Jim Belushi is the founder of Belushi’s Farm cannabis, where his sprawling and spiritual 93 acres along the Rogue River plays home to a range of offerings— Chasing Magic (Jim’s Secret Stash), to The Blues Brothers, to Captain Jack’s Gulzar Afghanica, a rare strain from the Hindu Kush region that became known in the ‘70s as “The Smell of SNL,” and now GROWING BELUSHI, a series on Discovery. GROWING BELUSHI takes Discovery’s audiences inside Jim’s world and shows the incredible effort it takes to build a legal cannabis operation. Having suffered the loss of his brother John to an overdose and his own journey, learning and healing through cultivating cannabis, Jim’s a passionate proponent of the plant’s beneficial properties across a spectrum of uses. From enhancing joy and quality of life, mitigating trauma and managing pain, to a harm reduction approach and rebuttal of the opioid abuse epidemic, Jim advocates for patient rights and adult-use legalization while empowering craft farmers to thrive in economies of scale.
A seasoned Second City and Saturday Night Live alumni, Jim’s starred in a selection of critically acclaimed movies ranging from Trading Places to Wonder Wheel, working with famed directors like Oliver Stone, Roman Polanski, David Lynch and Michael Mann. He’s also served as an executive producer, music composer, director, book author, and Broadway star. His own television show, According to Jim, aired for 182 episodes during eight seasons with the family favorite launching into off-net syndication. Along with Larry Joe Campbell and other talented Second City alum, Jim Belushi and the Board of Comedy perform improv sketch comedy at colleges, clubs, performing arts centers and venues nationwide. And, together with Dan Aykroyd, Jim tours the globe as Brother Zee of the iconic Blues Brothers. Additionally, Jim headlines his own music group The Sacred Hearts, which is the official house band for the House of Blues brand of venues.
With 42 years in the public eye and Jim’s professional career further inspired by the beauty and healing power of cannabis, Jim is actively engaged in several projects benefiting the region around Belushi’s Farm and beyond. In Medford, Jim is helping reconstruct the historic Holly Theater to bring the 1930s Spanish Colonial movie palace back to life as Southern Oregon’s largest indoor concert venue. In Eagle Point, Jim is assisting with the reconstruction of The Butte Creek Mill, destroyed in a 2016 electrical fire, to preserve its heritage, build community, and improve the environment. And where Jim looks to have the most profound impact, he’s working vigorously with scientists and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and Portland City Council to create an opioid trade program where Veterans, the infirmed, downtrodden and addicted can have a place for healing for low to no cost. Additionally, Jim’s on the board of the Last Prisoner Project, a coalition of cannabis industry leaders, executives and artists dedicated to bringing restorative justice to the cannabis industry.
In the words of Dan Aykroyd, “if John had been a pothead, he’d still be alive today.”
Genevieve is the Head Grower & Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms. She is transplanted to the East Coast of Canada, from Alberta. She grew up around southern Saskatchewan, moving to Edmonton Alberta in summer 2003 to finish her social work studies at the U of A. After retiring from social work in the summer of 2018, she jumped right into the newly forming legal cannabis industry. Today she is successfully managing the Stewart Farms aquaponics-living soil facility in St. Stephen, NB as well as 4 partnered micro-cultivation sites in New Brunswick & Nova Scotia.
She has won multiple awards for her craft cannabis and was most recently honoured at the 2022 Grow up Conference & Expo in Niagara. Stewart Farms and her chosen cultivar Daily Grape won 3rd place in Canada’s first legal Cannabis Cup. Previously a Cup winner at Hempfest Canada 2021 for growing the highest CBD flower, highest THC flower as well as placing 1st for Top Female Grower. She has facilitated numerous educational podcasts and info sessions, and spend her free time teaching, mentoring and consulting others in cannabis cultivation, infusions and consumption.
She is an impassioned believer in growing for business and pleasure, and to date has grown over 300 different cannabis cultivars. She is truly invested in helping create safe places and safe communities for cannabis industry workers and enthusiasts. She is constantly striving to grow and develop the best craft cannabis on the Canadian market and change the negative way people still think about cannabis today.
Adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia School of Population
and Public Health.
Was Executive Director of MAPS Canada (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) for 10 years.
Has published on the issue of drug control policy and psychedelics in the following Journals:
Canadian Journal of Public Health,
International Journal of Drug Policy,
Encyclopaedia of Public Health
Harm Reduction Journal
Open Medicine
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Obtained an MSW from UBC
Worked for the Addiction Services for 28 years in counselling and supervisory roles.
Has provided public education on drugs and drug policy for over 30 years.
Worked with the Health Officers Council of British Columbia on their position papers on the issue of a regulated market for all currently illegal drugs.
Has presented in conferences and training events in many countries
Awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for drug policy reform work in 2013.
Dan Sutton is the guy who removes obstacles so his growers can grow, his sellers can sell, and his team can do their best work. He is in year 9 of his journey in the cannabis industry, and he loves systems, creative problem solving, and the cannabis plant above all. Dan was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, and founded Tantalus in 2012 after a career background in tech and finance. He loves politicking cannabis, and he and his team have historically recommended >40 regulatory amendments to streamline and evolve cannabis cultivation regs, many of which were implemented by Health Canada and other regulators. He and his team contributed substantially to the recognition of cannabis as an agricultural crop regulated under normal farm practices by the Agricultural Land Commission in British Columbia in 2019. Dan aspires to the growth of a Canadian cannabis industry where even the smallest cannabis firms can thrive and contribute to their local economy.
As a reputable pioneer in the Canadian cannabis scene, Tamara Hirsh was the woman behind the multi award-winning chain of Pacifico Life dispensaries and Green Card Canada clinics, providing medical users with over 100 sku’s of lab tested non-smokable products, as well as with access to doctors, licensing, exemptions, referrals and medical use recommendations. Since the pandemic, Tamara applied that frontline know-how to the psychedelic industry where she and her colleagues have spent the past couple of years developing a systematic approach to psychedelic therapy. Driven by technology the consumer-centric design is not just digital, it’s community based, being delivered at a time in history when having a solid support network never mattered more. By designing the Tripmaps platform to wholly integrate and support businesses, patients and therapists alike, it’s a much needed and long overdue win-win-win for all.
Raine Maida has successfully and passionately blurred the lines between music, tech and humanitarianism for the past two decades . A 4 Time Juno award winning artist fronting the multi platinum selling alt rock band OurLadyPeace, Raine has also written & produced hits for internationally acclaimed artists Carrie Underwood, Pink, Kid Inc , USS, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson.
A calculated risk taker with deep industry knowledge Raine has spent the past 10 years building & developing solutions on the technology side to help support creators during the paradigm shift to digital & beyond. From SaaS Geo marketing applications to Live Streaming platforms to Blockchain, Raine applies the same holistic approach to music to his technology endeavors. He brings his unique blend of critical and creative thinking to all aspects of building sustainable companies & product.
Raine is currently a co-founder & director of LoopPool, a forward thinking, artist fronted Cannabis company.
He is also Chief Product Officer of S!NG & a co-founder of The S!NG MKRT & S!NG Lab, a Seattle based Blockchain company for creators in the intellectual property & NFT space.
At the core of all Raine Maida’s pursuits is his desire to be vigilant, conscious & aware which has been highlighted by his humanitarian efforts which have garnered him multiple distinctions including the prestigious Tiffany Mark award in 2014 culminating In 2016 when he was appointed to The Order Of Canada, his home country’s highest honor.
Spencer was first introduced to healing psychological trauma with altered states of consciousness and therapeutic psychedelics from reading the work of Terrence McKenna, Rick Strassman, and Carl Jung and believes that these methods need to be treated seriously by governments and institutions. Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is dedicated to bringing together the experts and advocates, to facilitate change that results in increased access to compassionate care, harm reduction, and treatment options for those in need. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is a reasonable treatment option for palliative patients in end-of-life distress and is where we need to begin.
Dr. Sherry Boodram is the CEO and Co-Founder of CannDelta Inc., a leading regulatory and scientific cannabis and psychedelics consulting firm that specializes in licensing, compliance, and operational support across Canada, the US, and other international markets.
Sherry is a highly accomplished cannabis regulatory consultant with a wealth of experience and expertise in navigating the complex landscape of cannabis regulations and licensing. With the unique experience of having worked several years in the federal government including Health Canada’s Cannabis Program and Controlled Substances Program, conducting inspections and reviewing licensing applications, Sherry possesses an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of regulatory compliance in the cannabis industry.
Her comprehensive knowledge and experience in cannabis compliance, licensing submissions, and with quality management systems has made her a trusted advisor to numerous companies seeking to navigate the regulatory requirements, thereby assisting her clients with launching and maintaining successful businesses. With a keen eye for detail and an astute skillset in solving complex regulatory matters, Sherry also provides invaluable guidance on litigation cases, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence audits and inspections, among other critical areas.
Sherry has also played a pivotal role in contributing to international policy and regulation development, staying ahead of global trends and emerging cannabis regulations. Her ability to provide strategic guidance and insight into international markets has proven invaluable for businesses seeking to expand their operations beyond borders.
Sherry is also an adjunct professor teaching cannabis law and regulations at Fanshawe College, an independent board advisor of a publicly traded company, and elected board member for an association for professionals in regulatory affairs. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from York University, a Hon. B.Sc. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Toronto, a Certificate in Cannabis Law and Regulation from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, and a Graduate Certificate with Honours in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs and Quality Operations from Seneca College.
Michael Patterson is the CEO of US Cannabis Pharmaceutical Research and Development LLC (US Cannabis), a privately-held developmental consulting firm which was established in 2014 with the mission of moving society forward through legalized cannabis. US Cannabis develops the legal cannabis/hemp/cbd markets globally across all platforms (education, cultivation, production, dispensing, research and development, management operations and compliance, and physician services).
US Cannabis currently works with national, state, and local governments, sovereign nations, and public/private companies in all aspects of the cannabis/hemp/CBD industry throughout the United States and Internationally.
Mr. Patterson is President and Executive board member of MGMC-Pharma Group, an international medical cannabis pharmaceutical corporation with EU-GMP cannabis cultivation, production, and export/distribution licenses in 6 East African Countries (Lesotho, Tanzania, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda) and offices in Australia, Italy, and the United States. MGMC Global | The African Medical Cannabis Company | Maseru (mgmc-group.com)
Michael is an internationally recognized speaker, subject matter expert in the global cannabis/hemp/cbd industry, and published author. Michael is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Akers Bioscience, a NASDAQ listed biotechnology company, International Cannabis/Hemp/CBD SME for Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG)- an International Investment Consulting Group, Advisory Board member for Integrated Compliance Solutions (icslv.com), and Editorial Board Member for AJEM-American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine (the world’s first peer-reviewed printed scientific journal dedicated to the study of endocannabinoid science and medicine) (ajendomed.com)
Mr. Patterson is also a board member for the Medical Cannabis Society, Tourette’s Syndrome Awareness Foundation, Cannabis/Hemp/CBD industry writer for Florida MD Magazine, Orlando Medical News, licensed Occupational Therapist and Nursing Home Administrator in 4 states (NJ, NC, VA, FL), and podcast host for “The Cannabis Report with Michael Patterson”
Ann Barnes began her career acting as corporate counsel for several private and publicly listed companies including Manulife Financial, TSN, Cott Corporation, Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. and acted as General Counsel for Insight Sports Ltd.
Since leaving her legal career, she founded and operated numerous companies in emerging industries. She began North America’s first chia company and owned and operated one of North America’s first hemp and superfood companies. She has published two best selling health and wellness cookbooks. Ann has a popular Tedx Talk that has been watched over 750K times and translated into both American sign language and Arabic.
Ann is the original founder, investor, and Chairman of the world’s first legally licensed cannabis producing company: Peace Naturals Project Inc. Peace Naturals was subsequently purchased by Cronos Group Inc. and later a majority of shares bought by Altira (Marlborough).
Ann is an active director of Red Light Holland Corp, a legal producer and distributor of psilocybin truffles within the Netherlands. Ann is also the Director and Chair of the Special Committee for InstadosePharma Corp., the world’s largest cannabis processor. She is also an advisor to Oasis Adaptogens Inc. a functional mushrooms and adaptogen company that produces consumer-packaged food and plant-based supplements.
Ann is currently the Founder and CEO of Edica Group Inc. (cob. as Edica Naturals), a natural and plant‑based supplement and topical beauty product company.
Recent Comments