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About Us
MASFAM is a student advocacy organization that works to raise awareness, influence policy change, and reduce stigma surrounding alternative medicine, with an emphasis on cannabis and psychedelics, by grass-root organizing. Based in the Atlanta-area by a coalition of students, our organization was conceived in late 2023 and officially launched in the summer of 2024 after years-long challenges related to alternative medicine faced by both founders divergently. Since its inception, MASFAM has quickly gained prominence through fundraising for medical research and active engagement with Big Cannabis representatives, local politicians, and school board leaders. Our educational efforts have also taken off, with our website becoming a popular resource among Atlanta’s youth. We continue to host seminars to address injustices in federal and state legislation and the social barriers created by current drug policies.
"Why?"
MASFAM was founded out of personal struggle and familial necessity. Alex, one of our founders, navigated a complex medical journey with a rare neurological disorder, finding only partial relief in a labyrinth of off-label prescriptions. This firsthand experience with the limitations of conventional medicine inspired a quest for more effective, less explored treatments.
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Alongside Alex, Natalie brings a deeply personal perspective to our mission. Her extensive family connections have opened her eyes to the critical need for access to psychoactive medicine—options that have been heavily restricted due to stringent government regulations. Her family’s experiences underscore the broader impact of current drug policies on individuals seeking legitimate medical treatments.
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Together, Alex and Natalie's stories fuel MASFAM’s commitment to advocating for the rescheduling and legalization of psychoactive medications. Their personal stakes in the mission drive our organization to challenge the status quo, seeking to expand access to treatments that can profoundly improve quality of life.
Co-Founders Alex Royal and Natalie Klie
Alex
With a profound interest in healthcare sciences, Alex holds a deep passion for social justice within medical communities including activism for the LGBTQ+ movement and alternative medicines
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His future aspirations include earning both an MD and MBA in order to start his own alternative medicine practice in Atlanta. One field especially interesting to Alex includes innovative ketamine therapy to treat PTSD symptoms in soldiers, neuropathic pain, as well as treatment-resistant depression.
Natalie
With a focus on pre-law, Natalie holds a longing strive for social justice on an institutional level that expands to breaking down barriers to education, government services, and fair medical attention on the basis of one's identity.
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Her future aspirations align with earning a bachelors in political science before going to a high-ranking law school in order to working in the field of public-interest law for continued social justice. Specifically, she finds special concern in the area of social discrimination.
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