From Prison Guard to Cannabis Educator, This Michigan Entrepreneur is Changing Lives One Lotion at a Time

When Tanya Mora left the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2011, she carried with her a burning frustration. Volunteering at the VA hospital, she watched veterans sent home with “grocery bags full of prescriptions,” leaving them lethargic and disconnected from their lives. Then her aunt landed in the hospital with kidney failure—caused by the 18 different prescriptions her doctor had prescribed.

“It angered me,” Mora told iHemp Hour hosts Dave Crabill, Blaine Bechtold, and Mike Brennan. That anger became fuel for transformation.

From Trimmer to Total Industry Immersion

Mora’s path into the cannabis industry started humbly—as a trimmer. But an opportunity with hydroponic retailer Martin Yono of Hydro Giant changed everything.

“He allowed me to work in every aspect of the industry. Not only did I work as a grower, I worked in the hydroponics store, I worked in the doctor’s office, I worked in the provisionary centers. So I got a really good feel for the industry.”

That comprehensive experience, combined with her natural curiosity and a friendship with a pharmaceutical chemist, sparked an idea: what if she could blend cannabis tincture oil with other plant-based essential oils to create targeted therapeutic products?

It took three years of development to perfect the formula. The result? Sweed Dreams—a line of six organic lotions, each engineered to target specific areas of the body.

The Science of Synergy: Six Lotions, Six Targets

What sets SweedDreams apart is its precision approach. Rather than creating one catch-all product, Mora developed formulations that work at the cellular level:

Product	Target Area	Key Benefit
Relief	Joints	Top seller—addresses both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
Remedy	Nerves	Targets neuropathy and nerve pain
Re-Support	Bones	Supports bone health
Refresh	Muscles	Muscle recovery and relief
Rejuvenate	Ligaments & Tendons	Features lemongrass, sourced globally
Renew	Skin	Contains frankincense—note: cannot be used during chemotherapy

Each lotion uses a 50/50 blend of THC and CBD, combined with 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oils. The secret? By the time the cannabis is blended with the organic base lotion (sourced from France) and essential oils, the THC level breaks down to the legal 0.3% threshold—making the products shippable nationwide.

“For every 26 percent CBD you have, you want to activate it with six percent THC. When you are using a topical, the THC likes fat—so it gets stuck in the fat and works as a carrier for the rest of the chemical compound and other plants to enter the bloodstream.”

Why Full Spectrum Matters: The Case Against Isolation

Mora is adamant about one thing: isolates aren’t the answer.

“That was the issue with the pharmaceutical companies. When you start isolating, your body at a cellular level doesn’t know how to react to some of those plants.”

She draws a parallel to vitamin C: “You can overdose on vitamin C, but you really can’t if you’re using the complete chemical compound of that orange.”

This philosophy is baked into her company’s very name—Salute Synergy, her brick-and-mortar storefront in Livonia that combines product sales with education.

A Mission Rooted in Service

As a U.S. Navy veteran who served at the Naval Academy during Desert Storm—and one of the first women in an integrated boot camp company—Mora’s heart lies with those who’ve served.

“My veterans… that was the one community that I really wanted to touch upon.”

Through a partnership with No Veteran Left Behind, a non-profit organization, Sweet Dreams focuses on veteran crisis support and combating opioid addiction in the veteran community.

One success story stands out: a woman who had been on a fentanyl patch for over a year after breaking her leg. The drug was destroying her daily life.

“I went with her to her doctor and we created a plan to wean her off the fentanyl patch using our topicals. The topical is the least invasive way to actually help with pain treatment.”

Education as the Foundation

Sweet Dreams isn’t just a product line—it’s an educational platform. Salute Synergy features classroom seating for 20-30 people, hosting:

• Budtender training (arranged through provisionary centers)
• Grower education
• Physician-only events (in partnership with the American Journal for Endocannabinoid Medicine)
• Public education on how to buy safe products
• Social equity programs (led by a licensed social worker on staff)

The Michigan Cannabis Nurses will be teaching classes, and the team is developing “cheat sheets” for budtenders, growers, and physicians through their AJEM partnership.

The Budtender Problem

When asked about the state of industry education, Mora didn’t mince words:

“The industry as a whole has a few bumps in the road that we need to flatten out. One of them is the budtenders and the growers.”

She points to serious issues many consumers don’t consider—like how lead contamination (think: Flint) can enter plant tissue and convert to chlorophyll when heated, or how white mold and mildew can get trapped in lungs.

“I know a few people that have ended up in the hospital over it.”

Celebrity Endorsements and Unexpected Connections

Mora’s quality products have attracted attention from unexpected places:

• 🎤 Snoop Dogg invited her to an event where they “smoked some stuff” together
• 🎬 Tommy Chong selected Sweed Dreams as a “Chong’s Choice” product
• 🏒 Darren McCarty (Detroit Red Wings)
• 🏈 Herman Moore (Detroit Lions)

“I feel really special that they noticed us.”

Crafting at Home: Tanya’s Expert Tips

For those looking to make their own CBD-infused products at home, Mora offered practical guidance:

For Topicals:

• Use avocado oil or hemp seed oil (rich in omegas)
• These oils absorb well without leaving a greasy feeling

For Ingestibles:

• Coconut oil works best for oral consumption
• Choose the 91-degree coconut oil over the 76-degree version
• “The higher the degree, the more pure the oil is”

Critical Warning on Essential Oils:

Not all essential oils are created equal. There are two types:

1. Diffuser-grade oils (contain other chemicals—for aromatherapy only)
2. 100% pure therapeutic-grade oils (safe for topical and oral use)

“I have seen companies where they’re using the diffusing oil as a topical or an ingestible, which is a no-no.”

Sweed Dreams Product Line Beyond Lotions

The company has expanded beyond cannabis-infused products:

• 🛏️ Pure Prana Bamboo Bedding — Currently on special at $99 for any size (queen, king, full)
• Helps regulate body temperature during sleep
• Helps prevent wrinkles
• “Like silk but not slippery,” according to Blaine Bechtold
• 🧼 Cacao Soap — Caffeine is actually beneficial for skin health
• 🌿 Hemp Seed Oil
• 🌾 Diatoms

Michigan Hemp & Cannabis News Update

Mike Brennan delivered important regulatory news during the episode:

Delta-8/Delta-9 Proposal Withdrawn

Michigan regulators have withdrawn their proposal to allow hemp-derived THC products to be sold in licensed adult-use stores. The decision came after protests, partly due to concerns about out-of-state companies undercutting Michigan businesses with lower prices.

House Bill 5512 Update

The bill regarding cannabis use for those on parole/probation passed the House and heads to the Republican-controlled Senate. Its fate remains uncertain, though Governor Whitmer is known to be pro-cannabis.

$200,000 Fine Warning

A company on the East Coast was hit with a $200,000 fine for mixing up CBD and THC products—underscoring the critical importance of proper certification and quality control.

📅 Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Hands-On Hempcrete Workshop

• Date: Saturday, April 30th
• Time: 11 AM – 4 PM
• Location: Grow Green MI, Whitmore Lake, MI
• Activity: Building a dog house with hemp hurd!

2022 Midwest iHemp Expo

• Dates: May 20-21, 2022
• Location: Lansing Center
• Thursday, May 19th: US Hemp Authority certification training ($300, or $200 for members—normally costs thousands!)
• Thursday Evening: Networking event at Radisson Hotel (FREE)
• Friday Night: Hempies Awards ceremony (entries: $50)
• Saturday: FREE expo hall access + training sessions
• 70+ speakers scheduled
• Discount Code: Use MMR to save $151 on exhibitor booths

Expungement Fair

• Date: Sunday, May 1st
• Time: Noon – 4 PM
• Location: Well Flower Ypsilanti, Washington Avenue
• Details: Free help getting marijuana convictions off your record

Hemp Open Spaces

• Date: May 4th
• Registration Deadline: April 28th (save 20% with code HEMPTODAY54)
• Cost: $50 registration fee

🛒 How to Find Sweed Dreams & Salute Synergy

Website: sweetdreams.com (note: spelled d-s-w-e-e-d)

Storefront: 📍 Salute Synergy 27552 Schoolcraft Road Livonia, MI (Corner of Inkster Road & I-96)

Products available at: Select chiropractic offices, massage therapy studios, and yoga studios. Note: Sweet Dreams pulled products from dispensaries that weren’t medically focused.

The Bigger Picture

Tanya Mora’s journey from corrections officer to cannabis entrepreneur illustrates the transformative power of the hemp and cannabis industry when guided by compassion and science. Her emphasis on education, veteran support, and cellular-level healing represents the best of what this industry can offer.

As she noted, her approach is grounded in research—much of it from Israeli universities that have studied cannabis for decades while American researchers struggled to even obtain samples.

“I would rather see someone use a plant-based product than some of the heavy opioids that are out there on the market with the pharmaceutical industries.”

With celebrity endorsements, a growing educational platform, and products designed for healing rather than recreation, Sweet Dreams exemplifies the professionalism and purpose the hemp industry needs as it matures.

Growing the future from seeds of the past.