What’s the biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now, and how are you and/or your company addressing it?
The biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now is the unregulated proliferation of intoxicating hemp-derived products, which are bypassing the rigorous safety, testing, and licensing frameworks that state-regulated cannabis operators must follow.
While originally intended to support farmers through non-intoxicating CBD crops, the 2018 Farm Bill inadvertently opened the door to synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids like Delta-8, Delta-10, and THC-O. These compounds are now being mass-produced, often with unknown contaminants and no age restrictions, and are sold online, in gas stations, and even in states that have explicitly banned adult-use cannabis. This undermines public health, confuses consumers, and erodes trust in the legal cannabis industry.
At Medicinal Genomics, we’re actively addressing this issue through science and transparency. We’re conducting large-scale studies comparing heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial contaminants in hemp-derived products versus regulated cannabis. The preliminary results reveal stark safety disparities, which we’re sharing directly with state and federal regulators to inform evidence-based policy updates.
Additionally, we host CannMed, the leading global summit on cannabis science and medicine, where these issues are brought to the forefront with researchers, clinicians, regulators, and industry leaders. By uniting data-driven advocacy with scientific community engagement, we’re pushing for reforms that ensure all cannabinoid products—regardless of origin—meet consistent standards for safety and accountability.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis?
One of the most exciting opportunities for growth and innovation in cannabis lies in the application of genomics to accelerate biotech-enabled breeding.
Cannabis remains one of the last major crops to undergo full genomic domestication. Now, with advanced sequencing tools and trait mapping, we’re unlocking the plant’s vast potential—not only for novel cannabinoids and terpene expression, but also for breeding disease-resistant, climate-adapted, and yield-optimized cultivars. This is especially critical as the industry shifts from artisanal production to large-scale, standardized cultivation for both medical and consumer markets.
At Medicinal Genomics, we’re at the forefront of this revolution. Through Kannapedia.net, we maintain the world’s largest open-access database of cannabis genetic information and plant-associated microbiomes. This platform empowers breeders, researchers, and regulators with detailed genomic insights on thousands of cultivars, allowing for marker-assisted selection, IP protection, and better understanding of plant health.
We’re also expanding this resource by sequencing and characterizing the cannabis microbiome—identifying the beneficial and pathogenic microbes that influence plant health, cannabinoid expression, and postharvest contamination. These insights are fueling the next generation of bio-informed cultivation strategies and living soil amendments.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to break into the cannabis industry?
Treat cannabis like the serious, multidisciplinary industry it is—not a shortcut to a lifestyle brand.
The people and companies thriving in cannabis today are the ones who approach it with scientific rigor, regulatory understanding, and respect for its complex history. Whether you’re entering from biotech, agriculture, policy, or consumer goods, bring your expertise—but be ready to learn fast, because cannabis sits at the intersection of medicine, agriculture, law, and culture.
My advice: find a niche where your skills create immediate value, but stay adaptable. The regulatory landscape shifts constantly, and success often depends on your ability to pivot while remaining grounded in data and compliance. Also, invest in understanding the plant itself—from its genetics to its pharmacology. This industry rewards those who know how to separate myth from mechanism.
Finally, surround yourself with credible, mission-driven people. Cannabis is still building its foundation, and your collaborators will either accelerate or derail your trajectory. Choose wisely.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your experiences in the cannabis industry?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that scientific truth alone isn’t enough—you have to pair it with persistence, education, and coalition-building to drive real change.
In cannabis, we’ve seen groundbreaking science ignored or delayed by outdated regulations, political stigma, or market forces chasing short-term trends. Whether it’s microbial safety standards, accurate genetic testing, or the dangers of unregulated hemp intoxicants, evidence doesn’t always win on its own.
What moves the needle is persistence—paired with clear communication, credible data, and a coalition of advocates willing to engage regulators, educate the public, and support one another. That’s why we invest not only in genomics and testing platforms, but also in convening the scientific and medical community through events like CannMed, and publishing open-access data on platforms like Kannapedia.net.
Cannabis is a complex space—but if you stay anchored in truth, collaborate with integrity, and play the long game, the impact can be profound.
What do you want your legacy to be as it relates to the cannabis industry?
I want my legacy in the cannabis industry to be one of empowering better patient outcomes through science, access, and integrity.
This mission became personal when we used cannabis to help manage my father’s cancer. That experience opened our eyes—not just to the plant’s therapeutic potential, but to the gaps in quality, safety, and medical understanding that patients face every day. It’s unacceptable that families navigating some of the hardest moments of their lives have to do so in an environment filled with misinformation, inconsistent products, and regulatory gray zones.
That’s why we built Medicinal Genomics—to bring genomic precision, pathogen safety, and scientific transparency to cannabis. We’re not just developing tools for labs and growers—we’re building a foundation of trust that ultimately impacts patients. We want doctors to feel confident recommending cannabis, patients to feel safe using it, and regulators to have the data they need to support responsible access.
If our work helps one more family find relief, one more child avoid harmful contaminants, or one more physician see cannabis as a legitimate tool, then that’s the legacy I’m proud to leave.