Kebra Smith-Bolden is a true trailblazer, a respected healthcare professional with the vision, purpose and drive to transform the nascent cannabis industry. Trained as a registered nurse, Kebra leveraged her medical knowledge and decades of professional experience to create CannaHealthTM, the first and only Connecticut cannabis business owned by an African-American. CannaHealthTM is a division of The Healing Choice LLC and HK Smith Enterprises, LLC. Its innovative community based business model offers disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs education about medicinal cannabis, as well as safe and legal access through medical marijuana program evaluations. An industry pioneer dubbed the “Marijuana Guru in CT”, Smith-Bolden is the driving force behind CannaHealth,TM which recently expanded offices in Hartford, Connecticut and plans a national expansion in 2019..
In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Smith-Bolden is a prominent industry advocate, serving as Connecticut Market Leader for Women Grow, a networking organization that empowers women to become leaders and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. She is the Director of the New England Region of Minorities for Medical Marijuana. She also uses her considerable platform and background in mental health to support disadvantaged communities by studying the use of cannabis in conjunction with therapy for those suffering from complex traumas. The presenting symptoms of people living in high-crime communities are similar to those seen in post combat war veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Other professional memberships include The Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, Connecticut NORML and Minority Cannabis Business Association. Smith-Bolden is also the Co-Chief Nursing Officer of the Steering Committee for Huerfano County, Colorado’s Faris Green Campus project to fight opioid addiction with cannabis.
Prior to joining the cannabis industry, Smith-Bolden worked as a psychiatric home care nurse, specializing in patients with mental health issues. She attended Morgan State University and Excelsior College and received a certificate of competency in the cannabis industry from Northeastern Institute of Cannabis, and is currently pursuing her Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Simmons College. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Smith Bolden is a proud mother and grandmother. She currently resides in New Haven, Connecticut with her family.
