PSYCHEDELIC CANADA
MAGAZINE TALKING TO
SABRINA RAMKELLAWAN RAMKELLAWAN
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, KNOWDE GROUP INC.
S
abrina Ramkellawan has a nursing background and has been working in clinical research for more than 15 years which has included conduc ng clinical trials to bring new drugs, treatments and devices to market. She has worked in the cannabis industry for 4.5 years with a focus on cannabis research and educa on. She helped set up a cannabis clinic in which she was responsible for overseeing all aspects including pa ent educa on and conduc ng cannabis research studies. Sabrina has conducted many educa onal talks on medical cannabis with hospitals, at conferences, and to physicians, nurses and pharmacists. Sabrina developed a cannabis educa on webinar series for Michener Ins tute of Educa on at UHN and is currently developing the first full me cannabis educator program that will be an accredited through the Ministry of Health. In 2017, she founded the Canadian Ins tute for Medical Advancement where she and her research team helped a number of cannabis companies with the conduct of cannabis research studies and the development of educa on. Can you tell us what is the most exci ng part of your work?
I get to wake up every day and work with diverse clients and partners across the globe, all sharing one goal of moving psychedelic medicine forward through clinical trials. It’s exci ng to be a part of psychedelic clinical trials as these therapeu cs have the poten al to be the next significant leap forward in psychiatric medicine. As a registered nurse, we focused on pa ents’ physical condi ons and symptom management, and mental health fell to the wayside. I experienced this first-hand working in emergency departments, ICUs, and community health care. So, to be a part of a much-needed seismic shi in medicine and healthcare delivery u lizing sacred medicines that First Na ons people have used for millennia is significant. What’s different for me is that I am in a much be er place today than working in the cannabis industry. I was perhaps naïve in my pursuit to move cannabis research forward with the relentless goal to improve pa ent access and quality medical cannabis backed by research. Despite the many obstacles, I helped conduct 11 cannabis clinical research studies in the therapeu c areas of chronic pain, PTSD, and post-concussion, to name a few. However, I came out of the cannabis industry with some,
