What benefits do you see for patients throughout Florida within this space? 

The largest benefits would be third-party testing regulations, statewide delivery and the creation of essential job-creating businesses. The medical cannabis available to the patients of Florida goes through the most regulated third-party testing system in the nation. Only licensed testing labs are approved to handle and test products coming from MMTC’s. It can take up to 4 days from the time a batch of products is made until the results are made live and the batch can be sold. Quality control and assurance is taken very seriously. Statewide delivery also is a huge resource to our patients, allowing the most remote citizens the ability to medicate using cannabis. Being a medical market here in Florida allows for the creation of essential businesses. Not only is One Plant adding an essential service to the patients of the state, but a huge employment opportunity for the residents as well. 

What motivates you to be a part of the Cannabis industry?

I have been an advocate for the use of cannabis since joining NORML@UCF while in college. It was there that I learned about the many uses and benefits of cannabis. I met people like Cathy Jordan, Irv Rosenfeld and Elvy Musikka; people that really demonstrated the meaning of self-medication. They were treating illness and disease that traditional medicine could not. I was fascinated by the myriad of extraction methods and techniques that exist today. I dedicated all my free time to learning everything I could about the processing side of the cannabis industry. Seeing the relief that people get from using our derivative products is what motivates me. 

What field are you in within the Cannabis space?

I have always operated within the derivative side of the cannabis industry. I went to school for Biology at UCF and excelled in my lab classes. I was introduced to cannabis concentrates on a trip to Denver, CO and was fascinated. I dedicated my career to learning and perfecting the various processing methods that people were currently using. Supercritical CO2, ethanol, hydrocarbons and solventless extraction are some of the methods I’ve used over the years. Knowing how to use each method is only half the battle in the lab. Knowing when to use a particular method or solvent is what turns good concentrates into great concentrates. 

How can people in Florida benefit from the company you represent?

The biggest benefit Florida patients gain while shopping One Plant products is quality. Our flower consists of ultra-rare, top-shelf cultivars that are carefully grown and harvested to maintain structure. The plant material is then meticulously hand trimmed after a dry cure to produce the best quality nug mass available on the market. Any biomass going to solventless production is doubly cared for. We are harvesting Trichome heads during solventless production, and they must be taken care of prior to and after extraction using temperature-controlled environments. 

How did you get started within the Cannabis industry?

I got my start in college volunteering for NORML@UCF. We would collect signatures for ballot initiatives and host seminars teaching people about the medicinal benefits of cannabis. I met some talented people there and we started an extraction company in 2013, FloCon Labs, in preparation for Florida’s first medical vote. We all know what happened in 2014. So, I moved to Colorado for an opportunity to work with a few developing companies. A few years later, I was given an opportunity to run my own lab for a Florida MMTC. In 2019 I left Florida again and transitioned to work in the Hemp Industry, traveling the nation installing CBD isolation labs. I joined the One Plant team late in 2019 and couldn’t feel more at home. Everyone working for this company is experienced, passionate and forward thinking. 

Are you personally a MJ card holder? 

Yes, I am. 

Do you see Florida moving forward with recreational Marijuana/Cannabis and how will that affect your business? 

I do see it passing. We don’t know what the law will look like, so the extent of its effect on the medical cannabis business is unclear. However, Floridians want recreational cannabis. Cannabis use is safer than alcohol consumption and better for your body.