Josh Crossney
President and Founder of jCanna, Inc.
What benefits do you see for patients throughout Florida within this space?
Cannabis has many health benefits and helps treat everything from anxiety and mood disorders to seizures and cancers. The benefits to Florida patients will increase as cannabis research progresses and we begin to unlock the true potential of cannabis.
What motivates you to be a part of the Cannabis Industry?
My motivation comes from a strong desire to bridge the gaps between the cannabis industry, analytical sciences and medicine. In order to move things forward we must move from misinformation and anecdotal evidence to education and validated clinical trials. I am also motivated to learn and spread the truth, in hopes of overturning nearly a century of undue stigma.
What field are you in within the Cannabis space?
Most of my work in cannabis is centered around science and education. I’m the President and Founder of a Maryland based non-profit organization, jCanna that is devoted to the advancement of cannabis science and I’m the President, CEO, and Founder of the Cannabis Science Conference (CSC Events, LLC.). I also sit on the board of advisers to CannaKids, a California-based brand with a focus on supplying medical cannabis oil tinctures and cannabis products to patients of all ages.
How can people in Florida benefit from the company you represent?
I encourage anyone with a strong interest in learning more about cannabis science, medicine and cultivation to attend a Cannabis Science Conference. For those more adventurous souls that want a more hands-on learning experience, we also offer full-day, pre-conference Canna Boot Camps, where attendees learn many aspects of cannabis cultivation, genomics, processing, extractions, analytical testing, and even edibles manufacturing.
Cannabis is an exceptional stress-reducer and healer, and we have far too much stress and pain in the world today. The more Floridians are educated on cannabis science, medicine and cultivation, the more they can benefit from scientific advances.
How did you get started within the cannabis industry?
I saw the need for advancement in cannabis science and research, and I focused my initial efforts on improving analytical quality control testing. We lack standard methods that we have in other industries like clinical chemistry, pharmaceuticals, environmental testing and food safety. Also, very early on I met analytical scientists that knew next to nothing about cannabis, and cannabis experts that did not understand chromatography nor mass spectrometry. There were, and still are, many patients that do not know how to go about selecting cannabis strains for different ailments. Also, most medical doctors receive little to no education on the endocannabinoid system. In short, I saw the need to bring ALL of these people together to share information and advance cannabis science.
Are you personally a MJ card holder?
I am a medical patient registered with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. Medical cannabis has personally helped me with chronic pain issues that have developed as a result of two surgeries related to a car accident that I was a passenger in. Cannabis is a very effective medicine for treating inflammation and pain.
Do you see Florida moving forward with recreational Marijuana/Cannabis and how will that affect your business?
That is up to Florida residents to decide, but from what I read, a majority of Floridians support recreation. My own personal view is that, regardless of whether we are talking medical or recreational cannabis, the most important thing is that the cannabis products are lab tested, accurately labeled and free from contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, microorganisms, aflatoxins, mycotoxins and residual solvents. Wherever cannabis grows, we all grow economically, medicinally, environmentally and spiritually. As cannabis research advances, my role in educating and sharing information will also grow.
