Bryon Adinoff, M.D.

Dr. Adinoff is a Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  He recently retired as Distinguished Professor of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and as a psychiatrist for 30 years with 

the Veterans Affairs.

Dr. Adinoff has published over 160 articles, reviews, and book chapters on the biology and treatment of addiction, is the Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.  In his semi-retired status, he is becoming increasingly involved in advancing drug policy reform and is Executive Vice President of Doctors

 for Cannabis Regulation.

Dr. Wendy Askew is a private practice physician specializing in Gynecology, and Functional Medicine in San Antonio.  She is a veteran of the USAF.  During her 20+ year career in medicine, she has taught resident physicians in academic medicine programs, served on various hospital committees, participated in medical missions, and built a thriving private practice.  She is a contributing medical expert for numerous local and national publications.  Dr. Wendy serves on the board of directors for The Foundation for an Informed Texas, and serves as Medical Director for H-empirical CBD.  

A Texas hill country native has been cultivating cannabis since 1996. Since 2001 he has been building and managing commercial indoor grows from 400 plants up to his most recent largest facility of 20000 square feet in Dessert Hot Springs which totaled 8000 plants and several thousand cuttings and mothers. Hes also been practicing a ice water extraction method since its early inception in 2001 and was instrumental in the development of a low heat and pressure extraction called rosin in the spring and summer of 2015. 

He has participated in several cannabis competitions through the years and collected several awards. He began breeding cannabis plants in 1998 and continues this practice to produce viable strains for Texas with 3 strains showing test results of 20% cbd and over so far. His hydroponic growing experience of decades has led him to develop unique innovative growing methods that allow him to produce amazing terpene profiles and yields. 

He still consults for 15 different large farms across the country to support his startup and expansion of his new Texas company SweetSensi CBD. Greg's approach to cannabis has always been from a scientific and medicinal approach and has extended that to the Texas hemp market building a state of the art facility in austin Texas that grows hemp hydroponically, extracts hemp using water/ice or low heat press method and manufactures small batch gourmet candies, tinctures, topicals and pet products. These recipes have been collected and developed over the course of decades and been proven in several markets across the country. 

His love of cultivating cannabis and of Texas makes his skill set and experience unique in this growing market.

Sal Barnes is a Managing Director at MPG Consulting, the leading strategic advisory service in the cannabis and hemp industry. He is currently leading the team which is developing Virginia’s adult-use cannabis market. Additionally, MPG Consulting is the lead architect and author of the Colorado Hemp Advancement Management Plan, which is the nation’s most robust state hemp plan. Sal has worked with numerous hemp and cannabis MSOs, Institutional Investors, and Regulatory Agencies delivering strategic projects across the value chain in 28 states and 7 countries. 

Learn more about Sal.

John Baucum is the current Political Director of Republican Against Marijuana Prohibition. RAMP was established as a political caucus within the GOP that recognizes prohibition of marijuana to be a failed policy that undermines our liberties. He has been involved in political activism since 2012 and previously served as Chairman of the Texas Young Republican Federation.

John has strong connections with elected officials at all levels of government and across party lines. His focus is on state level policy, working to organize Republicans to support reforming outdated cannabis laws. 

Adam Bazaldua was elected to the Dallas City Council in June 2019 and is the youngest person to ever serve on the Council.

Adam is a dedicated husband and father; a local teacher and a community advocate. Adam is focused on the need for neighborhood safety improvements, solving the City's growing homeless population, and attracting local businesses that better serve each neighborhood's needs. He is a dedicated advocate for economic growth that benefits the existing residents of the community. 

 As Deputy Executive Director of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD). Chase is called on for research, policy analysis and recommendations to the Texas Legislature, state agencies and private sector companies on issues surrounding Texans with disabilities.   

CTD works collaboratively with current organizational allies and industries while creating new alliances that make significant positive impacts on policy issues facing people with disabilities and their families.   

Learn more about Chase.

 Mark Bolton serves as Sr Director of US Public Policy for GW Pharmaceuticals. In that capacity, Mark oversees all federal and state public policy issues for GW. Before joining GW, Mark was a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Denver. Mark also previously served as Sr Deputy Legal Counsel and Director of Marijuana Coordination for Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado. During that time, Mark administered cannabis policy issues for the state and oversaw the cannabis-related work of 12 state agencies, and advised numerous jurisdictions regarding legalization and regulation of cannabis  

 Mr. Bradley is a successful entrepreneur in multiple markets, and a former executive from the telecommunications and polymer/material science industries, with an undergraduate degree in Economics from The University of Iowa, and an MBA from Baylor University. 

Mr. Bradley’s interest in the hemp market space stems from a true passion to see industrial hemp improve the environment versus alternative crops, and he believes that we have only just begun to understand the full potential and impact of hemp in industrial applications. 

Carlos Caro has professionally worked in education for over ten years. Carlos’ interest in cannabis reform extends from his graduate work critiquing the federal prohibition of marijuana. In his studies he came to discover that the impetus for creating and maintaining prohibition had nothing to do with the plant itself, but rather, a myriad of issues that have led to over eighty years of social misery in the name of government control. 

Dr. Cohen graduated with a B.S. in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University, and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. He has presented several papers to the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Evaluation Association on the implementation and outcomes of various criminal justice policy issues.

Learn more about Derek.

Nicole Collier is a respected attorney, small business owner, grandmother and mother of three who has spent her life working to obtain the American Dream. Nicole is the first woman to represent House District 95, in Tarrant County, and in November 2018, she was re-elected to her fourth term in office. 

In the 86th Texas Legislature, Representative Collier was appointed to serve as Chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, and is the first woman in Texas history to serve in that capacity since the committee’s formation in 1879.

Michael Correia is director of government relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association. His focus is raising awareness and building support for the cannabis industry’s issues on Capitol Hill. In addition, Michael works with other national organizations to increase the cannabis industry profile nationally. 

Prior to joining NCIA, Michael spent many years working on Capitol Hill, including working for Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), who retired in 2010, and the House Committee on Resources, serving three different Chairmen. Previously, he was director of federal affairs for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and senior project manager for the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget. In both positions, he advocated for policies in Congress. 

A campaign veteran, he has worked and volunteered on numerous political campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels over the past two decades. Michael is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego. A native of San Diego, he resides in Washington, D.C.

Judge John Delaney is a Senior District Judge for the State of Texas. Now retired from elected office, he continues to try cases by special assignment.  

He was educated at Princeton University and the University of Texas School of Law. He served as a Navy officer on an amphibious ship during the Vietnam War era. 

Judge Delaney is a frequent speaker for Law Enforcement Action Partnership, an international group of law enforcement veterans who are critics of the “War on Drugs.”  He has testified multiple times to the Texas Legislature in favor of marijuana law reforms. 

Morris Denton is the CEO of Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, the gold standard and leading medical cannabis company in Texas. Morris oversees all aspects of TOCC's vertically integrated business and strategy and ensures it operates with transparency and integrity as a reflection of the values of the state of Texas. 

As a sixth generation Texan, Morris brings a unique perspective to the cannabis industry and works closely with Texas legislators and the Department of Public Safety to create, build and lead the legal cannabis industry in Texas. 

  In the 86th Legislative Session (his seventeenth term in the Texas House of Representatives), Rep. Dutton serves as Chairman of the Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, and a member of the PublicEducation Committee, where he has served longer than any member in Texas’ history.

For his legislative accomplishments, Dutton hasbeen recognized by numerous organizations,including the Forward Times Newspaper, the Houston Police Officers’ Association, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, the Texas Women’s Political Caucus, the Harris County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Texas Tourism Caucus, the Afro-American Sheriff Deputy’Association, the Hispanic Journal, the United States Small Business Administration and the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce.

Learn more about Rep. Dutton.  

Senator Eckhardt has deep roots in Central Texas and deep commitment to improving opportunity for all Texans. After receiving an LBJ School Master of Public Affairs and law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, Eckhardt worked for eight years as an Assistant Travis County Attorney. From 2006-2013 she served as Travis County Commissioner representing 300,000 people. From 2015-2020 she served as the Travis County Judge presiding over the Commissioners Court and representing 1.3 million people.

Eckhardt's public service experience includes emergency response, health care, workforce and economic development, criminal justice, water policy, budget and finance. Some of her previous accomplishments include curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in Central Texas through early and decisive region-wide orders, preserving more than 30,000 acres of green space, building a multi-county collaboration for the preservation of groundwater, maintaining a vibrant construction economy while raising safety standards for workers, establishing a Travis County Public Defender's Office, and instituting jail and arrest diversion programs that support justice and public safety.

Viridiana is a born and raised El Paso Texas native. At the age of 17 she joined the U.S. Army and left for South Carolina for basic training. A few years later in 2009, she received orders to deploy to Kandahar, Afghanistan. In June of 2015, Viridiana received a medical retirement from the U.S. Army after 10 years of service due to injuries that were sustained while serving in Afghanistan from 2009-2010.

On August 17, 2020 Viridiana and Foundation for an Informed Texas (FIT) launched a study on Texas patients and medical cannabis. This study will provide accurate data on patient needs, why they use cannabis, the conditions that cannabis helps them with, the effects of cannabis on these conditions, and other important information. The results will be shared with Legislators to empower them to make educated and compassionate decisions regarding medical cannabis access in Texas during the 87th Legislative Session.

Learn more about Viridiana.

An advocate of individual liberty and personal responsibility, Heather Fazio has worked toward limited government since 2009. She served as Executive Director of Texans for Accountable Government from 2011-2014 and has served as an advisory board member of Texas NORML since 2012.

Heather served as Texas Political Director of the Marijuana Policy Project from 2014-2018. Now, she utilizes her passion for grassroots activism and coalition building as Director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, an advocacy-focused coalition.

With support from allied organizations, Heather has hosted dozens of advocacy training events across the state, organized educational exhibits and lobby days at the Capitol,  analyzed legislation and lobbied lawmakers directly, and engaged the media to ensure positive statewide coverage.

Learn more about Heather.

 Jax Finkel is Executive Director for Texas NORML and has been involved in reform since 2005. Jax participated in hundreds of interviews, many panel discussions and speaking engagements including events at the LBJ Library and co-keynote at the Drug Impact Conference. 

She innovated the first ever cannabis-centric Voter's Guide in 2012 and prepares it for each election season. In 2017, she founded Informed Texas (FIT) which produced a successful medical cannabis ad campaign, airing on MSNBC and Fox News which reached over 1.8M Texans. 

She created curriculum, helped organize and execute regional trainings from 2015 to the present. She offers expert testimony before city council and the Texas Legislature.

  Learn more about Jax.

Steve is one of the leading figures in the movement to create a legal, regulated cannabis market in the U.S. His work spans from being the only full-time cannabis lobbyist in Congress in the early 2000s, working on behalf of the Marijuana Policy Project, to founding the National Cannabis Industry Association in 2010.

Steve currently serves as strategic adviser to the Cannabis Trade Federation, an association comprised of leading U.S. cannabis companies. Steve also served as lead drafter of Colorado’s historic Amendment 64 and managed all aspects of the 2012 campaign that led to its passage.

  Learn more about Steve.

I own and operate Adrian Garcia Farms.  I’ve grown cotton on 200 acres of USDA Certified Organic farmland and made the switch to hemp this year for Texas first growing season.  

I knew growing hemp was going to be a big learning curve to many Texas farmers so I wanted to stand out and have my operation become USDA Certified Organic.  According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, I am the only producer of organic hemp in state certified by the TDA.  

My brothers and I have formed Garcia Bros Organics LLC to sell our products.  We are also a USDA certified organic handler/processor.

Philip Gero is a former Pflugerville Police Officer who served 12 years with the department. Phil served in many capacities during his career with the department, including Patrol Sergeant and K9 handler. He made the decision to leave the job after suffering the effects of PTSD and mental health deterioration.

At the time of his resignation he served as the Sergeant over persons crimes in Criminal Investigations. After leaving the police department Phil discovered that the use of cannabis was extremely helpful in treating his PTSD and anxiety. 

While searching for community around this medicine, Phil found Texas NORML. He currently serves on their board as the Law Enforcement Advisor.

Learn more about Phil.

Bonni Goldstein, MD is the Medical Director of Canna-Centers Wellness and Education, a CA-based medical practice devoted to educating patients about the use of cannabis for serious & chronic medical conditions.  

After years of working in the specialty of Pediatric ER, she developed an interest in the science of medical cannabis  Since then she has evaluated thousands of patients for its use.  Dr. Goldstein’s latest book, “Cannabis is Medicine: How Medical Cannabis and CBD are Healing Everything from Anxiety to Chronic Pain” was published in September 2020 by Little, Brown Spark.  

Learn more about Dr. Bonni.

Mark A. Gonzalez was sworn in as Nueces County District Attorney (TX) in January 2017, following a highly successful ten-year career as a criminal defense attorney at both the state and federal level. Since taking the reins of the office, Mr. Gonzalez has become a nationally recognized voice leading the call for criminal justice reform. Mark serves on multiple executive committees on progressive prosecution and has enacted a myriad of innovative, effective policies focused on ending mass incarceration, curbing recidivism, and driving society and the criminal justice system ever ¡Adelante!(“Forward”).

Born and raised in East Austin, Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison shares the strengths and struggles of her community. She overcame the challenges of childhood poverty to become a successful owner of her own business. The lessons she learned about the obstacles facing her and her fellow entrepreneurs pushed her towards advocacy. She served as president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association and founded East Austin Advocates, a nonprofit that connected under-represented residents with the resources they need to succeed. 

  Katharine Neill Harris, Ph.D., is the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Her current research focuses on the legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis, criminal justice reform, the overdose epidemic, and the availability of drug treatment for at-risk populations. She supports replacing drug war policies with harm reduction interventions for drug use. 

 Shawn Hauser is a partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm's Hemp and Cannabinoids Department. Shawn helps marijuana and hemp businesses navigate the intersections between state and federal law including hemp laws, food and drug laws, regulatory compliance, licensing, general business representation, investment, and general business matters.   

With more than a decade of experience in cannabis law and policy, Shawn is a go-to source for businesses, industry groups, governments, and reporters seeking opinions, analysis, and guidance on cannabis and hemp law and policy matters.  
Learn more about Shawn. 

Susan Hays is a lawyer and advocate with a practice focused on cannabis law, from hemp to the full regulatory scheme of cannabis.  She has drafted license applications, served as the general counsel of a publicly traded, touch-the-plant cannabis company, and was intimately involved in the drafting and passage of Texas’s 2019 hemp law.  

She currently represents multiple clients interested in the expansion of Texas’s medical marijuana law and eventual legalization.  Her idea of a good time is reading laws and regulations from other states looking for the best ideas for 2021 legislation.

Learn more about Susan.

Kyle Hoelscher graduated with honors from A&M Corpus in 2006,  and received his law degree from St. Mary's University in 2010.  He now runs his own solo criminal defense firm and lobbies for smart on crimes issues in the Texas Legislature.  

Kyle is a founding member of NORML - Corpus Christi.  He has served on the board of directors of Corpus Christi Bar Association, Coastal Bend Criminal Defense Lawyer Association, and Grow Local South Texas, an organization that helps build local food networks.  He part of the makers movement and is a proficient woodworker in his spare time. 

 Amanda is a licensed esthetician and spa owner with 15 years’ experience in the treatment room. She has spent most of her spa career in medical spas. She is also an esthetician instructor for continuing education and cosmetic chemistry. She is an avid cannabis educator and activist.

Amanda is the founder of Higher Education Texas, an informative organization that  teaches how cannabis works in the body, how patients can use it for medicine, how to talk to prohibitionists, and how to get involved reforming Texas policies. 

  Dan Hunter serves as Assistant Commissioner for Water and Rural Affairs. He is the top advisor on the critical issues of water and the important role it plays in agriculture and the Texas economy.  He also oversees programs involving rural affairs, including rural health care and marketing.

Hunter has an extensive background in agriculture, research, water, and policy development. Most recently he served as Executive Director of the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) at Tarleton State University.  

Learn more about Dan. 

Dr. Jackson is Director of Scientific Public Relations & Director of Translational Medicine for Vyripharm Biopharmaceuticals. Vyripharm is a Precision Medicine Biopharmaceutical firm located at The Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute in Houston Texas. The firm develops drug delivery systems and diagnostic platforms for neurologic disorders and cancer. Vyripharm also focuses on the integration of traditional pharmaceuticals with non-traditional pharmaceuticals.

Learn more about Dr. Jackson.

Dr. Karla Johanning, is the CEO and Founder of KJ Scientific Independent Testing Labs (subsidiary of KJ Scientific), a Hemp & CBD testing lab and Contract Research Organization (CRO) located in Georgetown, TX. 

Dr. Johanning is an expert in the field of bioaccumulation and ecotoxicology. Her lab participated with Fortune 500 companies (Dow, DuPont, P&G) in an OECD Validation to standardize an innovative method to test chemicals for regulatory compliance. The company’s experience as a CRO testing chemicals in environmental biology sets them apart from the existing Hemp labs in the country.

Learn more about Dr. Johanning.

Elected with strong bipartisan support in 2018, Senator Nathan Johnson represents the

economically and demographically diverse Senate District 16, which comprises the northern

part of Dallas County. 

Johnson graduated magna cum laude with a degree in physics from the University of

Arizona, and earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He practices law

in the Trial Practice Group at the law firm of Thompson & Knight. He has also composed

music for the classical concert stage and scored the hit television series Dragon Ball Z. 

During his first legislative session, Johnson authored and coauthored several bills to reduce

criminal penalties on cannabis, notably SB 760 and SB 691. SB 760 would have reduced

penalties for possession of marijuana concentrates – currently an automatic felony – to

parity with the lower penalties for marijuana. SB 691, a joint effort with Representative

White, would have repealed a draconian Texas law that automatically suspends the drivers’

licenses of anyone convicted of a drug offense for 180 days. Heading into next session,

Johnson and his team are preparing updated versions of these bills and others to address

the state's policies towards cannabis and criminal justice more broadly.

Dr. Allison Kendrick is the founder of Compassionate Telemedicine, one of the first virtual clinics in the state dedicated to evaluating patients to qualify for treatment with low dose THC. She created her company to provide an integrative approach to treating her patients by focusing on the addition of holistic care with medical cannabis to more traditional, pharmaceutical-based therapies. Through the use of a virtual clinic, Compassionate Telemedicine can bring alternative, informed medical care to a diverse community of patients in need throughout the state. 

Learn more  about Dr. Kendrick.

Taylor Kirk is a horticulture service specialist for Fluence by OSRAM. He strives to help the world grow smarter by concentrating on consulting growing partners and collaborating with researchers and cannabis industry leaders. He brings more than twenty years of experience in agriculture and holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Texas A&M University. 

Previously, Taylor focused on cannabis production, breeding, R&D, cultivation facility design and project management in his roles as vice president of operations and director of cultivation at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation.

As Texas Director of Gun Owners of America, Rachel Malone advocates for the right to keep and bear arms. She regularly writes and speaks to Texas audiences and conducts workshops on the process for effective activism. Her passion is training Texans to safeguard liberty and justice for all. Rachel also participates regularly in Run n Gun biathlons and teaches defensive handgun and rifle. She has served as the Operations Director of the Texas GOP and was previously a professional classical musician.

Learn more about Rachel.

 Dr. Marks graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin. Subsequently, he completed his medical school training at The University of Texas Medical Branch, followed by two years of General Surgery residency and a three year residency in Anesthesiology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Marks culminated his formal medical training with a one-year Pain Management fellowship at the prestigious International Pain Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, one of the top Pain Management fellowships in the country. Dr. Marks is board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology.  Dr. Marks also sits on the advisory board for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.   
 

 April is a retired Staff Sergeant who served in the U.S. Army.  Since returning from Afghanistan in 2007, she has experienced chronic migraines.  After many years of trying to heal using prescription medications, she turned to medical Cannabis for pain relief while living in Washington State. She returned to Texas in 2015 along with her husband and 4 children and began advocating for Veterans and medical Cannabis.  
 

 Texas Hemp Farmer and military veteran advocating for full plant cannabis access here in Texas. After her military service, she became a medical marijuana patient in a legal state, studied Sustainable Agriculture at Cal Poly University and obtained a Bachelor's in Business. After growing cannabis for a couple years, an opportunity arose for her husband to own a plant nursery in East Texas where they transitioned the crop from ornamental flowers to hemp.
 

  Texas native, Glen Mayes has worn many hats, but the one that led him into the marijuana industry is: father. Glen’s seven year-old son Orion was diagnosed with a neurological disorder at 2 months old.

 
Glen was certified by the state of Texas to administer pharmaceuticals as a supervisor in a correctional facility for ten years in Taylor and Travis county. That knowledge base motivated his search for a safer medication for his son and lead him to be a caregiver for five other Colorado Medical Marijuana patients. 

 During his time in Colorado, Glen has worked in the marijuana industry with companies such as The Clear and most recently, as General Manager of a hemp extraction facility.

He is bringing his knowledge gained back home to ensure quality products from genetics to post harvest. 

 Krista began advocating for families in 2015 as the Director of Family Rights Advocacy. Since then has personally helped hundreds of families in their difficult, sometimes terrifying journeys through the CPS investigation process.

Now, as an independent CPS Consultant, Krista continues to be passionate about helping families through the difficult journey that comes from being under CPS investigation.  She has dedicated herself to working with legislators and other political leaders to reform CPS and looks forward to the day that very system has effective changes.  

Kawai Medeiros has been a member of the EVIO family for over 2 years and has worked in the hemp/cannabis testing industry since 2014. Her  knowledge of testing methodology and analysis is unmatched, including her understanding of national regulations.

She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology/Biochemistry and began her career in the wine industry conducting quality assurance testing for Vineyards in Oregon and New Zealand. Her extensive experience in the laboratory testing environment has made her an overall necessity to the team.

State Senator José Menéndez has been a long-time advocate for medical cannabis.  He has a history of filing legislation to expand medical cannabis since his term began in the Senate.  Last session, he filed legislation that would have extended the medical cannabis program to patients with a debilitating medical condition, a chronic medical condition, and would have allowed the recommendation for medical cannabis by a medical practitioner, allowing use by individuals with conditions such as PTSD.  He will be filing the expansion of medical cannabis once again this session.

Learn more about Sen. Menéndez 

Max has been teaching people and  patients how to figure out which cannabis flower is best for them with Interpening years before he created Trichome Institute in 2014. He has published three textbooks about the truths and complexities of cannabis products and plant types while developing, “The Cannabis Sommelier; Interpening”. 

Trichome Institute is recognized and government certified in producing some of the most unique and qualified cannabis courses and certifications in the industry. 

Joe Moody represents Texas’s District 78, covering much of northern El Paso County. Joe is Speaker Pro Tempore of the House—the number two job in the chamber—as well as vice chair of the powerful Calendars Committee and a member of the committees on Business and Industry, Redistricting, and Criminal Jurisprudence. 

He’s also the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Caucus and a member of the Select Committee on Mass Violence Prevention and Public Safety. Outside of the Texas Legislature, Joe is an attorney who works as senior counsel for El Paso-based WestStar Bank.

Don Murphy is the Director of Federal Policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. Named one of the top federal cannabis advocates by Politico, he can often be found greeting members on the Capitol steps. Pols from both parties call him, “tenacious, ubiquitous, omnipresent, relentless, persistent, and like gum on one shoe.” The NCIA said, “If we had ten Don Murphy’s, cannabis would be legal by now.”  

Murphy is a former member of the Maryland General Assembly. He was the original lead sponsor of the Darrell Putman Compassionate Use Act, a medical marijuana bill that was signed into law in 2003. 

Nathan is an entrepreneur with a passion for networking and helping Hemp to thrive in the United States. 

His first hemp company was an extraction facility in Colorado started in 2015 where hemp flower was processed into CBD products and sold statewide. 

Nathan holds Bachelor Degrees in Economics and Management, along with a Master of Science for Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Purdue University. 

Born in Austin, he is proud to call Texas home again after years of travel.

Learn more about Nathan.

 Brandon Nemec is a government and regulatory affairs attorney for PharmaCann, a multi-state cannabis operator with cultivation and retail operations in six states across the Midwest and Northeast.  Brandon handles intergovernmental communications and legislative advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels within PharmaCann's existing and prospective markets.  As an Illinois licensed attorney, Brandon has a decade of combined experience in litigation and government affairs at the local and state levels.

  Ogadinma ‘Dr. Oga’ Obie is a native Houstonian. She earned her M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch. She practices as a board-certified physician in Texas, California and Louisiana. Her path to naturopathy began after exploring native medicine in Central America, South America and Africa.
Medical cannabis plays a pivotal role in her treatment protocols, specifically preventive care. Dr. Oga serves as medical advisor to various cannabis companies. She enjoys teaching about curative medicine. Dr. Oga is a TCUP physician. She is available for tele-consults and events nationwide. 

Learn more about Dr. Oga. 

As the director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, Karen O’Keefe manages grassroots and direct lobbying efforts in state legislatures for the nation’s largest marijuana policy reform organization. Working closely with local advocates and lawmakers, her team has led the advocacy campaigns that resulted in the only two legalization laws to pass through state legislatures -- in Vermont and Illinois. Her team has also played central roles in lobbying campaigns that resulted in more than a dozen medical marijuana and decriminalization laws. 

Learn more about Karen.

Papillion is a drug policy-focused writer, researcher, and strategist who serves on The Last Prisoner Project's Board. She is also the Executive Director of The Equity Organization, a nonprofit working to advance a just, equitable and effective approach to drug policy and its criminal justice-focusd implications. 

Papillion has worked in strategy, marketing, and operations leadership roles at technology firms like Google and Rent the Runway. Papillion is the author of the upcoming “Reefer Madness: The Unredacted History of Early American Drug Policy”. She is a graduate of Yale University.  

Shane is an appellate lawyer who focuses on regulatory issues. As a former law clerk to judges on both the D.C. Circuit and the Fifth Circuit, Shane’s unique insights can also assist clients in evaluating potential or pending cases involving complex regulatory issues.

Shane is recognized as “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers in America® and as a “Texas Rising Star” in Appellate Law by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers. He provides administrative-law commentary on his blog, admin.law, and Yale Journal on Regulation’s Notice & Comment blog. 

 Learn more about Shane. 

 Lisa L. Pittman, Esq. is a member of the Texas Department of Agriculture Industrial Hemp Advisory Council, a Nonresident Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Drug Policy Program, and Chair-elect of the American Bar Association’s Cannabis Law & Policy Committee. She advocates for the improvement of marijuana and hemp laws both in Texas and at the federal level.   

Lisa’s work has led her to be awarded the Texas Lawyer Trailblazer Award 2020, the National Law Journal Trailblazer Award 2020 for cannabis law, and the moniker, “The First Lady of Texas Cannabis Law.”   
Learn more about Lisa. 

  Surterra Texas provides effective, high-quality, 100% made-in-Texas cannabis-based medicine, with patient-first pricing, free delivery available, and new patient discounts.  Under Marcus’ leadership, Surterra Texas provided Texans with the first cannabis-infused lozenges, lotions, telehealth prescribing, and the only THC-dominant product in the state of Texas.

Previously, Marcus led Customer Experience at Fluence, a world-leading horticulture LED lighting company.

In addition, he has co-founded and led multiple companies that provide amazing products to customers and patients. 

Marcus is a Veteran, having served in the US Air Force as a Captain, where he held leadership positions in the National Security Agency and the Advanced Systems Division of U.S. Space Command.  He as two degrees from Stanford University, a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Management Science.
Marcus lives in Austin, Texas, with his family. . 

 Since the inception of Colorado's state-regulated medical marijuana program in 2010, VS founding partner Christian Sederberg has been representing cannabis businesses and ancillary companies on a wide range of compliance, regulatory, corporate, and legislative issues.   

Christian is a widely recognized leader in the cannabis industry, and in addition to his client work, he also works closely with government officials, trade associations, members of the business community, and advocates to advance thoughtful cannabis policy at the local, state, and national level.  

 Learn more about Christian. 

Rev. Rick Sitton is pastor of First United Methodist Church Bryan, TX.  He and his wife, Karen, have been married 42 years.  They are raising their 12 year old autistic grandson, Jacob, who also has apraxia of speech.  

In 1987, Rev. Rick Sitton graduated cum laude from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, KY with a Masters of Divinity degree. Rev. Sitton has served as a pastor over 34 years including Woodcrest UMC in Lumberton (2002-2011.  He served several years on the board of Spindletop MHMR in Beaumont, NAMI Brazos Valley and chair of the Texas Annual Conference Board of Pensions Committee.  

Chelsie Spencer is a cannabis and hemp attorney at Ritter Spencer PLLC. She practices cannabis and intellectual property law and represents all facets of the cannabis industry, from seed to sale. 

Forbes dubbed Chelsie the “rare friendly face in the midst of a cutthroat CBD hurricane, the person you want on speed dial when things turn sour” for her work in the hemp industry. In addition to navigating complex issues and transactions in these highly regulated industries, she frequently writes and presents on issues affecting these industries across the United States.  

Learn more about Chelsie.

Andrea Steel is a Director at Coats Rose and co-chairs its Cannabis Business Law Group, providing legal services to clients across the supply chain. She advises on compliance, licensing, contracts, labeling/marketing, legislation, real estate issues and more. Andrea also assists in structuring and financing complex transactions involving economic development incentives, tax credits/exemptions, and layering of highly regulated funding, including government grants. She is also experienced in navigating various state agency processes, such as applications, appeals, and compliance issues.

Learn more about Andrea

Dr. Peter Stout, HFSC’s CEO and president, joined in 2015 as chief operating officer and vice president. He has 20 years of forensic science and toxicology experience. Dr. Stout previously worked at RTI International. Dr. Stout has served as president of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT). In that role, he participated in national policy debates on the future of forensic sciences in the United States. 

Dr. Stout has a doctorate in toxicology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps.

Justin Strekal is the Political Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML, where he serves as an advocate to end the federal criminalization of marijuana and to reform our nation’s laws to no longer treat marijuana consumers as second-class citizens.

Before working on drug policy, he focused on tax, wage, and campaign finance reform as well as managed electoral campaigns throughout the country for positions in every level of government.

Debbie is a Mother to two boys. Her oldest has complex and profound medical needs and his difficulties tolerating medications lead her to Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism in 2015. She has volunteered with them since and serves as their media liaison. ‘MAMMA’ has been instrumental in creating and growing the Compassionate Use Program.  

In 2018, Debbie was proud to be the first person in Texas to purchase legal medical cannabis from the Compassionate Cultivation dispensary. When not advocating for her son she can be found sharing her journey at www.hellomynameisdebbie.com. 

Jason Walker is a career NCO with over 20 years of service with the Army. Jason was diagnosed with severe PTSD in 2016. He was medically retired from the Army in 2017. Cannabis has saved him from a pharmaceutical nightmare. He uses cannabis to combat symptoms of PTSD. 

Jason was prescribed many different medications for PTSD. SSRI's, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives, anticonvulsants, alpha-blockers and some others.

Michelle Walker is a native Texan, mother, advocate, Communications Director for MAMMA, and Vice President of Safe Access Colorado. Her medical marijuana advocacy began in Texas on behalf of her son, Vincent, who is diagnosed with autism and intractable epilepsy. 

Since moving to Colorado in 2017, she has contributed to the passage of several marijuana bills including the addition of two qualifying conditions and the administration of medical marijuana in school for patients. It is Michelle’s deeply held belief that a zip code should not determine someone’s right to safe and legal medicine.

 Dr. Aruna has over 25 years’ experience in research in Medicinal Plants and Plant Systematics. Before joining PVAMU, he worked as the Senior Research Scientist at theNational Center for Natural Products Research and the Director of their MedicinalPlants germplasm collection at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) where theyalso had the only legal Cannabis cultivation and research program at that time.

He is also leading the industrial hemp research program at PVAMU and his team includes experts in modern plant sciences to evaluate all the Texas approved hemp strains.  This basicscientific data would help us to understand the genetic complexity of Cannabis andidentify the elite strains suitable for various end-use and recommend feasible hempstrains .  

 RN Cindy Welch, is a nurse of 40 years, with a 3 year old granddaughter diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. Also the mother to a 30 year old that was arrested several times for possession of marijuana while self medicating for the treatment of his  Crohn's disease. 

Ms. Welch's work experience traverses the spectrum from emergency rooms to hospice care, currently serving as staff development coordinator and weekend supervisor. She brings great insight into the Compassionate Care Act, how it's both working and not to aid in care of her family and others 

William Whatley is the visionary software creator of Hempliance. He wanted to revolutionize the hemp/cannabis markets by creating a digital roadmap from seed tracking, planting, harvesting and bank compliance solutions. His team  helps him complete his vision to help farmers stay in compliance and sell their hemp crops. 

Hempliance does far more than he envisioned, expanding daily. 

He attended UT-Austin and Texas State, obtaining a Computer Science Degree and Computer Information Systems/Quantitate Statistics. He served in the Navy as a Search and Rescue Squadron deployed to the U.S.S. Nimitz.

 State Rep White is a native Texan born in Houston, TX. He attended  HISD public schools before graduating with honors from Prairie View A&M Univ. in 1986. He completed his doctoral studies at the Univ. of Houston. He served as an Army Infantry Officer from 1987-92. Then he served as a public school educator for 17 years.   

He was first elected to the Tx House of Representatives in 2010 and represents HD 19: Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Polk, and Tyler. He serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Corrections.
Learn  more about Rep. White. 

Nishi Whiteley is the COO of CReDO Science LLC, a biopharma IP holding company focused on cannabis-based and endocannabinoid solutions and cannabinoid-therapuetics formulation.  She is also a cannabis science writer and the other of several scientific articles and the book Chronic Relief: A Guide to Cannabis for the Terminally & Chronically Ill. Whiteley serves as a board member at the Foundation for an Informed Texas and hosts the website www.MyChronicRelief.com

 Matt Zorn is an associate with Yetter Coleman LLP, a Houston. He represents clients in IP, commercial, and regulatory litigation. Best Lawyers in America® named Matt ""One to Watch,"" and Thomson Reuters' Super Lawyers recognized him as a ""Texas Rising Star"" in IP Litigation.

Matt is recognized as an authority in the federal regulatory scheme relating to cannabis research and the Controlled Substances Act, even being named to the Law360 2020 Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board. 

Matt was a clerk to the Hon. Rodney Gilstrap in the Eastern District of Texas and a litigator with Paul, Weiss.