Women in Canna-Business

ENTREPRENEUR

HIGH HEALS BUSINESS OWNER, MICHELLE MANGIONE, TALKS PAIN RELIEF, PETS & PATENTS

BY L.A.NELSON

Michelle Mangione is the owner and operator of HIGH HEALS, INC.; a catchy name and logo that bring to mind a broad scope of business genres, the least likely is that of a successful producer of medicinal marijuana edibles. But that’s exactly what it is.

Across California, cannabis businesses are literally sprouting up everywhere, with seasoned pros and newbies alike scrambling to stake their claim in a “green rush” of our modern times. So what sets Michelle Mangione and High Heals, Inc. apart? Like many who comes from different backgrounds yet find themselves in the cannabiz industry, Michelle’s story is a very personal one that started over ten years ago. Her company, High Heals, Inc., is on the verge of its re-launch which will introduce new edible products for both humans and pets in a media campaign set to launch this summer. And then there’s Dosey Dough; Michelle’s Patent Pending dosing and tracking system which, at the very least, will help businesses comply with freshly-inked regulations and standards. At the most, she and it may just go down in history.

None of this has come by luck. Hard work, trials and errors and a dedication to healing herself and others in pain have been her catalysts. The culmination of these challenges seem to have fueled her vision for the future. And it’s a bright one. As she states, she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. So, as the rest of us sit back and watch the cannabis industry evolve, we can garner some business savvy from a woman who led by her instincts and found her niche. You could say her feet are firmly planted, and patented, in this promising industry.

CBN: You really know your way around a cannabis kitchen. But what did you do before High Heals?

MM: I was a real estate broker in my prior career. I had a property management company that took care of the houses that went into foreclosure during the downturn of the real estate market. Then I got sick and was told I had stage 4 liver cancer with three months to live. I had to have two surgeries to remove tumors. As a result, I had to quit my career because I lost a lot of my cognitive abilities. My beautiful vocabulary was gone and today I’m pretty unfiltered (laughs). But Im healthy and I’m alive. When they gave me three months to live, I knew it wasn’t a true diagnosis. Somehow it had to be wrong and I’m here now to prove them wrong.

CBN: When did you start making thc granola and cbd edibles?

MM: Someone asked me to cook for them. Now, I’m a great baker and I have the ultimate clean kitchen. And back then in 2013, I did some test bars similar to a KIND bar. I made these granola bars for a dispensary in San Diego. I thought, oh my God, I love this. So I got licensed, I got a commercial kitchen and started up as HIGH HEALS, INC. This was the very beginning. Unfortunately, I got a second bout with Cushing’s, first was an adrenal tumor, then a brain tumor. So I had to stop what I was doing. But now we’re relaunching.

CBN: Did you use Cannabis to treat your brain tumor?

MM: Yes, I did. I can’t use the thc psychoactive at all. But yes, I was using CBD for pain in my head and back of my neck. It relieved the pain. I had migraines, loss of vision, so I used creams on my eyes, temples and cheeks. Sometimes you can’t always take a Vicodin. Frankly, you can’t lose your whole life to heavy narcotics, so I realized the cbd products were working.

CBN: Which cbd products worked best?

MM: I basically used the balms and creams in cbd form. I liked the granola form too. With granola you can take a small piece at a time and not worry about half a cookie getting stale. Plus, I knew it was all organic and natural and I didn’t need the extra sugar.

CBN:Were you making money in the beginning?

MM: Working and baking for someone else, I did. But working for yourself, at least In the beginning, you’re funding yourself. But working with CBD cannabis is so amazing, I see great things ahead.

CBN: How’d you make the jump from using cbd products for yourself to creating them for animals?

MM: I love animals. Sometimes they’re nicer than people. When I was sick and told I was gonna die, I came home from the hospital. My operation was successful. And on TV about 1:00 a.m. was a report about a horse that someone had tied to a tree in Ontario. At that time, it was summer, the weather was about 115 degrees, and this horse was left there with no food and water for almost 45 days. I called the news station to see if I could pay for its medical bills, and the sheriff called back and told me they had to put her down. Her name was Mama, and she was loved in her final minutes. I swore at that time that I was gonna give back. It’s been a couple years now, and I really wanna get this going. I want to give back through the animal products I’ve created, and I want to eventually have a rescue. I want to be able to grow their food at the rescue and just have a sanctuary for animals. Even existing rescues, a lot of times their dogs have kennel cough and that’s one of the products we have that soothes kennel cough.

CBN: Not everyone is familiar with the use of cbd for medicinal use in animals. How does that work exactly?

MM: I’ve always used cannabis oil for my Labradors. They were on tramadol for hip issues, but eventually it stops working. But with cbd oils, you get your dog back. A lot can be done with testing for the dosing based on their weight. It’s a process. But they are just happier dogs overall. It makes you so much happier because you feel you have control to help them.

CBN: Where can someone buy your pet products?

MM: My products are online or they can call me direct. We will be going into more dispensaries as we near the relaunch. People have heard my life story, they were one of the first products for animals out there, and they work! My products are tested and true.

CBN: How do you do testing on pets that cannot speak or give feedback?

MM: Its medicinal use for animals. Of course, the thc levels are low, and the cbd levels are much higher. Its good to know your pet, their level of pain and or hyper-ness. But we test everything before it goes in and after it goes in. It’s all tested.

CBN: What specific types of pet products do you sell?

MM: We basically have three types of pet products. I have an oil that goes into their food. I also have treats. Topically, I do have an oil for horses, like to wrap an ankle, for example, or for massage.

CBN: What’s the strangest request you’ve ever gotten?

MM: Actually, I used it with my turtle when another turtle bit him, to relieve the pain. There are no limits. Any animal in pain can use my products. I just really have a passion for animals.

CBN: Talk about the HIGH HEALS re-launch.

MM: The purpose of the launch is to get the new pet products out. The name is the same. It’s to introduce some new granola bars and edibles for humans. My products taste delicious, and I keep improving that. I believe in my products!

CBN: You touched on testing and compliance realities. Are there any legal barriers, for example, if someone in Minnesota wants to buy products for their pet? Also for humans?

MM: I believe in regulation, and I always want to stay in compliance. Speaking of compliance, For cbd, there is not that much, but what is in place is important. So if I’m using a clean, commercial kitchen, and everything’s going to be tested before and after, I expect everyone else to. For example, sometimes I order a cbd oil and it says it’s in compliance, and I test it, and it’s snake oil.

CBN: Do the people working these testing sights go through a system of certification? Who will regulate it in the future, in your opinion?

MM: I am not sure who will ultimately do this regulation, that’s why I’m joining the international industry to find out who’s gonna come up with the standards and regulate. It’s all happening in real time, so time will tell.

CBN: Let’s talk about Dosey Dough. What do you want people to know about it?

MM: Everybody out there loves this industry that’s in it and wants to have regulations and standards to live up to so we can keep our industry going. I have created a Patent Pending platform that will allow us to do this. It’s kind of a seed-to-sell with a Patent Pending that will take care of dosing. A skew and description will be required in the end, so every item is the same.

CBN: Do companies exist right now that will facilitate this process?

MM: Yes, there are testing labs; I use a 3rd party facility either in San Diego or Temecula. we have skew companies now that would work with us. There are tech companies out there that will do the software. I just created the patent pending that goes with it that makes it different from a seed to sell. There will be a board that sits and regulates the process. I believe it will legitimize the industry.

CBN: Kudos to you for having such vision. Speaking of, where do you see yourself and High Heals in a few years?

MM: I would like to keep High Heals separate from the patent business, but that being said, I’d like High Heals to be the first company that utilizes the patent. A proof of concept, of sorts. Let me be the first one! I’d like to sit on a board that has creative input in future issues in this industry. But I think I’ll probably be happiest creating products for High Heals and giving back to the animals. Basically, that’s Me.

CBN: On that note, what would you like to see, or hope to see in terms of women in the cannabis industry?

MM: I’d like to see an actual forum where I could go and talk to other women about new ideas or learn from them about trends, without being competitive. Not all men, but a lot of men in this industry are just talking to other men. I joined the International Cannabis Standards to be a part of the movement, as well as other Women’s groups up in Palo Alto. I want to help create standards. I believe our voice is essential. C

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