ABOUT SMOKE & MIRRORS

A youth-centered public health campaign, based in Chicago.

Smoke & Mirrors is a youth-centered public health campaign committed to protecting the potential, promise, and developing brains of young people.

OUR MISSION

Smoke & Mirrors exists to protect possibility.

Our mission is to reduce cannabis and other harmful substance use during the critical brain-development years of ages 12 through 30. Through credible science, honest conversations, compelling stories, and community engagement, we equip young people and the adults who care about them with the knowledge to make informed choices. We challenge misinformation without judgment or shame, because every young person deserves the opportunity to discover their talents, pursue their dreams, and reach their full potential.

OUR VISION

We envision a generation of young people who are informed, curious, and critical thinkers, equipped to question the myriad substances and products marketed for consumption and understand addiction, recognize its warning signs, and can critically examine industries that profit from the sale and repeated consumption of potentially addictive products.

Ultimately, we envision young people empowered to see beyond the smoke and mirrors: to ask better questions, seek credible information, make informed choices, protect their minds, discover their potential, and pursue their dreams.

GUIDANCE

RESILIENCE

PERSONAL GROWTH

NAVIGATION

OUR STORY

"In 2019, as Illinois moved toward legalizing cannabis, I believed what so many people still believe today: It's just weed. Then one phone call changed everything."

Dr. Patricia Jones Blessman, PhD

Read the full story

THE TEAM

The people behind the campaign

Dr. Patricia Jones Blessman, PhD

Founder of Smoke & Mirrors. Clinical psychologist. Philanthropist. Investor. Art collector. Chicago South Sider. Mom. I move between philanthropy, culture & community. I read the research, follow the money & ask the question everyone else was hoping I wouldn’t. Sometimes Dr. Pat enters the chat.

Adam "Bruza" Wright

Adam “Bruza” Wright | Chicago entrepreneur, Grammy winner, cultural influencer & community advocate. Connecting culture, community and opportunity while using his platform to empower the next generation.

Jacob Willis

HS Senior out of Roseland, Chicago.

Politics | Photo | Video | Social Media

I’m not just talking about America’s future—I plan to help shape it.

Dometi Pongo

Journalist and executive producer advancing culturally fluent, impact-driven storytelling across news, entertainment, popular culture, and true crime. A Chicago native and first-generation Ghanaian-American.

Ebony Lucas, JD

Real estate lawyer, wealth builder, and legacy lover. Helping people close deals, protect what they’ve built, and own their next chapter. Addiction can destroy generational wealth.

Michele D. Miller, MSHLP

Michele D. Miller, MSHLP | Social justice advocate. Equity strategist. Truth teller. Champion for healthier communities, human dignity & dismantling systemic barriers.

Vee Harrison

Vee L. Harrison is a journalist, author, and publicist shaped by Chicago’s West Side. She has traveled and worked internationally, connecting people, uncovering the stories others miss, and turning overlooked voices into impossible-to-ignore narratives.