Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nikki Lawley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nikki, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

In the journey of being a health care provider in a well-respected field of nursing, I suffered a traumatic brain injury while working, just like any other day, and everything changed in a moment. I was later diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and cervical instability. I went through the mill of medical specialists, tests, and treatments.

I went from being a healthcare provider and respected colleague in the field to being subjected to the challenges of being a patient. Changing sides of the table gave things an entirely new perspective.

On the healthcare worker side, I was a cog in the wheel, unaware of some challenges patients and their caregivers face. My perspective dramatically changed when I became a patient. The American healthcare system broke my spirit, so I became hopeless and considered taking my own life. I learned so much about the struggles of becoming a patient compared to being a nurse. It gave me an entirely new perspective on life. I now embrace living life to its fullest and never taking health for granted.

This incident defined the new course my life would take, my new career path as a cannabis advocate. It became my mission and higher calling to provide education and advocacy wherever possible.

Nikki, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

One of the things that makes my company Nikki and the Plant unique in the cannabis industry is my focus on the patient. It’s unfortunate, but as recreational use becomes legal in more and more states, that becomes the focus of products and advertising. Medical patients struggle to find the type of medicine that addresses their needs. They also need education about HOW to use plant medicine.

I ended up in the Cannabis space due to something out of my control. It turns out it was my destiny.

When I experienced medical challenges that felt impossible to overcome, I found answers in a plant that our government and medical system vilified.

I want to normalize cannabis in the medical field and help patients navigate this very complex world of cannabis. I am uniquely positioned to do this because I am a medical professional and a patient and because baby boomers and GenX are the fastest-growing segments of holistic and alternative therapies. Women are often not comfortable trying something their doctor does not prescribe. I can help bridge these gaps with education and advocacy.

Nikki and the Plant is a patient-centered business. It will always remain that way. I provide support, advocacy, and education through speeches, public appearances, board service, podcast interviews, and more.

I also work one-on-one with patients and their loved ones to advise them on how to talk to their doctors, how cannabis may work for their specific conditions, and how to find quality, reliable products.

However, there is another critical piece to this puzzle—the business side of it.

Nikki and the Plant aligns with and forms strategic partnerships with organizations to bring the patient’s voice to the table! The patient perspective is critically essential and getting overlooked in this industry. The industry will erase the patient’s voice from the narrative if we are not careful.

I have a message I’m trying to share with product manufacturers and dispensaries. Don’t leave the medical patient out of the equation. Patients will be your best clients! After all, we use these products to improve our lives quality drastically. We use them all day, every day. WE HAVE A CANNABIS BUDGET. Cannabis patients are amongst the most brand/chemovar loyal.

I want to encourage cannabis decision-makers not to leave behind this valuable demographic. It’s a win/win for everyone.

I want to help product manufacturers, growers, and dispensaries in recreationally legal jurisdictions to consider the 80/20 rule. 80% of your business could come from 20% of your clients if you have an excellent strategy to cater to patients with medical needs. I want to guide them on how to offer products that resonate with medical patients, provide education, and advise on ease of engaging with your business.

I want to bridge the gap between patient needs and education and them having access to the products they need for success. I can accomplish this through educating and supporting the patient and educating and supporting those offering the products and services to the patients. I can help connect these dots just like cannabis connected the dots in my life!

I’m an active participant in the Canadian and US markets with a focus on the cannabis patient experience! The more I experience, the more I can help other companies, organizations, and many other segments of the supply chain.

I want to work with patient-focused companies that see the value in a loyal, educated consumer. The most loyal consumer feels their quality of life depends on your product. The industry shouldn’t take the necessity of the patient for granted; it is to be appreciated and honored.

That doesn’t mean there is no room for recreational use. I’m simply saying there is room for both. The recreational user may come and go, or their use may ebb and flow over time. Medical cannabis patient consumption is an evergreen source of revenue, but only IF they are supported and respected.

I want Nikki and the Plant to positively influence how growers, manufacturers, and dispensaries view and work with the medical cannabis patient. I want to call upon industry leaders to be different in a sea of brands and stores and, most importantly, be an organization that cares about the patient experience!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There is nothing more resilient than crawling out of the hole that is hopelessness. That is what I had to do.

In 2016, I was an active pediatric nurse who enjoyed outings with my husband and dogs.
The injury that changed everything was my third TBI. Nothing was the same after that. The impact was so severe that there was immediate left arm paralysis, weakness, and chronic head and neck pain. Confusion, disorientation, and vision issues occurred at the same time.

Over time, I began to experience intense headaches, issues with fine motor skills, sensitivity to light, and cognitive issues that caused me great emotional and physical pain. I became quickly overwhelmed with simple tasks: no longer able to do basic math, remember appointments, or feed my pets, and I suffered from social seclusion. I lost my ability to work as a nurse.

When conventional treatments, medications, and tests aggravated my symptoms, I was desperate for relief, and hopelessness washed over me. Only then did I turn to medical cannabis when I felt no alternatives were left. It was never presented as an option for treatment by my healthcare professionals.

My resilience began when I found a plant that helped my symptoms and gave me hope for the future. Once I found myself again, I knew this was just the beginning of assisting others to do the same for themselves. Cannabis renewed me, and my mission began.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

That lesson was simple. Cannabis is medicine. Full stop.

I was influenced by my healthcare training, government propaganda, and misinformed by well-meaning people all along the way. I was shocked when I understood that our longstanding laws and policies around this plant were rooted in racism and outright lies. I almost missed this lesson, and it almost cost me my life. I know I am one of the lucky ones.

If we take that lesson one layer deeper, I also must acknowledge my privilege here. I am aware that one of the reasons I get attention as an advocate is because I’m a petite, middle-aged white woman from New York with medical credentials. I don’t look like the stereotype of a cannabis consumer society has worked with for years.

I believe cannabis saved my life and gave me hope for the future again. In that lesson, I found a purpose and a fire in my belly to share what I learned with the world.

I realized the grief I could save other patients. I became outspoken on the benefits of cannabis for head injuries. I’m a member of online support groups for individuals that have suffered head injuries such as brain tumors, TBIs, concussions, and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), the controversial neurodegenerative disease that occurs by repeated head injuries that can occur in sports like football, boxing, and other high impact sports.

While I never thought I would become an outspoken medical cannabis advocate, my journey as a patient has been for the greater good and may have a far-reaching impact, even more so than my previous life as a nurse.

There are many patients out there seeking answers right now. At the heart of Nikki and the Plant is my mission to share that knowledge, support patients and the industry’s people in moving the conversation forward and provide the best possible medicine that medical patients need.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikkiandtheplant.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkiandtheplant/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkiandtheplant
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-lawley
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gIjFp_5cCEiwbTHBQXfrw