Use This As You See Fit: The Diary of Mari, Season 2, E6

The reefer man invades college campuses! Special guest Northeast Corridor Provisions Inc. CEO and New Jersey Cannabusiness Association vice president Dr. Marianne Bays helps to delve into this entry from 1937, a notable year in the history of cannabis. On this episode Marianne, Brandon, and Angela explore what happened when two colleges publicly denied marijuana invasions on their campuses during a year where marijuana headlines were becoming more common and contributing to widespread fears. The trio talked about media messaging, Robert C. Randall and Alice O'Leary Randall and their pioneer advocacy efforts, and the role that nurses have played in helping patients access cannabis. Mari reinforced the lesson: her warnings of the war on drugs were loud and clear.

About Marianne Bays and Northeast Corridor Provisions Inc. (NEC Provisions)

Dr. Marianne Bays is a cannabis industry business consultant, analyst and entrepreneur and a lifetime resident of New Jersey. She has been studying and working in the cannabis industry since 2008. She has been the lead consultant on cannabis business license application projects in 8 states, and the District of Columbia, helping to build business plans and win licenses for her clients in 6 of these locations, including one of the initial 10 licenses granted in New York State. This required reading and understanding State cannabis laws and business regulations in each of those states. She was a founding operations member of Kalyx Development, a real estate investment trust in the cannabis industry, and also a Managing Director of Mingleridge Business Resources, LLC, providing consulting services to the industry.

Marianne has over 25 years of previous experience working as a management consultant with Fortune 2000 businesses and government agencies on process, performance and structure improvement. In these projects she organized and led consultant and client teams of up to 100 people, working 3-12 months or more to solve complicated organizational problems. Much of her early work experience was done in Federal and State agencies, providing her with a strong understanding of a regulated work environment. She was also previously an Assistant Professor of Management at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. She has managed an independent organizational consultancy for much of her career, working in both private industry and government. She holds a PhD in Business – Organization and Policy Studies from CUNY Graduate Center in NYC.

Dr. Bays is a founding Board Member of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA), its current Vice President, and the past chair of its Higher Education Committee. In this latter capacity, she has worked with New Jersey universities developing curricula, programs related to careers in the cannabis industry, and encouraging cannabis research. She is also a member of the NJCBA Policy Committee and has authored position papers for the association on adult legalization and regulation of cannabis, recommending NJ policies on manufacturing of infused edibles and beverages, and recommending regulations for operation of licensed cannabis consumption areas. She has also provided support to the NJCBA Laboratory Testing Committee in their efforts to recommend improved laboratory testing policy to the CRC. Most recently, she is working with a task force focused on needed NJ regulation of intoxicating cannabinoids derived from hemp and another focused on streamlining processes for hiring and approval of product production plans in start-up businesses licensed by the state. Dr. Bays brings a combination of business strategy and organizational management knowledge and experience and cannabis industry knowledge and experience to the NEC Provisions CEO role.