Dear beautiful Realm of Caring community,

It has been one of the greatest honors and extreme blessings of my life to walk with you on your journey. It has brought me great comfort and pride to look back at what we have accomplished together over the last seven years.

I would have never imagined in October of 2012 when Zaki’s condition remitted, thanks to a sparkly magic dark green extract, a few phenomenal brothers, a hospice counselor and a single act of bravery, a mom on a mission to save her little girl, a little alchemy, a whole lot of serendipity, and a smidge of luck (yes, that’s the recipe should anyone want to “make” this again) that all these years later we would have accomplished so much that we can confidently say we have truly saved, changed and impacted individuals in such a powerful way!

Who would have thought that RoC families, the cannabis and hemp industry, and YOU would have raised almost 7 million dollars to construct such a powerful movement? Who would have imagined that we would be working with the top researchers at the best universities to conduct first of its kind research? Who would have thought this extreme generosity would allow close to $400,000 in grants to be gifted directly back to families in need? I never imagined I would be surrounded by the most creative, innovative and hardworking team I have ever had the pleasure to lead. That Realm of Caring would not only operate the only free call center of its kind spending over 2,000,000 minutes on the phone and would have fielded over a quarter of a million inquiries since we opened that program in 2015! It is impressive indeed.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! My heart is full! We are blessed.

There is a peace in knowing when to release something held so tightly and dearly so that it may transform and become what it is destined to be. Anyone with adult children knows this to be true. You pour your heart and soul into your baby and raise it up... and at some point in your gut and heart, you know it is time to free it. You still guide, lead and mentor, but you must allow it to evolve. Yes, Realm of Caring is my baby, and being able to shepherd from a different role standing shoulder to shoulder with the incredible Board of Directors is going to be epic. It’s just starting to get good- the evolution will be grand!

I will continue to be with you as we embark on our next chapter with even greater growth and success as Board President. After a long and diligent search, I couldn’t be happier to introduce our new CEO, Jonathan Hoggard. I have the utmost confidence in Jonathan, who has an incredibly personal connection to our mission and will wield his varied and aligned history in healthcare, technology, education, and nonprofits to lead us rapidly to even greater heights. Together we have mapped out the next few years for the organization which will feature many exciting projects that fit squarely in his wheelhouse, so I couldn’t be more thrilled to be handing over the reins at this time.

However, I am not going anywhere! I will continue to support the organization in a visionary capacity while giving Jonathan and our community all of the assistance it needs.

So what will be the storyline of the new chapter? Well in a lot of ways we have learned to not get too far ahead of ourselves in this rapidly evolving industry... but we also have had our finger on the pulse of this for so long we know what the community and industry needs.

—We have a big data initiative underway that will revolutionize the way we provide care and insights.
—There are five new papers written and cued up for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
—An ambitious continuing medical education course for professionals to get underway.
—And as always, new research projects to launch including version 2.0 of the largest registry in the United States.

The industry needs RoC more than any other time in our history, and in turn, we’ll need your support as well. We will add value so when the history books document this marvelous experiment underway- we know we have acted virtuously with the best companies in this space.

What does my next chapter look like? I will continue to be available to Jonathan, our team and you. I am a contributing writer to a new textbook coming out on cannabis for social service professionals. I’m going to spend a lot of time with Zaki and my family. Travel- hopefully, lots of that. And rest.

Thank you for always supporting the Realm of Caring. It is during this time that I need you to double down on your commitment to helping us be the best organization for people in need of cannabinoid therapy and the businesses trying to serve them. Transitions and changes can be painful, but the growth that comes after is a sight to behold.

As always...with you!

Until soon,

Heather Jackson
Founder and new Board President still at your service!