Duane “Muziki” Roberson is a veteran, cannabis patient, and compassionate cannabis provider, keyboardist, and composer whose distinct musical style and individualism make him one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most respected and unique musicians. He has become renowned for creating breathtaking compositions characterized by hip rhythms and with the deepest elements of swing.

Musiki began his decades-long music career becoming a self-taught pianist and vibist while studying theory and composition. He has worked with Michael White, the SF Mime Troup, Koncepts Kultural Gallery, and Mingus Amungus.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. After doing some research he decided to start making Rick Simpson Oil and it immediately started bringing his PSA down. He decided to make it and give it to friends with health issues for free. After being given a still by Sweetleaf Collective, he was able to increase production and help more people with varying conditions, including psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. He loves that he can help people without putting an economic burden on those struggling with illness.

Miss Vicky Blake was born and raised in the East Bay and has been a cannabis activist for more than 15 years.

“I remember back in the day marching and protesting all around the Bay Area,” she said.

She has been an activist working with local dispensaries, Sweetleaf Joe, and other local activists. She was a coordinator for the East Bay for the Love Blessings Program for more than five years. Vicky has been part of the Sweetleaf Collective patient program for many years and has three terminal illnesses, including being an HIV survivor for 28 years.

“Sweetleaf has provided me compassion that allowed me to use marijuana while on a low-income budget. I remember so many times, after a procedure, calling Sweetleaf Joe and telling him ‘I need help, I just got out of the hospital.’ He never turned me down. Without Sweetleaf, I would be broke, not mobile, and overwhelmed with pain.”

Ed Gallagher is a blind and half deaf veteran, HIV and AIDS patient advocate, and a medical cannabis patient. When Ed was first diagnosed with AIDS and thought he was going to die, he gave practically all his money to AIDS organizations and turned his company over to his employees.

Six months before he was expected to die, protease inhibitors, antiviral drugs that are used to treat HIV/AIDS, came out. With the price of this medication along with other medical expenses, Ed was left relatively broke.

After having smoked since the 1960s, he was no longer able to afford cannabis, until he came across Sweetleaf Collective. Sweetleaf provides free medical cannabis to low-income, terminally ill patients, like Ed.