I have been in the cannabis industry since 2013, serving as a caregiver, grower, and cannabis educator in my community, the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. I have always worked from a “Seed to Cell” philosophy, providing science-based education to my clients on everything from cultivation to making remedies, in hopes that they would understand the potential benefits this plant holds when used properly.
My core philosophy is rooted in the belief that legalization for adults 21 and over worldwide will amount to a net benefit to society. Many studies point to cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs, its relative safety profile, and its overall effect on physical and mental well-being. My website, EzraHelps.com, has sold CBD products for years, but I neglected the site as my state’s adult-use market exploded. I formed a company to provide startup business consulting to entrepreneurs and was focused on bringing retail, cultivation, and other businesses into the market. I assumed the market would adopt a Seed to Cell philosophy—rendering my contribution obsolete. I thought it would provide education and bring the culture of this plant into their business models.
Instead, the market feels more like a “widget-selling” model, heavily stifled by regulations, and I hear from many customers who long for a closer connection to the plant and its benefits. Businesses want to embrace this, but are limited by regulations and steep taxes. Thus, I am relaunching and rebranding Ezra Helps to continue my vision of education, normalization, and bringing the culture of the human-plant connection to customers.
Mission
To reinvigorate the cultural, entheogenic, and health aspects of the cannabis plant, aka “hemp,” provide science-based education, and help customers safely and effectively embrace the myriad uses, benefits, and joys of the plant in their daily lives.
I want people to understand that developing a personal relationship with this plant—by growing it themselves, processing it into home products, and making informed decisions about its use—will empower them and their families in these challenging times.