Dr. Dawn Adams (she/her)
Dr. Dawn M. Adams is a nurse practitioner with more than thirty five years of clinical experience. She takes an integrative approach to healthcare focusing on the mind-body-spirit connection while treating medical conditions that includes the support of medical cannabis.
Dr. Adams received her undergraduate degree in Nursing from James Madison University, a Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Virginia, a post-Master's Adult Nurse Practitioner certification for Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate of Nursing from Old Dominion University.
In addition to her nursing education, she is a certified Health Counselor through Columbia University and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. In 2020 she became Healer certified, and completed additional course work through TCMI Global in the clinical applications of cannabis.
Dr. Adams is the founder of Integrated Health Counseling LLC (DBA RVA Telecare), an integrative health practice designed to meet patients where they are and physically, emotionally and geographically. In addition to an experienced clinician, she is an author, policy maker, and professor.
Justin Esquivel (he/him)
Esquivel, CEO & Geneticist, Green Luster Phenos LLC, has been an influencer and leader in the cannabis industry for fifteen (15) years. Esquivel was the head grower and geneticist of a 20,000 sq. ft indoor commercial-scale cultivation operation out in Colorado back in 2012. Justin has consulted with 87 cannabis facilities, 64 of which operate commercial canopies. He brings standard operating procedures to a gold standard. Esquivel also specializes in Cannabis Tissue Culture, Selective Homozygous Breeding, enabling his company to bring exotic tailored offspring to growers globally!
Morgan Fox (he/him)
Morgan Fox is the Political Director at NORML, focusing on congressional lobbying and changing federal cannabis laws. As a professional cannabis policy reform advocate since 2008, Morgan has been directly involved in dozens of successful state ballot initiative campaigns to establish medical and adult use cannabis programs, as well as legislative victories at the local, state, and federal levels. He has been featured in hundreds of print, radio, television, and online publications. Morgan was most recently the Media Relations Director and chief spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) before joining NORML, and spent nearly a decade at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) prior to that. He lives in Washington, DC, and when he's not working to end prohibition and repair the damage it has caused, he can usually be found exploring the numerous parks and playgrounds of our nation’s capital with his children.
Michael Johnson, RPh (he/him)
Michael Johnson has been practicing pharmacy in Virginia since 1993. He founded Michael's Pharmacy in Abingdon, which opened in 2000. Michael successfully grew this business by continually adding services to improve patient outcomes, such as the incorporation of compounding services, dosages, and dose forms that are easily customizable to meet each patient’s needs. Because of the unique circumstances of each patient or prescriber's needs, Michael has cultivated relationships with both to serve their needs better. In 2014, the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board accredited Michael’s Pharmacy. Michael is a fellow of the American College of Apothecaries and the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists. He has also been boarded by the American Board of Anti-aging Healthcare Practitioners since 2014. Michael specializes in hormone replacement therapies, metabolic and nutritional health, compounding, and non-sterile compounding. He also coaches patients concerning diabetes, lifestyle management, and immunizations. Michael also enjoys mentoring students he precepts from Appalachian College of Pharmacy and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, allowing them to explore his unique practice. Michael is a member of the Virginia Pharmacists Association and Professional Compounding Centers of America. Michael is a founder of Dharma Pharmaceuticals in Abingdon and was their first Pharmacist-in-Charge. Michael is currently the District Manager for RISE Dispensaries in Virginia.
Sarah Kiah Morton (she/her)
Sarah Kiah Morton is the CEO and Co-Owner of LOCKGREEN™ smell-proof stash boxes that come with a built-in combination lock to give cannabis consumers peace of mind as they store and travel in their cars with cannabis.
LOCKGREEN's mission is to help prevent cannabis law violations by educating the community on the changing and often confusing laws, while also providing stash boxes that meet and exceed many states’ requirements for cannabis storage and travel.
Sarah transitioned to entrepreneurship in the ancillary cannabis space in 2021, starting LOCKGREEN with her husband Ron after stepping away from a 15+ year career in Corporate America where she was Vice President at one of the largest consulting firms in the country.
She is passionate about engaging the community in cannabis advocacy and normalizing the plant, which she has done since 2018 in various ways, such as: moderating community forums and town hall meetings, speaking at events, educating via social media, and being interviewed by various media outlets.
In addition to serving on the Virginia NORML Board of Directors, Sarah is an active member of Virginia's business community, sitting on various boards and being recognized as one of her region’s Top 40 Under 40 professionals in 2019. Sarah was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, graduated from the University of Virginia, and is married with 3 children. She enjoys the beach, live music, and singing.
Tamara Netzel (she/her)
Tamara Netzel has been a Virginia Medical Cannabis Patient since 2018. Netzel was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 42. She accumulated a long list of medications prescribed to manage her MS symptoms, which ultimately caused her liver to go into failure, ending her career of 16 years as a teacher. Since she replaced those prescription drugs with medical cannabis two years ago, Netzel has continued dedicating her time to educating others, and began advocating for medical cannabis patients. Tamara serves as the secretary of the Virginia NORML Board of Directors, and founded a 501c3 nonprofit, Cruel Consequences: Portraits of Misguided Law. Tamara also administrates the Virginia Medical Cannabis Patients Group, helping patients navigate the Virginia Medical Cannabis Program. Netzel was named Virginia NORML Activist of the Year for 2020 and has been featured in several media including NBC Dateline, The Emerald, and GRAM magazines.
Dr. Michelle Peace, M.F.S., Ph.D. (she/her)
Dr. Peace received her B.A. in Chemistry from Wittenberg University, a Master of Forensic Science from George Washington University, and her Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Dr. Peace is the CEO and a founding partner for Cardinal Quality Laboratories, LC, a 3rd party quality assurance testing lab for the cannabis and medical marijuana industry in Virginia. Our mission is to provide reliable, trustworthy analytical testing to assure purity, quality, and safety of consumer products and to support product development. Dr. Peace is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Science at VCU and is one of the founding faculty for the Department. She served as Associate Chair and as the Chair for nearly a decade. Dr. Peace has also served as a manager in a private forensic drug testing laboratory and has worked as a scientist for Procter & Gamble, where she holds 3 patents.
Dr. Peace has been funded by the National Institute of Justice since 2014 to study the efficacy of electronic cigarettes, particularly as they pertain to substance use and abuse. Her total award for 5 years has been $2.3M. Her research has highlighted emerging issues of electronic cigarettes as a tool for vaping drugs other than nicotine and has characterized the merging of the cannabis and e-cigarette industries. Her current project is a clinical study to assess the impact of vaping on roadside impairment evaluations for suspected DUI.
Dr. Peace is a Past President of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists and is a member of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists and the Toxicology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She is a member of the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving Division. She has also served on the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (SWGTOX) to help develop standards in the practice of forensic toxicology.
Dr. Peace speaks regularly to train law enforcement and probation/parole officers, addiction specialists, attorneys, health system personnel, and primary and secondary education administrators on relevant issues regarding the mechanism of vaping and e-cigarettes as a tool to deliver drugs other than nicotine, as well as the effects of CBD and THC. She has provided testimony and opinions to develop scientifically relevant and robust policy and legislation at the state and federal levels, and she consults with companies and school systems as they re-develop smoking policies to include vaping.
Dr. Peace has testified to the Food and Drug Administration regarding issues of quality assurance, public health, and public safety with the emerging cannabis industry. She has been featured in the New York Times, Consumer Reports, and AARP. The American Chemical Society and Discover Magazine recognized her research in 2018 and 2019 as some of the most influential research in the nation.
JM Pedini (they/them)
JM Pedini is the development director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and serves as the executive director of the state affiliate chapter, Virginia NORML.
In Virginia, their work has directly resulted in the legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis, decriminalization of personal marijuana possession, and the establishment of the Virginia Legislative Cannabis Caucus and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Appointed to the Governor’s Marijuana Legalization Work Group and as co-chair of the Legal and Regulatory Subcommittee, their current focus is on the Commonwealth’s continued effort to establish a fair and equitable adult-use cannabis regulatory structure that prioritizes consumer safety. At NORML, they oversee the global chapter affiliate network and ensure availability of resources and tools necessary to leverage the organization’s powerful grassroots support.
Prior to drug policy reform, they enjoyed a successful entertainment and media career with The Walt Disney Company.
Sheba Williams
Sheba Williams was born and raised in Richmond, VA. She is a Norfolk State University alum with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, she has professional licenses in Cosmetology and Barbering, and her Master Instructor's license. Sheba is the founder and executive director of Nolef Turns - a Richmond, VA based grassroots organization that works to break the barriers of the criminal legal system. She is also the co-founder of the Institute of Forgiveness, which focuses on juvenile legal systems. Sheba has a passion for empowering and uplifting others with court and justice involvement and fights daily to remove the policies and stigmas around a past conviction. Realizing that racism is deep-rooted in Virginia's history, Sheba isn't afraid to reach across every intersection necessary to find the best ways to reach true equity and inclusion by actively working to break down systemic policies that keep barriers in place for those most impacted by mass incarceration.
Vickie Williams-Cullins (she/her)
Vickie R. Williams-Cullins has been described as tenacious, passionate, a community activist and a servant leader. Vickie is determined to be a change agent within her sphere of influence.
Vickie is an entrepreneur. She created OPN-Door Communications, a mediation and training firm. Recognizing that to be empowered to manage this thing called life, you got to have the conversation. Vickie created the Coffee and Conversations series, which includes her popular facebook live events and her upcoming podcast, Coffee and Conversation at the Conflict Corner.
Vickie believes that service is the rent that we pay to exist on Earth. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for over 35 years and subscribes heavily to their belief that we must all give back to the community. Vickie has accomplished this with her many years of volunteer service with the city of Hampton, as an alumni member of the esteemed Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership Fellowship program, member of the City of Newport News Reentry Council, South Atlantic Regional Social Action Committee member and a gubernatorial appointee with the Small Business Commission. Vickie is also an 10-year Breast Cancer survivor and is proof positive that early detection is the key to claiming victory over this dreaded disease.
Vickie has been recognized by such esteemed organizations as the Hampton Newport News Pan Hellenic Council and the Virginia Inclusive Communities as their 2014 Humanitarian of the Year honoree for her work in the community.
In her spare time, Vickie enjoys spending time with her husband Terry and their miniature schnauzer, Bootsy.