From Skeptic to Supporter: How One Nurse Sparked a Cannabis Healthcare Revolution

Katherine Golden founded LEAF411 to bridge the gap between patients and reliable cannabis healthcare after her personal journey transformed skepticism into advocacy.

Photo: CEO and Founder Katherine Golden doing a Community Outreach Event. Photo from LEAF411’s website

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. In the last decade, 24 states have legalized its recreational use, and 39 have approved it for medical purposes. However, since it is a drug that is utilized for both leisure and prescription, it can be a confusing market to navigate. Thanks to LEAF411, a nonprofit that operates a cannabis-trained nurse guidance line, this process has been streamlined for patrons that are either curious about or are in need of medical marijuana.

Katherine Golden, RN and CEO, Founder, and Executive Director of LEAF411, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and moved to Denver, Colorado with her partner and daughter in 2005. Katherine has an AA in Fashion Design, and AS in Nursing, and “many, many certificates in cannabis therapeutics.” Katherine’s inspiration for Leaf LEAF411 arose “for personal reasons.” She explained that she “used to be very anti-cannabis, and even voted against adult use in Colorado when it came on the ballot.” However, Katherine had a member of her family diagnosed with cancer, and “Once [she] discovered how much science and promise there was about the plant’s potential as a treatment for symptom management, [she] was upset that this research wasn’t being shouted from the rooftop amongst the healthcare community.”

Thus LEAF411 was born. Katherine emphasized, “I wanted anyone to be able to access cannabis healthcare. Basic healthcare guidance shouldn’t be unaffordable or inaccessible. That’s why I created the phone line instead of an app; a hotline is available for anyone, no matter where they live, even if they don’t have a smartphone or computer.”

Contributing to its convenience, its services are conducted entirely remote– by phone, chat, or email– making it an extremely accessible service. Katherine explained, “[LEAF411] conducts all of its meetings virtually because our team is spread across five states (Colorado, California, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Michigan).” The LEAF411 team consists of “Six phenomenal women running the day-to-day operations, along with an exceptional Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Financial Officer who volunteer their time to steer LEAF411 in the right direction.” The LEAF411 team might be small, but they are making a big impact.

In terms of LEAF411’s mission and vision, Katherine explained, “Our mission is to provide education and directional support to the general public about the safe use of legal cannabis (marijuana and hemp).” She continued, “Our team of cannabis trained nurses are passionate about helping our community access balanced education about their legal cannabis use.” LEAF411’s vision complements their mission; Katherine emphasized, “LEAF411 was built on the belief that affordability and accessibility to professional medical advice should never be barriers to using cannabis safely and effectively.”

In an effort to achieve these goals, “LEAF411 has created additional programs focused on community education and product affordability, creating partnerships that connect cannabis industry leaders and diverse community organizations across the country for social good.” The non-profit gives presentations about cannabis and chronic pain, cancer, dementia, and easy-to-understand cannabis 101 sessions at libraries, independent living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities. Recently, LEAF411 had the pleasure of partnering with Healercbd and Dr. Dustin Sulak; “[Healercbd] has created a formula specifically for dementia behavior challenges, and recruited the LEAF411 team of nurses to answer potential or current customer questions.”

Essentially, LEAF411 seeks to be a medical resource for the overwhelming aspects of the marijuana industry that were inadvertently generated by its legalization. Since its legalization is fairly new, “There is still incredible stigma across the country.” Unfortunately, as a result, “Patients and their caregivers feel and hear the pushback from their practitioners who refuse to look at the science or refer them out to cannabis specialists, so these patients are left to explore on their own.” LEAF411 seeks to eliminate this uncertainty, and simultaneously provide “a safe space to be open and honest about health questions surrounding cannabis use.”

Ultimately, Katherine seeks to “reassure all traditional healthcare practitioners that LEAF411 is a trusted resource for outsourcing cannabis education for their patients. [The non-profit] is dedicated to educating patients and equipping them with the information they need to have informed discussions with you about their choices”. In the end, Katherine emphasized: “My favorite part of the work I do is simply providing hope. Hope that cannabis can be a safe alternative to the challenges patients are facing with side effects from pharmaceuticals and symptoms they are trying to manage from severe medical conditions for themselves or a loved one.”

To schedule a call or gather more information about LEAF411, visit https://leaf411.org/