Golan has by turns been described as a fashion entrepreneur, travel and lifestyle influencer, public speaker, TV host, and actress. Yet, to put one specific label on her would be to erase many other elements of her multifaceted personality.
Golan identifies as an ‘independent, empowered, entrepreneurial spirit.’ Indeed, this description encapsulates many elements of the public personality. She has won three Forbes Awards for Influencer of the Year. Yet, she does not base her definition of success on this sort of recognition. Nor does she base it on monetary or material capital.
Recently, Golan has partnered with Dr. Green to initiate changes within the plant medicine industry. She had been friendly with the founder of Dr. Green, Billionaire Maximillian White, for many years and had travelled to his extensive cannabis production and delivery premises in Portugal on a number of occasions
She describes Dr. Green as having the same transformational impact on health care and produce provenance in the same way that Uber impacted transportation. In Dr Green’s case, they are harnessing the power of technology, particularly blockchain, to usher in a new era of transparency and accountability in the health sector.
Golan’s interest in emerging medtech is signalled also by her active engagement with the 10x Health Program, an initiative that utilizes advanced DNA testing to deliver personalized healthcare solutions.
Cannabis on the Blockchain
A primary focus of Golan and Dr. Green’s efforts is the reformation of the regulatory framework surrounding plant medicine. Golan passionately advocates for a system that de-demonizes and de-criminalizes plant-based treatments while implementing a process that allows for comprehensive tracking. She underscores the industry’s current lack of regulation as a significant issue, noting that consumers face challenges in verifying the quality and authenticity of plant-based products. This regulatory gap often leaves consumers vulnerable to misinformation and substandard products, which can undermine trust and efficacy, and even cause harm or death.
The potential applications of their innovative approach extend beyond just cannabis. Golan envisions a future where this technology can be applied to the food and beverage industries, enabling consumers to trace the origins and quality of the products they consume. She explains that if a consumer purchases something labelled as ‘all natural’ or ‘organic,’ they should be able to verify its authenticity through traceability, thus empowering them to make informed choices about what goes into their bodies.
For example, when buying organic beef, consumers would have the ability to trace and confirm that the cattle were raised according to organic standards, ensuring that they are consuming genuine organic products.
Blockchain technology serves as the backbone for this level of traceability, offering a decentralized and immutable ledger that records every step of a product’s journey from origin to consumer.
Consider, for instance, the diamond industry, where blockchain is already being used to ensure the provenance and ethical sourcing of diamonds. By adopting similar technology, the plant medicine and food industries could offer consumers assurances about the authenticity and quality of their products.
Golan has a very practical approach to recreational cannabis when she compares it to alcohol, neither of which she consumes.
By overcoming societal and regulatory barriers, including those imposed by politics and big pharma, she envisions equipping individuals with the tools to see beyond marketing gimmicks. This approach has the potential to fundamentally alter the landscape of medicine and consumer trust. It promises a shift towards greater accountability and integrity, where consumer interests are prioritized over corporate agendas.
Golan asserts, “This is giving people the power to see through the smoke screen of the salesman,” suggesting that these advancements could be a true game changer in the industry. Her commitment to this cause paints an optimistic picture for the future of personalized health and wellness.
This vision of transparency is particularly relevant in the wider context of concerns about the overall quality of consumer products. For instance, consider the common scenario of plastic water bottles left sitting in the sun. When exposed to heat, chemicals from the plastic can leach into the water, potentially posing health risks. With the type of traceability technology Golan advocates, consumers could gain access to detailed information about the production and handling of their bottled water. This could include data on the type of plastic used, the bottling process, and even environmental conditions during transportation and storage. Such data would empower consumers to make safer choices and avoid products that may compromise their health.
Like the impact of Uber, Dr. Green and its blockchain platform may begin with cannabis plants but continue across the food industry, delivering certainty and safety wherever consumers consume.