Shanel Lindsay: Advocate for change in the cannabis industry

Lindsay was building her law career in Boston, but had health issues.

Marijuana had been decriminalized in Massachusetts, but one day on her way to work, Lindsay was stopped for a minor traffic infraction.

When she asked why she was arrested, she was told, “We had probable cause.” She became incensed, and immediately realized, as a woman of color, they were violating her civil rights.

Lindsay’s life changed that day.

Knowing the police were watching, she stopped growing pot and bought cannabis from an outside source.

In 2014, when medical marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts, Lindsay started her own law practice.

“We are dedicated to ensuring just representation for people of color within the cannabis industry,” Lindsay explained.

A recent victory took place when the largest marijuana business association in Massachusetts – the Commonwealth Dispensary Association – dropped its lawsuit against the Cannabis Control Commission’s new delivery license regulations, which are exclusively limited to Economic Empowerment and Social Equity Program participants for the first three years.

“We are using our voice to fight for equity in the industry and stand up for small businesses and the counterculture,” she said.

Lindsay promotes cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, but feels that patients and consumers have limited options.

Her first issue was how to tackle the process of converting cannabis into something reliable.

Nicknamed the Easy Bake Ardent, it makes customized edibles, topicals, suppositories and more, for a fraction of retail prices.

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