2023 HOMEGROW Rally

Etienne is Vice President and Co-Owner of Berkeley Patients Group (BPG). BPG is the nation's oldest continuously operating medical cannabis dispensary, established in 1999. For over two decades, Etienne has helped position BPG as a model medical cannabis dispensary, with a vision to lead the emerging industry as it expands, evolves, and becomes more professional. He has founded medical and recreational cannabis retail, cultivation, and processing facilities in Berkeley, Emeryville, Incline Village, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Reno, Sparks, and West Hollywood.

Mr. Fontan has an extensive background as an engaged activist and public speaker seeking to make cannabis legal and safe. Starting in 1993, he was a director of the Cannabis Action Network and traveled through 47 U.S. states speaking at rallies, teach-ins, and rock & roll tours and reaching out to the general public on all cannabis-related issues. Mr. Fontan lobbied local, state, federal, and international governments for cannabis rights. He is an Army combat veteran of Desert Storm and served in the WV Army National Guard. He now lobbies nationally and internationally on veterans' behalf for the use of cannabis and natural medicines.

In 2011, Mr. Fontan was invited by top medical cannabis researchers in the Netherlands to undergo training and tour the Medical Cannabis program run by the Dutch Government. While there, Mr. Fontan learned how to perform laboratory tests on medical cannabis and studied the supply logistics of the Dutch regulatory system. Mr. Fontan is a founding board member who served on the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Board of Directors from 2010 to 2020, including as Board Chair from 2012 to 2013. He is also a founder of the Veterans Action Council and sits on the advisory board for Battle Brothers Foundation.

US Air Force Veteran

+ Professional Firefighter

After serving in the US Air Force, Wallace has been a firefighter for more than a decade. He sees the effects of synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl every day and has been a loud advocate for firefighters’ and others in the First Responder community to have employment protections for medicating with MMJ.

Experience with The Opioid Epidemic as a Firefighter. After administering Narcan so many times, Wallace says he could do it “blindfolded.”

The Toll First Responders’ Physical/Mental Health + Opioids’ Harmful Side Effects

Coping Mechanisms for high-stress jobs often involve alcohol. MMJ is a much better alternative.

LVMC Volunteer

HOMEGROW SESSIONS Studio Speaker & Production Volunteer

Rally Volunteer Organizer

Ryan Bales served in The US Army 82nd Airborne Division, completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Bales has been a vocal advocate for the service men and women he has served alongside, hoping to reduce the stigma associated with medicating with MMJ.

Bales is hopeful with the passing of HOMEGROW legislation, that he could serve his brothers and sisters by registering as a CAREGROWER, helping veterans and MMJ patients obtain the best strain for their condition.

In April 2022, Casey Leleux lost her daughter Lyric “Bebop” Verrett to the Opioid Epidemic. Lyric took a pill she thought was a Xanax, but it was poisoned with Fentanyl.

Leleux became an advocate for harm-reduction methods such as MMJ and passing out as much Narcan as possible.

Narcan stops an opioid overdose from taking someone’s life. Leleux will be speaking on behalf of her organization The Levi Grace Foundation.

The Today Show covered Lyric’s untimely passing and how her mom is determined to stop it from happening to other young adults and teens.

Black Farmers Hemp

Ford is a hemp farmer in Louisiana and an MMJ farmer in Mississppi. He has expert-level agricultural knowledge of the plant and first-hand knowledge about the industry in both Louisiana and Mississippi.

Ford has been vocal about how Louisiana is not seizing this golden opportunity to use the many vacant acres of farmland owned by Black and minority farmers across the state.

With the Black Farmers Hemp Flagship location in Lafayette, Louisiana, Black Farmers Hemp are "Modern Reparation Farmers" with the goal to grow high quality premium hemp floral for our Black Farmers Hemp CBD wellness brands. The hemp is grown indoors using organic/natural practices without any harmful chemicals.

Dr. Moises

Medical & Marijuana Center

Dr. Moises was born and raised in New Orleans and is a graduate ofJesuit and LSU. He completed medical school and residency training at LSU School of Medicine New Orleans and Charity Hospital. As a board certified Emergency Medicine physician, he achieved faculty appointments as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at Tulane School of Medicine and an Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at LSU School of Medicine New Orleans. In addition to many years of Neuroscience research and academia, he has spent over 20 year practicing clinical Emergency Medicine at various community hospital Emergency Rooms.

Dr. Moises has spent many days at the Capitol advocating for increased access, affordability, and HOMEGROW for his many patients who require high doses of MMJ.