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A Guide to Black Women-Owned Cannabis Businesses

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Courtesy of Breanna Neff, Chef Kay, Sheena Roberson and Shayla Cabrera Courtesy of Breanna Neff, Chef Kay, Sheena Roberson and Shayla Cabrera

According to Marijuana Business Journal a 2017 study found that 81% of all cannabis business owners were white. This percentage was in stark contrast to the 4.3 percent of black entrepreneurs within the industry. Considering the variety of Black individuals who have been killed and imprisoned due to cannabis, this fact is shocking – and disappointing. However, some Black business owners are uniquely entering this space and turning it the wrong way up. This also includes Black women who’ve made a reputation for themselves within the cannabis industry.

Hemp dinners

“My culinary journey began long before I could look over the kitchen counter,” she says. Chef Kay, catering company and owner of The Blck Stir. This New York and New Jersey-based catering company is devoted to preparing cannabis dinners. As a baby, Kay found peace and community within the kitchen, observing the creativity of her mother, aunts and grandmother. Around 2014, she was inspired to use her inherited talent to start her adventure with cannabis. “Ten years ago, struggling with health problems, I sought refuge in cannabis, using its natural healing properties as an alternative to conventional drugs,” she says. “That moment marked the beginning of the transformation [in me], combining my culinary skills with my steadfast advocacy for microdosing cannabis. Thus, Blck Stir was born in 2021.”

Cannabis dinners are private meals prepared by a culinary skilled who seamlessly administers a rigorously measured micro-dose of cannabis over food, drinks, and sometimes dessert. This way, customers can enjoy their meal and the sunshine high that comes with it, without the fear of getting high.

A Guide to Black Women-Owned Cannabis Businesses
Courtesy of Chef Kay

For home-cooked dinners, Kay works with clients to create menus based on their food preferences and her culinary knowledge. Guests can select from dishes with or without infusion. Each dish can contain a maximum of 10 mg of THC and will be easily adjusted to a lower dose.

Today, as well as to personalized dinners, cocktails and small snacks, Kay also produces infused honey, sauces, cooking oils and lemonades that customers can buy online. Hot items on her menu include stuffed plantain French toast and pulled shrimp and grits, highlighting her love of her Caribbean heritage.

Check also:

Almaz Adeigbola – Owner of brwnbox and a cannabis catering company based in New Jersey

Nikki Stewart – Celebrity cannabis chef

Noiel avoids – Seattle-based cannabis chef

Megon Dee Cave – Founder of Oracle Wellness and Portland-based cannabis chef

Andrea Drummer – Chef and founding father of the primary Hemp Cafe within the USA (lives in Los Angeles)

Gourmet delicacies – Black-owned farm that creates cannabis brunches and dinner series in Maryland

AleCiasto – Cannabis baked goods company based in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland

Cannabis festivals

Sheena Roberson founded Cannabis Noire and Higher Conferencethe primary cannabis conference specifically for ladies of color, with Black women at the top of the table.

“I started higher education out of necessity,” Roberson began. “[Most conferences] just don’t talk to black women and the shortage of recognition and representation is a direct reflection of the continued underinvestment we see in producers. I used to be uninterested in being reflective in these spaces, tiptoeing around, or generalizing the very real and complex women of color barriers, barriers, and disparities that deserved more attention and real reflection. Above will all the time be my love letter to black women on this space.

The inaugural 12 months of the Higher Conference was 2023, which turned out to be an enormous success. Within 90 days, Roberson organized a two-day event that featured over 500 women from over 12 states and 40 speakers from around the globe. “Relationships were mended, deals were made, contracts were secured, records were expunged, careers and spirits were lifted, black women were celebrated and given the flowers we deserve,” she says.

A Guide to Black Women-Owned Cannabis Businesses
Courtesy of Sheena Roberson

This 12 months’s conference will likely be held on June 21-23 at Billy Penn Studios in Philadelphia. It will include seminars and conversations with industry professionals on every little thing from entering into the cannabis industry and marketing, to general headshots and profession consultations (whatever the industry you wish to enter).

This 12 months’s Higher Conference may also include a sensory secure space called the Wellness Pavilion. This section will feature massages, yoga sessions, tarot readings, a beauty bar, and essential talks on ancestral plant medicine. It may also offer one-on-one meetings with a cannabis nurse and dietitian. They will discuss how motherhood, aging, menopause and female hygiene can intersect with this medicinal plant. There may also be a pitch competition (with a hefty prize) and one-on-one meetings with CEOs and senior managers for profession advice (cannabis-related and beyond).

Check also:

Black Cannabis Week – in Philadelphia

Emerald Cup in Oakland

National Cannabis Festival in Washington

Cannabis activists and community builders

Shayla Cabrera is a social justice advocate and founding father of Tia Planta, a plant education and advocacy platform in New Jersey. “I consider myself a daughter and a victim of the war on drugs,” Cabrera says. “I actually have all the time aligned myself with outcasts and marginalized people. “My father has been in prison for over 25 years because of the war on drugs.”

Her story shouldn’t be only sad, but additionally all too common. According to HRWnationwide, 62% of all state-level drug convictions involve black people. Cabrera, considered one of countless collateral victims, turned her pain into support.

A Guide to Black Women-Owned Cannabis Businesses
Courtesy of Shayla Cabrera

He consistently speaks out at local universities and colleges in regards to the cannabis industry and the snowball effect of the war on drugs. He also prepares cannabis internships for people of all ages curious about entering the industry.

In his home state of New Jersey, he focuses most of his efforts on promoting home growing. “If the police find one plant in your house [in New Jersey]you could potentially go to prison for a very long time,” he says. “Given the present adult recreational activity market, there are some barriers to becoming a medical patient. I focus on varieties [of cannabis], and every strain has different medicinal properties. Many of those varieties usually are not currently commercially available for adult medicinal or recreational use.

Check also:

Green Muse hemp – A Portland dispensary that teaches in regards to the history of cannabis and hip-hop

CannPowerment – Black woman-owned cannabis company

Thunderwalker – International cannabis advocate and business owner

CannaCoverage Insurance Services – Full-service cannabis business insurance and risk management consulting firm

Cannabis merchandise owned by a black woman

For those that live too removed from a festival town or cannabis chef, there are several options for Black women-owned cannabis merchandise which you can purchase from the comfort of your personal home. Criteria? You have to be no less than 21 years old and live within the US

Breanna Neff is the founder and Chief Food Scientist (CFS). breliks, a group of fast-acting cannabis wellness drink blends and powdered supplements for anxiety relief, stress support and rest that act as a healthy alternative to alcohol. Like many entrepreneurial ventures, brelixi was born out of necessity. “I created brelixi out of a personal need and desire to have fast-acting but also functional cannabis-based wellness products,” says Neff. “While studying food science at Cornell, marijuana became an unexpected ally in dealing with the rigors of academia.”

She adds: “After graduating, I worked in the food and beverage industry in regulatory compliance, functional product development, and food science consulting, and gained the experience necessary to create and market my own product.”

A Guide to Black Women-Owned Cannabis Businesses
Courtesy of Breanna Neff

As an authorized food scientist and wellness advocate, Neff saw a chance available in the market to create a product that focused on cannabis as a plant medicine and empowered users to incorporate it into their every day routine. “Brelixi has made it our mission to transform the functional wellness space both on the product side, through the innovative use of fast-acting nano cannabis, and on the consumer side, with our holistic approach to cannabis as an accessible, effective and stigma-free wellness tool,” he shares.

Neff, who also practices reiki and energy work, wanted to share this side of her passion within the name and design of her product, which attracts heavily on references to the sun and moon.

Check also:

A dose of spice – Cannabis sauce company

Be Jubie – Online store with CBD wellness products

Weed Lady Gift Shop – A cannabis accessory store owned by a drug war survivor


This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Women are less likely to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation than men. Training on breast mannequins could be helpful

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If someone’s heart suddenly stops beating, this may increasingly have happened minutes of life. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation may increase their probabilities of survival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation keeps blood pumping, delivering oxygen to the brain and vital organs until specialized treatment arrives.

However, research shows that bystanders are less likely to intervene to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the person is a girl. AND latest Australian study analyzed 4,491 cardiac arrest cases between 2017 and 2019 and located that bystanders were more likely to perform CPR on men (74%) than on women (65%).

Could this be partly because CPR training mannequins (so-called dummies) shouldn’t have breasts? Our recent research we checked out mannequins available all over the world to train people to perform CPR and located that 95% of them were flat-chested.

Anatomically, breasts don’t change the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique. However, they’ll influence whether people try to accomplish that – and hesitation at these key moments could mean the difference between life and death.

Differences in heart health

Cardiovascular diseases – including heart disease, stroke and cardiac arrest – are probably the most common diseases important reason behind death for ladies all over the world.

But if a girl goes into cardiac arrest outside the hospital (meaning her heart stops pumping air properly), that is actually what happens. 10% less likely receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation than a person. Women too less likely survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and are at greater risk of brain damage following cardiac arrest.

Bystanders are less likely to intervene if a girl needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to a person.
Doublelee/Shutterstock

These are just among the many health inequalities experienced by women, in addition to transgender and non-binary people. Compared to men, their symptoms they are more likely to be rejected or misdiagnosed, or it could take longer to receive a diagnosis.

Reluctance of the witness

There can also be growth evidence women are less likely to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to men.

This may be partly due to the concerns of those being accused of sexual harassmentworry may cause damage (in some cases based on the assumption that ladies are more “fragile”) and discomfort related to touching women’s breasts.

Bystanders may also get into trouble recognition the lady has a cardiac arrest.

Even in simulated scenarios, researchers found that interveners were less likely to remove women’s clothing prepare for resuscitationcompared to men. And there have been women less likely to receive Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation (an electrical charge to restart the center) – even when the training was in the shape of a web based game that didn’t require touching anyone.

There is evidence of how people behave in resuscitation training scenarios reflects what they do in real emergency situations. This means it is amazingly vital to train people to recognize cardiac arrest and prepare for intervention, no matter gender or body type.

Attached to men’s bodies

Very Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training resources depict male bodies or don’t specify gender. If bodies shouldn’t have breasts, it’s a male default.

For example, the 12 months 2022 test taking a look at CPR training in North, Central, and South America, it was found that nearly all of available mannequins were white (88%), male (94%), and slim (99%).

The woman's hands press the torso of a mannequin wearing a blue jacket.
It is amazingly rare for a mannequin to have breasts or a bigger body.
M Isolation photo/Shutterstock

This research reflects what we see in our work once we train other healthcare professionals to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We noticed that every one the mannequins available for training are flat chested. One of us (Rebecca) had difficulty finding training mannequins with breasts.

Single mannequin with breasts

Our recent research we checked what cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins are available and the way diverse they are. In 2023, we identified 20 cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins in the worldwide market. Mannequins are often torsos with no head and without arms.

Of the 20 available, five (25%) were sold as “female”, but only considered one of them had breasts. This implies that 95% of obtainable CPR training mannequins were flat-chested.

We also checked out other diversity characteristics, including skin tone and bigger bodies. We found that 65% had more than one skin tone available, but just one had a bigger body. Further research is required on the impact of those elements on bystanders when performing CPR.

Breasts don’t change cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique doesn’t change when someone has breasts. The barriers are cultural. And although you could feel uncomfortable, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation as soon as possible can save your life.

Signs that somebody may have cardiopulmonary resuscitation include not respiration properly or completely or not responding to you.

Perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitationit’s best to:

  • place the heel of your hand in the middle of your chest

  • place your second hand on top of the primary and interlace your fingers (keep your arms straight)

  • press firmly to a depth of about 5 cm before releasing

  • press your chest with a frequency of 100-120 beats per minute (you may sing a song) in your head to show you how to keep time!)

An example of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation – using a flat-chest manikin.

What a couple of defibrillator?

You haven’t got to remove someone’s bra to perform CPR. But you could need to accomplish that if a defibrillator is required.

AND defibrillator is a tool that uses an electrical charge to restart the center. An underwired bra may cause minor skin burns when the debrillator pads apply an electrical charge. However, in case you cannot take your bra off, don’t let it delay your care.

What should change?

Our research highlights the necessity for a big selection of breast CPR training mannequins, in addition to a wide range of body sizes.

Training resources need to higher prepare people to intervene and perform CPR on individuals with breasts. We also need greater education on the chance of developing and dying from heart disease in women.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Ant stings can be painful. Here’s how to avoid getting stung this summer (and what to do if it happens)

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The starting of summer is just a couple of days away, and plenty of of us will be looking forward to long, sunny days spent on the beach, by the pool, camping or having a picnic within the park.

Insects love summer too. Most of them right then grow and feed. However, this shared appreciation of the season can sometimes lead to conflict.

Insects have long been preyed upon by many species, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and other insects. Accordingly, quite a lot of defense mechanisms have evolved – perhaps none more familiar to humans than the sting.

Many ants have a stinger on their rear end which they use to deliver venom. It will not be the sting itself that causes pain, but relatively venom. Ant venom accommodates a mix of various chemicals, a few of which have evolved specifically to manipulate the nerve endings in our skin to cause pain.

Let’s take a have a look at the several ant stings chances are you’ll experience this summer in Australia and how to respond.

Bull ants

Bull ants (also often called bulldog ants, jumper ants, or jumper ants) are large for an ant. Some species can grow to length 4 centimeters. They are easily identified by their large eyes, long mandibles (jaws), and aggressive nature.

Their sting is immediate, hot, sharp and unambiguous, similar to that of a honey bee. The intense pain will only last a couple of minutes before being replaced by redness and swelling across the sting site.

There are many differing kinds of bull ants in Australia.
Sam Robinson

Green-headed ants

Green-headed ants are also called green ants (but not to be confused with green ants). green tree ants northern Australia, which do not sting). Green-headed ants are common and love our lawns.

About Length 6 millimetersthey’re much smaller than bull ants. They can be recognized by their shiny green-purple exoskeleton.

Green-headed ants are frequently less aggressive than bull ants, but they can still deliver a big sting. The pain from a green ant sting can construct up step by step and cause intense, sticky pain.

Green-headed ant.
Green-headed ants can be identified by their color.
Sam Robinson

Fire ants

Fire ants (or imported red fire ants) are native to South America. They were detected first in Brisbane in 2001it probably moved in containers and has since spread across south-east Queensland.

Fire ants are reddish brown and black and range in size from Length 2–6 millimeters.

You will almost certainly encounter fire ants of their nests, which appear like a pile of loose dirt. A hearth ant nest has no obvious entrance, which is way to distinguish it from other similar ant nests.

Disturbing a hearth ant nest will awaken an offended mass of a whole bunch of ants and expose you to being stung.

The initial pain from a single sting seems like an intense, hot itch, although it can be controlled. However, fire ant stings rarely occur in the only digits. One ant can sting multiple times, and plenty of ants can sting one person, which can lead to a whole bunch of stings. A hearth ant sting can cause pus-filled ulcers and scarring in the next days.

If you reside in an area where fire ants are present, it’s price taking a couple of minutes to learn how to do this recognize and report their.

Electric ants

Electric ants is one other nasty random import, coming from Central and South America. Currently limited to Cairns and surroundingsthese are tiny (1.5 millimeters long) yellow ants.

Like fire ants, these ants are frequently defensive, so lots of them will sting without delay. Their sting is more painful than you’ll expect from such a tiny creature. I compare it to being showered with red, hot sparks.

If you think that you see electric ants, please report it Biosecurity in Queensland.

Australian ants should not the worst

You may be surprised to hear that Australian ants don’t even make it to the rostrum when it comes to essentially the most painful ant stings. The winners include: harvester ants (North and South America), which cause severe, sticky pain, comparable to a drill slowly rotating in a muscle – for up to 12 hours.

The gold medal goes to the sting of the South and Central American bullet ant, which has been described How:

Pure, intense, sensible pain. It’s like walking on burning charcoal with a 3-inch nail stuck in your heel.

How to avoid getting stung (and what to do if you do)

Fortunately, the answer is frequently quite simple. Look around before you sit on the bottom or unfolded a picnic blanket, avoiding places where you see ant nests or a lot of foraging ants.

The selection of footwear might also be necessary. In my experience, most stings occur on the feet of those wearing thongs.

If you get stung, generally the situation will improve by itself. The pain often subsides after a couple of minutes (sometimes slightly longer within the case of a green ant sting). The redness, swelling and itching that sometimes follows may last for several days.

In the meantime, if mandatory, ice pack it will help with the pain. If it’s particularly bad, a topical numbing cream containing lidocaine may provide temporary relief. You can get it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

A small proportion of individuals may experience an allergic response to ant stings. In very severe cases this may include respiratory problems or ingestion. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms after an ant sting, you need to seek urgent medical attention.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Health matters: WNBA star Napheesa Collier on her commitment to women’s reproductive health

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Minnesota lynx

Napheesa Collier will not be only a WNBA superstar for the Minnesota Lynx and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, but additionally the mother of her daughter Mila and an advocate for women’s reproductive health rights.

It recently decided to partner with Opill®, the primary and only every day contraceptive pill available over-the-counter within the United States. This breakthrough represents a major step forward in women’s health care by providing a convenient and accessible contraceptive option. With Opill, women not need to visit health care facilities for prescriptions, making it easier than ever to take control of their reproductive health.

The collaboration relies on Opill®’s long-standing partnership with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). “One of the reasons Opill® partnered with the WNBA is the great passion of players who use their platform to support causes they believe in,” said Leila Bahbah, leading women’s health brand at Perrigo within the US. “Napheesa exudes this passion, and together we plan to educate and empower people to take control of their reproductive health.”

Collier advocates for girls and says she is willing to have conversations, even in the event that they are difficult. “I just truly believe in everything they do at Opill®. I believe it’s important to talk to people who may become pregnant and to women about the reproductive health and contraceptive options available to them,” Collier tells ESSENCE.

He continues: “I want people to know that if they want contraception, Opill® is a great option. It is the first over-the-counter drug approved by the FDA. It is inexpensive, available. You don’t need a prescription to get it. I think that’s a key thing in today’s climate.”

Collier notes that within the off-season, he tries to travel to various colleges to talk to students about their reproductive freedoms. “Talking about this topic is essential to remove the stigma as it should not be considered a shameful topic or something that should not be discussed openly. My mother was a nurse, so it was casual to talk about it in our house, and I want to pass it on to other people too, so I’m very excited about it,” she says.

In the present political climate, many ladies with daughters are concerned about their future and reproductive health. Collier, included. “Especially because I am the mother of a young girl, it is very important to me to be able to raise her in an atmosphere where she knows her reproductive rights and health, that she has access to affordable health care and contraception if she wants it and that she can ask me these questions and have open conversations.”

Collier continues: “It’s back to education. Again, I think it’s harmful that we can’t have open conversations about birth control and other issues that are usually taboo. I think it’s harmful. I think this does a lot of harm to women. It hurts. This is harmful to our society. Being able to talk about these issues and empowering women to learn about their rights and bodies creates a safer and healthier society.”

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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