On September 25th, Valerie, Samreen and I attended a charity event hosted by the Lydia Smith Sickle Cell Foundation, at the Louis Vuitton Store on Michigan Avenue.

The events purpose was to raise awareness about the lack of federal support for sickle cell disease care, education and research.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Robert L. Mackey III, the president and founder of the foundation.

Robert was inspired to start the foundation by his mother, who the foundation is named after, and aunt. Both women battle against SCD, one of the debilitating conditions included in the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act.

At the event, we all signed the petition to “Declare Sickle Cell Disease a national health priority and support legislation to expand and establish SCD programs.”

I invite you to sign the petition in support of this cause.

Click here to make a donation to The Lydia Smith Sickle Cell Foundation.

Medical research has proved cannabis to be effective in treating the pain associated with Sickle Cell Anemia. You can find more information about SCD and Cannabis here.

-Feliza