Forget the war on drugs — Marijuana is a war on chronic pain, says founder in ProjectUK cohort

Don’t look at marijuana through a societal lens, said Jessica Sanders. Instead view the natural substance as a potential life-saving measure.

“My mother had multiple sclerosis and seeing her suffer really changed a lot about me,” explained Sanders, founder of Lisa’s Gifts — a high-quality THC extraction facility named after Sanders’ mom, expected to provide and deliver THC-infused products.

“I’ve tackled THC as an entrepreneur by trying to defuse the negative emotions and stigmas that surround it,” Sanders said of her budding business, currently participating in the third cohort of Project United Knowledge.

Click here to learn more about the entrepreneurial support program’s previous cohort.

Jessica Sanders, Lisa’s Gifts

“Research has shown that [THC] kills cancer cells, treats PTSD and helps with chronic pain such as arthritis. I see it as an opportunity to help so many people who struggle with illnesses that have limited treatment options and require long term use of medications,” she said.

A new door to treatment options, THC-based products could greatly help patients access life-saving medications without the burden of costly price tags, she noted.

“[My mom] needed constant care and it’s truly painful to see someone you love suffer. I grew up and wanted to help people just like her … people who have limited treatment options and people who have debilitating pain,” she said.

Echoing Sanders claims about the healing properties of THC is Montel Williams, TV personality-turned-founder.

Williams has long been a public proponent of medical marijuana and cannabinoid alternatives in the treatment of his multiple sclerosis and other similar diseases.  

Such a stance led to the 2018 launch of his own line of CBD and THC products: Montel by Select, a brand produced by Portland-based Cura Cannabis.

“A credible doctor told me not to stick a needle in myself every day, not to take four pills a day, but to try cannabis,” Williams told Forbes magazine in a 2018 article about the product. “It took about two and a half months to switch over, and I’ve had cannabis in my system every day since — except for about 40 when I was traveling in a country that strictly prohibits cannabis.”

Tapping into a similar strain of energy, Sanders is confident Lisa’s Gifts could alter perceptions held by cannabis naysayers in Kansas City and deliver life-saving results, she said.

“In Missouri, for every 10 people there are approximately nine narcotic prescriptions. That’s over five-million prescriptions and we see how the opioid crisis has destroyed so many families and lives,” she explained of her research. “I believe I can help.”

According to Sanders, studies have revealed THC as a potential alternative to opioids and other pain medications — but the risk profile remains high, noted the Texas Medical Association.

As an entrepreneur, Sanders is ready to tackle the challenges the space brings, ever-committed to delivering hope to those who might otherwise have given up in their struggle, she said.

Click here to read more about traction in the cannabis space as Missouri businesses begin their bid for medical marijuana licenses.

As Lisa’s Gifts sparks, Sanders is eager for community support, she said.

“[Lisa’s Gifts plans to partner with] local growers and/or dispensary owners for white label services. Our goal is to supply exceptional THC infused products and concentrates with a personally catered customer service,” she explained.

Healing through entrepreneurship, Sanders believes Lisa’s Gifts could give families with sick loved ones the one thing they want most: more time, she said.