Shanel Lindsay is a successful attorney, the founder and CEO of Ardent, a biotech and medical cannabis device company, and the creator of several appliances that make it easier to create edibles at home. Her company philosophy is centered around the belief that cannabis can become an inexpensive and effective source for plant-derived drugs and treatments, leading to improved health for all. Lindsay’s dedication to the cannabis industry is driven by her own experiences, as a woman of color, and the challenges she faced as a single mother and an attorney who used cannabis for health reasons.
Overcoming Challenges in the Cannabis Industry
Lindsay faced legal challenges due to her use of cannabis and decided to take matters into her own hands by creating a non-profit organization, Equitable Opportunities Now (EON), that fights for equitable employment opportunities for Black and brown communities targeted by the war on drugs. Lindsay is dedicated to ensuring just representation for people of color within the cannabis industry, and to creating equal opportunities for businesses and those seeking cannabis licenses. Recently, EON won a significant victory when the largest marijuana business association in Massachusetts dropped its lawsuit against the Cannabis Control Commission’s new delivery license regulations, which are exclusively limited to Economic Empowerment and Social Equity Program participants for the first three years. EON sees this as the beginning of efforts to hold industry players accountable for efforts to manipulate and stop equity initiatives through lawsuits.
Providing Alternative Solutions for Patients and Consumers
Lindsay believes that cannabis is an alternative to pharmaceuticals, but feels that patients and consumers have limited options due to restrictions such as geography, strain availability, and cost. To address this issue, she created a device called the NOVA, which decarboxylates and infuses cannabis with no smell and using minimal amounts of product. The NOVA is designed to enable precise heating, which results in a refined product that has little to no “weedy” taste. After success with the NOVA, Lindsay launched Ardent FX, an appliance that infuses, decarboxylates, and bakes. Nicknamed the Easy Bake Ardent, it makes customized edibles, topicals, suppositories, and more, for a fraction of retail prices. The device is small enough to fit on kitchen counters or can be used anywhere with a wall outlet.
Promoting the Use of Cannabis for Total Wellness
Lindsay wants to remove the stigma around cannabis and promote its use for total wellness. Her goal is to help educate people about the benefits of using cannabis, including its potential as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. She believes that solutions to health issues can be inconsistent, unreliable, and, in some states, illegal. Lindsay’s appliances provide a solution to these issues by enabling people to create customized products that are consistent, reliable, and cost-effective.
