LaTonya Warren - Armintia, LLC
By Glenda Lassiter
The legality of cannabis has conjured much dialogue. Add LaTonya Warren to the conversation, and it takes on a level steeped heavily in research. Many states - Virginia included - decriminalized penalties for the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of the substance. As a result, many people have relaxed their perspective on the seriousness of the subject, but Warren has not. She intends to raise the voice of certainty on the topic of dosage and usage uncertainty.
Warren did not just hop on this bandwagon in recent months. For nearly a decade, she has been trying to raise awareness that lackadaisical accessibility of cannabis undermines discourse about its medicinal contributions. She is chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of the federally certified research, development, and education company, Armintia, LLC. Warren's professional arc is impressive: entrepreneur, subject matter expert, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), former medic in the Army National Guard, and a chemistry major on a Ph.D. track. Ten years after receiving a bachelor's degree in biology in 2009 and as her interest in cannabis for therapy grew, Warren returned to college for a second undergraduate degree in chemistry. Already accepted into the doctoral program at Old Dominion University (ODU), she is scheduled to start her analytical and organic chemistry major in 2024.
While not opposed, recreational use of marijuana is not Warren's platform. Instead, she is vivaciously fluent in a broader subject: Medicinal cannabis as a therapy alternative. At the forefront of her professional passion is educating individuals interested in working at licensed dispensaries, as well as consumers, potential users, and the medical community about labels, usage, and proper dosages. But the accolades don't stop there. Armintia is a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) recognized cannabinoid education/training program company.
She said, "I've come across a dynamic of people expressing interest from working in the cannabis industry to utilizing cannabinoids for various ailments, but they stay away because of a lack of immediate knowledge and/or education. Particularly because this therapy has been prohibited for so long, individuals still harbor negative perceptions. They are hesitant to ask questions or to use a substance that has been associated with being a gateway to other substances."
Let's get scientific for a moment: Cannabis (also known as Marijuana) comes from the cannabis plant and contains high amounts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in cannabis and is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Hemp on the other hand, is the cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% THC, meaning any time it goes over that threshold it is considered a controlled substance. And that's why it can become confusing between these two terms. Marijuana has THC whereas Hemp has little to no THC. Now, recall we called both Marijuana and Hemp cannabis. That's because both Marijuana and Hemp come from the cannabis SATIVA plant, they're just different varieties of the cannabis plant. THC is the compound responsible for giving people that euphoric feeling or better known as being "high".
The federal Controlled Substance Act labels marijuana - which contains more than 0.3 percent of THC - as a Schedule I drug, meaning it bears three areas of concern: a high capacity for abuse, no "currently accepted" medical approval for treatment in the United States, and "lack of accepted safety" for use under medical supervision. That schedule classification includes heroin. Therein lies the conflicting message: Potent but legal. When the product is either stocked on convenience store shelves or is an ingredient that popularizes food, drink, or hair products, Warren has a profound argument.
"It shouldn't be in gas stations and grocery stores. It is a powerful therapy," she said, "but its uses are so diverse. Coming from a pharmacy background, I say it should be accessible in a healthcare setting. Right now, licensed dispensaries are modeled after such a setting. There is a licensed pharmacist and certified pharmacy technician educated to know what to prescribe or suggest to you, taking medical issues, weight, etc. and be able to say what would best fit your needs. So where is the required education? If a state says this plant is legal, and medical dispensaries are requiring higher education degrees, then who is helping those licensed healthcare professionals understand this plant as a whole?
"On the health and therapy side," she said, "it is our belief that cannabinoids should be a therapy, that it is not a Schedule I. The biggest challenge in the industry right now is the education piece. We're really working to change the narrative on CBD and THC to a positive one. The connotation has always been a negative one until recently, with people recognizing it's more helpful than harmful."
When she was introduced to the Women's Business Center (WBC) at ODU, Warren had been looking for approved research proposals that would allow her to test effective therapeutic strategies of cannabinoids. WBC is part of the university's Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) Initiative. The outfit is a treasure trove of information to further open doors for women-led enterprises to avoid business pitfalls.
Erika Small-Sisco, WBC's Program Director, said, "the Women's Business Center works to make sure LaTonya is aware of resources and opportunities that exist, especially for those targeting women and veteran women." Armintia's notable credentials include the U.S. Small Business Administration's Veteran-Owned Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, and Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned Business certifications.
Warren has been entrenched in cannabinoid research since 2019, when she began unfolding information that would lead to her founding her company. It was a time when nobody wanted to touch, but I was asking," she said.
Warren has worked unequivocally with the goal of research, development, and education as an effort to guarantee products are safe for therapeutic use. As an Army veteran, Warren has seen up close and way too personal the impact of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) on members of the military. Having an acute awareness of how PTSD sufferers struggle for treatment, she ponders this: "If this powerful plant can be made legal in 38 states, capitalized, and have endless testimonials of its proven relief in various elements, then why can't it be considered an option for those who put their lives on the line for their country?"
"I understand cannabinoids completely," she continued, "but realized that a lot of people don't know much about them. Doctors are saying they are uncomfortable writing a prescription or even making recommendations because there isn't enough peer-reviewed research. But can you blame a doctor? They go to school for 10-plus years, and they don't want to risk potentially losing their license because they don't know how to prescribe nor properly recommend cannabinoids. I understand their hesitation. They want to be sure. So, that's what we want to attack by getting the peer-reviewed research, developments, and university level education out there. Statistically this plant has been verified, but never clinically."
Clinical trials are the next chapter of Warren's progressing book. "I want that peer-reviewed research and those clinical trials, and after a thorough S.W.O.T analysis I've found that PTSD, opioid recovery, and geriatric patients are who I want to focus on. The numbers don't lie and those who fall in one of those three pillars are swearing by this powerful plant because it is helping them. It's not just helping with the symptoms of anxiety, muscle pain, or muscle aches. There's a wider range."
Warren has invested in her dream, having spent well over $10,000 on lab equipment to ensure precise development processes. "Staying ahead of the game is not an easy task. I adjusted my own money in order to figure out the materials needed to develop a novel natural product while maintaining the highest level of quality, accuracy, and consistency for analysis."
Funding is a direct link to how much research Armintia can accomplish. In that thought, WBC began pairing Warren with grant opportunities and game-changing networking such as the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). As a chemist with a clear concern for natural healing, Warren is trying to capture every business opportunity to shed light on her innovative approach to holistic therapy. It is her mission to be involved in clinical trials that finally changes the negative narrative on cannabinoid use. She preaches, cannabinoids are a medicinal product for health and wellness. To that end, her work toils long after many people's lights are out. "Armintia is what passion looks like. We are late nights. We are endless phone and video conferences to spread awareness and understanding. We are striving to do things right. We are experts in this field."
