Community

/ Education

A Medical Doctor and Attorney Agree: Cannabis Reform is Still Needed | Dr. Bridget Williams & Natacha Andrews, Esq.

On the latest Cannabis Minority Report with Mike Lomuto and Kay Villamin: Dr. Bridget Williams & Natacha Andrews, Esq. Each week on the show, we highlight the journeys, successes, and challenges of Global Majority (aka Minority) leaders in our industry. Mike interviews a leader who has had to navigate innovatively and who believes in the potential that cannabis brings to the reshaping of our nation and communities.

We also provide our take on select news stories, in particular how these stories impact diverse communities.

On this episode: Natacha Andrews, Esq., is an attorney, speaker, author and cannabis advocate. Originally from NJ, she is a graduate of both Rutgers University and Howard Law.

Natacha’s diverse background brought her to cannabis after practicing a majority of her career as an immigration lawyer. Concerned by the trend she noticed of the disturbing number of detainees facing deportation and permanent family separation as a result of low level, non-violent cannabis convictions, Natacha set out to gain a better understand of the underlying causes and connections. What she discovered led her to seek avenues of advocacy and sensible drug policy reform.

In December 2019 she began to gather a group of attorneys from around the nation, resulting in the formation of the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL). Today, NABCL works with attorneys from varied practice areas to advocate for equitable, inclusive and reparative justice for those intentionally harmed by the War on Drugs.

Natacha is on a crusade to assist cannabis professionals establish a footing within the industry during the re-legalization of the plant. Natacha provides invaluable expertise and guidance to those seeking equity as they enter the burgeoning cannabis market.

She serves as an advocate for comprehensive drug reform. She is an educator with subject matter expertise, who speaks to audiences ranging from corporate entities to community organizations. She is a volunteer for the Last Prisoner’s Project, directs community engaged for NC-ACT (NC Alliance for Cannabis Transparency), is a Parabola Center Partner and sits on the board of the NABCL.

Dr. Bridget Cole Williams is an established board-certified family physician, best selling author, and the CEO of Green Harvest Health, a medical cannabis and integrative health clinic located in Ohio. With nearly 20 years of experience in family medicine from The Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Bridget combines her medical background with certifications in life and cannabis coaching into her practice. She provides valuable “motivational talks” on medical cannabis, CBD products and business development, life balance and confidence, and a variety of additional topics.

In 2019, Dr. Bridget formulated and launched her own CBD medicinal line of products, followed by her line of hemp infused beauty products. Dr. Bridget also serves as Medical Director for several medical spas, and Collaborating Physician for mental health facilities. When not seeing patients, Dr. Bridget hosts podcast shows, creates educational curriculum, and serves on various boards.

Dr. Bridget also runs a nonprofit, GHH Community Foundation, which helps to fund her book Courage In Cannabis. She uses the nonprofit to provide an opportunity for individuals to share their cannabis stories, and become published authors. Dr. Bridget is honored to have been recognized as Top Female Business, Top Minority Business with the Ohio MBE 2021, Women in Medicine Top Doctor 2021, Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2022, Disruptors 50 Under 50 Brightest Disruptors, and is a respected and sought after thought leader, and expert in the cannabis industry.

We record live every Monday, on NCIA’s LinkedIn Live, at 10am PT / 1PM ET. So be sure to tune in, as well as to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.