SOCRS075- Todd Scattini- ”The Hemp Colonel: On The Cutting Edge of Education, Healing, and Research”

Todd Scattini spent 27 years of his life wearing the uniform of the United States Army.  He's been an enlisted man, a combat arms officer, and a military diplomat ,and at the heart of it all is his indomitable "Cavalryman Spirit.

The Cav, as it is called, is a diverse, combined arms, military organization designed to be self-sustaining, flexible, and effective in combat. It is a special type of unit marked by a penchant for courage, decisiveness, speed, innovation and audacity in order to conduct reconnaissance and protection operations facilitating the mission of others. Historically, the cavalry helped the United States with its westward expansion during the infancy of our Nation. They provided protection for settlers heading West along the Oregon and Santa Fe trails departing from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Cavalry Cannabis is poised and capable to assume a similar role as the United States and the world embark on a path of discovery, not unlike those early American settlers, to unpack all of the medical benefits we believe are held within the cannabis plant.

Throughout history, in combat operations, when units were in distress, pinned down by enemy fire, surrounded and desperate, a message from the headquarters by messenger or by a crackling radio saying the Cavalry was on its way meant there was hope to be saved; hope for victory.

Today, many veterans and active duty military personnel feel trapped and desperate. The population from where Todd came, and the veteran population that he is now a part of, is facing an epic healthcare crisis marked by unacceptably high homelessness, unemployment, suicide, and opioid abuse and overdose rates. Todd believes cannabis presents a safe and effective method to address these issues.    

To most, it is likely surprising that he would end up in this position as the CEO of a cannabis company. Todd truly believes he has created his dream job. He also believes his education at West Point was meant to prepare him to lead soldiers in combat and to inspire him to a lifetime of service to the Nation. Interestingly, the skills and lessons he learned at the Academy, as well as those as a Cavalryman and a military diplomat prepared him well for his mission in the medical cannabis industry. At West Point, they were always taught that their only limit to their imagination was themselves and that they had to think critically about complex issues and then develop creative solutions to apply to them.  Todd believes there are few issues facing our country that are more complex than that of veteran suicide and our Nation’s opioid crisis. The two combined result in the death of nearly 12,000 veterans annually. Beyond that, opioid overdoses cost the lives of almost 70,000 American civilians last year. Cannabis can help reverse this situation. This is no longer an assumption. This is fact, and anyone who understands this would be irresponsible to ignore it and would be questionable as a leader.