Defining the Cannabis Boardroom

Blowback from military airplane transforms the life

JM Balbuena

Johann Marie Balbuena was sure she was going to work as an Aviation Technician that day. It was business as usual for the Navy Veteran.

They call her JM for short, and she remembers walking on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, USS John C. Stennis, which was deployed to the Middle East. Suddenly she felt a booming gush of wind from an airplane that plunged her into the air. Balbuena’s shirt was literally ripped off her chest as she hit the flight deck like a rag doll.

The military veteran recalled the incident like it happened yesterday. “We were headed to the Middle East on an aircraft carrier during my first deployment in 2012,” Balbuena told Cannabis Inc. Magazine.

“I was working on the slide deck, doing my usual inspections before and after the planes land.”

She paused to take a deep breath with palpable angst – then she continued.

”And I was walking behind the plane and it went up on power, and

I was blown away by the jet blast.” She paused again.

“I landed 16-feet away from the jet, and pretty much hurt myself.”

Balbuena acknowledged that the military officer who accidentally powered up the engine was her commanding officer: “He happened to be the pilot. He was the one who blew me away from the propeller wind that threw me into the air,” she said.

She also said she suffered a concussion and temporarily lost the ability to speak English. ”For twen- ty-minutes, I could only communicate in Spanish,” she added.

Eventually, Balbuena was taken off the flight deck and escorted to the medical area where they ran countless tests. She was also shown a video of the accident. “When I saw it, I said, ‘Oh my goodness!’” “And,” she added, “I didn’t break any bones so they sent me home for some rest.”

The accident, however, would soon turn her world upside down. Balbuena began to have problems sleeping and suffered from an eating disorder, chronic headaches, and back pain. Eventually, these conditions led to anxiety and depression. In the end, the impact of the fall made one of her hips higher than the other. “My back kept on twitching and Veteran Affairs recommended physical therapy and sleep therapy,” she said.

Balbuena is one of many military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly referred to as PTSD. According to a US Department of Veteran Affairs study, PTSD is slightly more common among veterans than civilians. At some point in their life, seven out of every 100 veterans, or 7%, will suffer from the mental health condition.

The study also reported that PTSD is more common among females with 13% of military women receiving the diagnosis compared to 6% of military men.

Over the years, Balbuena has grappled with PTSD, but her gritty determination, and sheer will to overcome the symptoms has made her a mover and shaker in the cannabis industry.

After her tour in the Navy, Balbuena co-founded Palenque Provisions, a food producer of Latino foods with a current estimated value of over $6 million. Later, she authored a book entitled, “The Successful Canna-preneur,” which became an Amazon Book Bestseller.

With time, Balbuena discovered the medicinal benefits of marijuana. She studied cannabis and the business of cannabis, and later treated her symptoms with several strains, as well as mushrooms, to heal various maladies – body aches, headaches, and eventually curing some of the symptoms of PTSD. “For instance, last night I consumed Wedding Cake, it is a heavier indica and helps me sleep,” she said. “But there are some strains that help wake up like a good cup of coffee.”

In fact, she’s acutely aware of the fact that many veterans have been exposed to the odious effects of countless pharmaceutical opioids.

“The military and the Veteran Affairs organizations are very heavy on the prescriptions of drugs,” Balbuena asserted. “You know, most veterans, including myself, have a drawer full of prescription medication.”

The rough-and-tumble entrepre- neur has virtually transformed her life. After suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Balbuena started using cannabis as a medicinal herb to assist her in the healing process.

She has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine as a leading entrepreneur in the cannabis industry, and L.A. Weekly named her as a rising entrepreneur who’s taking chances and cutting deals in the industry.

One of the major motivations behind writing her best-selling book was to inspire other entrepreneurs who have a strong desire to enter the Cannabis world and become corporate leaders in the business.

“I have a deep desire to create a sustainable cannabis industry for resourceful leaders,” Balbuena said, referring to her uncanny business savvy which has made her a lucrative business owner. “Focusing on the pursuit of financial freedom through following their passion for cannabis in the financial market. That’s what I want to impart to entrepreneurs in the corporate world.”

She argues that “prohibition” can be viewed as an opportunity in many ways. “Number one, prohibition serves as a barrier to entry as it will keep people from entering the space,” Balbuena explained. “Hence, your competition pool will not be as vast as it could be if federal prohibition was not a thing. Number two, it serves as an opportunity for social justice reform and advocacy. By investing in the industry and spending your energy on seeing it through, you contribute to the bigger picture which is a strong message.”

Today, the Navy veteran said she is constantly working with various veteran organizations, and organizing meet-ups with veterans in other states. “We do veteran walks and talks as well as beach clean-ups, and veterans help other veterans clean up their property. We also do activities such as hiking trips using several of the products at our dispensaries. We provide these products for free to veterans.”

Balbuena occasionally has nightmares about the day she was tossed into the air like a marionette puppet. “I still have dreams about that traumatic incident on the USS John C. Stennis,” her voice cracks as she remains resolute in her pursuit of her real dream of becoming a successful woman Canna-preneur.

A native of Santo Domingo, she remembers her father consoling her and training her young mind for a career in business. In “The “Successful Canna-preneur,” she wrote, “We used to play a game called creating a great business idea – and my father would sit me down and I would create a business idea, and then develop a strategic business plan and budget.”

Perhaps her father saw something in his daughter at a very young age – her ability to create, innovate, and lead. The cannabis industry is fortunate to have her as one of its leading pioneers.