By Alexia Grillos
Tetragram CEO, Otha Smith, III, was featured on PeakeReLeaf’s YouTube podcast series, PeakeCast.
Smith spoke with Peake ReLeaf Patient Advisor & Marketing Coordinator, Raj Chander, about his life, the start of Tetragram, where it is now, and where it is going to go in the future.
“I grew up on about 3.5 acres of land with my neighbors to the left and the right having horses and cows so you know I’m a farm boy by heart,” Smith said.
The Maryland native studied computer science for three years, but decided to graduate with a degree in Marketing from Bowie State University. After college, Smith went on to own a detailing company and work for Constellation, an energy supply company.
What really changed his life was a near deadly car accident years ago.
“[The accident] left me with a nice 6-inch, 34-plus staple scar on the top of my head … to remind me just how precious life is,” Smith said.
After Smith began his medical cannabis journey in order to get off opioids and manage his pain, he got the idea to start a journaling app for documenting usage.
Prioritizing privacy, Smith made Tetragram HIPAA compliant and anonymous for users. The app allows users to track, rate, and take customized notes on their cannabis use.
“Building a community where everyone can learn from each other,” Smith said.