If one person embodies the old adage “adversity makes you stronger”, it’s Amie Reiman.
An ardent working professional and single mother of one, Amie knows firsthand how precarious one’s health can be. Through her website and blog, Amie shares her wellness journey in the spirit of wit and honest y. From finding the right cannabis dosage to help her special needs child to teaching other women how to be “boss-bitches” in male dominated fields, no topic is off-limits on Amie’s blogs, podcasts and social channels.
An Undulating Journey
For Amie, HIP Lives is more than her company- it’s an extension of herself. As Amie herself puts it, “I started HIP Lives because I saw how few resources were available to women who struggle every day with mental and physical health issues while trying to put food on the table and raise kids, many of whom are special needs. The world doesn’t need another aspirational ecommerce site to sell vaginal eggs. HIP Lives is about helping real women, many of whom are struggling to just get out of bed in the morning.”
Amie knows all about mental health issues. From overcoming a violent sexual assault to then battling analgesic meds addiction and severe depression after a car accident left her in excruciating pain, Amie knows trauma firsthand. The knocks didn’t stop with her own health. In 2015, Amie’s now 10-year-old son was diagnosed with fragile X, a genetic disorder considered part of the Autism family with side effects that include severe ADHD and anxiety. Fed up with the mind-numbing effects of prescription medications on both herself and her son, Amie began to explore holistic alternatives. Her son has one of the first pediatric prescriptions for medical cannabis Canada and a result Amie possesses an immense wealth of knowledge on how to use this potent natural medicine.
Amie knew she wasn’t alone in these struggles and realized that there was no definitive resource or support system for many parents, children and corporations in terms of coping and taking a positive approach to health solutions. Through controversial research and personal development, Amie launched HIP Lives from a desire to con vert her and her child’s medicinal regiment to one entirely based on medical cannabis.
Advocating Medicinal Cannabis
As a result of her advocacy, Amie has been able to become both an influencer and connector in the burgeoning cannabis industry. Having come from a marketing and sales background, Amie thought she could support the supply chain while helping others gain access. In only a few short years, Amie has become a sought-after marketer, consultant and connector for those seeking broader exposure and invaluable industry contacts. Amie shares the benefits and the challenges faced in the Cannabis Industry from her hands-on professional experiences in the space.
At the core of Amie’s platform is motherhood and one of HIP’s main pillars is Help in Parenting. Amie says, “as moms we need to learn it’s ok to ask for help- lots of it. I don’t mind being the lady you call at 2 in the morning when you need to calm your child from an autism related seizure or just need reassurance that you’re going to make it through another day.”
This leads to another of HIP’s beliefs; health is not an overnight miracle, but rather an endeavor that can only be successfully achieved through small steps, quite literally HIP means Health in Progress.
Aspiring to Make Cannabis a Global Option
Ask Amie her long-term vision for HIP Lives and she’ll say very clearly, “In a perfect world moms anywhere in the world could click on my site and find out how they can have access to cannabis for both themselves and their children. With partners and networks all over the globe, this is what I’m working towards.”
Amie knows that cannabis is not the panacea for all problems. This is why she also offers access to a wide array of holistic therapists and therapies that she herself can proudly stand behind as well as various products that have benefited her own recovery and coping mechanisms. Hip CBD launched recently with a specific set of formulations vetted for healing in both women and children which aligns with the Hip Lives and her own mission towards a Health in Progress.
With 2021 speaking engagements and a monthly voice as a co- host on the popular Cannabis Podcast network, The Canna Mom Show, Amie plans to keep aligning with other like minds and hopes to inspire other women. “I have found such synergy with other strong female leaders in the Cannabis community” she says, “There is so much to gain through collaborating and sharing the mutual passion for the plant and it’s medicine with other like minds. We are all pioneering a new industry and female mentors have truly empowered me to stay strong no matter what obstacles we face, not only in the Cannabis community but in general, health itself.” Humanity driven, Amie is looking forward to the work and growth for Hip Lives ahead, ‘It is an exciting time in plant medicine and I am so grateful to be involved in the learnings and growth in its early days”.
Enlightening Aspiring Businesswomen
Stay compassionate, stay true to yourself. I think that having compassion rather than just my own passion has got me where I am. I often think that going after that so called “shiny thing” doesn’t always prove to be the best approach. You may see something and want it so badly that it almost becomes a necessity, and eventually, the greed takes over. It may come from a good place in your heart, but I think that compassionately things fall into place when you lead with integrity. Do things humbly so that you’re giving back at the same time as you’re receiving.