Let's be Blunt with Montel

Montel talks with Chicago cannabis entrepreneur Akele Parnell on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Akele earned his masters degree in public health and doctorate of law degree from Washington University. He served as in-house counsel at Green Thumb Industries Inc., one of the largest publicly traded cannabis companies in the U.S. There, he worked across finance, securities, corporate governance, com...

Montel talks with Marcia Pledger on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Marcia is the co-founder of the Ohio Cannabis Health & Business Summit, an annual educational event in Cleveland aimed at both the general public and people in the cannabis industry. She is a freelance business journalist, content creator and author with 30 years-experience covering local and national stories on topics as diverse...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Michelin Star Chef David Yusefzadeh. David was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2011 and has been utilizing cannabis to allow him to function in his everyday life. He is a Michelin Star Chef and food designer who spent the majority of his career working eighty hours a week in fine dining restaurants and hotels around the world.  Jean-Georges Vo...

Montel speaks with Jennifer Conforti on this episode of Let’s be Blunt. Jennifer thought she would never have children, and then was blessed with a surprise pregnancy at age 42. Shortly after the birth of their beautiful baby girl, they learned she had a congenital brain defect and she was later given a secondary diagnosis of severe autism. When her behavior developed into self harm, no doctors or...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Chris Walsh on location at Green Care Collective, a vertically integrated cannabis company  in Massachusetts that he has recently taken the helm of as CEO. Chris  began his career in the entertainment industry and eventually co-founded the legendary production company, The Shooting Gallery, an indie film company that has been credited with launc...

Montel welcomes back Margo Vesely-Stone to this episode of Let’s be Bunt to talk about cannabis educational programs she is implementing in IL. Margo has dedicated her career to inspiring humanity to understand the blessings in plant medicine. She is a passionate cannabis advocate, researcher, and entrepreneur with almost two decades of cannabis and legal experience, both in the public and private...

On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Calvin Johnson and Gosder Cherilus, retired NFL players who founded a forward-thinking company dedicated to the advancement of cannabis as a form of elevated wellness, believing that the plant holds incredible potential as a healing agent. Their vision is to positively impact the global cannabis industry, changing stigmas and stereotypes by high...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Bonni Goldstein, MD, Itzhak Kurek, PHD and Jeff Raber PHD about a study on the impact of cannabinoid therapy for treating Autism utilizing Cannformatics saliva based Cannabis-responsive biomarkers for before and after results. Dr Kurek is the CEO and founder of Cannformatics, a biotech company developing a lab service to analyze non-invasive sal...

On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Firstman. He is a founding member of Life Is A Ceremony retreats where healers, shamans, artists, change makers, and more, commune in nature’s wisdom, hold space for personal development and solve systemic issues within a village of elders among the glory of Jamaica’s most potent and powerful resources: visionary plants, the healing powers of na...

On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with the Ohio Executive Director of Norml, Simon Dunkle. Simon started his career working for Ohio Speaker of the House, Vern Riffe, in the Ohio’s 114th General Assembly. He then spent 25 years in broadcasting, with the high point being a nationally syndicated blues radio show that ran in 40 Markets from 1994 to 1998. After an accident and twenty plu...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt Montel speaks with Dr Benjamin Caplan, a board-certified doctor of Family Medicine who was named one of the 100 most influential individuals in cannabis. In addition to practicing at some of Boston's foremost hospitals, he served as the Chief Medical Officer for one of the largest medical cannabis healthcare groups in the US, overseeing the clinical evaluations of...

Montel speaks wtih Marie St Fleur on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. St Fleur was the first Haitian- American elected to state office in the United States and the first woman to serve as Vice Chair of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means. She served as a state representative for Massachusetts for eleven years. Before that she served as an Assistant District Attorney and Assistant Attorney Gene...

On this episode of Let’s be Blunt, Montel talks with Michael Wilson, the foudner of the MO canna company, Franklin’s Stash House. Michael is a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience across design and engineering, precision manufacturing, brand development, corporate modeling, financial modeling and multi-state and international cannabis licensing. He first launched his business as a hemp...

Montel speaks with Arend Richard on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Arend is a seasoned entrepreneur, LGBTQ+ advocate, and passionate cannabis enthusiast with a proven track record of building successful businesses from the ground up. A thought leader in the cannabis space, Arend currently serves as the founder of Cirrus Social Club, an innovative space to celebrate and socialize over the wonders...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Tiffany Chin, who recently launched Death Row Cannabis with Snoop Dogg. Tiffany is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton Business School. She started working with Snoop Dogg as an intern and quickly rose through the ranks to lead his cannabis business development. She negotiated the two largest licensing deals at the time in t...

According to the published study titled, “The Use of Psychedelics in the Treatment of Medical Conditions: An Analysis of Currently Registered Psychedelics Studies in the American Drug Trial Registry”, there has been a resurgence of psychedelics research that has broadly encompassed the fields of neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and psychology. Focused mostly on psilocybin and MDMA. Researchers ar...

While smokable flowers, edibles, and vapes lead legal cannabis sales, THC-infused beverages are projected to become a major market segment. For now, they account for slightly more than one percent of total cannabis sales, but “beverages are growing and trending up” according to market intelligence firm Headset, and the category is becoming more sophisticated. Montel talks with Paul Weaver, Head of...

Montel talks with Terrence Stevens and Philip Smith on this episode of Let’s be Blunt. Terrence is a quadriplegic with Muscular Dystrophy who was sentenced to 15 years in a maximum security prison for a non-violent low level drug offense. He suffered years of abuse and exploitation from the penal system and was eventually granted clemency by Governor Pataki after serving 10 years of his sentence....

Montel chats with JM Balbuena on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt about her new book The Successful Canna-Prenueur. JM is an author, filmmaker, advocate, and entrepreneur focused on empowering aspiring leaders in the rapidly growing legal cannabis space. She is a Navy veteran, having received a Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal for her dedicated service as an Aviation Electronics Tech from 2010...

Montel chats with Rachel Grochowski  on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Rachel is an award-winning architect and designer. Her diverse body of work spans both residential and commercial projects throughout the US. She’s been recognized by the Urban Land Institute for sustainable development and has been awarded Gold and Silver LEED certifications for her work. In 2019, she was named one of the Top...

Montel talks with Frank Jones and Phillip Smith on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Frank has more than 30 years of experience as a pharmaceutical executive. He is the co-founder of Greene Street Pharmaceuticals and works to capitalize on his extensive experience to develop innovative products that make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and physicians. Also joining the conversation,...

On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel talks with Laura Beohner, the founder of The healing Rose. Laura earned her bachelors degree in business administration at Northeastern University. She became a passionate advocate for cannabis after a kneecap injury led to her discovery of the medicinal benefits of the plant. She went on to found a company to bring wholesome organic products to market, wh...

Montel chats with Suzan Nickelson on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Suzan is a graduate of Rutgers University and recently made history as the first black woman to be awarded a cannabis license in the state of New Jersey. She learned about cannabis from the generational teachings that were passed down to her by the women in her family, devout herbalists from West Africa and Jamaica who worked to...

ON LOCATION, BOSTON On this episode of Let’s Be Blunt, Montel chats with Dr Peter Grinspoon on location at NECANN in Boston. Dr Grinspoon is a primary care doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and has been a cannabis specialist for twenty-five years. His latest book, “Seeing Through the Smoke: Cannabis: An Expert Doctor Untangles the Truth...

Montel speaks with Mike Robinson on this episode of Let’s Be Blunt. Mike is the founder of the Global Cannabinoid Research Center in Santa Barbara, California. He is a three-time cancer survivor who has utilized cannabis to treat cancer, as well as his epilepsy, PTSD, and Chronic Lyme disease. He is the former Director of Consumer Affairs at the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, a journali...