Black News

A conference about all-things cannabis, with a strong focus on medical use and its benefits, is happening at The Omni Hotel, located at 155 Temple St., New Haven on June 25. 

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Northeast Cannabis Nursing Conference is being hosted by CannaHealth, the state’s first and only African-American owned cannabis business. 

Owner and CEO Kebra Smith-Bolden, a registered nurse and cannabis health care professional, said the event will feature healthcare advocates and businesses and community organizers in the cannabis industry. It is open to medical professionals and anybody interested in learning more about cannabis and its health applications. 

The inaugural conference also aims to highlight communities that have been impacted by the ‘War on Drugs,’ among other anti-cannabis legislation, Smith-Bolden said.

“This conference is for everyone who would like to learn more about the cannabis industry,” Smith-Bolden said. “Whether you are a patient, a healthcare provider, an entrepreneur or a person who is just canna curious, we will have something for you. We will have panels for both clinical providers and entrepreneurs, demonstrations and presentations, a pitch competition with a cash prize and luncheon featuring industry experts and leaders.”

According to Smith-Bolden, the panelists come from various cannabis-related industries including healthcare/medicinal, economic and social justice. Speakers are expected to share how cannabis is used in hospitals and clinics and how to create and run a cannabis business.

“Our expo is the first of its kind,” Smith-Bolden added. “We are rolling the social justice, medical and business sides of cannabis into one unforgettable event. We also focus on the people at the center of it all: advocates, business people and – most importantly – patients.”

The conference will also feature a “Cannabiz Pitch Contest,” where entrepreneurs can present ideas for a cannabis business. Trulieve, a social advocacy group and one of the event’s sponsors, will award the winner $1,000, and $500 to the runner-up. 

Other event sponsors include Massage at Work USA, a wellness business who’ll be giving free massages, along with Weedmaps, a patient empowerment business who’ll help patients receive free medical marijuana card certification through a collaboration with CannaHealth. 

A list of the panelists joining the event can be viewed HERE. 

Admission to the conference is $150. To register, visit cannanurseconference.com or email info@cannanurseconference.com.

This opinion column was submitted by Edward Coleman, chair of the Nevada Democratic Black Caucus, first vice-chair of the Washoe County Democratic Party and a community activist.

Black communities in Nevada are a growing rich tapestry of people from across the diaspora, including African Americans or Black people, people of Afro-Latino/Latina descent, Muslim and other faiths, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and immigrants from Africa. 

The Black communities in Northern Nevada are no exception to this growth and diversity. It is more important than ever that our voices are included in the political process. 

Of the candidates currently running for governor, Gov. Steve Sisolak, has recognized the importance of Black voices, and he understands the significance of bringing our perspectives into the broader political discussion.

Gov. Sisolak has supported our communities and families. As governor, he has made Nevada stronger and more inclusive by diversifying our economy, supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs, funding our public schools at the highest level in history and lowering costs for Nevadans by investing in affordable housing and health care. 

He’s also strengthened our democracy by ensuring every eligible Nevadan can make their voice heard at the ballot box. Additionally, he has signed anti-discrimination legislation such as the CROWN Act and passed bipartisan criminal justice reform to continue working to create a more equitable justice system.

The governor understands that there is more work to be done in all communities to continue our progress and has formed the Black Advisory Council to help address issues specific to the Black communities in Nevada. This advisory group includes faith leaders, small business owners and community activists from across the Silver State. As a group, we will advise the governor on critical issues facing the Black community and help strengthen our entire state. 

As chair of the Nevada State Democratic Black Caucus and a longtime Washoe resident, I’m proud to be included in this council to deliver results for families.

Like all Nevadans, Black people want the same opportunities to succeed and live safe and happy lives. These opportunities include access to better health care and mental health care, housing, schools, economic opportunities, child care and the ability to live in welcoming, inclusive and safe communities. Gov. Sisolak has delivered on these needs. Through the Black Advisory Council, we will work with the governor to continue our progress, support our communities, and strengthen our state for all.

Forming the Black Advisory Council is an important step. I’m glad to see the governor committed to building a diverse coalition of supporters and campaign advisers early in his campaign. 

Our state is strongest when we work together and include everyone, and Gov. Sisolak knows this. That is the kind of governor we need to keep Nevada moving forward. Gov. Sisolak continues to show up and is mobilizing every community early to deliver results for Nevadans, and I look forward to working with him.

Edward Coleman is a doctoral candidate in finance, the chair of the Nevada Democratic Black Caucus, the first vice-chair of the Washoe County Democratic Party and a community activist. Additionally, he serves on a range of local boards and committees including the Reno Charter Committee, the Reno Initiative for Shelter Equality (RISE), the Washoe County Sheriff’s Advisory Council, and the Board of Art Spot Reno.

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COVID-19 vaccines could be available for America’s smallest children as soon as June 21, assuming regulatory authorities sign off on the shots next week.

The Biden Administration early Thursday released its plans for distributing low-dose vaccines for children ages 6 months to under 5, the last major group of Americans to receive access to the shots.

As with other groups, the vaccine will be made available for free at pharmacies across the country, but the administration is also making a big push to make the vaccines accessible via pediatricians and primary care providers, children’s museums, libraries, children’s hospitals and health clinics.

Facilities have been able to pre-order vaccine doses since Friday, when the administration released 5 million doses. Another 5 million will be available before June 21 and millions more after, administration officials said, with doses evenly divided among the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

First, though, federal advisory committees will review safety and effectiveness data on the low-dose vaccines from both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech and decide whether their benefits outweight their risks in young children.

Administration officials, in a Wednesday night call with media, said they were not pre-empting the regulatory process but rather planning for the possibility that the vaccines will soon be authorized.

The vaccines would be identical to those provided to adults, but at a lower dose, one-tenth the adult dose for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and one-quarter of the adult dose for the Moderna vaccine.

Both companies have led studies showing their vaccines are safe and generated a comparable immune response in young children as in older children and adolescents. Moderna tested two doses of its vaccine in children 6 months to 6 years, while Pfizer-BioNTech found that three doses were needed to provide equal protection for children 6 months to under 5 during the current omicron outbreak.

There are no plans to vaccinate children under 6 months of age. Vaccinating pregnant women provides infants with some protection against the virus that causes COVID-19, studies show.

On June 15, an expert advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration will hold an all-day meeting to review data on vaccines for the youngest children from both companies. (On June 14, the committee will consider authorizing Moderna’s vaccine for children ages 6-17. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has long been available to minors.)

A similar advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to take up the same topic on June 18, if the FDA commissioner authorizes the shots. (The same procedure will be followed on June 17 for Moderna’s vaccine for children ages 6-17.)

If the CDC director signs off on the shots, they will become available as soon as Tuesday, June 21, officials said. (Monday, June 20 is a federal holiday to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans at the end of the Civil War.)

Administration officials said they have focused their planning efforts on making vaccines available as soon as they are authorized and on providing information to families and trusted community leaders, such as pediatricians.

The national public education campaign will include 17,000 volunteers from health care, faith, rural, sports, and youth organizations, as well as national and local organizations.

Shots and educational information will also be made available through existing programs designed to reach young families, including the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), subsidized housing programs and the Head Start early education program, administration officials said.

Karen Weintraub can be reached at kweintraub@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.