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CBD and Cannabis Leaders of industry
The cannabis plant can be male, female, or both at the same time, yet for so long has been suppressed by the hands of but a few ill-intentioned men. Thankfully a long-overdue feminist revival has seen some extraordinary women make exceptional leaps in the cannabis space.
Saoirse E O’Sullivan
Saoirse O’Sullivan is one of the most well known female figures in the cannabis scientific community. As Professor of Pharmacology at Nottingham University, she has helped write dozens of papers highlighting the medicinal potential of cannabinoids.
Some of her most notable work looks at cannabinoids such as CBD as a potential medicine to treat obesity, diabetes, colitis, and mood disorders. She is also the scientific lead at the Centre of Medicinal Cannabis, a membership body for industry professionals and investors.
Lorenza Romanese
Lorenza Romanese is the managing director of the European Industrial Hemp Association, a group committed to supporting the growth and sustainability of the EU hemp industry and its members. Lorenza and her team are currently fighting the implementation of the EU novel foods act, which could destroy the industry.
Her previous experience working with EU commission officials in her capacity as a wine industry advisor has helped the EIHA and its members greatly.
Rebekah Shaman
Rebekah is a cannabis author, activist, and urban plant shamen who promotes and encourages health and healing through cannabis and other natural plants and oils. She is the current chair of the British Hemp Association, an organisation committed to the removal of all political barriers to hemp growth in the UK and Europe. Under her brand AMARU, she has created and produced and Hempower (a hemp porridge), hemp seed, and hemp protein powder goods.
Vera Twomey
Vera Twomey is a mother, activist, and the public face of medicinal cannabis in Ireland. Her daughter Ava has a rare form of treatment-resistant epilepsy that was destroying her quality of life until Vera began giving her cannabis oil. Ava’s seizures have since stopped and her health has started to dramatically improve giving her the chance to be a ‘normal’ kid.
Lack of access to medicinal cannabis in Ireland prompted Vera to start a campaign looking to legalise cannabis in Ireland so that she and other parents would no longer have to make the long trip to Holland to purchase more medicine.
Most recently Vera published ‘For Ava’, an account of how cannabis has transformed her daughter’s life which has become a bestseller in Ireland. Her work has also led to the inclusion of 2 cannabis oils recently being made available in Ireland.
Dr Dani Gordon
Dr Dani Gordon is a double board-certified medical doctor and leading expert in cannabis medicine. She co-founded the UK Medical Cannabis Physicians Society and trained the first medical cannabis specialists in the UK. The London based physician lectures around the world on the medicinal properties of cannabis and has recently written a book ‘The CBD Bible’.
Laure Bouguen
Laure Bouguen is a French cannabis activist, entrepreneur, and founder of Ho Karan, a luxury CBD skincare brand. Her company encompasses the traditional values of cannabis by utilising the full plant in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner always focusing on full traceability and quality.
Calli Blackwell
Calli Blackwell is a cannabis activist and speaker who knows from first-hand experience the power that the cannabis plant has. When her son Deryn was 10 years old he was diagnosed with leukaemia and after “conventional” medicine failed and told that her son had only weeks left to live, Carri resorted to giving him cannabis oil.
Deryn is now 20 years of age, healthy and happy following the ongoing successful treatment with cannabis. Calli now speaks at cannabis events around the world promoting its medicinal benefits and telling her son’s story.
Catherine Wilson
Catherine Wilson the managing director of Cannawell, one of the largest CBD companies in the UK. She is also a member of the European Industrial Hemp Association and has spoken at length on the topic of cannabis NOT being a novel food most recently at the Birmingham Hemp & CBD expo.
Sister Kate
Sister Kate is a self-proclaimed nun, activist and entrepreneur who runs the Sisters of The Valley CBD brand in Merced California. Together with the other nuns they grow organic CBD rich hemp and produce some of the finest quality CBD wholesale products on the market.
So incredible is her story that it was made into a movie (Breaking Habits) which highlights her story from being a highly successful married woman to being divorced, homeless and penniless only to turn it all around and become a highly successful cannabis-producing nun.
You missed Mary Biles and Hannah Deacon
And Charlotte Caldwell
Such lists are always pernicious but the omission of Mary Biles, Charlotte Caldwell and Hannah Deacon is a mistake.