Medical Cannabis for Neurological Disorders Symposium

JUSTICE GROWN AND TEXANS FOR SAFE ACCESS TO HOST MEDICAL CANNABIS SYMPOSIUM ACROSS TEXAS WITH DR. SUE SISLEY, DR. OGADINMA OBIE, SUSAN HAYS & MORE FROM JANUARY 27-30, 2020

The panel will stop in Plano, Houston, Austin and El Paso to share findings from medical cannabis research and evolving cannabis law.

TEXAS – Justice Grown, a multi-state, legal cannabis operator, in collaboration with 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Texans For Safe Access, will host a four-day medical cannabis symposium in Texas this January, which will consist of panel discussions in each Dallas, Houston, Austin, and El Paso. The panels will be moderated by Justice Grown’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, Shivawn Brady, and will feature a line-up of esteemed guests who will share their research on medical cannabis and the rapidly changing world of cannabis laws. The topic of the symposium will be “Medical Cannabis for Neurological Disorders,” broken down into six parts that will repeat for each day of the panel. The topics are as follows:

1. Texas Regulatory Overview and Legal Updates w/ Esme Thoman
2. Endocannabinoid System Overview w/ Dr. Ogadinma Obie
3. The Therapeutic Potential of Medical Cannabis and Government Barriers to Research w/ Dr. Sue Sisley, MD
4. Medical Cannabis Dosing w/ Barbara Sciandra, Pharm. D. 
5. Patient Treatment Panel Discussion w/ Dr. Sue Sisley, Dr. Ogadinma Obie, Barbara Sciandra
6. What’s Next for TX Patients, Panel Discussion w/ Esme Thoman, Nico Murillo, Susan Hayes

The events will take place January 27-30, 2020. Details are below: 

 1/27/20 - 9am-12:45pm: Plano Events Center, 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, TX

1/28/20 - 9am-12:45pm: Houston Marriott Medical Center, 6580 Fannin St, Houston, TX

1/29/20 - 9am-12:45pm: Austin City Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX

1/30/20 - 10:30am-2:10pm: El Paso Main Library, 501 N Oregon St, El Paso, TX

About the Panelists: 

Dr. Sue Sisley MD: Sue Sisley MD is president of the Scottsdale Research Institute & best known for serving as Principal Investigator in the only FDA-approved randomized controlled trial in the world, examining safety/efficacy of smoked marijuana flower in combat veterans with severe post traumatic stress disorder. Sue is striving to put smoked/vaped flower through the entire FDA drug development process to eventually be on the market to treat chronic pain, opioid dependence and trauma, and then to urge health insurance companies to pay for dry bud, similar to conventional pharmaceuticals. Sue was highlighted in Rolling Stone magazine in 2018 as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Tech & Research, as well as in Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN special WEED 3: The Marijuana Revolution. 

Dr. Ogadinma Obie: Dr. Obie practices as a board-certified emergency physician in ERs throughout Texas, California, and Louisiana and serves as medical director for Refine Pharmaceuticals, a patient advocacy and cannabis education group that works to provide evidence-based cannabinoid medicine to the Houston, TX community. Additionally, Dr. Obie sits on the board for Texans for Safe Access, an organization that actively works to change and influence state and national cannabis policy. She also sits on the board of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, an organization that works to influence national policy where it concerns cannabis social equity. Dr. Obie is an active TCUP physician, approved by the state of Texas to register qualified patients for low-THC cannabis. 

Susan Hays, PC: Susan Hays is a lawyer, advocate, and crisis manager with more than thirty years experience in law and politics. While she earned her chops analyzing complex legal issues and creating simple, persuasive legal arguments despite that complexity, she also relishes getting her boots dirty to investigate facts on the ground. Likewise, she is equally at home in a big city boardroom as in a small-town courtroom. Her practice includes legislative advocacy, administrative and regulatory filings, and managing media contacts around high-profile issues. Substantive practice areas over the years have included securities, health care, and of late all things cannabis, including medical marijuana and hemp. The legal issues in the cannabis industry are complex, challenging, and fascinating. The public affairs issues will test whether science and reason can prevail over the politics of fear and distraction.  

Barbara A. Sciandra, Pharm.D.: Barbara Sciandra serves as a pharmacist at Justice Grown’s Pennsylvania medical cannabis dispensary locations. Sciandra is also President and Co-founder of Paint Pittston Pink™, a 501c3 organization, whose mission is to bring the community together to support a cure for all cancers through research and clinical trials. Barbara has been the recipient of numerous awards, including being named as one of the Top 25 Women in Business by the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal, as well as the recipient of the Greater Pittston Person of the Year Award (2015), The Greater Pittston Y.M.C.A., Spirit of Community Award and the Rene Mock Award (2002).

Esme Thoman: For the past decade, Esme Thoman has worked in governmental affairs assisting her clients navigate the legislative, regulatory and appropriations process. Esme specializes in highly regulated industries including gaming, development, natural resources, analytical testing, cannabis and tax policy. Esme is based in Austin, Texas and owns her own governmental affairs firm, Thoman & Butler, LLC. 

Nico Murillo: Nico Murillo is the Board Chair of Texans for Safe Access, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to patient outreach and medical cannabis education. Texans for Safe Access is a part of Americans for Safe Access, based out of Washington D.C. which has over 100,000 active members. Nico is a Certified Research Chef with 20 years’ experience in professional kitchens. Nico has held numerous titles, most notable as a Product Development Chef for PepsiCo/Frito Lay. Nico has dedicated her career to medical cannabis and helping patients. She applied to the Texas Compassionate Use Program under the name Bocanna and developed a hemp skincare line set to launch in 2020, Bocanna Skin.

Cheryl Wilson, Pharm.D.: Dr. Cheryl Wilson joined Justice Grown in 2018 and is currently the Managing Pharmacist for JGPA. Prior to joining Justice Grown, she was employed in diverse areas of pharmacy practice, including retail pharmacy, ambulatory care specializing in anticoagulation therapy and diabetes management, and home infusion where she was pharmacy manager and upheld the rigorous standards of USP 797 for sterile compounding. Cheryl obtained a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Pennsylvania State University in 2000 and her Doctorate in Pharmacy from Wilkes University in 2006. 

Shivawn Brady (Moderator): Shivawn Brady is the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance for Justice Grown, a U.S. based national cannabis company; and serves as a board member for the Sonoma County Growers Alliance and the Sonoma County Conservation Action Fund for Education. She was recently appointed to the Sonoma Clean Power Community Advisory Council and previously served on the Cannabis Advisory Committee and the Hemp Advisory Council. She speaks internationally as well as throughout the U.S. Her unique expertise has supported growers, business owners, and investors in making efficient and sustainable business decisions for over a decade. As the northern California regional production manager for two of the largest and earliest dispensaries in California, she garnered a specialty for grassroots organizing, greenhouse management, production planning and commercial harvest systems. She was featured on the cover of Marijuana Venture June 2018 issue of top 40 under 40 Rising Stars in the Cannabis Industry and has been interviewed by news and entertainment publications throughout the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

About Justice Grown: Justice Grown is a rapidly growing cannabis company that is based in the U.S. JG holds multiple licenses across seven states, including California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Missouri, and Utah.

About Texas For Safe Access: Texans for Safe Access is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis patient outreach and medical cannabis education. Texans for Safe Access is a part of the Washington D.C. based Americans for Safe Access, which has over 100,000 active members. 

PRESS OPPORTUNITIES: To arrange interviews with the panelists, please contact Michael Pizzo at Justice Grown via email at michaelpizzo@jgrown.com.