The Budtender’s Guide

Paul Armentano has nearly three decades of experience working professionally in cannabis policy. He is the Deputy Director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the nation’s oldest and largest cannabis reform advocacy organization. He also spent over a decade serving on the faculty of Oaksterdam University as both an instructor and a faculty chair. He is the author of several books on cannabis policy, and his writing has also appeared in more than two dozen textbooks and anthologies. In 2019, he was awarded the Al Horn Memorial Award “in recognition of a lifetime of work to advance the cause of justice.”

Angela Bacca has been covering the cannabis industry for over 15 years. She has authored hundreds of articles, edited and/or co-authored nearly a dozen books, and edited various online and print cannabis-centric publications. She has focused on cannabis economics, politics, science, horticulture, cultural issues, non-cannabis herbalism, and complementary and alternative health topics.

Mitchell Colbert has been a cannabis legalization advocate since he was busted for possession at 19 and saw firsthand the waste and racism inherent in the system. He was a regional director on 2010’s Proposition 19 legalization campaign and spent over five years working primarily as a budtender at Harvorside. Mitchell has written over 100 articles for over a dozen outlets, including High Times, Leafly, Cannabis Now, and Hemp Magazine. Since 2018, he has lobbied around the US to legalize the recycling of cannabis waste, specifically vape waste. Mitchell is also the Executive Director of the Ethical Data Alliance, a nonprofit using blockchain to better protect cannabis data and further cannabis research.

As a certified Master Gardener with nearly 20 years of experience in outdoor cannabis cultivation, Natalie continues to disseminate her knowledge and philosophy of sustainable, closed-loop, “beyond organic” horticultural models and best business practices as the Chair of the Business Department of Oaksterdam University. She is also the founder and managing partner of Cougar Acres Consulting, a seed-to-sale strategy and content firm. Natalie is also serving on the advisory body of the Cannabis Policy Oversight Team for the City of Portland.

Maha is an independent consultant for retailers, consumption lounges, brands, and events who has worked in the cannabis space for over ten years and is an instructor for cannabis science classes at Oaksterdam University. She has professional experience in the entire supply chain. In 2018, Maha founded Cannaclub at UCLA, a collegiate organization focusing on cannabis education, advocacy, and opportunities for students. Under Maha’s leadership, Cannaclub expanded to 31 universities nationwide with over 6,000 members. Maha also served as a researcher at the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative. Maha has an MS in pharmacological sciences, concentrating on Medical Cannabis Sciences & Therapeutics at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the nation’s first graduate program studying cannabis.

Dale Sky Jones is the president, CEO, and chancellor of Oaksterdam University. Dale created the blueprint for cannabis reform as the spokeswoman and legislative liaison for the first statewide legalization effort, California’s Proposition 19 (2010). Since then, she has served as Chairwoman of the Board for the diverse Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform, whose efforts led to the passage of California’s Proposition 64 in 2016. She is a founding board member of the Cannabis Media Council and the National Cannabis Industry Association, currently serving as the NCIA’s Education Committee chair.

Lauren Vázquez is the Fired Up Lawyer. She is a cannabis business attorney and social entrepreneur who has worked for two decades to end Prohibition and advance alternatives to the failed War on Drugs. Lauren has practiced cannabis business law since 2009 and entered private practice in 2011. She has advised numerous cannabis companies and organizations. Lauren is a professor at Oaksterdam University, and in 2016 she was a Senior Advisor and the Statewide Outreach Manager for the successful Prop 64 Campaign that legalized cannabis in California.