Montel Williams is one of the highest profile advocates for cannabis in the country. He has used cannabis products to effectively manage the symptoms of his chronic illness since his diagnosis in 1999.
Williams earned his media celebrity status as an Emmy Award winning television personality whom Americans invited into their homes for more than 17 years. Alongside his TV career, he’s become an inspirational speaker, author, entrepreneur, and advocate for patients worldwide. At the height of his TV career, in 1999, Williams experienced his first symptoms of MS—a sharp and 24-hour neuropathic pain in his feet and legs. When pharmaceuticals proved ineffective for pain management, his doctor recommended he try cannabis.
Williams became an early advocate of cannabis law reform in the US. Back when he started as an advocate, patients were being dragged out of their homes in wheelchairs by the police for using cannabis to treat their pain, and Williams was one of the few high-profile voices on Capitol Hill fighting for their rights. Over the past two decades, he has worked to pass cannabis legislation in key states and led the push for military veterans to access medical cannabis without the threat of losing benefits. Now, he serves as Founder of Lenitiv Scientific and the Montel by Select brand, while also hosting the “Let’s Be Blunt” podcast, which provides education and information on the cannabis industry.