About Us

Our Why

We connect cannabis and healthcare by offering educational resources, encouraging informed consumption and developing individualized care plans for holistic treatment. We advocate for safe, effective cannabis use by demanding destigmatization and decriminalization for communities of color.

Mission

To help society "Outgrow The Stigma" around cannabis consumption and promote the recognition of plant-based therapy in diverse settings through education and advocacy.

Your Midwest CannaNurses

Biyyiah A. Lee, MSN, RN, PAHM

CEO and President

Biyyiah Lee is a Chicago, Illinois native, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Alumna, and a current registered nurse in Detroit, Michigan. With over 10 years of nursing experience, she has worked in a variety of healthcare settings including ambulatory care, private duty nursing, home health, care coordination, and utilization management. These roles have provided her with valuable patient care experience with a variety of patient populations, including the elderly as well as patients with spinal cord injuries, all known supporters and consumers of cannabis as alternative medical therapy.

Dr. Cherie Cofield, Ph.D., RN
Vice President of Education and Research

Cherie Cofield is a 6th year PhD candidate in nursing at Wayne State University. She’s held a 3.78 GPA in spite of divorce and other challenges faced during her PhD studies. Her study will be ground breaking in adolescents with chronic pain from sickle cell disease that participate in a mindfulness martial arts program. This is the first time chronic pain, function, and perceived control over pain is being studied in this patient population. Cherie holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Nursing. Cherie is full-time faculty at the University of Michigan and works adjunct at many other colleges.

Ebony Smith, BSN, RN

Vice President of Community Outreach and Engagement

Ebony Smith, BSN, RN is a proud native Detroiter and registered nurse with over a decade of experience in multiple healthcare settings. She’s worked in ambulatory care, community nursing, med-surg with a focus on nephrology and maternal/child health. Ebony has offered education to various audiences throughout her nursing career. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grambling State University. Her experience at an HBCU fueled her passions and interests in social equity and supporting communities of color similar to where she lived as an adolescent.Ebony is committed to bringing awareness to the benefits of using cannabis for medicinal purposes and removing the negative stigma associated with the plant.

Kristine Walton, MSN, RN
Vice President of Partnership Development

Kristine Walton, MSN, BSN, RN is a Metro Detroit native with over 18+ years of nursing experience. She earned her Bachelor’s in Science in Biology from Alma College, Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wayne State University and obtained her Master’s in Advanced Public Health in Nursing from Wayne State University in April of 2020. Her professional career combines her love for education, caring for individuals and impacting change as she has taught as a clinical instructor for University of Detroit Mercy Nursing School and Dorsey’s LPN school, community health through the Maternal Infant Health Program and Women’s Health.

Antonice Strickland, MPS
Chief Communications Officer

Antonice Strickland is an award-winning public relations and strategic communications professional with an immense passion for service, education, and diversity advocacy in corporate spaces. Named as one of Huff Posts “Top African American PR Millennials to Watch,” Strickland brings an array of skills and experiences to any project that comes her way. She has developed and managed national campaigns, organized internal processes for small and mid-level organizations and has landed coverage in print and broadcast outlets, including FOX, ABC, MSNBC, Huff Post, Crain’s Detroit Business, The Detroit News, and more.

Her newest passion for ensuring accurate information and impactful stories are told within the cannabis industry has added alignment with MCN.