Today’s Medical Cannabis Track Keynote Speaker: Tracy Ryan
Tracy Ryan, CEO & Founder, CannaKids and Saving Sophie, will give a keynote talk today in Meeting Rooms B113–B116 starting at 9:50 a.m. The talk is titled “Medical Miracles or Simply Science-One Cancer Mom’s Road to a Cure.” Ryan recently spoke to us about her talk and plans to address the research challenges facing the cannabis industry.
Tracy Ryan, CEO & Founder, CannaKids and Saving Sophie, will give a keynote talk today, Wednesday, August 29, in Meeting Rooms B113–B116 starting at 9:50 a.m. The talk is titled “Medical Miracles or Simply Science-One Cancer Mom’s Road to a Cure.” Ryan recently spoke to us about her talk and plans to address the research challenges facing the cannabis industry.
What will your talk at the 2018 Cannabis Science Conference teach attendees?
This year I’ll be focusing on the research we’re doing, and some of the groundbreaking science that has evolved over the last year. With our new research collaboration we have underway with Dr. Anahid Jewett at the UCLA School of Dentistry and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, we are looking at some of our CannaKids patients that have been medical miracles using cannabis oil for their pediatric cancer, including my own daughter Sophie.
After Sophie had brain surgery earlier this year, we couriered her cells immediately to Dr. Jewett where she began studying Sophie‘s tumor, and growing more of her cells for further research. She also studied Sophie‘s immune functions in her blood and what she found was amazing!
We have since enrolled several more of our patients into the program with a plan to scale it into a much larger study. We are currently raising funds through my nonprofit, www.savingsophie.org, to further this research more quickly. I’m excited to share more details on this, and where we see the future of research going!
From your perspective, what is the most challenging aspect in the cannabis industry? (Or what problem needs to be addressed?)
The problem for me as someone who’s doing research is the DEA, and the difficulty in which they’ve made it to become licensed to do federally legal clinical trials. Take what Dr. Jewett and I are doing for example. If we were able to get cannabis oil into animal models in her laboratory today, we could have answers in as short as three months that could help patients who are suffering today!
With all of the evidence that we have on how nontoxic and medically beneficial this plant is, it’s absolutely maddening that we are still in this position. I hope through some of the studies that we’ll publish to the medical journals, and through using my voice as an advocate, we can help drive the conversation even faster so cannabis is dropped down on the schedule and made easier to study.
What kind of work are you doing to solve that challenge?
Research, research, and more research! The more medical evidence that we have that is scientifically proven, the more our government is going to have to start paying attention. We’ve been very lucky in all of the publicity CannaKids has gotten, and we hope to get much more so we can continue to advance the conversation.
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.
Inside the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Graduate Program in Medical Cannabis
September 16th 2024Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, the co-program director for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Graduate Studies in Medical Cannabis program sat down with Cannabis Science and Technology to discuss higher education in medical cannabis.
