We sat down with our CEO and Founder, Joel Stanley, to get his perspective on some questions we received from our community.
1. You were the founding CEO of Charlotte’s Web, a company that changed the face of CBD. What inspired you to start AJNA BioSciences?
Charlotte’s Web showed me what’s possible when natural medicine meets human need. But it also revealed the limitations—without FDA approval, access is limited, and insurance won’t cover it. AJNA was born from the desire to take the next step: to bring full-spectrum botanical drugs through the FDA process so they can reach more people, more equitably.
2. Why go the FDA route? Isn’t that a long and expensive path?
It is. But it’s the only path that leads to real, lasting legitimacy in modern medicine. If we want physicians to prescribe it and insurance to cover it, we have to meet the gold standard. Otherwise, these therapies stay on the fringes—and patients lose. And, the clinical data we get for an FDA approved botanical will open far more doors for physician advocacy and safe, targeted usage for the patient.
3. What makes AJNA different from other psychedelic or cannabinoid companies?
Three things: our track record, our scientific rigor, and our mission. We’ve built markets before. We’re not just dabbling in research—we’ve brought together top-tier scientists from Harvard, NYU, Johns Hopkins, and more. And we’re not interested in hype. We’re here to prove what works and make it accessible.
4. What’s the lead drug candidate, and who is it for?
AJA001 is our flagship botanical drug. It’s a cannabinoid-based therapy that has received FDA clearance to begin Phase 2 trials for Autism Spectrum Disorder in both children and adults. This could be a game-changer for families who’ve had few real options.
5. You talk a lot about “meeting unmet needs.” What does that mean to you?
It means looking at conditions where conventional pharma has fallen short—like Autism, PTSD, and anxiety—and bringing fresh, nature-based solutions to the table. We’re not trying to replace synthetics, because they have their place. We’re adding a missing piece to the puzzle and, soon, we will have natural pharmaceuticals, something we haven’t had in about a century.
6. Why open this round of funding to the public through StartEngine?
Because I believe people should have a stake in the future of medicine—not just hedge funds and institutions. Everyday people helped us build Charlotte’s Web, and we wanted to offer that same opportunity here. Community Fundraising isn’t necessary for companies and many won’t use it, but for those of us that believe in democratized early-stage opportunities, it represents a way to spread ownership with individuals who align with our mission.
7. How do you respond to skeptics who question the legitimacy of botanical drugs?
I understand the skepticism. Many people actually believe that if we synthesize a molecule in a lab that it must be better. The truth is that synthesis was largely driven by patentability and producing at scale. Nature is the master of molecules and the combinations of molecules prepared by nature have been efficacious medicine far longer than modern pharma has. The science is catching up to what many indigenous and holistic systems have known for centuries. And now we have the tools to validate and standardize it.
8. What excites you most about AJNA’s long-term vision?
The idea that one day, a child with Autism might get a prescription covered by insurance—for a natural, effective medicine that came from a plant and doesn’t have a scary list of side effects. That’s what keeps me going. We’re not just making drugs, we’re changing what’s possible by making something new out of something ancient.
9. AJNA is working with compounds like psilocybin. What’s the role of psychedelics in your vision?
Psychedelics represent a new frontier in mental health. They are so important to develop because humanity doesn’t have a more effective “reset button” for a stuck or troubled mind. But, these are tools not toys– they need structure, safety, and evidence. Our approach is to combine the intelligence of nature’s psychedelics with the rigor of science—and to create botanical drugs that respect both.
10. If someone is on the fence about investing, what would you want them to know?
This isn’t just an investment in a company. It’s an investment in a new paradigm of healing. We’re early—but we’re serious. And if you believe, like we do, that nature deserves a seat at the table of modern medicine, we’d love to have you with us.
Joel Stanley
CEO, AJNA BioSciences