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by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
April 26, 2024
Dr. Jannah is a pioneer for Cannabis health coaching that provides patients with long-lasting results.
What all can we do with cannabis? Dr. Jannah Rasul intends to find out.
The self-proclaimed “metaphysical minister” understands that holistic teachings can blend with modern medical processes. The health coach and specialist in cannabis therapeutics aids patients through their wellness journey, but in a way that focuses on genuine results. Her approach of going “back to the future” makes indigenous practices and principles applicable to today’s world.
Her work dismantles the stigma surrounding cannabis, not only in the Black community but also in the health industry. The pioneering author hopes to spread her knowledge on cannabis as a business is growing beyond the bud.
Prior to her journey to the National Cannabis Festival’s Cannatank Pitch Competition, Dr. Jannah tells BLACK ENTERPRISE how to embrace cannabis for its vast health benefits, as well as its use to achieve social and financial equity.
The New York native has consumed cannabis since she was a teenager; this recreational history led her to discover all its medicinal benefits. Becoming a young mother and, later, a teacher who suffered from panic attacks, fostered her determination to find the remedies in the plant.
Her initial help from traditional doctors felt cold and formulaic, forcing Dr. Jannah to do her own research to uncover an approach to natural medicine.
“Cannabis was not just a ‘recreational drug,’ but also something that could be used for medicinal purposes with the right intention,” she explained.
Her move to Georgia expanded her interest in this intention. But as medical marijuana became legal, she returned to her own native area to be part of the movement. However, more roadstops with modern doctors, who’d prefer to prescribe chemicals like ketamine than natural drugs, revealed to Rasul the gap between medical providers’ knowledge of the resource.
“It was then that I realized I needed to get in the cannabis space. Being an educator for so long, I know how to build a curriculum; I need to be a cannabis educator,” she says. “Those are the reasons why I got into health coaching, because I saw that once you get the medicine, what now? There’s no one there for the patients…so I said let me transfer my skills from [teaching] to cannabis education and health coaching.”
When BE spoke to Dr. Jannah, she was preparing for the pitch competition, which felt like years in the making. In fact, it was. Although a stroke of fate led to her being a finalist for this year instead, Dr. Jannah feels sure of her mission now more than ever.
“I know that I’m building a legacy right now because there’s a lot of cannabis health coaching programs out there right now. But they do not really talk about health coaching which centers on behavioral change. In the world of cannabis there are people who talk about agriculture, or advocacy, and I am as well. But no one talks to patients once they get their medicine. So that’s where I saw a need.”
“And,” she stresses, “these coaches are more-so educators. They are telling you about the plant but they are not actually guiding patients on their journey using cannabis.” She hopes to create the first cannabis health coach program that truly centers on this health aspect.
“The medical industry is getting away from service-based care into value-based care. It focuses on the outcomes, which is what health coaching is all about. It creates a medical team with patients and doctors to get the outcomes needed.
With the work she does, Dr. Jannah hopes to diversify the spaces in cannabis and reduce the stigma within the Black community. Cannabis’ business opportunity also has untapped potential, one she wants Black people to embrace as this medium becomes more mainstream.
“This is a form of reparations. In the time where we have DEI, and the current push to get rid of it, doing things like getting into the cannabis industry through health is something we really need to grab onto,” she explains. “It’s a way for us to get into the space without having to do so much fighting to break into it…Our people can become health care professionals without the challenge of going through medical school.”
She adds, “There’s so many ancillary areas that people can get into. The future that I see is people engaging more about the plant, people changing their ideas about it.”
What’s next for Dr. Jannah?
“When it comes to cannabis, I just want people to be able to grow and use it just like we would anything in a garden,” she says. “I would like it to get to a point where it was once used for nutritional healing and wellness and not just a money grab. Its holistic uses can then create better health and financial incomes for generations to come.”
With her new book, Plants over Pills, and the creation of her development company, Higher Learning Publications, Dr. Jannah is leaning into her purpose for this venture.
“My mission is to spread light on the healing nature of this plant. I want to help other Black, brown and indigenous voices in the cannabis space. My purpose in all this is to fill in the gaps.”
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