots advocacy group Equitable Opportunities Now. Shanel is involved in the development of marijuana laws and new businesses across the United States and globally as a frequent speaker and expert consultant for other emerging businesses in the cannabis and biotech space.
Laury Lucien, Esq.
HOST
Laury Lucien is an attorney, professor, serial entrepreneur, and transformational speaker. In addition to her role as Education Director of the Parabola Center, she is the founder of the Legally Great Academy, a consulting and education company that supports entrepreneurs through every step of starting their companies. She was a vendor for the Cannabis Control Commission’s Social Equity Program, providing training and technical support to program participants. She is a founder of a co-located marijuana retailer, manufacturer, and delivery courier in Massachusetts. She was appointed to the Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board. Laury currently teaches Cannabis Law at Suffolk University Law School and Clark University.
Shaleen Title, Esq.
HOST
Shaleen Title is co-founder and director of Parabola Center. She was an inaugural cannabis regulator in Massachusetts. After completing her term as a commissioner, she authored two top-ranking publications on cannabis social equity policies and preventing cannabis monopolies as a fellow at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. Shaleen has spent over 20 years writing, passing, and implementing equitable cannabis laws and has testified before governmental bodies around the world about reparative marijuana laws. She is a founding member of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition. Dubbed "the people's weed watchdog" by Boston Magazine, she is the recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards for her work as an activist, regulator, and author.
Damian Fagon
HOST
Damian Fagon is a former cannabis regulator for the state of New York, where he served as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the Office of Cannabis Management. A third-generation farmer and development economist, Damian blends grassroots agricultural experience with equitable economic policy, advising on cannabis market development and agricultural initiatives internationally. He currently serves as Director of the Bronx Cannabis Hub, building new models and programming for restorative economic justice and community-centered cannabis markets from the ground up. Damian holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MPA in Economic Development from Columbia University.
Jodi James
HOST
Jodi James is a respected speaker, teacher, debater, strategic planner, thought-leader, and mentor with more than 25 years of experience in cannabis policy. She started as a patient volunteer and soon had a staff position with the Coalition Advocating Medical Marijuana (CAMM) while volunteering for the newly formed Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN). During her tenure, the organization put together the first marijuana bill in Florida since 1978, introduced and eventually passed the legislation removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, produced dozens of public education programs annually, helped patients earn medical necessity through the courts, and built a statewide constituency that influences lawmakers to this day. Jodi is the managing partner for McKinney James Works, a private consulting firm. Currently, she is serving as president of the Board of Directors while training a new generation to advocate for access to the Cannabis plant.
Carla Ashburn
HOST
Carla Ashburn is a cannabis healthcare advocate, entrepreneur, and patient rights champion with more than 30 years of experience in corporate management, team leadership, and event planning. In 2017, she founded Medical Marijuana Care of Florida, helping physicians enter the cannabis industry and providing patient-centered care through clinics serving rural Florida communities. Passionate about education, patient empowerment, and veterans’ access to cannabis, Carla works to ensure individuals can make informed healthcare decisions and access cannabis without unnecessary barriers. In addition to being business woman and educator, she also a leader with Florida Cannabis Action Network, where she contributes to research, advocacy, and legislative engagement on behalf of patients and consumers statewide.
Hector Roos
HOST
Hector Roos is a cannabis policy advocate, entrepreneur, and libertarian activist committed to advancing individual liberty, free markets, and sensible cannabis reform. As Co-founder and Executive Director of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, he works to empower patients, consumers, small business owners, and advocates to shape a fair and inclusive cannabis industry in Florida. Roos has been a leading voice for policies that promote competition, expand access, reduce unnecessary government barriers, and prevent excessive market concentration. Through grassroots organizing, public education, and coalition building, he advocates for cannabis policies that protect personal freedom, expand economic opportunity, and ensure the marketplace serves consumers rather than entrenched interests.
Margeaux Lavoie
HOST
Margeaux (Maggie) Lavoie is a Social Equity Fellow for Parabola Center and a student at the University of Maine School of Law, where she has served as Executive Editor of the Maine Law Review and president of the Maine Association of Public Interest Lawyers. She was a Rural Law Fellow of the Fort Kent Rural Practice Clinic for Spring 2024 and a student research assistant in cannabis law for Professor Scott Bloomberg. Prior to attending law school, Maggie was the Director of Operations of the Church of Safe Injection, a daytime drop-in harm reduction center and CDC-certified syringe service program located in Lewiston, Maine.
Dr. Faith English
HOST
Faith English is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Drug Dependence and Epidemiology Training Program. She received her PhD and MPH from the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, her research focuses on the intersection of cannabis legalization, health equity, and criminal justice reform. Dr. English is passionate about exploring the multiple ways in which cannabis and other drug legalization can address the public health crisis of mass incarceration and the war on drugs.
Meredith McGee
HOST
Meredith McGee, MPH (she/her), is a public health professional dedicated to bridging the gap between research, community, and education. Her work focuses on cannabis, health equity, and LGBTQ+ communities, with a mission to make public health research more accessible and actionable beyond academia. A seasoned grant writer and fundraiser, Meredith has helped secure over a million dollars in funding to support community-led initiatives. She is especially passionate about connecting cannabis policy to public health infrastructure in ways that center lived experience and promote health justice. Meredith authored Parabola Center's essay on the drug policy U-curve.
Cat Packer, Esq.
SPEAKER
Cat Packer is the director of drug markets and legal regulation at the Drug Policy Alliance, the vice chair of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, and a distinguished cannabis policy practitioner in residence at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. From 2017 to 2022, Cat served as the first executive director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation. Cat is a proud alumna of The Ohio State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s degree in public policy and management, and a law degree.
Tauhid Chappell
SPEAKER
Tauhid Chappell is the first Executive Director to lead New Jersey’s Cannabis Academy, the country’s first government-run program aimed at diversifying the cannabis industry. Tauhid brings 10 years of experience in the cannabis space as a medical marijuana patient, a journalist who’s covered legalization efforts across the country, a former budtender for Philadelphia’s second medical marijuana dispensary, a current Adjunct Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, and an organizer of the Philadelphia CannaBusiness Association, Pennsylvania's first Black-owned, Black-led cannabis nonprofit aimed at healing the damage done by cannabis prohibition and mass incarceration.
Dasheeda Dawson
SPEAKER
Dasheeda Dawson is The WeedHead™, a global cannabis advocate, award-winning strategist and bestselling author of How to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry. She has 20 years of business development and strategic management excellence while leading teams for United Way, Target and Victoria's Secret. Currently, Dasheeda is Founding Director of Cannabis NYC overseeing the development of the city's legal industry. She is also the Founding Chair of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC). Dasheeda received her MBA from Rutgers University and an undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Princeton University.
Chelsea Higgs Wise
SPEAKER
Chelsea Higgs Wise was a clinical social worker for ten years before transitioning to help organizations create equitable policies for community safety. Chelsea’s expertise continues to influence criminal justice, mental health and anti-drug war priorities in Virginia. In 2019, Chelsea co-founded Marijuana Justice for equitable legalization as a gateway to dismantle the Virginia War on Drugs and in 2021 Virginia became the first state in the South to legalize simple possession of marijuana, home cultivation as well as create a fund to reinvest for community repair. Through her leadership, the organization also convenes southern organizers around Drug War Reparations as well as pushing anti-monopoly regulation in order to build community-led economies. Federally, Chelsea is an active voice within the United for Marijuana Decriminalization (UMD) coalition focused on organizing public comment for the recent marijuana scheduling proposal.
Antoine Mordican
SPEAKER
Antoine Mordican is the Founder and CEO of Native Black Cultivation, Alabama’s first Black-owned and operated medical cannabis cultivation company. A Chicago native and Alabama A&M University engineering graduate, he has become a leading voice in cannabis policy, entrepreneurship, and equity. Mordican serves on the Board of Directors for the Minority Cannabis Business Association and has played an active role in advancing Alabama’s medical cannabis industry. Through business, advocacy, and education, he remains committed to expanding opportunities, improving patient access, and building generational wealth in underserved communities.
Jason Ortiz
SPEAKER
Jason Ortiz is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Last Prisoner Project Jason was arrested for simple cannabis possession at the age of 16 in Norwich CT, and that experience inspired him to become a cannabis justice advocate. He was one of the founding board Members of the Minority Cannabis Business Association and is the immediate past Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. In addition to his drug policy activism, Jason sits on the board of the CT Working Families Party and has served as President of the Connecticut Puerto Rican Agenda where he organized for economic justice for his home island of Puerto Rico.
Nadir Pearson
SPEAKER
A New Jersey native and Brown University graduate, Nadir Pearson is a strategist and trusted advisor shaping the future of cannabis culture and commerce. As VP of Business Development at WISECO and Co-Founder of Hybrid (gethybrid.co), he blends creative strategy with operational execution to help brands grow authentically. Nadir first gained recognition for founding SMART (Student Marijuana Alliance for Research & Transparency) — a national organization that reached over 100 universities across the country, bridging cannabis and academia. He later led digital campaigns for High Times, Herb.co, and brands like GPen, Cannabiotix, and dosist.
Aaron Carll
SPEAKER
Aaron Carll is the co-founder and host of Couch Lock News, an independent cannabis media platform covering the industry through investigative reporting, policy analysis, and consumer education. Based in Tampa, Aaron focuses on Florida’s medical marijuana program, dispensary accountability, patient access, and the policy fights shaping who actually benefits from legalization. Outside of media, he works in chemical and botanical supply through Ceres 14, a Tampa-based company handling bulk chemical distribution, botanical sourcing and imports, and ingredient warehousing, giving him a firsthand view of the business side of the plant economy he reports on.
Kendra Thompson
SPEAKER
Kendra Thompson is a licensed hemp farmer, CBD retailer, and founder of The Honeycomb FL LLC, a Florida-based wellness shop and nursery. She specializes in cultivating hemp and creating plant-based wellness products while educating consumers about the benefits of cannabinoids and sustainable agriculture. With a background in journalism and community advocacy, Kendra combines agricultural innovation, entrepreneurship, and public education to advance the hemp industry and support local communities.
Kalia Harris
SPEAKER
Kalia Harris (she/ella) is a native Virginian, growing up and still residing in the capital city, Richmond. Currently, Kalia serves as the Executive Director of Virginia Student Power Network (VSPN), supporting youth power building & organizing throughout Virginia. VSPN joined the Virginia CannaJustice coalition in 2021, helping steward the campaign that led the commonwealth being the first state in the US South to legalize marijuana. Kalia has always had a deep passion for marijuana -- she is a gardener, cultivator, educator, base-builder, and policy expert specializing in the arena of criminalization. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health in 2016 and Master of Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights in 2019.
Steph Sherer
SPEAKER
Steph Sherer is a pioneering international leader and expert in medical cannabis patient advocacy. Her personal experience with the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, combined with her background in political organizing, led her to establish Americans for Safe Access (ASA) in 2002. Under her guidance, ASA has grown into the nation’s largest patient-centered organization dedicated to ensuring access to medical cannabis, bridging gaps in knowledge, policy, and regulation, and promoting its recognition as a legitimate medical therapy. She leads a nationwide initiative—ASA’s “second act”—to fully integrate cannabis-based medicines into the U.S. healthcare system, ensuring that patient needs, rights, and outcomes remain central to this transformative era in medicine.
Peter Contos
SPEAKER
Peter Contos is a policy advocate and educator based in Chicago, working to promote equity and justice through advocacy & community organizing. In his role as Deputy Director as Cannabis Equity IL Coalition, he helped develop the organization’s political education program & advocacy platform. He has hosted political education workshops across Illinois. He represents the Coalition in the State Capitol, including helping pass the Cannabis Equity Omnibus at the end of May 2026. He is also the Lead Grant Writer for the Coalition. In 2018-19, Peter organized the Speak for Safety Illinois campaign, a public education campaign designed to help inform and empower community members and stakeholders across Illinois of the recently-enacted Firearms Restraining Order.
Robert Chlala
SPEAKER
Robert Chlala is an Assistant Professor of Urban Sociology at California State University, Long Beach where he supports investigative projects that platform affected communities to lead conversations on economics, reparations and livable cities. He is a co-lead researcher for the California Cannabis Healthy and Responsible Markets project housed at UC Berkeley, a multi-year, mixed-methods research project examining consolidation in the industry. Prior he developed the California Cannabis Worker Collaborative, which spoke to more than 1,111 workers about life at the front lines of cannabis (report here!). He completed his PhD in Sociology in 2021 at the University of Southern California, fueled to pursue research by years of experience in drug economies and in community organizing.
Scheril Murray Powell, Esq.
SPEAKER
Scheril Murray Powell, Esq., is a multifaceted legal professional renowned for her expertise in agricultural, cannabis, dietary supplement, regulatory, immigration, and trade law. Currently practicing at Doumar, Allsworth, Laystrom, Voigt, Adair, and Dishowitz LLP, Scheril was elected as the International President and Local 12 President of The Ethiopian World Federation, Inc. and is the Founder of the Cannabis HR Council. Scheril wrote the first Cannabis Social Equity Bill in the State of Florida which was introduced in 2020 by Senator Randolph Bracey and Representative Anika Omphroy. She is one of the first University of Florida hemp farmers in the State and has had hemp licenses in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, and Florida. She sits on the ASTM International D37 Committee on Cannnabis' Executive Committee as the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee.
Dr. Michael McKenzie
SPECIAL GUEST
Dr. Michael J. McKenzie was one of the first physicians in Florida to become certified to recommend cannabinoids in 2015 based on Florida’s Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014. He was born and raised in East Elmhurst, N and received his B.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University and his M.D. degree from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) School of Medicine in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Southwest Oklahoma Family Practice Residency Program. He has been in independent private practice in South Florida since completing residency in 2003. In addition to Primary Care, Dr. McKenzie has a special interest in the practical application of cannabinoid therapeutics in the outpatient setting. He was evaluating and treating qualified patients in Florida's medical cannabis program until December 2024 and is currently the Medical Director of a provisionally-licensed MMTC called Green Street.
KC Klens
SPECIAL GUEST
Raised in Southwest Florida, KC Klens is a passionate advocate who has worn many hats in cannabis spaces around the country. KC recently graduated with his M.S. in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2026, and earned a 4.0 GPA as President of the Medical Cannabis Student Association. KC first became interested in drug policy reform and harm reduction advocacy in 2014 as an SSDP chapter leader at Eckerd College. His earliest industry involvement began with Florida Cannabis Coalition before expanding into other organizations across the state. After graduating in 2016 with his Biology degree, KC interned and worked in cannabis industry recruiting and career coaching with THC Staffing Group. KC also worked for five years in Florida’s medical cannabis dispensaries in many areas of retail sales, events, management, and patient consulting. He has been a mentor, a speaker, a cannabis brand representative, a consultant, a full spectrum activist and corporate critic, and is currently part of the Parabola Leadership Cohort. KC is currently open to new employment in dispensaries, compliance, clinical investigating, public health, cannabis research and development, and is planning for nursing school in the near future.
