In 2004, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome — a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system. Within weeks, I was completely paralyzed. I spent eight weeks in the hospital and had to relearn everything: how to walk, how to hold a fork, how to feed myself.

I lost 30% of my body weight. I was on more medications than I could count.

The pharmaceuticals were essential — they helped save my life during those critical weeks. But the long-term reality was harder: each medication came with side effects, and each side effect got its own prescription. I didn't want to spend years managing opiates for pain and sedatives for sleep.

Then I tried cannabis.

It helped me sleep. It helped with pain. It helped me eat again and regain my strength. For me, it was the path off long-term pharmaceutical dependency. That experience changed the trajectory of my life.

I devoted myself to cannabis.

I helped build one of the largest medical marijuana doctors' offices in the country. Over the years, we helped more than 30,000 patients get their medical cards and access to cannabis.

Back then, there were no dispensaries. No delivery apps. No friendly budtenders. Patients had to find growers on Craigslist and navigate a system that barely existed.

For years, I worked on the product side — cultivation, extraction, formulation. I learned what separates a great cannabis product from a mediocre one: consistent dosing, proper testing, the right delivery methods, and attention to details that most consumers never see.

I'm not anti-alcohol. I've had plenty of great nights with a glass of wine or a cold beer.

But I got tired of losing the next day. The headaches. The fog. The "why did I do that" feeling at 2pm on a Sunday.

THC drinks changed that equation. You get the release. The shift in mindset. The looseness and laughter that make a night feel special. But the next morning? You wake up clear.

Cannabis drinks aren't about replacing alcohol entirely — they're about having another option. A way to cut back without cutting out the fun.

When I saw the cannabis drink market exploding, I was excited — and then I was worried.

Here's something most people don't know: if a THC drink uses the wrong can liner, the cannabinoids bind to the aluminum. You open what should be a 10mg drink and get 4mg of actual effect. The brand has no idea. The customer just thinks "THC drinks don't work for me."

Or take nano-emulsions — the technology that makes THC water-soluble. There are dozens of different approaches, and they're not equal. Some hit in 15 minutes. Some take an hour. Some have a clean offset; others leave you groggy.

After 20 years in this industry, I can taste the difference. I know what questions to ask suppliers. I know what lab results actually mean. I know which brands are doing the work and which are cutting corners.

Zazzy exists so you don't have to figure all that out yourself.

For too long, cannabis has been demonized. The War on Drugs painted a picture that didn't match reality — and millions of people who could benefit from cannabis stayed away because of fear and misinformation.

My mission is simple: reduce the stigma and expand access.

I want someone who's curious about THC drinks to feel confident trying their first one. I want someone who's tired of hangovers to have a real alternative. I want cannabis to feel as normal and approachable as craft beer or natural wine.

That's why Zazzy exists. Not to sell you everything — but to bring you only the products worth your time.