What’s the biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now, and how are you and/or your company addressing it?
From hampering research on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, to denying patients’ rights to safe and equitable access, to the weaponization of anti-cannabis laws against primarily BIPOC and low-income communities, the biggest challenge continues to be cannabis’ Schedule I status. Americans for Safe Access has introduced and is actively lobbying for comprehensive federal legislation that would remove cannabis from the purview of the DEA by creating a new Schedule VI overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Most importantly, there would be no criminal penalties associated with Schedule VI and patients would have all the same protections afforded to other prescription recipients, among other key provisions.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis?
As a harm reductionist, it is exciting to see the growth of products and devices that can promote safer consumption practices, such as cannabis beverages and dry herb vaporizers. Additionally, my hope is that cannabis medicine becomes increasingly personalized with the introduction of products featuring unique terpene profiles and minor cannabinoids.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to break into the cannabis industry?
If you are looking to become more involved in cannabis advocacy and nonprofit activism, I highly recommend attending local chapter meetings and in-person meet-ups. Organizers pay attention to who regularly shows up for the community!
What is the most important thing you have learned from your experiences in the cannabis industry?
Always keep an open mind and reflect regularly on how your ideas/actions mirror your values, ideally drawing upon input from other stakeholders in the community. Decades of cannabis criminalization have led to a reflexive defensiveness that can at times lead to one-sided thinking; however, if we are to succeed as a movement in an era of increasing acceptance of cannabis, it will be necessary to challenge some of our existing views and be open to changing our minds.
What do you want your legacy to be as it relates to the cannabis industry?
Social equity always comes first and foremost for me, given the long track record of racially-targeted policing conducted under the War on Drugs. I hope that my legacy is that I always stood by my values to advocate for justice for people of color, for disabled and chronically ill people, for the poor, and any other group that has been systematically deprived of their rights.