Today’s Cultivation Track Keynote Speaker: Jacklyn Green,

Dr. Jacklyn Green, “Dr. Jackie,” CEO of Agate Biosciences, will give a keynote talk today, Tuesday, August 28, in Rooms A105–A106 starting at 9:50 a.m. The talk is titled “From Feeding Your Head to Feeding the World and Beyond.” Green recently spoke to us about her talk and plans to address the education challenges facing the cannabis industry.

What will your talk at the 2018 Cannabis Science Conference teach attendees?
I want to inspire the people at the Cannabis Science Conference that we are an important and integral part of solving some of the world’s most challenging problems. In particular, the knowledge and technologies used in cannabis cultivation are directly related to growing food through controlled environment agriculture. This approach to agriculture can help to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in a world where more than 1 billion people are starving and that many or more are malnourished. With increasing loss of arable land, controlled environment agriculture and the advanced technologies tested out in cannabis cultivations will be at the forefront of solving agricultural problems to help feed a hungry world. In addition, with global climate change and the inevitable-though long-term threat-of a major global catastrophe of an asteroid impact, we need to work now to establish space agriculture to advance our abilities to grow food in space and in a future colony on Mars. Cannabis cultivators are at the cutting edge of efficient and productive cultivation in a controlled environment. They can be a significant influencer on how we grow food for the people of Earth and for the future environments beyond Earth. If I can inspire our cannabis community to see themselves as part of this change in viewpoint and see themselves as lighting the way, as torch bearers for the survival of humanity, I will have completed my mission for my keynote address.

From your perspective, what is the most challenging aspect in the cannabis industry? (Or what problem needs to be addressed?)
In my view, the most challenging aspect of the cannabis industry is the cannabis culture itself. After cannabis became demonized early in the 20th century, the cannabis culture changed from one of promoting a plant that could treat many of the ills that people suffer to one in which advocates, growers, and providers had to hide in the shadows, go against the law, and inadvertently support negative stereotypes just to allow this valuable plant to survive. The cannabis culture that came into being in the 20th century was one that scared, and still scares, a lot of people. These folks are concerned about safety and purity, crime, and bad influences on young people. I want to foster a new cannabis culture for the 21st century. The new cannabis culture is out in the open and supports people of all types through an active and positive education program. We will remove the negative stereotypes and the stigma surrounding cannabis culture by being our authentic selves and showing those that are fearful that cannabis people are modern day farmers and agriculturalists who play a crucial role in providing a very important and valuable plant and its products to help people have better lives.

What kind of work are you doing to solve that challenge?
As the CEO of Agate Biosciences, I work every day to educate people by helping them achieve success in their legal cannabis businesses. We show people how to have a stigma-free business that is wildly successful by playing by the rules of the regulated environment. Whether it is through developing business plans, applications, standard operating procedures (SOPs), or coaching on pesticide-free grows, we are there to ensure that our clients remain true to the regulations, present a positive forward-looking community posture, and serve as a resource for their communities to help citizens see the positive changes that can be achieved through successful cannabis business. We foster strong community benefits plans, support the living wage movement, and show active ways in which the businesses can support diversity in their workforce and help people in disadvantaged communities. We encourage each of our clients to be agents of change and show the way for others, as they exemplify the best of the cannabis culture.