Matt Nichols | Medical Freedom Matters

Wesley Donehue Podcast

🎧🍃Tune in to today's episode to hear about Matt Nichol's career path, from serving his country to campaigns to medical cannabis!
⭐️Matt’s Northern Star: Matt shares how politics captivated his attention in a middle school history class, and took him all the way to Capitol Hill.

🪖The Mud Run and Beyond: Matt elaborates on how he managed to serve his country, earn a college degree, and stay actively involved in politics simultaneously.

🫡The Last One: Matt reminisces about his tenure serving in the office of the Adjutant General in South Carolina and his six years of service in that role under General Bob Livingston.

🎖️Veterans Voices: Matt reflects on the intersection of his political and military backgrounds and how he leverages his experience to advocate for meaningful veteran policies.

🛣️On the Road to Recovery: Matt and Wesley discuss the importance of integrating Cannabis in treating medical issues ranging from Veterans mental health to chronic pain conditions, and how sentiments in South Carolina continue to change regarding the policy initiative.

📲The Blackberry Bust: Matt shares his favorite campaign story, involving illicit substances and an energized local politician.

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Matt Nichols, a Marine Corps veteran, has built a reputation in Republican circles as a tenacious political operative. Matt currently serves as a lobbyist with The Southern Group where he represents a variety of interest ranging from cannabis to disaster recovery.

Matt also served as Senior Advisor to Congresswoman Nancy Mace, the Representative for South Carolina’s First District. In this role, he served as a crucial policy advisor on issues surrounding veterans, conservation, and cannabis. Most notably, he led the drafting of the States Reform Act.

In 2019, Matt served as COO of the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF) where he led their mission to remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act. He played a major role in developing the SAFE ACT, which allows federal banking regulators to provide banking services to legitimate marijuana or hemp-related businesses without fear of penalty.

Prior to joining CTF, Matt served as Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Push Digital, acreative, crisis communications, issue advocacy and political campaign agency. Founded as a political digital agency, Push Digital grew quickly and spun off a digital Advocacy Division in 2013, and in 2016 added a Creative Division with the acquisition of On Point Digital. Brands responded positively to the offering, and the agency has since developed work for name brands such as SeaWorld, HSN, Sears and Kmart. As COO, Matt established and implemented a business development program, oversaw the day-to-day operations of the agency as well as its long-term strategic growth.

Prior to joining Push Digital, Matt served as Director of Government Relations for the South Carolina Military Department. In this capacity, he oversaw the agency’s state and federal legislative agenda.

Matt has personally worked on campaigns in 19 states. He has specialized in nationally targeted congressional races but his experience also includes gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Matt is a graduate of the Republican National Committee’s nationally competitive Campaign Management College. He is also the former Political Director of the South Carolina Republican Party.

Matt was born and raised in Bossier City, LA and is an alumni of Louisiana State University.