While she may not be a household name in the cannabis industry (yet), Dale Bellisfield honorable decades-long pursuit to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern medicine has produced profound, intangible benefits that will last us generations to come.
A Childhood Rooted in Herbal Curiosity
As a young girl, Bellisfield recalls a core memory of being captivated by the peculiar scent of root beer from the sassafras roots in her family’s backyard. So distinct and powerful, it laid the foundation for a lifelong passion in herbalism. It was only when she embarked on a journey of facing her own health challenges that a career path in plant medicine was ignited. “I truly understood the power of plants”, she added.
Bellisfield began an apprenticeship with renowned herbalists and practitioners, from Robin Rose Bennett and David Winston to Chinese herbalist Anastasia White. Bestowing their knowledge and expertise upon her, Bellisfield immersed herself in a range of ancient medicines and healing traditions.
Pioneering Holistic Medicine in Conventional Healthcare
Becoming the very first herbalist nurse at Barnabas Medical Center and Hackensack University Medical Center, her unique, dual expertise allowed Bellisfield to begin narrowing the divide between the use of holistic and conventional medicines as a true pioneer.
“There aren’t many of us herbalist nurses,” Bellisfield explains. “I’ve spent my career helping patients understand that herbal medicine is about more than just swapping an herb for a drug.”
Her journey into the cannabis world began unexpectedly when she met her partner Jerry Eaton, a cannabis botanist, just before undergoing neck surgery. “I had surgery, and Jerry made me a CBD tincture,” Bellisfield recalls. “It helped me get off opioids within four days, and I knew we could create something special together.”
Canncestra: Where Tradition Meets Innovation
With the launch of Canncestra, her vision has come officially to life, offering groundbreaking topical products that blend traditional healing modalities with cutting-edge innovation to heal and inspire. Collaborating with a pharmacologist, Bellisfield and her team developed a breakthrough encapsulation technology that allows their CBD-infused topicals to penetrate deep into muscles and joints.
“Most topicals just sit on the skin,” Bellisfield explains. “Ours go beyond that barrier, delivering real results.” After years of ailing treating patients with plant medicine in conjunction with conventional medicine, her work has found a permanent home in Canncestra.
Supporting Indigenous Communities Through Canncestra’s Mission
From Bellisfield ‘s years working with the Mohawk and Cherokee nations, Canncestra’s mission is not only to deliver effective products but also to give back to those very communities. A portion of their profits is dedicated to supporting indigenous cultures that have kept plant-based medicine alive.
“We live near the Hopi and Zuni people in Arizona, and it’s important for us to honor those traditions,” she said.
From the sassafras roots of her childhood to the cutting-edge CBD topicals of Canncestra, Bellisfield’s passion for plant healing has only grown in strength.
“Plants have always been my teachers,” Bellisfield said, adding “and now, I get to share that wisdom with others in a way that bridges both tradition and innovation.”
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