The Ohio Rights Group is delighted to announce that the famed Cheryl Shuman, who was just awarded the 2013 Most Outstanding Activist of the Year Award at the Seattle Hempfest, will be returning to her home state of Ohio to help pass the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment.
Cheryl may be one of the most visible women in the medical Cannabis reform movement. Coined the “Martha Stewart of marijuana,” she has built the largest Cannabis media source in the world, producing content for such outlets as CNN Piers Morgan Live, Katie Couric Show, The View, Good Morning America, Fox Business News and many other international media outlets, taking them from $150,000 in gross revenues when she started to more than $6.5 million in revenue within 18 months. Cheryl and her daughter Aimee have set ratings records by reaching over 100 million mainstream viewers.
Cheryl is no stranger to the camera. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, she made her first television appearance at the age of three as the focus of “Christmas in Appalachia” with Charles Kuralt. The series profiled the vast differences between the rich and poor throughout America.
Her first big chance to shine came at age 17 when she created a coupon refunding system. After her hometown newspaper published an article entitled, “America’s Coupon Queen buys $167 worth of groceries for 16 cents!,” the AP & UPI wire services, Star Magazine and other media outlets picked up the story. Overnight, Cheryl became a huge sensation. The Bob Braun Show at WLWT-TV in Cincinnati offered her a twice-weekly appearance to share her money saving tips; Group W Productions followed with a national thrice-weekly segment on its #1 rated syndicated show, “PM Magazine.”
A life changing car accident at the age of 23 forced Cheryl to reassess her life path. She relocated to California to work as an optician and, by offering to make a simple house call, became the personal optician to Michael Jackson. That call led to a new business named Starry Eyes, which within three years, accrued revenues of $22 million. Starry Eyes placed her on the biggest film, TV and music properties in Hollywood, where her “A-list” clients grew to include Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. He her expertise led to regular appearances on The Today Show, Access Hollywood & Entertainment Tonight.
In 2006, tragedy struck again. Cheryl was diagnosed with cancer. After years of unsuccessful and painful surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, she opted for endocannabanoid medicine as an alternative and used the raw juice and oils from the medical Cannabis plant to save her life. The publicity generated from her personal battle led to her appointment as the Executive Director for Beverly Hills Cannabis Club. In the process, she learned how to grow her own medicine on her California farm.
Most recently, Cheryl and her daughter Aimee flew to Tel Aviv to tour Tikun Olam, Israel’s largest supplier of medical Cannabis. The organization has developed a unique treatment mode that views Cannabis as a central part of patient care. The two celebrities visited Tikun Olam’s greenhouses and met with their highly respected team of researchers, scientists and oncologists. Cheryl also made the cover of Israel’s top read news publication.
Cheryl is coming home to Ohio. After reaching out to her in July after her appearance on The View, ORG President John Pardee invited her to join the campaign to pass the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment in her home state. Several conference calls later, her involvement was confirmed.
A number of events are in the works to showcase both Cheryl’s story and the OCRA. Her celebrity, business acumen and experience as a patient combine to make her a powerful voice for the Cannabis movement in Ohio. As she so poignantly stated, “I’m coming home to see my parents, but because I’m a medical Cannabis patient in a still illegal state, my life and health are at risk if I stay. The Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment gives me a chance to change that.”
Mary Jane Borden
[email protected]
614-300-0529
Ohio Rights Group
1021 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43205
www.ohiorights.org
www.facebook.com/
Source: The Compassion Chronicles
