The UP! Life

Josephine & Billie's. A look back at the history of cannabis prohibition and the hurtles women of color face today. Whitney Beatty is a social equity license holder and founder of a unique dispenssary in Los Angeles that recognizes two Hollywood starlets that were racially targeted and blacklisted for their use of cannabis. Today she shares how she was able to work through the adversity, and extra hurdles as a black woman entering an industry dominated by rich, white males.

Kelly Perez is an advocate for criminal justice reform and expungement and pationate about how it intertwines with the historical trauma & adversity black communities have had to overcome. Kelly is an experienced policy expert in racial justice, community health, and health equity. She was also the Human Services Policy Adviser to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and led in the creation of the worlds first Office of Marijuana Coordination to effectively roll out adult-use cannabis.

From financer to advocate, Tahir Johnson is helping minorities enter the cannabis space. The Robin Hood of social equity and inclusion, he works tirelessly to end the stigma created by the War on Drugs and uplift the disadvantaged. Tahir Johnson is the Director of Social Equity & Inclusion at Marijuana Policy Project and host of the Cannabis Diversity Report podcast. Tahir advances MPPs mission of achieving social justice for those impacted by cannabis prohibition. With a focus on licensing equity, he develops educational resources for industry stakeholders and heads an accountability task force to support members equity program goals.

Release & Reintegration ft. Andrew DeAngelo, Global Cannabis Consultant & Strategic Advisor / Executive Coach, Founder of Andrew DeAngelo Consulting. Join us for a conversation with the co-founder and chairperson for the non-profit Last Prisoner Project, whose mission is to free and re-integrate all cannabis prisoners into mainstream society. Andrew DeAngelo shares his experience of brother Steve's incarceration and how it shook up the family and led them both to a lifetime of advocacy fighting for cannabis prisoners. While cannabis is finding legalization, countless victims of the War on Drugs remain behind bars for something the rest of us celebrate

Part 2 of overcoming trauma with JT. Living with ongoing trauma (like TBI) complicated by other neurological disorders like HDHD. Plus! Where do you go when you are black and under attack? Overcoming adversity and the story of CAMO.

Overcoming trauma is one thing, but returning from combat with PTSD and facing trauma and adversity around every corner, is an entirely different animal. Meet James 'JT' Trice, cofounder of CAMO. JT shares his experience with losing friends in Iraq and discusses the side effects of pills that lead many to suicide.

Ashley Manning is a cannabis veteran and women, minority, and LGBTQ+ advocate. While working in the healthcare field, she became a cannabis patient, which inspired her to pursue a career in plant medicine. Ashley maintains that having a seat at the table does not guarantee women are free from patriarchal politics. Ashley continues to crusade against the hidden barriers to success faced by women at the highest levels of their careers.

Lakeydra Houston is a US Air Force veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and CEO of KEY Fit, Knowledge, Empowerment and You-nity, which mentors groups on fitness, wellness and suicide awareness to increase life productivity. Lakeydra fell victim to Military Sexual Trauma during her time in service and today she is a certified resiliency trainer with over 7+ years of experience within domestic violence programs, sexual assault prevention and mental health. She is looking to make an impact within the military community and to bridge the gap of knowledge between our civilian counterparts while continuing to serve others.

Expungement & Social Equity - With guest co-host, Ava Okyere. Stephanie Shepard spent 10 years behind bars for a first-time cannabis offense. Today she's on the board of directors for the Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit org dedicated to criminal justice reform. In our previous conversation we learned Stephanies father died while she was in prison and went to his grave believing her to be a drug dealer.
Today we pick up the conversation and take a closer look at the history of cannabis criminalization and the struggle for equal justice and social equity.

Cannabis decriminalization activist, Stephanie Shepard was recently elected to the board of directors for the Last Prisoner Project (LPP). Stephanie joined the LPP in 2020 one year after completing a 10-year sentence for cannabis. Today she advocates for the release of black men and women incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes to prevent others from going through the same traumatic experience.