MM411's Journey: From Grassroots Beginnings to Global Cannabis Education Leader
MM411’s president and co-founder, Chris DeVol, discusses the evolution of the company, their most popular cannabis education courses, and their partnership with Cannabis Science and Technology.
Founded in 2009, MM411 is a cannabis education platform offering a variety science-based courses online. As the company continues to grow, plans for the future involve exploring new areas such as animal health, culinary, and psychedelics. In the first part of this two-part interview, Cannabis Science and Technology Editor, Madeline Colli, sits down with DeVol for more insights.
Be sure to check out the second part of this interview in The Future of Cannabis Education with MM411: Trends, Innovations, and the Passion Fueling It!
Watch the video clip and read a partial transcription below!
Madeline Colli: What are the most popular courses offered by MM411?
Chris DeVol: Certainly the courses that are required, it's our bread and butter. It's the one that they have to take. We’re also approved by the American Medical Association for Category 1 physician training, for doctors, nurses, psychologists, dentists, social workers, and pharmacists. So we've got the majority of the categories. Those for sure are very popular courses. The flaws with the Category 1 CEs is that because of the Schedule I – which, by definition, with cannabis, says that there's no medicinal value and it's highly addictive – we can't talk about dosing and how to medicate in those courses. So it by definition, they're kind of flawed, but certainly they are popular and they're well received with the research that's in them.
I would also put our Mastery of Medical Cannabis at the top of the list. It's probably one of the most robust courses that's available anywhere in the world, even the more than expensive university programs. It's one of the things that we're using as the core course with our partnership with Cannabis Science and Technology. And the reviews on that course are just incredible.
We also just formed a partnership with CReDO Science, with Dr. Ethan Russo, he's legendary, and now we’re helping to make sure his legacy is heard. It’s through video and then we take the research and make sure there's what we call a SCORM file of the exact presentation that allows you to just click on an end note and open up all the cited research. The Foundations of Cannabis Therapeutics by Dr. Ethan Russo has also proven to be very, very popular, and we've got now some smaller courses that are coming online. The webinar we did today was on CBG [cannabigerol] and his study of it reducing anxiety, stress, and improving mood, which I have personally experienced in my own patient journey with cannabinoid medication.
We also are looking, with the Triumph acquisition, what health and wellness courses do we want? We've got a Hemp Seed Nutrition course and Hemp Sustainability Foundational course that I think will be very popular. It's launched in Japan first, and it's been proven to be extremely successful in that market. Other pieces of where I want to go would be the animal health/veterinary side of things. Food, certainly, we've got to look at culinary, being part of a worldwide, established for hundreds of years, culinary brand. We want to bring that aspect in, and obviously psychedelics in some of the new, emerging healthcare opportunities for us within our own framework.
I would say that the Mastery of Medical Cannabis, though, if anyone wants to start, that's the course to start with.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part II
December 17th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election, including state and federal policies and possible paths forward for testing standardization. Join us in the second part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Cannabis, US Presidential Election 2024, and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion, Part I
December 16th 2024With the recent 2024 presidential election behind us, the future of cannabis still has many unknowns moving forward and questions still to be discussed. In this roundtable discussion with four knowledgeable industry leaders, we explore the nuanced political landscape of cannabis legalization and rescheduling in the context of the election. We discuss what drives support or opposition from both sides of the aisle, the complexities of balancing state and federal priorities, and more. Join us in the first part of a compilation of responses from Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO of Allay Consulting; Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC; Zacariah Hildenbrand, PhD, research Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso; and David Vaillencourt, CEO of The GMP Collective.
Empowering Women in Cannabis: Susan Audino, PhD, on Inclusivity, Integrity, and Industry Challenges
December 11th 2024Founder of S. A. Audino & Associates, LLC, Susan Audino, PhD, recently co-founded Saturn Scientific, LLC, a collaboration of five experienced individuals providing unbiased evaluations on the data and science for stakeholders in the cannabis industry. In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Dr. Audino shares her unexpected path into analytical science and the cannabis industry as well as the obstacles she’s faced throughout her career. She highlights the gender bias she’s observed, such as unequal recognition of credentials and workplace challenges, while advocating for inclusivity and mentorship to empower women in science. Additionally, Dr. Audino recounts her experiences of navigating the male-dominated cannabis space, pushing for transparency, collaboration, and integrity in laboratory practices. Ultimately, Audino believes fostering mutual respect and knowledge-sharing is vital for the industry’s growth and resilience.
Collaboration, Gender Diversity, and Progress: Julie Kowalski on Advancing Cannabis Science
December 10th 2024In this interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, Julie Kowalski, an experienced analytical chemist, discusses her path into the cannabis industry, starting with early work in gas chromatography. Kowalski reflects on her perspectives as a female scientist, highlighting biases she’s experienced and the benefits of gender inclusivity in the cannabis space. Greater unity and professionalism could benefit the industry as a whole, she explains. She also encourages collaboration and more women in leadership positions in order to build a stronger scientific community, and also urges women to advocate for themselves, noting that women in cannabis face unique obstacles but often demonstrate consensus-building strategies and solutions.
Gender Diversity and Innovation in the Cannabis Space: Insights from Tess Eidem, PhD
December 9th 2024Cannabis Science and Technology sat down with Tess Eidem, PhD, PCQI, member of Saturn Scientific, LLC, to discuss her journey from antibiotic research to cannabis microbiology and her observations throughout her career. Dr. Eidem highlights challenges women face in this male-dominated industry, including limited representation in leadership roles and frequent experiences of bias and discrimination. She emphasizes the importance of gender diversity in fostering innovation, improving product safety, and addressing women’s health needs in cannabis applications. Her advice to women scientists is to build strong professional relationships and carefully evaluate work environments to advance their careers in this evolving and often challenging space.
