Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyomi Barrick-wommack

Hi Nyomi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

I grew up in a small town in northwest Oklahoma. I liked to be involved in extracurricular activities and when I was in high school I joined our school’s FFA chapter. I competed in speech where my interest in plant science developed. From that experience, I knew I wanted to continue my education in a field related to agriculture. It wasn’t until I took my Intro to Plant and Soil Science class, that I found what would become the focus of my undergraduate studies. From there I was exposed to conventional farming for major commodity crops and even interned for the Farm Service Agency and with a crop consultant. The summer before my senior year, I was set to build hydroponic systems in Africa on a scholarship. That is when the world shut down due to the pandemic. Desperate for a paying internship, I followed through on an email asking the department head for interns to work at a local organic cannabis growing facility. They were willing to pay, I hadn’t ever worked with organic soil, and I was very interested in the cannabis plant, it was perfect. From that experience, I learned that a future connected to the cannabis industry would be my best bet for success. I applied for the master’s program that I graduated from last year and worked out a position for me at the newly opened dispensary by the company that I had interned with the summer before. It was such an amazing experience and I couldn’t get enough of the people and information they shared with me. At the same time, I was asked to attend industry association meetings where I became quickly aware of the major disconnect between the Oklahoma government and the cannabis industry. Being amongst the confusion and not sure of what needed to be implemented I felt that what I was learning in school and within the industry would be valuable to the agency that regulates the industry, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. I truly had no idea what it would be like to work for the government, and I usually tell people that it felt like a culture shock. Learning about the bureaucratic practices and processes attached to every piece of work associated with the agency led me to a state of paranoia for a few months. I wasn’t sure that my background and perspective would be accepted in the space. My tenacity would prove itself useful. I would find ways to infuse my experience or what I was learning in class that week into conversations. I would insert myself into issues where the solution could come only from someone who had worked in the industry. I helped to expand people’s understanding of how interconnected certain aspects of the program were and that at the core of most issues was a lack of proper education related to medical cannabis science. Thanks to the acceptance of my ideas and willingness to listen from many people at the agency, I am now part of the Science Department where I am tasked with staying at the forefront of cannabis science breakthroughs, emerging issues, and more. My main focus is patient safety and public health, a big win! I have had the opportunity to expand my perspective on ways the industry can improve by getting involved with organizations such as ASTM International. This organization is providing me with a more global perspective on the industry as a whole. At the end of each day, I am simply working toward building an industry that understands cannabis as a plant with profound medicinal application that solely focuses on providing clean, quality products to patients who need it to continue living happy and fulfilling lives.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It wasn’t easy getting to this place. I cannot say I struggled in ways that others have or will, but a struggle is still a struggle and there were so many lessons learned. When I went to college I joined a sorority not necessarily understanding the financial aspect tied to it. I had help from my family for a time and then I didn’t. It was unexpected and naturally, I was scared. At the same time, I was in the beginning stages of what I refer to as an identity crisis. Because of the small community I had grown up in and the endless opportunities I had there, I didn’t realize how poor my family was and this became obvious to me during my time in the sorority. I remember during bid week in one of the houses the first question the girl asked me was what my parents did for a living. I told her with confidence that my mom was a cosmetologist and my stepdad was a truck driver. I didn’t get invited back to that house. There were multiple instances where my class separation was blatantly obvious in that space and this slowly began to affect my self-image. I escaped to what I believed to be a safe place for me and that was the church. While I spent my time surrounded by believers it felt as if the more I understood the bible and knew God the less I understood myself and the more I rejected myself. This all came to a crescendo when one of my brothers left home and my mom and stepdad filed for divorce. At the same time, my aunt and her husband also filed for divorce. It felt like everything I had ever known to be true in my life just came crashing down and that is when I experienced a severe bout of depression. All of this occurred in 2019 and to place the cherry on top the pandemic hit in March of 2020. George Floyd was murdered and for the first time in my life I realized that to the rest of the world, I’m a black woman. I know that sounds ridiculous, but when you grow up in rural Oklahoma to a white momma, I wasn’t told that I was different to my face. People “don’t see color there.” That’s when I had my second identity crisis. Alone in a house with people who barely spoke to me. So, all of these instances forced me into isolation and introspection. I knew that this couldn’t be my reality. I love life so much and there had to be a life that loved me back.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I am the Science Education and Outreach Manager employed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. With my unique set of skills in agricultural science, medical cannabis therapeutics, and industry experience, I am the agency’s subject matter expert on medical cannabis science, products, and industry. My main focus is on patient safety and public health. When you think of government agencies oftentimes it is understood that the workforce has professional credentials associated with their specific sector. An example of this would be the state agency for agriculture, most employees there have a college degree associated with agriculture. What sets me apart is that I am the only person at the agency with a degree specific to medical cannabis. What I’m most proud of is the fact that I’ve stuck it through over the last two and a half years. It has been an uphill battle to bring patients to the front of the conversation, but I am proud to say that they are always my north star and what keeps me motivated every day. Patients need someone to care about what is best for them and I decided to be that person.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

It’s timely that you ask me this. I am currently in the process of looking for a mentor! What I’m learning is that when I was a student it was a lot easier to find a mentor. In the current position I’m in now, nobody has done what I’m doing before. People don’t know what to do with me and the issues I bring forth. My current strategy is to get plugged into as many spaces as I can and hope to find someone willing to answer my questions or at least help guide me toward the answer. I think my greatest hurdle is allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to offer the opportunity to let someone take me under their wing. So hopefully, this works…”This is a call for potential mentors, I’ve been yearning for you!”