As the popularity of CBD and other products become more acceptable as medical products many athletes are looking for education and knowledge as some are trying to leverage these products for recovery. Through much research on CBD the findings show promise in treating injuries associated with athletes such as joint pains, inflammation, sore muscles and more. Although, these products are showing great promise many athletes are still seeking more information on the proper use, as well as side effects. As a former athlete Melissa ‘MJ’ Stapley is trying to educate and help athletes understand how to use CBD and cannabis the right way. As a part of athletes for care, a nonprofit organization for athletes that is trying to help educate and bring a more homeopathic /natural remedies to the public, Melissa is able to share her passion. Watch and learn more about the educational side of CBD, and Cannabis.
Video Transcription
Harry Brelsford
A 420 MSP. We are back with an influencer. I love this podcast series. So we’re with Melissa Stapley how’re you doing today?
Melissa Stapley
Good, good. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here. Right.
Harry Brelsford
Where are you located?
Melissa Stapley
I am in Phoenix Arizona.
Harry Brelsford
Oh boy. Okay, well the nice time here to be there’s we have a winner
Melissa Stapley
right enjoying the weather currently so
Harry Brelsford
eactly so well hey, on behalf of Marijuana Venture Magazine, and 420 MSP we not only if identified but awarded you as one of the leading visible Canna tech influencers. So congratulations, we we worked pretty hard putting together that list.
Melissa Stapley
Awesome. I appreciate it. It’s an honor.
Harry Brelsford
Well tell us a little bit about yourself. And then I want to talk about one or two of your brands in the cannabis field.
Melissa Stapley
Okay, yeah, so um, my background My name is Melissa Jane Stapley. I go by MJ as well in the industry and I have been in the cannabis industry about seven years. Prior to that, so I’m a former division one athlete I played volleyball at San Diego State and did a lot of corporate sales and sales management in my early career around real estate for profit education and then I got into the cannabis industry working with a new company on the CBD hemp side kind of back in 2015 Right when CBD was taking off on and helped lead the cells into with that company as they started. So I was working heavily with on the brands brand side of launching products. So I worked with them and pure ratio helped to launch some products with pure ratio as well. And then in 2017 as I was working more with dispensaries and retailers across the US I noticed a huge need for training across the board in both education as well as sells compliance to ensure you know to help bridge that gap between the new consumer and cannabis and CBD because that was a very hard area that was very hard we I first started selling products was getting people to understand and educating them on cannabis and CBD
Harry Brelsford
hybrid solutions is the training activity. Okay, cool. Yeah, nice. site well tell me more you have other business interests.
Melissa Stapley
So I’ve, I’ve been working with MJ hybrid solutions. It’s an online elearning platform focused on sells education, customer service and compliance primarily with retailers frontline employees, to help them better serve consumers. And then also being having a background in sports. I’ve also had been very passionate since I’ve been in industry working with cannabis and sports and helping bring cannabis and CBD to the forefront. So I’m part of athletes for care, which is a nonprofit organization with athletes that are trying to help educate and bring to a more traditional met are not traditional medicine, homeopathic medicine or natural medicine. And so last year, I launched a brand called Pro nine wellness, which is a primarily it’s just topicals and transdermal products for athletes to be able to not only for recovery, but also to wear while they are performing or training to help with inflammation, any aches and pains of any of that sort. And so that’s kind of been my secondary brand that I you know, go out and try to really help educate and help athletes understand how to use CBD and cannabis the right way. And legally, obviously, because,
Harry Brelsford
yeah, well that’s the question I had is you know, I’m a weekend warrior bicyclists. So, you know, I don’t have any problems with using those kinds of products to you know, help making ease. But what if you’re an NCAA athlete or NFL athlete is are you still restricted?
Melissa Stapley
Yes, so NCAA NCAA athletes, I believe are still even restricted with CBD products. Um, NFL athletes I think have a little more leeway obviously they’re not tested anymore supposedly for marijuana or cannabis use. However, the topicals and transdermal products i don’t i I’ve seen them but a lot of people even promote them right current athletes so that it fellows and kind of more professional athletes a little more liberal with the CBD versus the cannabis use. So your start that’s why we’re starting to see a lot of athletes that are starting to CBD brands. Oh, because they’re able to promote that. And CBD is a great anti inflammatory to CBD products across the board can be very very useful for athletes and so we’re seeing a lot more athletes promote on the CBD side because that’s obviously kind of a shoo in. I think as we as we grow
Harry Brelsford
all right, well hey, finally as an influencer, tell me one or two cannabis conferences you you’ve been to or plan to go to in the same with the couple blogs or magazines that you read.
Melissa Stapley
So man in this industry, seven years I’ve been to a lot of expos I know when I first Started at MJ hybrid solutions, the RAD Expo which was put on by marijuana venture group in Portland. The retail dispensary that was a great one because it was very specific to retailers and ancillary businesses. Um I’ve done a lot of the CBD expos throughout the US and that’s really focused on retailers coming in in different CBD brands and then I’m obviously mjbizcon and let people know about as well CW Expo CW CB Expo, which is usually New York and LA.
Harry Brelsford
Any favorite bloggers that attract entrepreneur or any any of those? Um,
Melissa Stapley
yeah, you know, the 420 Intel i, I follow a lot. I do get emails often from marijuana venture. So I read through that I actually get I when I was living in California, I was actually getting the actual met physical magazine. Yep. Um, and then I’m big follower. They’re called beard bros. They have an online website and they share the news. You probably heard of them. They’re big on their big influencers on Instagram and social media that they’re on social media. sizzlin, I think. And so I love to follow them because they keep up to date, especially with the regulations across the US. Yeah.
Harry Brelsford
Yeah. Cool. Well stay in touch. We’ll see you at mjbizcon or some show down the road.
Melissa Stapley
All right. They’re coming back.
Harry Brelsford
Thank you. Thank you.
