Hi, I'm Katie,
I'm the founder of WeedWise and the global substance use prevention organization, Prevention Ed.
I developed WeedWise to fill the void in high-quality, evidence-based, non-judgmental education about the risks of modern-day cannabis.
I’m a Licensed Therapist, a Certified Addiction Counselor, a trained Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Specialist, and an individual in long-term healthy recovery from addiction.
I began using cannabis at age thirteen, which progressed to a cannabis use disorder by age sixteen. My substance use led to broken relationships, legal issues, missed opportunities, academic dismissal from college, and ultimately, lucky for me, a transformative moment in April 2010 when I entered rehab for my substance use disorders at age twenty.
It has been a long journey of recovery to reach where I am today. The "don't do drugs" or "just say no" approach to prevention, didn’t work for me. It lacked the in-depth information necessary for me and other young people to make truly informed choices about substance use during critical years of brain development.
Knowing what I know now, my experiences as a licensed therapist, educator, and individual in recovery from addiction have underscored what research consistently shows and I know to be true:
The disease of addiction is much easier to prevent than to treat.
I view WeedWise as more than just a program; it's the start of a larger mission to revolutionize education on cannabis, alcohol, and other drugs on a global scale.
Let’s create a world where informed choices lead to healthier lives and prevent the disease of addiction from impacting the most vulnerable: young people and their families.
