034 Texas' 87th Legislative Session and Advocating for Cannabis at a State Level with Ilissa Nolan

Ilissa Nolan is the Executive Director of the Texas Hemp Coalition. She is one of the few lobbyists that worked to pass House Bill 1325, which is the bill to make it legal to grow and process hemp in Texas. In this episode, Ilissa gives us an inside scoop of their journey to advocating for cannabis to get it legalized in Texas and their preparation for Texas’ 87th Legislative Session.

[00:01 – 06:16] Opening Segment/Introduction of Topic and Guest

[06:17 – 12:41] Texas Hemp Coalition and Ilissa’s Journey

[12:41 – 30:13] Why is Texas prime for hemp?

[30:14 – 51:15] The Texas Legislative Session and Advocating for Cannabis

[51:15 – 56:20] Visions for the Future of the Cannabis Industry in Texas

[56:21 – 1:03:08] Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Ilissa Nolan serves as the Executive Director for the Texas Hemp Coalition. Ms. Nolan was one of the few lobbyists that worked to pass HB 1325 which made it legal to grow and process hemp in Texas. She also serves as a government affairs consultant for Booth & Associates P.C. where she works to build policy through stakeholder collaboration and educating clients on cutting-edge issues surrounding state and federal environmental matters, especially topics involving agriculture, rural affairs, and environmental issues.

Most recently she served as the Government Relations Director for the Texas Department of Agriculture. She received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Leadership and Development with a minor in Horticulture from Texas A&M University. As well, she received a Master of Science in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University. Ms. Nolan has worked as a Congressional Intern for the House Agriculture Committee under Chairman Frank Lucas and was honored to serve as the Reading Clerk for the Texas House of Representatives of the 83rd Legislative Session. She worked as the Executive Assistant for Natural Resources Solutions, L.C. a consulting firm specialized in regulatory and non-regulatory natural resource and environmental issues. Also, she served as the Legislative Director for Representative Charles “Doc” Anderson, Vice Chairman of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee."

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Tweetable Quotes:

“A lot of people in the industry don’t realize if it wasn’t for lobbyists if it wasn’t for the advocates…it took those of us that are from the background who had certain clients that represent to say ‘hey, look, this is a real thing. We want this.’” – Ilissa Nolan

“We want to make sure that our consumers are protected when they are taking [hemp] products.” – Ilissa Nolan

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