Parabola Center for Law and Policy

Parabola Center for Law and Policy Parabola Center is a nonprofit think tank of cannabis policy experts coming together to protect peopl

Until this week, a small New York cannabis farm selling at a licensed showcase event gave the retail margin on every sal...
08/06/2026

Until this week, a small New York cannabis farm selling at a licensed showcase event gave the retail margin on every sale to the host dispensary. That has changed.

Why the margin on a jar sold at a farmers market matters more than it sounds. From damian.fagon on The Parabola Papers.

Link in Bio.

This spring we interviewed 37 people across all nine states where legal cannabis sales are at least five years old. Thes...
07/27/2026

This spring we interviewed 37 people across all nine states where legal cannabis sales are at least five years old. These are four of their answers, exactly as they said them.

Some are about how ordinary legal cannabis has become. Some are about what still isn’t working: tax money that communities are still waiting on, and renters with nowhere legal to use what they bought. They’re perceptions, and not always the full picture, but what people believe shapes how they vote and what they buy.

The rest of the voices are in the full report, free for everyone this Saturday. Paid Substack subscribers can read it today, link’s in our bio.

If you live in one of these states, tell us: does this match your experience, or does yours look different?

Someone in Oregon told us the best part of legalization is not having to go behind a Taco Bell dumpster to buy w**d anym...
07/25/2026

Someone in Oregon told us the best part of legalization is not having to go behind a Taco Bell dumpster to buy w**d anymore. That quote ended up on the cover of our new research report, because honestly, nothing sums it up better.

We spent this spring interviewing 37 people across nine states where legal sales are at least five years old. We wanted to learn about what living with legal cannabis is actually like, in people’s own words.

It’s free for everyone next Saturday, August 1. Paid subscribers on our Substack can read it today, link’s in our bio.

Today’s the day! For our leadership training participants, get ready to learn about organizing power and using advocacy ...
07/17/2026

Today’s the day! For our leadership training participants, get ready to learn about organizing power and using advocacy tools to design the market that all of our communities want and deserve.

We want to thank a few of our Florida-based speakers and special attendees for joining us.

Steve Mendez, digital marketing fellow at Parabola Center, is a Florida-based cannabis industry consultant and the founder of Buzz Krew LLC, a marketing and digital agency supporting cannabis businesses through branding, websites, and strategy. A University of Florida graduate with a degree in biology, Steve was pre-med and passed the MCAT before choosing to apply his scientific background to the cannabis industry to help build equitable markets. He has supported the acquisition of over fifty cannabis licenses across Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont, and has helped secure over $1.5 million in Social Equity grants in Massachusetts.

Swipe through for some more of our VIPs.

Dr. Michael J. McKenzie was one of the first physicians in Florida to become certified to recommend cannabinoids in 2015 based on Florida’s Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014. He was evaluating and treating qualified patients in Florida’s medical cannabis program until December 2024 and is currently the Medical Director of a provisionally-licensed MMTC.

Raised in Southwest Florida, KC Klens is a passionate advocate who has worn many hats in cannabis spaces around the country. KC recently graduated with his M.S. in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2026, and earned a 4.0 GPA as President of the Medical Cannabis Student Association. He has been a mentor, a speaker, a cannabis brand representative, a consultant, a full spectrum activist and corporate critic, and is currently part of the Parabola Leadership Cohort.

Robert Friedman is the founder of cLAB, a networking source looking to connect local cannabis communities.

Saige Petzen was one of the first patients in the Florida MMJ program at the age of 17 and has been devoted to efficacy education since finding relief with medical cannabis herself. She teaches at Lake Erie College

See ya tomorrow!! -Parabola Teamparabolacenter.com/crashcourseShanel Lindsay, entrepreneurship director, is an attorney,...
07/16/2026

See ya tomorrow!! -Parabola Team

parabolacenter.com/crashcourse

Shanel Lindsay, entrepreneurship director, is an attorney, advocate and serial entrepreneur. In addition to serving as Parabola Center’s Entrepreneur Director, Shanel is Founder and CEO of Ardent Life Inc., a global cannabis hardware and CPG company. Shanel was an author of Question 4, the ballot initiative to legalize adult use cannabis in Massachusetts. Subsequently, she was appointed to the Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board, serving from 2017-2021. Shanel is also co-founder of the grassroots advocacy group Equitable Opportunities Now.

Laury Lucien, education director, is an attorney and educator and Parabola Center’s Education Director. She founded Lucien Law, representing clients in immigration, wills and estates, personal injury, and criminal defense across Greater Boston. Born in Boston and raised in Petionville, Haiti, she earned a biology degree from UMass Amherst and her J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from Suffolk University Law School. Laury teaches Cannabis Law and entrepreneurship at Suffolk and Clark University and serves on the Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board.

Shaleen Title, co-founder and director, is a lawyer, activist, and adjunct professor focused on regulations for emerging industries. She is a former top cannabis regulator for Massachusetts, where she served as a commissioner of the Cannabis Control Commission. In addition to her role with Parabola Center, she is Of Counsel at Rudick Law Group and teaches classes on AI regulations and ma*****na policy at Roger Williams University School of Law. In her free time, she volunteers for Fairplay for Kids and the ACLU of Massachusetts.

Damian Fagon, policy director, is a former cannabis regulator for the state of New York, where he served as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the Office of Cannabis Management. A third-generation farmer and development economist, Damian blends grassroots agricultural experience with equitable economic policy, advising on cannabis market development and agricultural initiatives internationally. He currently serves as Director of the Bronx Cannabis Hub, building new models and programming

Today we are featuring our wonderful local co-hosts in Florida from ! Swipe through to learn more, and come out this Fri...
07/15/2026

Today we are featuring our wonderful local co-hosts in Florida from !

Swipe through to learn more, and come out this Friday and Saturday to the African-American Research Library in Ft. Lauderdale, more info at parabolacenter.com/crashcourse

Jodi James is a respected speaker, teacher, debater, strategic planner, thought-leader, and mentor with more than 25 years of experience in cannabis policy. She started as a patient volunteer and soon had a staff position with the Coalition Advocating Medical Ma*****na (CAMM) while volunteering for the newly formed Florida Cannabis Action Network (FLCAN). During her tenure, the organization put together the first ma*****na bill in Florida since 1978, introduced and eventually passed the legislation removing h**p from the Controlled Substances Act, produced dozens of public education programs annually, helped patients earn medical necessity through the courts, and built a statewide constituency that influences lawmakers to this day. Jodi is the managing partner for McKinney James Works, a private consulting firm. Currently, she is serving as president of the Board of Directors while training a new generation to advocate for access to the Cannabis plant.

Carla Ashburn is a cannabis healthcare advocate, entrepreneur, and patient rights champion with more than 30 years of experience in corporate management, team leadership, and event planning. In 2017, she founded Medical Ma*****na Care of Florida, helping physicians enter the cannabis industry and providing patient-centered care through clinics serving rural Florida communities. Passionate about education, patient empowerment, and veterans’ access to cannabis, Carla works to ensure individuals can make informed healthcare decisions and access cannabis without unnecessary barriers. In addition to being business woman and educator, she also a leader with Florida Cannabis Action Network, where she contributes to research, advocacy, and legislative engagement on behalf of patients and consumers statewide.

Hector Roos is a real estate professional and chair of the Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade County. He will joi

If you enjoy@couchlocknews’s stories and reporting, come learn about the approach he takes to communicating by video.Aar...
07/14/2026

If you enjoy@couchlocknews’s stories and reporting, come learn about the approach he takes to communicating by video.

Aaron Carll is the co-founder and host of Couch Lock News, an independent cannabis media platform covering the industry through investigative reporting, policy analysis, and consumer education. Based in Tampa, Aaron focuses on Florida’s medical ma*****na program, dispensary accountability, patient access, and the policy fights shaping who actually benefits from legalization. Outside of media, he works in chemical and botanical supply through Ceres 14, a Tampa-based company handling bulk chemical distribution, botanical sourcing and imports, and ingredient warehousing, giving him a firsthand view of the business side of the plant economy he reports on.

Aaron will be joining us as a speaker this Friday in Ft. Lauderdale at our Leadership Training. More info: parabolacenter.com/crashcourse

If you enjoyed the recent reel about People Over Profits 2026 by , come learn about the approach he takes to communicati...
07/14/2026

If you enjoyed the recent reel about People Over Profits 2026 by , come learn about the approach he takes to communicating by video.

Aaron Carll is the co-founder and host of Couch Lock News, an independent cannabis media platform covering the industry through investigative reporting, policy analysis, and consumer education. Based in Tampa, Aaron focuses on Florida’s medical ma*****na program, dispensary accountability, patient access, and the policy fights shaping who actually benefits from legalization. Outside of media, he works in chemical and botanical supply through Ceres 14, a Tampa-based company handling bulk chemical distribution, botanical sourcing and imports, and ingredient warehousing, giving him a firsthand view of the business side of the plant economy he reports on.

Aaron will be joining us as a speaker this Friday in Ft. Lauderdale at our Leadership Training. More info: parabolacenter.com/crashcourse

Today’s SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT features Steph Sherer of for Safe Access (ASA), an organization she founded 24 years ago! She...
07/13/2026

Today’s SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT features Steph Sherer of for Safe Access (ASA), an organization she founded 24 years ago! She has seen it all.

Steph is a pioneering international leader and expert in medical cannabis patient advocacy. Her personal experience with the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, combined with her background in political organizing, led her to establish Americans for Safe Access in 2002. Under her guidance, ASA has grown into the nation’s largest patient-centered organization dedicated to ensuring access to medical cannabis, bridging gaps in knowledge, policy, and regulation, and promoting its recognition as a legitimate medical therapy.

After several years spent advancing national medical cannabis frameworks abroad, guiding cutting-edge research initiatives, and reforming international drug policies, Steph returned to her role as Executive Director of ASA in 2024. She now leads a nationwide initiative — ASA’s “second act” — to fully integrate cannabis-based medicines into the U.S. healthcare system, ensuring that patient needs, rights, and outcomes remain central to this transformative era in medicine.

Join us this Friday and Saturday for People Over Profits in Ft. Lauderdale. More information: parabolacenter.com/crashcourse

Address

Boston, MA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Parabola Center for Law and Policy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Parabola Center for Law and Policy:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category