Tom is co-founder of honahlee, a start-up junkie, cannabis enthusiast and digital marketer.

Originally from New York, he moved to Australia in late 2011 to complete a masters at Melbourne University. While always interested in entrepreneurship, the university provided a great start-up ecosystem via the Melbourne Accelerator Program, which led Tom to work for various startups in various positions from 2011 to 2018.

After being made redundant for the second time in three years, Tom decided to put all of his business knowledge and passion to work. He was determined to start a business that aligned with his values and would make a difference in people's lives. Helping people through cannabis became the plan.

Tom's interest in cannabis began as a teenager growing up in New York. While cannabis consumption as a teen was always for recreational purposes, he did notice adults around him utilising it as medicine for various conditions and symptoms, which he always found fascinating. During his late teens, Tom took a break from cannabis and focussed on sports and other endeavours.

By the time he was in his mid-20s, a once occasional back injury had turned chronic. This is when he found cannabis again, now as both a health and wellbeing tool and a medicine.

Cannabis has meant that Tom's back is more manageable, and even when the pain rears its head for days or weeks, any mental health issues resulting from the pain stay under control.

Cannabis has helped him reduce alcohol consumption and create a space for improved mindfulness and relationships. Tom considers himself a medical patient and a social (recreational) consumer.

Tom's mission with honahlee is to improve global wellbeing through cannabis education and access. It is an independent organisation created by patients for patients and health professionals. The team creates educational content and builds digital tools that make it easier for those who utilise cannabis in their health journey.

Currently, the company hosts: honahlee.com.au, an educational content platform; Catalyst, a cannabis medicines database that helps patients and health professionals make better product choices; Scripts by honahlee, where patients with an e-script can view pharmacies, product prices, delivery/pick-up times and make an order through trusted pharmacies.

By utilising researched information, sharing personal stories and creating tools to make the cannabis process more accessible, Tom and honahlee are changing the stigmatised and complex nature of cannabis into an inclusive conversation where the topic is accessible to everyone.