Check Out Neil McAlister’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neil McAlister.

Hi Neil, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
My name is Chef Turtle and in the cannabis/health industry, I do many different things. First and foremost, I am an educator for basic cannabis infusions, teaching patients how to make edibles. I have a published infusion guidebook, “Chef Turtle’s Infusion Guide/Cookbook with Savory & Baked Recipes,” & a cannabis culinary show on YouTube, “Chef Turtle’s Infusion Kitchen”! I also do public speaking for cannabis education & motivation to help educate others.

I started working at the Mint Dispensary back in 2020 and helped put together a brand new menu/recipes for their kitchen hotline that they still use to this day. After that, I stepped away to start educating patients about alternative medicine. I definitely had a lot of bumps in the road trying to build my company, but I always kept moving forward. I even started doing motivational videos that you can find on all my social media and my YouTube that helped me keep pushing.

Over the past four years, I have taken home nine different first-place awards in three different states from the Cannabis Awards Music Festival. I have also been a featured speaker in many other states, including Oklahoma, Las Vegas, and New Mexico. I was also featured in Cannabis Cactus magazine, and I have an upcoming article in Loud Cloud magazine out of New Mexico that will be dropping soon!

By doing what I love to do which is helping others and educating, I have been able to overcome any kind of speed bumps that I have run into creating my brand. It is definitely a lot of work to build it and keep it moving, but because I have the creativity and enjoy what I do, it makes that work a lot easier. Plus, I have some amazing friends who have cheered me on to help keep me smiling!!!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road for me, but I have been able to handle all of the bumps and twists, and turns. For one, it’s very expensive in Arizona to start an edible company, and because of the way the licensing is vertically integrated. It’s almost impossible for a local business to do. So, instead of creating an edible line, I ended up creating my culinary show on YouTube to give away all my infused recipes for free.

After that, I got to work on writing my book to help give patients a budget-friendly option so they can understand how to make their own edibles at home and a very simplified manner. To help me make a little extra income, a good friend of mine and business owner of NugJewelz reached out to do a collaboration for turtle keychains, and pendants. With the help of another friend, I was able to create my website, ChefTurtle420.com, to spread the word about my educational workshops along with my merchandise line.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My specialty is cannabis infusion for base ingredients like butter, oils, heavy cream, honey, sugars, alternative sugars, seasonings, & flour. My infused sugar is what really boosted my name at the beginning of my career.

And roughly about a month ago, I released the most potent edible video, pound for pound, on my YouTube channel! It was testing over 50,000 mg for a 3.6lb edible. I think one of the things I’m most proud of is that I have followed my dreams and become a public speaker and educator to help others.

What were you like growing up?
I was raised by my mother and grandmother. My childhood was good, and I was a very active kid outdoors. I enjoyed all kinds of sports activities and extreme sports. I was also the class speaker for my graduation.

Contact Info:

• Website: ChefTurtle420.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefturtle420
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefTurtle42O
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-mcalister-557881161
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMd96E3V7Gu0CNF-GpgPioA?sub_confirmation=1
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefturtle420?_t=8lgneNqT5LC&_r=1