Hello! I'm
Dr Yewande.
Black Health & Humanities Specialist.
I bring systems thinking approach to develop frameworks that address health and social inequalities concerning medical cannabis and psychedelics in the black community.
About Me
I am an author, poet, historian, cultural producer and health equity advocate with degrees in biochemistry, fine art, research methodology and the history of medicine. Prior to returning to academia, I worked as a chemist at the Body Shop International and was part of their pioneering research team, which investigated animal testing alternatives and formulated innovative hair, skin, perfumery, and well-being products. These products inspired and defined the natural and ethical skincare movement of the 1990s, leading me to teach in the BSc Cosmetic Science program at the University of Arts London, where I shared my expertise and knowledge with undergraduates.
More recently, I co-authored the book, The Oxford Group and the Emergence of Animal Rights: An Intellectual History with Professor Robert Garner. Over the years, my academic interest in animal rights expanded to the critical examination of the relationship between humans and plants leading to a PhD in medical cannabis. My research examined how patients, activists, doctors, scientists, and policymakers developed strategies to advance the acceptance of cannabis medicine.
I focus my efforts on educating the public about hemp, cannabis, cannabinoids, terpenes, and psychedelics. As well as lecturing at universities, cultural organisations and delivering masterclasses internationally. I also contribute to the BBC and other local radio discussions, raising awareness and advocating for the inclusion of black communities in decision-making regarding cannabis reform, patient access to medical cannabis and its commercialisation.
What I Do
I enjoy sharing insights about medical innovations that optimise health and well-being. The emerging cannabis and psychedelics medicines will revolutionise our healthcare systems, and this really excites me. I share my expertise and optimism through speaking engagements at conferences, delivering presentations, and facilitating health and well-being workshops.
Fascinated by puzzles and problem-solving, I have acquired a wealth of experience applying systems thinking approach to design bespoke solutions, sharing my expertise with thought leaders, researchers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, corporations, NGOs, and governments, invested in leading the dynamic demands required to situate cannabis and psychedelic medicines within mainstream medicine.
I serve as a public historian and cultural producer by bringing lesser-known narratives and peripheral histories to the forefront. I invite people from marginalised communities to participate in history writing through interviews and workshops. The voices from these communities simultaneously give us a more rounded perspective into the past and offer a meditation on the present.
Writer & Poet
Read My Thoughts & Writings
What moves, inspires, irritates or frightens me? What do I want to change? My feelings, thoughts, experiences, and ideas are encapsulated in poetry and short essays focused on blackness and African diaspora narratives. My poetry readings and publications are a vehicle to communicate insights and research findings to both marginalised communities and the wider society.
Medical Cannabis Expert
Work With My Organisation
I research, write, and present insights and raise awareness about cannabis and psychedelic medicines, cannabis drug reform and social justice, highlighting the overlaps, gaps, synergies, and dissonance between research, policy, and health systems helping professionals and the wider public to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities inherent in this emerging field.
Cultural Historian
Follow My Curated Interviews
I curate Afrocentric programs in archives, museums, art, and cultural spaces. I use interviews and poetry as research methodologies to question the power structures and processes that consistently re(marginalise) African and African diaspora voices. My mission is to create spaces where art and culture serve as a point of connection.
About My Organisation
This Is What We Do...
I am the founder and CEO of Black Medical Cannabis Alliance - an organisation collaborating with institutions and companies that seek to integrate cannabis, social and economic equity within their company ethos, practice, and culture.
BMCA is a transatlantic platform, rooted in Afro-centric sensibilities. It aims to recover indigenous knowledge and narratives about medical botanicals, including cannabis and psychedelics. BMCA provides a space for academics, medical professionals, community health workers and other stakeholders to access bespoke learning packages, experts, and business networks industry.
Our core areas of service include...
- Cannabis and psychedelics medicine research
- Community engagement and participatory research
- Transformative ideation and problem solving
- Racial Equity in cannabis and psychedelics industries
- Speaker and panel discussions on drug reform, hemp, cannabis, psychedelics, and medical innovations
- Facilitator and speaker engagements: health and well-being webinars and workshops discussions
My Projects
Black Voices Speak: 50 at 50
Black Voices Speak is a descriptor and a call to action for the British black population to speak out irrespective of fear and stigma associated with blackness and cannabis. I worked with creative fellow Angela Clerkin to create a safe space for black people to learn about cannabis prohibition and respond through poetry. The Black Voice Speak: Cannabis Social Justice anthology will be published in 2022.
Beyond The Law & Stigma An Adult Conversation About Cannabis.
Dr Yewande as a panel discussant with politicians, activists, medical professional, and a cultivator. Dr Yewande shares her poem Seven thousand, seven hundred, and seventy-seven languages. An ode to the Rastafari community in recognition of their struggle to consume cannabis as an entheogen.
Marijuana Friendly Ndaba
Research involves deep listening and dialogue. Dr Yewande joins a South African Ndaba (like a town hall) to discuss the situation regarding cannabis decriminalisation and medicalisation with researchers and activists.
Collaboration with Big Ideas: I'm a Yoruba Mother WW1 Community Project
I led a discussion about the inclusion and commemoration of Yoruba Mothers in the First World War. This project emphasised the ways in which poetry, language, and art workshops created a platform for the African diaspora to take a leadership role in commemorating fallen African soldiers while acknowledging the impact of war within African societies.
