{"id":33588,"date":"2024-02-26T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=33588"},"modified":"2024-11-26T11:57:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T16:57:06","slug":"baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/","title":{"rendered":"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baiyina Abdas never thought she\u2019d be working in the cannabis industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Abdas originally went to school for non-profit management and, for a while, nuclear engineering. She wanted to use this education to help those living in encampments to harvest their own energy and live independently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, she is the Vice President of Patient Care at Veriheal, the largest facilitator of medical marijuana cards in the United States. As such, Abdas is still in the business of helping others live dignified lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In her position, she brings together compassionate medical cannabis practitioners with patients in need. She also oversees those patients\u2019 experiences with Veriheal, maintaining executive responsibility over the company\u2019s patient care department.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Abdas had planned to make a difference through other means, when her childhood friend Joshua Green came to her with an opportunity to help make cannabis more accessible, Abdas describes her decision to pivot as a \u201cno-brainer.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And in deciding to pivot, Abdas sent herself down a career path that altered the course of her own life \u2013 and made significant waves in the cannabis industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"baiyina
Baiyina Abdas, Vice President of Patient Care at Veriheal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Green approached Abdas, he \u2013 alongside his partner Samuel Adetunji \u2013 was in the process of developing a business that would forever change the medical marijuana landscape. Green and Adetunji envisioned a world where patients of all demographics could access medical cannabis easily and with dignity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As such, they developed a forward-thinking platform \u2013 originally called MetroXMD \u2013 where medical cannabis patients from across the country could consult with certified cannabis doctors and get approval for medical cannabis in their area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now operating under the name Veriheal, Adetunji and Green\u2019s platform is the blueprint for a number of other medical marijuana card distributors. However, at the time of the company\u2019s conception, Green and Adetunji were innovators in the cannabis space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, as Black business owners in the cannabis and tech spaces, Adetunjii and Green were unicorns in an industry highly impacted by racial discrimination and stigma.<\/span><\/p>\n

Realizing they needed someone to head their customer service and doctor relations, the pair turned to Abdas for her emotional intelligence and her warm and well-spoken nature. However, recognizing the stigma that surrounded their industry, Green was careful to approach the topic delicately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were just talking about it over a glass of wine, which I think is when some of the best business plans are made \u2013 when you\u2019re with buddies just having drinks and talking,\u201d Abdas explained. \u201cHe told me about this really meaningful work that he and his friend were doing to help patients access \u2018alternative medicines.\u2019 I think he was feeling me out because we both grew up in a sheltered type of mindset.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"baiyina
The Early Veirheal Team (left) Adetunji and Green<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But while Abdas described her and Green\u2019s upbringing as existing within a \u201csheltered mindset,\u201d their experience is not as unique as perhaps she\u2019s insinuating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The stigma against cannabis exists at a global level. The United States, in particular, has a <\/span>long history of anti-cannabis legislation and attitudes<\/span><\/a> that began long before the Nixon administration orchestrated an official war on drugs \u2013 and still persist today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Black Americans <\/span>are especially impacted by these persistent stereotypes.<\/span><\/a> Not only are they often the subject of a large quantity of anti-cannabis propaganda, but they are also <\/span>statistically more likely to be incarcerated for cannabis-related felonies<\/span><\/a>, despite similar use statistics across all other ethnicities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though this is a reality that Abdas is not ignorant of, the underrepresentation of Black individuals in the cannabis field is unsettling nevertheless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s strange to me that an industry that disproportionately affects Black people didn\u2019t also disproportionately advantage them when it became legitimate,\u201d Abdas shared.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI would assume that because Black people are most incarcerated behind marijuana offenses and said to be the highest group of users, then when marijuana became legal, why didn\u2019t the landscape look like a bunch of Black people, who the media told us were the experts?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, just as the war on drugs did not begin with Nixon, it did not end with him either \u2013 a reality that Abdas, Green, and Adetunji are intimately familiar with. Throughout the history of the company, the founders experienced discrimination at all levels \u2013 including bureaucratic delays, financial restrictions, predatory investors, and social skepticism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven to this day, people make jokes like \u2018Oh, you sell weed,\u2019 and I always have to combat it,\u201d said Abdas. \u201cNo, we\u2019re revolutionizing the way that people engage in a dignified experience with cannabis \u2013 that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing, and that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been doing from the jump.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, despite these systemic challenges, Veriheal rose to quick success. The company innovated in the medical cannabis space like no other company had done before \u2013 all in an effort to make the medical marijuana card process easier and more dignified.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I was pioneering something. It also felt like we were reclaiming something that had been taken from us historically,\u201d said Abdas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Abdas
Abdas with Veriheal co-workers, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ultimately, despite the company\u2019s success, Abdas is something of an anomaly in the field. Black individuals \u2013 and Black women even more so \u2013 are severely underrepresented in cannabis \u2013 as well as healthcare and technology. Overall, Black cannabis professionals make up no more than <\/span>2% of business owners<\/span><\/a> in the industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As such, Veriheal\u2019s founding members had to develop an ironclad attitude toward success. As Abdas recalls, it was their resilience that made the work the company was doing feel all the more important. In an industry where they\u2019re used to being told \u201cno,\u201d Green and Adetunji are accustomed to getting up, brushing themselves off, and persevering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe way they would show true human emotion and then pivot responsibly and healthily to \u2018all right, we\u2019re gonna get it back,\u2019 made me feel even more like the work we\u2019re doing was really important,\u201d Abdas shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was that passion that not only fostered resilience among Veriheal\u2019s founding members but also deeply embedded it within the company\u2019s culture moving forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really think they were teaching me to be resilient in business,\u201d Abdas shared. \u201cBeing a Black business owner, but also being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you. So to just have that much resilience and joy and gratitude and creativity and innovation\u2026I never saw them lose that spark.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Black woman working at the intersection of cannabis, healthcare, and tech, Abdas regularly confronts bias in her line of work. As such, she finds herself summoning that resilience perhaps more often than she’d like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone might use a term, and they\u2019ll turn to me and explain it. And I don\u2019t need an explanation, but that\u2019s just their assumption because they\u2019re not used to my level of intelligence or work ethic,\u201d Abdas shared. \u201cSo, at least at the beginning, I initially felt like I had to work harder to look intelligent or professional.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite navigating a landscape flush with microaggressions and discrimination, Abdas is happy to challenge norms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s interesting when people are pleasantly surprised by how smart I am or my title. Because it\u2019s like, why wouldn\u2019t you think a Black woman can exist in an area where you think only your typical idea of a brilliant person can exist?\u201d Abdas explained. \u201cI enjoy being that kind of anomaly to people. I like those experiences where, in realtime, those holy cows are being kicked over.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"baiyina<\/p>\n

And while these challenges may excite Abdas, she wasn\u2019t always as comfortable as she is now after years of experience in the field. Instead, it was consistently showing up authentically that helped give her the confidence and strength to face discrimination head on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI initially felt like I had to work harder or dress a certain way to look intelligent or professional with these people, and I think as success grew, I started to become more confident that I\u2019m a part of this success as me. I show up as me in — in jeans, or sweats, or a sweater,” Adbas shared.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being given the opportunity to show up authentically \u2013 and finding success through this authenticity \u2013 has shown Abdas the value of her own input. Not through forcing others to see her value but through bringing her unique perspective and expertise to the space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the marijuana space, what I bring to the table is so necessary and valuable. I\u2019ve seen that throughout the life of my tenure here that I actually do add a unique and important piece to the Veriheal culture,\u201d shared Abdas. \u201cI\u2019m valued and respected for that, and it\u2019s because very early on, I made the decision not to be inauthentic, and I made the decision also not to try to force people to see my value.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By remaining resilient and showing up authentically as herself in an industry that does not favor those who look like her, Adbas is paving a space in the hopes of not remaining an anomaly forever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to write books about this,\u201d stated Abdas. \u201cThere will be Black people who want to be entrepreneurs who will stumble upon Josh and Sam, and they\u2019ll be like, \u2018Oh, wow, it is possible, even in the face of opposition.\u2019 And they\u2019ll toggle to the leadership team, and they\u2019ll see someone like me who really shouldn\u2019t be the picture of leadership in this industry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baiyina Abdas never thought she\u2019d be working in the cannabis industry.\u00a0 Abdas originally went to school for non-profit management and, for a while, nuclear engineering. She wanted to use this education to help those living in encampments to harvest their own energy and live independently.\u00a0 Now, she is the Vice President of Patient Care at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":33609,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[254],"tags":[15877,15780,1083,15878,15879,15880],"class_list":["post-33588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-baiyina-abdas","tag-black-history-and-cannabis","tag-cannabis-business","tag-joshua-green","tag-samuel-adetunji","tag-veriheal-history"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCannabis Central<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: "Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you."\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: "Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you."\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cannabis Central\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kymberly Drapcho\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/kymdrapcho\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@veriheal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kymberly Drapcho\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kymberly Drapcho\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d873f2828754cccb860ce898a08a2ffc\"},\"headline\":\"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\"},\"wordCount\":1618,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"baiyina abdas\",\"black history and cannabis\",\"cannabis business\",\"joshua green\",\"samuel adetunji\",\"veriheal history\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\",\"name\":\"Cannabis Central\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: \\\"Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you.\\\"\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"baiyina abdas\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Cannabis Central\",\"description\":\"Industry News From Veriheal\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Veriheal\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png\",\"width\":1092,\"height\":405,\"caption\":\"Veriheal\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/veriheal\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/veriheal\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d873f2828754cccb860ce898a08a2ffc\",\"name\":\"Kymberly Drapcho\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9957-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9957-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Kymberly Drapcho\"},\"description\":\"Kymberly is a Pennsylvania native and soft-hearted crybaby. When she's not searching the racks at the thrift store, Kym can be found rollerblading with her dog, smoking a Dragon Berry Zig Zag, or just goofin' around.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/kymdrapcho.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kymdrapcho\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kymberly-drapcho\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/kymdrapcho\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/authors\/kym\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cannabis Central","description":"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: \"Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you.\"","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis","og_description":"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: \"Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you.\"","og_url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/","og_site_name":"Cannabis Central","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal","article_published_time":"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kymberly Drapcho","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/kymdrapcho","twitter_site":"@veriheal","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kymberly Drapcho","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/"},"author":{"name":"Kymberly Drapcho","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d873f2828754cccb860ce898a08a2ffc"},"headline":"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis","datePublished":"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/"},"wordCount":1618,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg","keywords":["baiyina abdas","black history and cannabis","cannabis business","joshua green","samuel adetunji","veriheal history"],"articleSection":["Lifestyle"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/","name":"Cannabis Central","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg","datePublished":"2024-02-26T13:00:57+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-26T16:57:06+00:00","description":"Baiyina Abdas on Veriheal company history: \"Being a Black business owner in tech and in cannabis, the odds are stacked against you.\"","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"baiyina abdas"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/baiyina-abdas-talks-veriheal-history-black-leadership-in-cannabis\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Baiyina Abdas Talks Veriheal History, Black Leadership in Cannabis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/","name":"Cannabis Central","description":"Industry News From Veriheal","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Veriheal","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png","width":1092,"height":405,"caption":"Veriheal"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal","https:\/\/x.com\/veriheal","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/veriheal\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d873f2828754cccb860ce898a08a2ffc","name":"Kymberly Drapcho","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9957-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9957-150x150.jpg","caption":"Kymberly Drapcho"},"description":"Kymberly is a Pennsylvania native and soft-hearted crybaby. When she's not searching the racks at the thrift store, Kym can be found rollerblading with her dog, smoking a Dragon Berry Zig Zag, or just goofin' around.","sameAs":["https:\/\/kymdrapcho.com\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kymdrapcho\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kymberly-drapcho\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/kymdrapcho"],"url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/authors\/kym\/"}]}},"thumbnail_medium":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/UPDATE_Thumbnail-300x169.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33588"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37348,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33588\/revisions\/37348"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}