Elevating Advocacy: A Successful Evening of Professional Connection and Purpose

A Night of Advocacy and Connection at The Warriors Garden

Last Friday, a groundbreaking event took place at a local veteran-owned and operated dispensary, organized and hosted by our cannabis nursing community’s own, Alicia Schaal. Nurses currently working in the cannabis industry welcomed other curious nurses into the fold under the beautiful backdrop of the The Warriors Garden Hemp and Wellness space courtesy of Nick Rahn, a cannabis advocate in his own right. As a veteran, Nick regularly opens his shop for others for a weekly comedy show and mixer. A portion of the show proceeds, and shop sales goes towards supporting this 501c3, Warriors Next Adventure, which is a hotline that rings directly to Nick’s phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a goal of preventing veteran suicide. The organization also supports veterans with mental health issues such as PTSD with recreational therapy and life coaching. Nurses make a natural ally for veterans, as access to their medicine, and the complex issues of their care have really put them in the forefront of public health.

Uniting Cannabis Nurses in Downtown St. Paul

Nestled amongst a burgeoning downtown St. Paul backdrop, cannabis nurses from the region gathered for a mixer aimed at recruiting more nurses into the cannabis nursing profession. The event was a huge success, drawing in a diverse group of healthcare professionals, educators from local universities, and even nurse curators from as far as Madison, WI.

Empowering Nurses to Lead in Cannabis Health

Attendees expressed passion about the healing properties of medical cannabis and desire to push the bounds of our profession, as well as wondering how they can fit into this industry’s space. They were met with several nurse entrepreneurs, who are well on their way to forging a path in our Minnesota industry.

Alicia Schaal: Advocating for Veterans and Cannabis Education

Notably, Alicia Schaal, Midwest Cannabis Professionals CEO, is not just a fierce advocate for the plant and patients, but for veterans. While finishing up her masters degree in Cannabis Nursing, she busies herself with organizing events such as these, recognizing the importance of fostering community where people’s voices can be heard and understood. Her work with MN Veterans for Cannabis has been a real passion project. She speaks at local dispensaries for community education, and has been instrumental in helping some of them develop their staff education as adult recreational use comes online next summer. Additionally, she maintains her own practice as a consultant for medical cannabis patients. She is truly a leader amongst our cannabis nurse group, as well as throughout the entire Minnesota industry.

Lynn Wachtler and The North Bloom Magazine

Lynn Wachtler, owner and operator of her clinician formulated brand Ceres Medical was in attendance. Demonstrating how dynamic nurses can show up in this space. Lynn is also a strong veteran advocate, having worked directly with the veteran population during her bedside career, amongst a myriad of leadership roles. This is highlighted by her new project, The North Bloom Magazine, a cannabis lifestyle magazine! As co-founder of Bloom, Lynn is able to highlight veterans stories from around the state. Giving a voice to a group of people that often feel unheard, and overlooked. The magazine publication is ad-supported by Minnesota brands and companies in order to make cannabis education accessible to everyone. Find Bloom in your nearest doctors office, or co-op, and if you don't see it there, be sure to let them know you would like to. Additionally, be sure to check out the deeper dive into Bloom’s mission and values on Conversations with Kush’s upcoming podcast episode where I sit down with Lynn and Angelique Zerillo, Editor-in Chief.

Tricia Brown: Elevating Whole Person Care with Cannabis

Tricia Brown, CEO of Centrus Health and Wellness, Inc, a nurse owned and operated cannabis coaching and guidance practice, and the firecracker of our nursing group. Her energy is infectious, and upbeat as she allows for the channeling of her passion in assisting in the guidance of whole person care with the help of cannabis. She provides education, as well as goal setting for patients that want to incorporate cannabis into their everyday wellness. As a trained bedside nurse, Tricia understands that patients have improved outcomes with smart goals, and action steps that they have a hand in creating for themselves. She practices with the most up to date evidence based information, and is truly someone to be trusted. Having worked at the bedside for nearly 30 years, her knowledge and understanding of patients with mental health and substance use disorders lends to invaluable care.

Jacqueline Higgins: Advancing Cannabis Research and Education

Jaqueline Higgins, owner and operator of Plant Amplified Wellness was in attendance, and brings a fresh look at the roles a cannabis nurse can fulfill. Jacqueline elevates our profession with her approach in “teaching the teacher,” a common nurse term lending to her expertise in educating providers, academic faculty, and potential partners in the areas of patient applications, risk mitigation, clinical encounters, and documentation efficiency. She is doing amazing work in research with a project collaboration on the topic of CHS, or Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome. This research could one day provide bedside nurses the assessment tools needed for clinicians to accurately diagnose and treat patients. Find out more about this exciting project on an upcoming episode of Conversations with Kush, as I sit down with Jacqueline and one of her nurse partners in this project, Megan Mbengue.

Kortney Widmark: Supporting Home Growers in Minnesota

Kortney Widmark, nurse-owner and operator of Bud’s Seed and Supply, a Longfellow neighborhood plant shop that supports home growers in her community supported the event by sponsorship! Kourtney’s shop features almost exclusively Minnesota nurse-vetted brands, with plans to host grow classes, and consult on home grow setups for those wanting to grow their own medicine. She is a pillar of her community, and as a current bedside nurse bravely advocates for patients as well as the plant.

Jessie Burnotte: Holistic Wellness Through Mobile Care

Jessie Burnotte, nurse owner and CEO of Bliss Mobile Wellness was in attendance, once again demonstrating how vital an overall view, and holistic nursing point of view on whole patient care really pairs with cannabis. Although her business is not plant touching, her mobile sauna and cold plunge unit provides necessary relief, detoxification, and support for those looking to upregulate their endocannabinoid system, and allow for their medicine to work more effectively. This is critical for patients seeking their lowest, most effective dose. Jessie feels proud to be advocating for veterans, as her son in law is on current active duty.

Jesse Christianson: A Fresh Perspective from Madison

Jesse Christianson, DNP, RN, Nurse practitioner and health coach consultant, otherwise known as Dr Murse made the trek from Madison, Wisconsin to take part in this regional event. Jesse brings a breath of fresh air as a consultant for patients on their cannabis journeys, a group leader for educational workshops, and as a clinician formulator of both a daytime and nighttime taffy that fall under the, “low and slow,” guidance for safe and responsible consumption for medical patients. This is especially important coming from a state that does not have government oversight on dosing in their hemp hemp derived market.

Casey Solomon: Pioneering Cannabis Potency Testing

Last, but certainly not least, Casey Soloman, PhD, RN and founder and CEO of Phytolab, a testing device for cannabis potency, something that nurses really take to heart. With seventeen years of experience in bioanalytical chemistry, a long career as a bedside nurse, and former Afghanistan war veteran Casey rounds out this group and his presence really drives home why nurses advocate so intently for veterans. His heart for service, and strong desire to ensure that patients are getting the most accurate, and safe medication rings through with the creation of his testing unit.

Inspiration and Connection Among Cannabis Advocates

Throughout this networking session attendees had the opportunity to mingle and connect with like-minded individuals. Nurses shared their experiences working in the cannabis industry and discussed the impact that medical cannabis has had on their patients. It was inspiring to hear stories of patients finding relief from chronic pain, anxiety, and other health issues through the use of cannabis. Discussions about the unique challenges and rewards of working in the cannabis nursing field, as well as the importance of proper education and training for healthcare professionals who are interested in entering this growing industry were overheard. Fears, and bravery were topics near and dear to my heart, as I sometimes struggle with finding the balance between advocacy, and making sure I stay gainfully employed. A fear that was, and is very real for those of us still working in healthcare, but quickly being overridden by the stories of our patients, especially from veterans seeing the great things cannabis can do in their lives, or just the space that has been created where using their often referred to as their “life saving,” medicine is becoming normalized.

The Growing Importance of Cannabis Education and Collaboration

Overall, the cannabis nursing mixer was a resounding success, bringing together a diverse group of healthcare professionals who are dedicated to making a positive impact in the cannabis industry. The event served as a powerful reminder of the importance of education, collaboration, and advocacy in the field of medical cannabis. With more nurses joining the profession, the future of cannabis nursing looks bright and promising. As more states legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, the need for knowledgeable and compassionate healthcare providers in the industry is greater than ever.

Special Thanks to Minnesota’s Nurse-Vetted Cannabis Brands

Special thank you to our own Minnesota nurse-vetted brands: Piffton, Carpe Diem, and Timber Ghost Organics. As nurses, we value partnerships with well thought out brands that fit within the overall Ethos of cannabis nursing that are putting patients forward, and providing safe medicine with appropriate testing, dosing, packaging and

Guest blog post by Molly the Kush RN, a Cannabis Nurse Educator and Podcast