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Providing Services to Support and Enhance Your Lifestyle

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Spencer Kalker

Founder & CEO

Why do we call our CEO visionary?

He just keeps proving it by being the first… He started his career by building CWD, a multi-million dollar furniture business in Consumer Electronics. And then a new passion intervened.

 

Why Cannabis and CBD?

Long before Cannabis was an “it” thing to the world it was an emotional journey for him driven by what felt like a lifetime of family loss. Doing ongoing research with his brother Kurt, a Pediatric Nurse regarding plant based medicine over many years, he spent the last six years focused on learning about the power of this deeply misunderstood and vilified plant.

 

What was on his research path? Listening. He heard people’s stories about how this one amazing plant changed their lives. Not only has it changed his life he hears daily from store customers, as well as neighbors, bank tellers, at the grocery and coffee shops— how well CBD is working for them and others in their lives.

 

He wanted to get the word out, a way for people in need could be introduced and learn for themselves about CBD in a professional environment. He believes Cape Ann Botanicals fills that need.

 

His mission is to be the most responsible and supportive purveyor of CBD and Cannabis in the state and built a team of individuals who share his belief in the life changing benefits of Cannabis to help people

Want to know more about Spencer? Click here!

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Kurt Kalker

Registered Nurse

Kurt is a Pediatric Registered nurse of 25 years with a background in multiple specialties, including acute care, medical/surgical, neonatal intensive care, community health clinics, home health, school nursing, and now cannabis nursing. His passion for the medical use of cannabis comes from research, coursework, and his own experience with chronic pain from an autoimmune disorder and multiple orthopedic surgeries. He spent 25 years watching the cannabis market develop and evolve while living in California. He is also a member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association and the United Patient Group.

 

Kurt  focuses on filling the void of clear guidelines for use of new cannabis-based products on the market by educating, guiding, and supporting patients with product choices, dosages, and timing. He strongly believes that integrating cannabis into a treatment plan for complex diseases takes time, knowledge, and research that very few practitioners have.

 

Kurt attended Chicago American Conservatory of Music and toured the world as a professional drummer. On weekends you might find Kurt playing locally in New England. He lives right here in Ipswich.

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Carla Villa

Shop Manager

Before joining Cape Ann Botanicals, Carla spent 18 years working in the craft beer industry. She graduated with a BA in Art History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but went straight into craft beer where she specialized in state and federal compliance, beer education, sales, and community partnerships. She produced events as small as 20 person beer dinners to block parties with up to 3,000 people. Carla believes strongly in building brands through building community.

 

Carla is excited to take experience and knowledge gained in beer and apply it to the cannabis industry, where the products have a greater opportunity to truly improve people’s lives.

 

She lives in Ipswich with her husband and daughter and spends her free time gardening and practicing  yoga. She is a member of the Town of Ipswich’s Economic Development Advocacy Group, Ipswich Cultural Council, and Cannabis Society.

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Jess Mallette

Licensed Massage Therapist

After spending many years in various customer service management positions within the corporate world as well as with small businesses, Jess Mallette decided to pursue a career in which she could help people in a more meaningful way.

Jess is a licensed massage therapist and owns Hara Therapeutic Massage and Wellness. She specializes in a variety of massage modalities and techniques for those seeking relief from chronic pain, injuries, and to promote overall wellness. She has experience helping clients manage the following conditions and more!

 

  • Neck pain

  • Low back pain

  • Rotator cuff injuries

  • Tendonitis

  • Sports injuries

  • Headaches/Migraines

  • TMJ dysfunction

 

Jess lives in Ipswich with her two teenage boys and partner. In her free time, you can find her singing, camping, hiking, and kayaking with her family.

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Jodie Cammis

Jodie is our resident world traveler. Born in London, England and raised in Portugal, fluent in both English and Portuguese. She studied tourism and hotel management in the Algarve. Jodie’s passion for travel and the ocean led her working in customer services in Portugal, India and Thailand. She was surprised to find America’s “traditional” approach to medicine was so different from the more holistic ones she had known in the rest of the world.

 

Jodie set about becoming an advocate for alternative treatments pursuing an education in alternative therapies and herbalism. Jodie lives in Ipswich, Ma.

 

When not in her garden among the flowers, herbs and mushrooms you can find her at the beach or a plane.

 

Why CBD? Jodie uses CBD to treat her chronic bursitis to avoid interaction problems that she believes can be associated with pharmaceutical solutions. An early advocate she’s been at Cape Ann Botanicals since it opened. 

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Cary Friedman

Cary attended Emerson College in Boston, settled on the North Shore with his wife, and has been an Ipswich resident for over thirty years. He is by trade a producer/director/cinematographer, active in film/video production for over 30 years, and working with the Who’s Who of national and international broadcasting and media. Cary’s experience ranges from TV commercials to major news, entertainment, and sports programs, from PBS to small businesses and nonprofits.  

 

Cary is a certified International Ski Instructor, Scuba Dive Master, a licensed Soccer Coach and has been active in local amateur sports for both adults and children. He started a number of local amateur men’s soccer teams. He has done volunteer work for the YMCA, Ipswich Lions Club, and Montserrat College of Art.

 

Why CBD? His particular interest is Lyme Disease and how CBD can best be used to help mitigate Lyme's often crippling symptoms.

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Leslie Hamilton Tragert

Leslie was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the daughter of a Jazz musician and educator. She attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston majoring in Fine Art and The New England School of Photography for Fine Art photography and journalism. 

 

Leslie lived with her husband in Japan and Hawaii before moving back to her hometown of Ipswich, Ma. She has published four nonfiction books and loves photographing the New England coastline. 

 

Why CBD? Leslie has found great relief using CBD for her Rheumatoid Arthritis and Migraines.

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Mike Mulkern

Mike is Melrose born, raised in Rowley, and graduated in 2012 from Triton Regional High School. He graduated with a Business degree with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Salem State University. Mike is a cofounder of Wave Hemp Inc. an all-natural CBD and accessory distributor for CBD products focusing on the B2B market. 

 

His background ranges from expertise in GI issues, procuring a Medical Marijuana card, and managing a productive lifestyle using THC and CBD. 

Mike lives in Newburyport and is seen out and enjoying all that Newburyport has to offer.

 

Why CBD? As an IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) patient he learned to manage symptoms by using THC and CBD. He successfully weaned himself off of prescription medications over a period of time by using THC/CBD products has helped guide others. An early advocate he’s been at Cape Ann Botanicals since it opened. 

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Kenneth Nicosia

Ken graduated from UMass with a degree in Psychology and from BU with a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling. He was licensed in Social Work and Rehabilitation Counseling. He worked as a Mental Health Counselor at Union Hospital and worked for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) providing direct services to people with disabilities as well as staff development and training.  Ken has taught yoga and meditation classes and had a practice in Newburyport. 

 

Ken and his husband Bob, and their sweet six-year-old Bichon mix Shelby, live on the Merrimack River where they enjoy boating, and as time allows, traveling to exotic locales. 

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Sam Jeuvelis

Sam is local, born in Newburyport, raised in Amesbury, a graduate of Amesbury High School.  Sam did the rounds in retail eventually coming on board soon after our Newburyport location opened.  

 

Sam is a beach regular, investing much of her free time at her local beach hangout. A voracious reader currently in the midst of three different books her tastes range from fiction and not fiction to history. In her spare time she continues to expand her knowledge of CBD and its many benefits.  

 

Why CBD? Sam uses CBD to manage anxiety and PTSD and with regular use helps her get a good night's sleep. Sam's mom also uses CBD to manage her arthritis. 

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Maureen Terrill

Maureen lives in Manchester, where she and her husband built a house and raised their two sons. Her background and training is in Fine Art and Graphic Design, and is an alumnus of Beverly’s Montserrat College of Art.  Maureen worked for many years in commercial advertising before she changed direction and career. Now she’s a yoga and Pilates teacher and a Reiki Master!

  

Maureen has been active in the Fresh Air Fund for over 20 years as a host and mentor to inner-city children from Harlem, Spanish Harlem, and the South Bronx.  Her other Fresh Air Fund responsibility is chairperson for the Cape Ann Friendly Town area, managing five other host families. Maureen has been on the board of the Seaside Garden Club for fifteen years as graphic designer and program committee organizer. Look for her outdoors: hiking, kayaking/paddleboarding, gardening, birdwatching, sketching and going to concerts.

 

Why CBD? CBD is now part of her family’s daily health and plant-based healing. CBD has helped with her husband and son’s aches, pains, ADHD and sleep.  

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Samantha Kravitz

Sam, a native New Yorker has lived in the Boston area since 2005. She left Boston for a year to study cooking, wine, and fine art in Florence, Italy. She graduated from Lesley University with a BFA in Fine Arts and Photography. After landing at Apple Inc., working as a trainer, mentor, and community educator she eventually had enough with computers and found herbalism. She loved how it combined her passions of food, health, and helping people. Through an apprenticeship, she was able to finish her clinical rotation as a Clinical Herbalist in three years. 

 

In addition to her expertise in plant-based medicinal applications for anxiety and migraines, as a sufferer of Celiacs, she has a thorough knowledge of CBD and its benefits for managing Gluten and GI issues. 

 

Sam runs a women’s support group in Gloucester and also volunteers as a Community Educator running classes and workshops in health and wellness including at Cape Ann Botanicals. If she’s not outside hiking, adventuring, or foraging for wild herbs and mushrooms you will find her cooking or on the dance floor enjoying live music. 

 

Why CBD? Sam was prescribed multiple medications for anxiety, migraines, and PCOS. Over time she has weaned herself off of all prescription medications using a combination of THC, CBD, dietary changes, and herbal/food-based medicine.

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