SciComm Studio 015: The Cannabis Conversation

Hosted by Swissnex SF

Recent policy shifts have opened doors to marijuana research, consumption, and industry. But the legal and social gray area of marijuana can also cloud the public’s understanding of its benefits, risks, and possibilities.

Sorting through “the weeds” of marijuana policy means sifting through misinformation from both the drug’s critics and its most zealous enthusiasts. This landscape can create unique challenges for scientists seeking to provide accurate information about the science and legislation that drives drug policy, with lessons that can apply to any scientist working on controversial topics.

Our final SciComm Studio of 2018 presents insights from researchers and practitioners who are shaping the drug policy landscape and making information accessible through novel methods of public engagement — from community action to interactive communications campaigns.

Laura Herrera is a consultant from the border community of El Paso, Texas who has resided in the Bay Area for since 2010. She is deeply integrated in the cannabis industry in cultivation, manufacturing, as exploring the therapeutic uses for cannabis and other plant-based medicines. In 2017, she began consulting full-time with cannabis businesses. She is an expert in transitioning cannabis operations into legal commercial businesses, and has conducted extensive research on cannabis policy, developing standard operating procedures and operational structure to bring organizations into compliance with city and state laws. 

In 2018 she was hired as the Public Affairs Liaison at Oaksterdam University, and is launching the new Oaksterdam University Office of Government and Public Affairs (OGPA) website in 2019. 

OGPA is dedicated to the advancement, education, and implementation of reasonable, evidence-based cannabis policy. OGPA works with municipal, county, state, federal, and international government agencies and elected officials to provide training and certification so that regulators and administrators understand the many dimensions of cannabis science and business.