Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: My name is Alicia Schaal, I am a health care professional, and I'm the owner and CEO of Midwest Cannabis Professionals, LLC, a medical cannabis consulting company based in Minneapolis, MN.
I have two bachelor’s degrees, one in Health and Wellness with a public health focus, and a bachelor’s in nursing (BSN). In between those degrees is where I started my nursing career with an Associate’s degree. Currently, I am halfway through a master’s degree at the University of Maryland. I am a licensed registered nurse (RN) and a licensed public health nurse (PHN).
With over 23 years of nursing experience in various specialties, including solid organ transplant, interventional radiology, and operating room circulator, I've dedicated my career to patient care. I'm married to a phenomenal guy, have an amazing adult son, and share my life with two rambunctious dogs.
Q: What University do you attend? What program are you enrolled in? What do you like best about the program?
A: I'm currently pursuing a master’s degree in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore's School of Pharmacy. I was drawn to this program because it offered a deep dive into the science behind medical cannabis and its impact on people's lives.
The opportunity to learn alongside like-minded colleagues has been incredibly rewarding. One of the excellent opportunities is going to Baltimore for a student symposium once a semester throughout the program. It has been a great source of networking, idea collaboration and inspirational speakers. This has been my favorite portion of programming by far. It’s so energizing to be in a room of different disciplines and specialties, to be united by a plant!
Q: Do you have a mentor in the program you attend? Tell us about them!
A: While I don't have a specific mentor in the program, I've benefited greatly from the insights and perspectives of each of my instructors. Their collective knowledge has provided me with a well-rounded understanding of the medical cannabis industry.
Dr. Chad Johnson has certainly been a go to professor for all my midnight questions through email. Big thank you to him and Dr. Tiffany Buckley!
Q: What do you plan to do after graduation?
A: I've co-founded the Minnesota Veterans for Cannabis Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, resources, and access to cannabis products for veterans and first responders.
I really stumbled into veterans and cannabis. My good friend is both a veteran and a retired police officer. He had been struggling with mental health issues for a number of years while in active duty and once he retired, he began asking about medical cannabis. Coincidentally, it was about the same time I met John Jones, a veteran, who had been raising awareness and advocating for veterans’ access to cannabis for the last 5 years. It launched me into a new direction of cannabis medicine that I hadn’t considered and have become very passionate about.
My partner, John Jones, and I aim to expand our reach into rural areas of Minnesota and neighboring states where veterans are fairly disconnected from a sense of community. Our mission pretty much says it all: “Empowering veterans with safe, effective, and accessible medical cannabis treatment options, fostering a community of healing and well-being.”
Additionally, I'll continue to grow my medical cannabis consulting business to serve more people and businesses. I currently advise medical dispensaries, the public and other cannabis entities on how to incorporate good medical cannabis practices through education.
Q: What got you interested in cannabis as medicine?
A: My family member's experience with chronic migraines, anxiety, and depression inspired my interest in medical cannabis. After they found relief with cannabis and eventually obtained a medical cannabis card, I realized the lack of accessible information about the product, its effects, and appropriate dosing. Leveraging my nursing background, I felt compelled to learn more about medical cannabis therapy and help others navigate this complex emerging field.
It has been difficult for cannabis nursing in Minnesota. Even though cannabis nursing is approved to be a certified specialty by the American Nurses Association (ANA), there isn’t much statewide support for such a specialty. Minnesota is new to adult use legalization, only since August 2023, and the medical cannabis programs were still something we barely talked about amongst my colleagues, let alone open up avenues for nurses to provide education and collaboration.
A large number of my medical colleagues’ view cannabis therapy as a last option instead of a potential contender with traditional therapies. I’ve seen and heard so many stories up to this point about how cannabis has saved people’s lives, allows them to actually enjoy their life, and, most poignantly, it offers hope for some that didn’t have any before cannabis.
Q: What are some of your favorite ACS features (besides free student membership)?
A: The speakers and presentations at ACS are incredibly informative, and the attendees are approachable and knowledgeable.
I appreciate the specialty class offerings, which are often difficult to find in the industry. Dr. Tishler's availability to answer questions and the abundance of resources has been invaluable. I look forward to the class about the GI system and cannabis, as well as all the other modules - once I can complete this master’s program!
Q: You’ve recruited many other student members to ACS and have been actively involved behind the scenes. What does ACS mean to you?
A: ACS has been a fantastic source of peer support and a community of individuals passionate about learning about cannabis and its potential integration with mainstream medicine. Through ACS, I've made valuable friends and colleagues. Ultimately, the sense of community I've found within ACS has been invaluable and nurturing.
Q: As someone who is actively working to grow that community through recruitment and trying to integrate cannabis into mainstream medicine, do you see this generation of students as the ones who will advocate loudest for patients to bring cannabis as medicine to the people who need it?
A: I see a wave of passionate and highly educated people entering into the cannabis medicine space. It’s a fascinating time surrounding cannabis right now, to hear young people talk about cannabis like it’s no big deal using it recreationally and elderly people seeking it out as an option to higher quality living.
I don’t know of another therapy that is so supported cross-sectionally for so many different medical purposes. Those of us who have seen people get sicker and sicker without options are turning to cannabis as a potential lifeline for some of our patients.