Cannabis Perspectives

September 13th 2024

A leader in cannabis education in New Jersey, Stockton University offers a wide variety of courses to prepare its students to not only succeed in an ever-growing industry, but to also understand its complex history and shape its evolving future. Started six years ago, its Cannabis Studies Program continues its commitment to providing innovative and practical instruction to its students. Two influential figures in this space are Robert Mejia, Teaching Specialist in the Cannabis Studies Program, and Angela Speakman, Instructor in the Cannabis Studies Program. Here, they highlight the program’s practical approach to cannabis education, celebrate the success stories of graduates, discuss the National Cannabis Curriculum Convening, and address challenges in cannabis education and its role in the future.

September 4th 2024

As discussions about the federal scheduling of cannabis continue, efforts by medical cannabis advocates are intensifying. One such advocate is Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nonprofit organization founded by patients for patients. Since 2002, ASA has been championing the rights of medical cannabis patients and has recently launched new campaigns and strategies to refocus attention on patient needs. In this interview, Steph Sherer, founder and president of ASA, reflects on past successes in medical cannabis advocacy, shares her perspective on recent cannabis and hemp policymaking, and outlines the next steps for advancing a unified medical cannabis message on Capitol Hill—a message that could bring about the changes patients have long awaited.

August 9th 2024

In light of recent headlines concerning cannabis laboratories throughout the country, Cannabis Science and Technology reached out to Douglas Duncan, Laboratory Director of Kairos Labs in Detroit, MI and member of our Editorial Advisory Board for more information. In this interview, Duncan shares his perspectives on lab shopping, major challenges in the industry today, and innovations in cannabis testing laboratories for the future. He also shares insights into consumer practices and the potential effects of a federal rescheduling of cannabis.

June 25th 2024

In the ongoing dialogue surrounding cannabis, the testimonials of medical cannabis patients stand as crucial reminders of its impacts and benefits in the industry. For a deep dive into this topic, Cannabis Science and Technology sat down with Nikki Lawley, founder of Nikki and the Plant, LLC, for her take on the challenges patients face today in the midst of discussions of industry developments such as the rescheduling of cannabis. A traumatic brain injury survivor, Lawley now actively supports medical cannabis access and engages diverse audiences through her journey as a pediatric nurse-turned-patient-and-advocate. Here, she explains the importance of educating people about cannabis, the need for patient perspective in cannabis policy decisions, and the benefits of empathetic approaches to medical cannabis use.