Featured Member

I began studying the pain-relieving and harm reducing effects of cannabis as an undergraduate student, nearly 20 years ago. My work has always focused on using cannabis to reduce opioid use. I was very motivated to continue exploring my hypotheses because of the radical disconnect between what I was seeing in the lab/literature vs. dominant culture (rampant stigma). The evidence was very clear, and I felt morally compelled to contribute to closing the gap between the science and the culture.

My entire career has been focused on the pain-relieving and harm-reducing capacity of cannabis and cannabinoids. I have a B.S. in psychology and PhD in neuroscience, and I have been deeply steeped in the cannabis literature since my undergraduate days. I received my first small grant to begin studying the interaction between cannabinoids and opioids in 2004. I have been consistently funded by the NIH since 2007 to study this drug interaction. My work spans many methods and disciplines including behavioral pharmacology and synaptic physiology, all the way through large-scale naturalistic observational studies in humans. 100% of my peer-reviewed publications are focused on pain, cannabis, opioids, or a combination thereof. Because of my familiarity and passion for cannabis science, I have found myself playing an active role in patient advocacy and legalization efforts. I have visited state houses, sat down with law makers, and advised Congressional representatives. I helped Missouri pass their constitutional amendment (legalizing medical cannabis) in 2017. Since 2019 I have served on the Oregon Cannabis Commission, a governor-appointed body which advises legislators and government agencies on how best to regulate cannabis with patients' rights at the forefront. I have also received specialized training in distilling complex scientific ideas for the layperson. Leveraging these skills, I have produced hundreds of educational articles and blog posts, educating millions of people world wide, at an 8th-grade reading level.

The most exciting project I'm working on right now is focused on quantifying and rectifying the negative unintended consequences of adult-use cannabis legalization on the wellbeing of medical patients. The entire global cannabis "industry" was built by, for, and on the backs of critically ill patients, their families, and their caregivers. Capitalism and commercial forces have had devastating impacts on the lives and wellbeing of patients, and there is a dire need for regulatory and statutory reform to restore and protect patients' rights. In my personal life, I have been deepening my relationship to music and community. I've recently come out of retirement from being a performing DJ, and I've found a great deal of joy and connection in the process. I take utmost pleasure in sharing music with people and thoughtfully curating experiences.

The SCC has always been an impressive repository of practical wisdom. Its members are incredibly generous with their time and expertise. They are supportive of their colleagues, genuinely curious by nature, and above all, deeply committed to the wellbeing of their patients. I feel honored to be a part of such an authentic community.

I envision a day when cannabis is a logical and valued tool in mainstream medicine. My hope is that all family physicians, nurses, specialists, and hospitals value cannabis as much as their patients do. I envision a day when patient advocacy groups are no longer needed because employers, lawmakers, and city council members are already intimately familiar with and invested in cannabis medicine. I also envision a that the negative impacts of the war on drugs will be actively counterbalanced. That stigma will dissipate as a result of education, healing, and civil discourse (rather than simply waiting for old ideas to die with the people who carry them).

Most of my "idle" time is spent in contemplation about the nature of consciousness. "Where" is it? Is it unique to humans? Is it the bi-product or the origin of biological life? I take great pleasure in exploring these ideas!