THE FIGHT FOR
CANNABIS EQUITY
In 2015, Shanel Lindsay was a medical marijuana patient suffering from chronic pain and inflammation caused by an ovarian cyst she developed after having her son. She was using cannabis to help but found it almost impossible to make an accurate medicine and was regularly eating ingredients, like butter, that she didn’t necessarily want to consume. Instead of relying on pharmaceuticals, she wanted to lean on the plant’s natural benefits but was frustrated that achieving proper dosage was such a difficult process. In addition to her genuine admiration and passion for the plant, a pivotal moment which inspired Shanel’s activism was her arrest for possession of marijuana in 2010, after decriminalization in Massachusetts. It was a situation that put everything she had worked for (including her career as an attorney) at risk and was a wakeup call that legalization without a clear equity focus and intent to remove racial disparities was not going to
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happen without real, focused effort. She continues to fight today for equity in every aspect of the industry. Shanel launched Ardent after she discovered that using cannabis as an accurate medicine was almost impossible. Determined and motivated to find a solution, Shanel worked with scientists at MCR Labs and invented the original NOVA Decarboxylator & Infuser which streamlined the activation and infusion process for super efficient small batch home production. In the years that followed, Ardent introduced the Ardent FX, a portable, all-in-one cannabis kitchen and wellness device that has the ability to activate your plant material (including flower, kief, and concentrate), infuse, melt and bake right inside as well as a variety of specialized infusion kits. Last June, Ardent celebrated its 5-year anniversary and the company is now focusing on constructing a production and
distribution facility. They’ve taken over a new space to allow for the next phase of expansion which will allow Ardent to get more of their kits onto the market and branch into new verticals, including our wellness and beauty lines. Check out all of the Ardent products online at ardentcannabis.com. Shanel Lindsay is the founder and CEO of Ardent. She is also a Boston-based attorney, cannabis activist, and prominent voice for legalization and equity in the industry (people of color, women, small business owners and other individuals adversely affected by the War on Drugs). She was the author of the Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Initiative (aka Question 4) and appointed by the treasurer twice to the Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board. Shanel is also cofounder of Equitable Opportunities Now.
