Latinas in Cannabis Chicago: Welcoming TreeXLines and CannaJefa Danay Chapel
We’re thrilled to announce that our next Latinas in Cannabis Chicago gathering will be co-presented by TreeXLines, a Latina-owned consulting company deeply rooted in plant medicine, mental health, and community healing. This partnership represents exactly what our movement is about — connection, empowerment, and lifting each other up through the love of cannabis and culture.
We are beyond proud to welcome CannaJefa Danay Chapel, a Cuban-American Chicago-based Latina in Cannabis, whose resilience and radiant energy are lighting the way for so many in our community. With over 30 years of experience in leadership across healthcare, retail, and education, Danay brings a deeply human, spiritual, and transformative approach to the cannabis space. Diagnosed with multiple conditions and given six months to live in 2023, she turned to plant medicine as a lifeline — and created TreeXLines as a love letter to healing, self-care, and community. You’ll have the opportunity to meet her in person on June 10, learn more about her powerful journey, and book a consult to start your own transformation through plant medicine.
Q&A with CannaJefa Danay Chapel
Can you please share a little bit about yourself?
My background comes from many years working in leadership sales roles like Spencer Gifts, as a medical assistant in various specialties across healthcare including NorthShore University Healthcare Systems, then moving on to the higher education realm as Sales Director with Pearson. About 30 years of experience under my belt and I never felt whole — I always fought for the little guy.
I came to the US when I was 3 from Madrid and never assimilated to the culture. I walked the talk but was always the black sheep out. My father is Cuban and my mother is also Spaniard and Cuban — stuck in their ways as if they still lived in Cuba.
My tendency to see spirit everywhere I go has always guided me to heal the world. I started this for my daughter. This page started as a medical diary to the healthcare community and a diary to my daughter Ava. I was given 6 months to live in March 2023. Diagnosed with multiple diseases and living on 37 pills to get by. I started to detox myself and ventured out into all things plant medicine and the world of service work — looking for a cure to a functional neurological disorder.
I wanted to leave a legacy, not of capital or financial wealth, but an empire of love and humanity. A community network of light healers sharing their skills, knowledge, and stories transcending the human experience. I wanted to show my daughter that she can do anything she sets her mind to — that there’s nothing that can stop her and that she has the power to protect her peace.
I made an AI model in her vision as our face to spearhead all of our work.
Can you please share about what TreeXLines is, its mission and why you created it?
TreeXLines is my consulting business. I help guide others navigate their plant medicine journeys by leveraging my years of experience. But, it actually began as a diary to myself and my daughter. In March 2023, I was told I had 6 months to live. March 2024, I started TreeXLines determined to connect the communities that didn’t know they needed each other.
In modern times, human connection is more important than ever. Companies, industries, subcultures — whether you're in cannabis, the service industry, an office job or construction — we all live in the same society and have the same basic needs. TreeXLines is my love letter to the world to show them we need each other.
Why is mental health awareness important to you?
Mental health is the foundation of everything that I do now. I’m loud and proud of the fact that I know how impactful self-awareness on your own mental health journey can change your life. I’ve met some incredible people along the way.
Some of the projects that I'm supporting currently are:
NAMI Chicago, a smaller chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
USUNITED.org, which is currently on a mission to unite America with “Unity in Action Roadtrip,” bringing important conversations to people in all walks of life via a network of sheriffs.
SEMBRA, here in Chicago, impacting and fostering positive change in the Latino community.
The last few years of my life have been a hectic search of bridging the suburbs to inner cities and vice versa across the US. And I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. The goal is to bring a subsidized mental health box to every person’s door.
What does the intersection between cannabis and mental health mean to you?
It’s a portal, to me at least. It’s an infinite connection to the human experience.
Cannabis is used in so many things — medicine, research, cooking, weddings, social gatherings. The list could go on and on. It’s a gift from Mother Earth and it’s stigmatized much like mental health — punishing those looking to heal.
In my own journey I realized that I needed to not only figure out what self-care was, but how I would continually have to redefine this concept. Day in and day out, self-care was the goal. It saved my life and helped me create unity where there was absence of Light.
Now it’s my goal to make self-care cool AF again.
Tell us about your Cuban background. How has the connection to your culture shaped the work you do?
I was brought up extremely spiritual, and from an early age understood that there were light beings looking out for me. I’ve held onto that wisdom, and continue to break generational traumas through shadow work.
My work isn’t the prettiest. It is NOT the typical “Namaste girl” channeling peace. It’s ugly — real ugly — full of passion, pain, death, rebirth. But also living life as a rising phoenix. It’s for those that know they have to face the darkness to find their own light. Those that have been to hell and back and are now here with a story of hope and love.
I’m a social justice advocate and it shows in all my work. It shows that I want to leave this place a little kinder for my daughter. I’ve seen what colonialism has done to the plant, to my parents, and how it slowly but surely crept itself into my daily habits.
Santería has also always been a huge part of my upbringing. The teachings, love, the unity to a higher power, and the earth have never led me astray. We would have spiritual misas, limpias. I have a padrino. I follow the teachings, and it always brings me back to my core values.
What does being a Latina in Cannabis mean to you? Can you tell us a little bit about your cannabis journey?
Decolonizing myself is what brought me to the plant. I saw how much my own hatred of myself was deeply rooted in assimilation. This is the work that I do now and has brought me to beautiful topics of the heart — like the mother wound.
Transmuting and alchemizing this wound is what made me an advocate for plant medicine, feminism, and the ability to live authentically.
Why did you want to join us for this event, is there a message you'd like to share with our Latinas in Cannabis community?
I’m here to connect and support all in hopes that we can build further community and roadmaps towards mental health initiatives.
As an Afro-Latina, I’ve never had a place to fit in. I’m not Latina enough but also not African American enough — but was not white. Life has been a series of trying to fit in.
Aquí estoy para decirle a todas mis hermanas. ¿Cómo puedo ayudar?
Let’s make self-care cool AF again — together.
At Latinas in Cannabis, our mission is to represent, empower, and connect Latinas who work in the cannabis industry — or who simply feel a deep connection to the plant. We strive to create safe, stigma-free spaces for Latinas to gather, consume, and celebrate cannabis culture authentically. Whether you're a grower, a consumer, a healer, or a visionary — you belong here. Come vibe with us, meet Danay, and be part of something powerful.
See you on June 10! Grab tickets here.