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Managing an IT Ecosystem

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Women + Weed

Women + Weed

Solutions for Overworked Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are masters of multitasking. While wearing every hat isn’t ideal, it’s part of the gig. Technology integration is stepping up to help, but managing the technology can be a fulltime job in itself.

For Washingtonians, being tech-savvy is nearly a requirement for residency. The state’s tech sector employed 246,000 workers in 2019, as reported by the Washington State Wire. With so many tech professionals in the area, there are ample resources for business owners looking to bring in more automation. Building an IT Strategy

Stephen Arndt, president of Cannabis Technology Partners, said working with an IT management company early on is crucial. “The sooner we get involved with a client, the easier it is to prevent bad technology decisions that are costly to undo or redo.” His company offers free consultations so business owners can better understand their needs and the costs associated with implementing solutions.

From those discussions, Arndt builds an IT strategy to determine how much technology (servers, computers, etc.) a business needs. “Our goal is to form a partnership with our clients, to maximize the efficiency and productivity of their business, and to enable them to achieve a competitive edge by leveraging current technology,” said Arndt. There are so many areas to automate now that operators may have to let their budget decide where to focus. Compliance is a good place to start.

You’ve installed surveillance systems and have control over who can access what, but is that the end of your compliance strategy? “We’ve talked to so many companies that don’t have any mechanism to ensure the system is functioning on a day-to-day basis,” said Arndt. Finding a partner who offers 24/7 compliance monitoring ensures the tech is working and everything is in line with evolving regulations. Daily Operations

Operators should have data management covering everything from inventory to customer retention. As ever, it sounds easier than it is.

“We realize ultimately what companies need is hassle-free IT that allows them to accomplish their daily tasks, meet deadlines, input data, and engage efficiently and intentionally with their client base,” said Arndt. Comprehensive IT could also include ensuring internet connectivity (even in remote areas), networking between multiple sites, or integrating disparate applications for better efficiency. Security Solutions

Data integrity, computer viruses, hackers, and tech failures are major concerns. Moving to a cloud-based storage solution can help. “If you haven’t started a move to the cloud, you are behind,” said Arndt.

“This business model, especially with regards to security and compliance, is the only one that can move fast enough to keep with the threats in today’s world.”

Planning for Success

IT management is a foundational element for building a successful operation. As Arndt pointed out, “It takes a team to stay on top of all the risks and even then, things happen.” Working with qualified professionals from the ground up helps ensure those issues arise less often, and when they do, there’s a plan in place to resolve them. ❖

Rolling With The Best Rolling With The Best

The innovator with a passion for papers, and even more importantly, people.

By Charles Warner Photos by Michael Rodriguez/RandomLyfe

When you first think of RAW rolling papers you might think of a natural and more sustainable rolling paper that has organically grown into a worldwide brand. But, when you peel the layers back, you realize that the brand and the attitude of the company is a direct reflection of its leadership and more specifically Josh Kesselman.

Since starting RAW officially, Kesselman has amassed a massive social media following and has become a true steward to the planet, while being entertaining as hell. His rolling papers are made from natural hemp fibers and don’t contain chemical whiteners like other brands, but that is just the beginning of his story. He walks the walk and talks the talk when it comes to sustainability and not wanting to “piss acid on the planet.” He is vegan. He gives millions to charities and feels guilty that he isn’t doing enough.

But when you look deeper, it’s not just his customers and the planet that he cares about. It’s the people in his life that he prioritizes and makes the focus of his passion. He takes care of his employees and even paid people to stay home during the pandemic. He takes calls from his daughter in the middle of an interview; as any dad should. And he gets emotional when he talks about making the world a better place and genuinely loving people.

So sit back and relax. Maybe grab a beverage or roll your favorite smoke and enjoy this fascinating conversation with one of the true enigmas and innovators of the cannabis industry known for his papers of hemp and heart of gold.

Cannabis & Tech Today: You started collecting rolling papers when you were a younger man, inspired by your father’s interest in paper. At what point did you realize you had a real authentic brand with RAW, and not just a business or a passion?

Josh Kesselman: Wow. No one’s ever asked that before. It’s a tough one … I was out at a club with some friends and the server suddenly turned to me and said, “Oh my God, you make Juicy Jay’s? I love those!” Now that’s 2000, 2001, somewhere around there. So, that’s the first time when I realized that maybe I have a brand — people actually recognized the product.

C&T Today: Your brand was based around sustainability before it was even cool. What does that word mean to you and why do you think cannabis was late to the party with sustainability?

JK: Cannabis still is late to the party. It really is. That part really hurts me … I just don’t want to leave the planet worse than I got it. It’s just the way that I think, which is you’re trying not to take more than you give. RAW wasn’t a product I was making for the masses. I was picturing my friends and my friend’s girlfriend. She was this blonde girl with hippy dreads and I was trying to make a product they would really love. They were the headiest smokers I knew. [They] knew every aspect of it. I wanted to make a paper for them that I could just picture them connecting with and truly loving, to fit within their way of living. That’s what RAW was really about.

C&T Today: There’s so much fakeness out there on social media. Your authenticity, I think people gravitate towards it. Can you talk a little bit about your social following and what it means to you?

JK: I freaking love having such a strong social media following. When I go outside and walk down the block and someone recognizes me and they come to me like, “Oh my God, your videos changed my life. They made me so happy.” You know how happy that makes me?

I went to listen to a TED Talk about some guy saying we should get rid of money and basically replace it with happiness points. Did you make people happy? Did you uplift? I was like, “Oh my God, that would be epic.” Because that’s something I would strive for.

Social media means a lot to me. I want to be able to talk to people. I want to be able to get positive messages out in the world and uplift them, because I know that when I go, the only thing left behind that anyone will remember me by are those social media videos.

C&T Today: So, would you say you’re a tech guy?

JK: I love tech because it makes things better. But I also watch very carefully, just like with our products, I’m looking for evolution not devolution. I hate it when I witness devolution. I’ll give you an example. That microphone I use for my phone. The older generation of it was a simple cordless mic. They made this great cordless mic. It was great. I bought three of them.

They came out with a new version. The new version was not as good. It was smaller, used different channels, but it was truly not as good to the point where I was like, “Is this just me, or is everyone hearing a hiss?” “We’re all hearing a hiss.” Okay, let’s switch out the mic. Nope. Still hearing a hiss. Back of the old one. Two years later, they came out with another new one. Again, not as good as the original. And you’re like, “Okay, who’s running this company? Are you guys using your own products? Who’s fucking this up? How can you not notice that your old ones are so much better than your new ones? And it isn’t like you’re charging less. So, what’s going on here?” I run into this often with products. I judge products very harshly.

C&T Today: Do you like toys? Cars, motorcycles, things like that?

I’m glad you asked. When I was a kid, we didn’t grow up with much money, but one day someone gave me a toy Magnum PI Ferrari. I thought it was the coolest thing to add to my collection of toy cars … I never thought I’d get to a space where I could afford a Ferrari. Years later, I got the money under the belt, the whole thing, so you’re living the dream. You go and you buy yourself that Ferrari.

I got the Ferrari, I get in and I’m driving and I can’t forget thinking to myself, “This would’ve been so cool when I was 17. Fuck.” Then when COVID hit, I took the Ferrari out for a quick drive and I felt like a douchebag. I was like, “I got friends out there that are losing their jobs, that are really in trouble, and I’m out here driving a Ferrari.” So, I sent it t o the dealership and said, “Guys, I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to drive this. It’s not making me happy.”

“I believe that whenever you receive a huge reward, like tremendous success, you then have to stop and listen.”

You know what I have fun in? I have fun in my Prius. We wrapped it, we made it color changing. I did rims on it. My Prius is badass. And now, because my daughter took my badass Prius — Coco, it’s okay. I love you. But because she took my Prius, I got a Tesla. The coolest thing about the Tesla is the technology. Especially if you’re tired and you’re driving, it has an autopilot that keeps me in the lane and it makes me feel better and safer and I don’t get all paranoid when I’m driving. That made me so happy. It actually made me happier.

C&T Today: How do you feel the cannabis industry views you as an influencer?

JK: Well, I think they all think I’m crazy, which I am. I think we all are. You have to be, to be me … I think the industry appreciates how far I’ve brought it and how passionate I am about what I do. I think they look up to me in that regard as to being like, “Wow, he really brought it, man.”

The reason I can talk so quick and strong about my products is because I love them and I enjoy making them, and we invent them together, me and the team. So, you really care about it and you really like it and you get excited about it. I think they look at me as someone who really brought my part of the industry to the highest level it’s ever been.

C&T Today: Nobody’s going to say that you don’t love what you do. Let’s talk about prerolls. How has the explosive popularity of pre-rolls affected how RAW operates?

JK: It has affected us a lot in terms of our cone business. We have to make so many cones for them, and we can never make enough … There’s lots of testing involved, a lot of production. But in the end, I believe our cones are the best there are. I’ve seen lots of people try to find ways to make them cheaper and easier — like spiral wrapping, which makes them, in my experience, burn wonky. Not terrible, just not as good as a normal cone. And I’ve experienced so much corner cutting that we refuse to do.

But in addition, one thing that drives me crazy with pre-rolls is that the overwhelming majority are not filled properly. It’s an uneven experience. I’ve been to LA and bought some pre-rolls, we’d light it up and you can’t even draw from it. Or then you light one up and it just completely runs. It’s a shitty, uneven experience. You don’t know what you’re going to get.

I think a lot of people making pre-rolls don’t truly understand where the cone comes from and understand how to fill the cone. They don’t have enough experience. So, they’re just trying to fill… they see a cylinder and the mindset is, “How can we fill this?” Without a thought process of, “How can I make it burn better? What’s the best way to fill this? How can I make an actual burn closer to what people get when they fill it correctly themselves?”

C&T Today: You’re a perfectionist. You are an enigmatic, lovable entrepreneur, and you also are really big into giving. Can you talk about RAW Giving?

JK: Yes, I can. The problem for me with RAW Giving — let me start just from my own shame — is that I don’t believe I give back anywhere near enough … Once you start getting blessed with tremendous success, well, with that success comes great responsibility. I believe that whenever you receive a huge reward, like tremendous success, you then have to stop and listen. The universe is talking to you all the time, you just don’t hear it. And many people are deaf to it.

I would just try to open myself up to say, “Okay, what is wanted? What am I supposed to do? Because I know when you receive, you’re supposed to give. What am I supposed to give?”

And one way or another, the universe would guide me on these incredible journeys where I would end up through just sheer happenstance in what I call the gates of hell, which was going through the gates of Mother Teresa’s Hospital for the Destitute and Dying in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

You go through that experience, witnessing people dying in front of you, and you’re experiencing something that you never thought you would actually experience, to the point where you have to go into what’s called “warrior mode.” Warrior mode is, you have to turn off all your emotion and just function. Your job today is to take these dead people, the person who has passed away, onto this gurney. Other people are going to take the gurney away. Your job is to take them off the bed, the next person comes and you put them on that same bed, without changing the sheets, so that they can die on that same bed.

This is what you’re doing for the next few hours, Josh. Just do it. Don’t think. Don’t say a word, because if you think one word — you’re gone, man. Suddenly you realize, maybe there’s a way you could help, and maybe there’s a way you can make this better. That sort of mentality, that experience there, led me to learn they had a water problem. They couldn’t wash the sheets. They didn’t have water to wash the patients. They just had enough water to drink.

So, we did a water project with them … It turned out they had a real problem that needed to be solved with some tech and ingenuity and we were able to pull it off. The impact I got to witness with that project was tremendous.

When I started really giving back, the universe spoke to me through a friend of mine … I went and had a sit down with Bryan Adams to ask him, “Bryan, I know you give back. You’ve got the Bryan Adams Foundation and all this stuff. What should I do?”

He said "Josh, you’re not going to believe this, but I have a website I was going to use called RAW Foundation. We should use it to give back. That led me down a really cool journey, now called RAW Giving, which is not a 501(c)(3). We don’t take money from anyone, we just give from the heart."

The plan was to continue to give back, not take money from anybody to the extent possible, and just try to inspire and uplift people through sharing with them the feeling of giving. Because when you give back, you get this incredible warm feeling. It’s programmed into our human DNA. Everybody gets it. You just have to trigger it. It’s addictive, because it feels so good when you help people.

So, the plan was essentially to give back in what I believe is an incorruptible way. Where it’s like, “Hey man, you come onto RAWgiving. com. You want to buy a skateboard, or a snowboard, or whatever cool stuff we got on there. 100% of what you spend goes directly to the charity. We don’t even take off the cost of goods or anything like that. Blah, blah, shipping, blah, blah, blah. Nope. You just make a donation to Wine to Water, one of our really close friends, for let’s say a hundred bucks, and then you get this thing. I send it to you for free, man. I even sign it if you want me to. Here it is.”

Why are we doing this? I’m not gaining anything from this, except I’m doing the right thing. I’m helping you get that feeling of, you just gave a hundred bucks to Wine to Water. You know what that just did, man? You just saved a human life. You just saved a life. Here’s a signed tray. Thank you.

“I’m hoping that somehow, even if it’s just a little bit, I elevated you or caused you to do something that betters the world in some awesome way.”

We’re trying to create a movement, a philosophy, something that’s real, that feels so good to them that they get addicted to it the way that I am, and that they give back too.

C&T Today: Where do you see the cannabis industry in five years?

JK: I believe we’ll have some form of federal legalization that’ll make more cannabis legal than the type that’s already legal. I believe that strongly. I hope that the industry somehow remains as fractionated as possible. I don’t want there to be any big players. I want there to be a zillion small players, so that humans really have a chance to succeed.

[I’d like to] keep it small and keep it where we don’t have to work for each other, but we all just work for ourselves — entrepreneurship can take root and do its thing. That’s what I would love to see more than anything. I’m scared we’re not going to get there, because the people that are putting money in the politician’s pockets are not the small farmers, it’s the big ones.

C&T Today: You have a lot of empathy, clearly, and I believe empathy is a superpower. Where do you see yourself in five years, and what brings you hope?

JK: I don’t think I’m going to change much over the next five. I’d like to believe that I will. I know I’ll get better at everything. I’m always learning. I’m always fucking up, always making mistakes, but I try to learn from each one of them. I’m hoping that we’re going to pull off some incredible RAW pre-rolls that are going to help people experience it in a better way.

I want to be more of an advocate … Someone who, either through our actions or other methods, really helps to elevate the entire industry towards mutual success with a lot of people, rather than king of the mountain … I create my products through empathy, and everything I do is really very much through empathy. When I smoke with you, I’m trying to understand how to better it. I’m trying to understand your needs, trying to think of every little detail of how you roll and how you smoke.

And that’s where the next product comes from and that’s the process of RAW Innovation. If you want to know the big secret, I’ve had companies sue me trying to get to our secrets, it’s trying to figure out how I can make it better for you. Not doing it through a fake way, “What can we do to make it better for this group of testers?” No, you got to hang out and session with somebody. You got to really hang out and chill and understand them and connect with them. And you can’t do that in a panel. It’s got to be done through your friends and just people, humans.

C&T Today: Josh, it’s been a pleasure. I think our audience is going to get a deeper understanding of what’s behind RAW and —

JK: I don’t want them to have a better understanding of what’s behind RAW. I want them to ideally, if you came this far, I’m hoping that I helped you. I’m hoping that I helped the reader. I’m hoping that somehow, even if it’s just a little bit, I elevated you or caused you to do something that betters the world in some awesome way.

C&T Today: Well, to everybody reading, let us know. Let us know and we will let Josh know if you felt elevated, if you felt touched,

and if you felt inspired from this interview. ❖

Creating a Culture of Innovation

How Jessica Billingsley is Turning Problems Into Opportunities

By Ebby Stone

When Jessica Billingsley had the foresight to create Akerna, the industry’s first seed-to-sale tracking software, investors started paying attention. When Akerna became the first cannabis technology business to list on the NASDAQ, the world started paying attention. But when Billingsley accepted the position of chair of the U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC), she took on a new role — leading the nation’s most influential coalition of organizations, businesses, and individuals working to end federal cannabis prohibition.

With more than a decade of experience working with cannabis technology, Billingsley is uniquely-positioned to lead the industry into a new era.

In this interview, Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Billingsley to learn how the USCC is working to end cannabis stigma, how she handles the demands of entrepreneurship, and what’s next for America’s fastest growing industry.

Cannabis & Tech Today: As a veteran cannabis entrepreneur, what does it mean to you to accept this position as board chair for the USCC?

Jessica Billingsley: Well, I’m just so honored by the appointment and really excited to be in this position at this point in time. Never before have we had such an opportunity available to us to be able to seek federal legalization. I’m so excited to be working with USCC today because it is the first of its kind, strategic alliance of businesses, associations, and advocacy organizations working together toward cannabis legalization. It’s a big deal.

C&T Today: Which qualities are you most excited to bring to the USCC with this chair position?

JB: I think there are a few things that are particularly helpful for this role. Certainly my longevity and connections across the industry, by virtue of working with so many different businesses in so many different jurisdictions and countries. Being able to see — when it’s done right — how it’s done right. I think that’s a unique value that I bring, as well as that piece around, “Hey, we can responsibly and compliantly track and regulate this,” which is what really provides that safety and comfort. And then I think there’s another piece there that’s one of USCC’s tenants of its mission. It’s around seeking to promote social justice, to create a just, inclusive industry and uphold high ethical standards within it. When I initially got into the industry in 2009, which is ancient as far as the cannabis industry goes, the interest stemmed from medical advocacy and social justice advocacy.

C&T Today: What needs to happen to create a more equitable industry?

JB: The USCC is, I think, the most well positioned around having this conversation. It starts with conversation among the right parties and by virtue of being the first-of-its-kind alliance of businesses, epic associations, and advocacy organizations. We’re able to bring those different voices, thought leadership points of view, policy experts, and advocates. And when you have that unified voice speaking on behalf of the industry, then you’re able to start to promote restorative justice. How we do that, how we create an inclusive, safe, and wellregulated cannabis industry starts first with that strategic alliance, making recommendations, and being a part of the policy reform that’s happening.

C&T Today: How is the USCC working with congressional leaders to advance cannabis reform?

JB: We’re engaging on every front in which we can engage. Right now of course there is a strong focus on providing comment to the Cannabis Administration Opportunity Act (CAOA). But of course we are simultaneously and proactively engaging at both the national and state and local levels as well.

C&T Today: What are your thoughts on the CAOA? Are there areas you feel need improvement?

JB: In an overarching capacity, I would say we couldn’t be more thrilled to see a comprehensive draft that addresses many of the areas that we think matter. So, we’re really pleased to see this draft, to see that it is a 163page draft that really is seeking to address nearly every area on which cannabis touches. And then of course, we’re going to have plenty of comments, but it’s really encouraging to see that this is a serious effort.

C&T Today: Do you see the role of technology continuing to expand as the legal marketplace grows, particularly if we find ourselves in a position for a national legalization?

JB: I think that the role of all good technology is to provide more value than it costs. And we certainly strive to do that at Akerna. When I consider what that looks like from a national

“If something is one of your biggest problems, great. How do you turn that into your biggest opportunity?”

(Left to right) Akerna team members: Nina Simosko CCO, Ray Thompson COO, Jessica Billingsley CEO, David McCullough CTO, John Fowle CFO. Photo: Andrea Flanagan Photography

and from a state level, I believe we will see some standardization around what we need to be tracking with technology from a compliance and regulation standpoint, and an expansion as that moves to the national level, as well as the state and local levels. Then we’ll also see more businesses having their opportunities expand as they continue to scale, evaluating technology the way traditional businesses do, which is an ROI-based calculation, “Hey, can we make or save money by implementing this technology?”

C&T Today: As the first cannabis technology CEO to list on the NASDAQ, what advice would you offer other cannabis industry entrepreneurs?

JB: Where can you provide a method for doing something with technology that saves someone time or effort, or provide some insight to the business that allows them to add to their top line or save on their bottom line? And there are many, many, many opportunities left in cannabis and many opportunities left by looking at what piece has not yet been done, and how can I connect that piece to a bigger ecosystem to make it more valuable?

C&T Today: You’ve pioneered such crucial technology in the cannabis space. Do you think there’s an aspect of your leadership style that encourages a culture of innovation?

JB: I love that you called it that. That is, it’s absolutely something that we talk about internally at our company. And I think it’s crucial to cannabis as an emerging market, but to any emerging market, to be constantly thinking through the lens of innovation and thinking through the lens of how can I solve tomorrow’s problems today and solve them better than anyone else, and then make sure my customers know I’ve solved them?

C&T Today: How do you keep yourself calm and centered while juggling so many projects?

JB: I have a yoga and breathing practice that I have been very consistent with for many, many years. That helps in that respect. Also I can get there just as fast, if not faster, by rock climbing. You can’t think about anything else when you’re up there on the side of the mountain; it helps to put things in perspective.

Beyond that, so much of it is just a shift in mindset. As scope and scale becomes bigger, so do the problems; they multiply infinitely as well. I mean, what are the chances, for somebody who’s running a 10,000 person company, that someone’s not screwing something up at any point in time? And so I think I talk about this a lot internally and how we can make sure we’re spending at least 50% of our time focusing on opportunities as well, rather than just the problems. You can get dragged down into only focusing on your problems, and then you’re not going to innovate. You’re not going to move forward. And so how do you continue to think through that opportunity mindset? If something is one of your biggest problems, great. How do you turn that into your biggest opportunity?

C&T Today: How do you envision the future for the cannabis industry?

JB: Well, I suppose I’ll share my hopes here, with the hope that by sharing it, that’s what we can help manifest. And I think this is a very likely future also. In some ways we can look at Canada and say, how is Canada working? With our majority market share in Canada, I think we’ve got a unique lens for that. We will see some traditional pharma, but not all.

Our client, Shoppers Drug Mart, in Canada, is very successful in cannabis, but there are not a lot of other traditional pharma companies that are competing in the cannabis space. Then we also see a very healthy enterprise and mid-market. I think we are likely to see that here in the U.S. A little bit of traditional pharma, a little bit of very large enterprise, a lot of midmarket. And then if we do things right, we will see a thriving boutique and cottage industry, and there is room for us to do that and for us to do that well and do that right. There are some learnings from some other regulated industries on how beneficial that is for the industry as a whole. ❖

Medicine for Moody Medicine for Moody

Five Finger Death Punch frontman Ivan Moody shares the inspiration behind his medicine and his music.

By Patricia Miller

There are few hard rock bands that carry as much clout as Five Finger Death Punch. They are the second-most consumed band in hard rock history, second only to Metallica. Lead singer and frontman Ivan Moody has been pivotal to the band’s success, his vocal range and lyrical talents earning the group 25 top 10 hit singles since 2007. Since their debut, they’ve released six consecutive certified Gold or Platinum records.

If you’ve ever seen a Five Finger Death Punch show, you understand how a single set could shred Moody’s throat. Eventually, the demands on his body during the band’s prolific tour schedule started to stack up. He needed a solution for soothing his throat and taming his anxiety. That’s where the idea for Moody’s Medicinals was born.

What started with CBD throat spray and CBD water evolved into a broad offering of powerful CBD products. From pain relief gel to tattoo recovery creams, Moody’s Medicinals is now a one-stop shop for everything CBD wellness. In this interview, Cannabis & Tech Today spoke with Moody to discover his inspiration, how CBD helped his recovery from alcohol, and how COVID-19 inspired him to release a dark poetry book.

Cannabis & Tech Today: Did growing up in the Denver area play a part in your decision to enter the CBD space? There’s such a cannabis culture here.

Ivan Moody: Most definitely. I mean, I grew up right outside of Boulder, in the Arvada, Golden area. That entire area, we were experimenting years before the rest of the country even caught on to it. Especially with Charlotte Figi and her situation with Charlotte’s Web …

I was surrounded by it from a very young age. As I’m sure you’ve noticed out there, it’s just a part of life. Holistic healing is something that Coloradoans especially and certain areas like Washington and California have really prided themselves on. So it’s been really cool to grow up around that.

C&T Today: You mentioned Charlotte Figi and seeing the concept evolve around cannabis as medicine. Was that part of your inspiration to launch Moody’s Medicinals?

IM: Of course. I mean, how could it not be? It was such a touching story, too. Again, to know that Charlotte’s parents had basically tried everything. They had really run the gamut, and it was a last resort thing. She was actually the first publicized case. But at the end of the day, there were quite a few people in that situation around town.

So it was definitely an influence. But again, it’s something I’ve been using for years. And it was something, to be quite honest with you, that I was ashamed of at first. I hate to use the word, ashamed, but you never know how to talk to people about it.

Most recently it’s been acceptable, but 10, 15 years ago, bringing it up immediately made you look like you were just trying to find a reason to use drugs. It was really hard. It’s still really hard to convince people that the benefits of it outweigh the stigma.

So I really wanted to surround myself with people who were driven, people who were involved in the idea of CBD and holistic health. I say holistic health, and I always feel like that spooks people. It’s really just a different style of natural medications and healing products. Imagine being a heavy metal rock singer that’s known for screaming and using the F-bomb and just being this monster on stage, trying to convince people that there’s a healthier and more peaceful way of living without strapping yourself into a whole bunch of over-the-counter medications. It’s a tough sale to say the least …

But I really felt like it was a necessary evil for me to come out and say, “Hey, I use this on a daily basis to replace multiple medications.”

C&T Today: How has CBD played a role in your recovery?

IM: I know a lot of people out there in recovery who are continually fighting, constantly working to find something that’s going to help them. I replaced a few medications with CBD when I first got out of recovery. I was on sleeping medications, Trazodone, which is really addictive. It builds up a tolerance, and it becomes almost impossible to sleep without. My appetite on the road was constantly in jeopardy because I have these small windows that I get to eat.

As a singer, my body is a temple. I know it’s a cliche, and it sounds [like] really cheesy, Wayne Newton kind of shit, but it’s a reality. It really is. So to take care of myself on the road and be able to eat right, I had to be able to create an appetite as I went … So again, THC and CBD products, I put it in my water. It’s just something I really have been attracted to, and it helped me out.

C&T Today: That’s especially true for heavy metal singers — live performances are so physically demanding. I’m always in awe of it when I go to shows. Was that what inspired you to create Moody’s Medicinal throat spray? It’s not something I’ve seen in other product lines.

IM: That was the first. That and the water. For anybody that’s not in recovery, I’ll fill you in on a little detail. When you stop drinking or doing just about anything, you try to completely erase it from any part of your life. And for me, that was changing everything from my hygiene products to cleaning products. Anything with alcohol in it, I had to fucking erase. So a good friend of mine, Jason Lacada out of Colorado, owns a dispensary up in Black Hawk. He was sending me CBD oils, and I started putting them in my waters before I went on stage because I can sip them.

Some of the products I was trying, 90% of all the throat sprays on the market have either alcohol or glycerin or some kind of sugars that really make it impossible to do what they’re telling you they’re doing. Because if you put alcohol on your throat, it strips it. So it was almost like completely defeating actually and a placebo to boot. So I wanted to make something that was all natural, that had no alcohol in it — not just because of my recovery, but because of the benefits that it has on my throat. When I was talking to Jackie [manager and partner in Moody’s Medicinals], she uses her voice 50 hours a day. She’s on the phone. She’s making calls. She’s also a radio DJ. She’s got her own podcast. So she’s constantly using her throat.

I know a couple of coaches, one for the Denver Nuggets, one for the Denver Broncos. Again, constantly using their throats. When you put those alcohol-based sprays on your voice, all it does is strip you down, and it takes about three minutes of pain away, and then you’re right back where you started. So I really wanted to make something that was not just for me as a singer, but for people who have to use their voice every day.

C&T Today: What was the inspiration behind your Dirty Poetry Book?

IM: Dirty Poetry, I got to tell you that’s a monster of its own. It was not something I did overnight. I mean, from the time I was about 13 years old until I was 18, I was in the system. I was shuffled from group home to group home, detention centers and so on and so forth. Being in those kinds of places, you always have to keep journals and diaries of day-to-day stuff.

I went into my library, and I had like four shelves dedicated to all these old journals and these old diary writings. So I started sifting through them during COVID[-19]. Reading stuff that you wrote when you were 20 years old, 25, 30, and some of it was so scatterbrained, but it must have meant something at the time.

So it really brought to light these colors that I almost forgot were in my spectrum. And to see them really, it sparked a lot in me. So it was something that I just wanted to put out because I thought it was interesting enough, and it definitely shows the public a side of me that I don’t necessarily think that they’ll be exposed to otherwise. I got to tell you, working with Blake Armstrong, anybody who sees the artwork in this thing is going to freak out. This guy is a wicked genius. So when I handed him over these files, he sifted through them and these visuals are what he pictured when he read through. So it’s really a cool collaboration.

C&T Today: Do you find there are similarities between writing music and writing poetry?

IM: Oh, absolutely. I mean, it’s art. Music is sonic poetry. The entire universe is held together by it. Whether it be frequencies, energy, rhythms, algorithms. Music in itself is poetry. It’s the poetry of life. ❖

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