Contributors

January 2016

Within the pages of this issue, you will find insights, tips, words of wisdom and even personal tales from some of the brightest minds in the industry and some of the best journalists around. We’re pleased to introduce you to our contributors.

Kerrie and Kurt Badertscher are co-owners of Otoké Horticulture, LLC, and authors of “Cannabis for Capitalists.” They have worked with large-scale cannabis producers for more than 5 years. Kerrie has been involved with plants her entire lifetime and was certified as a Professional Horticulturist by the 100-year-old American Society for Horticulture Sciences. Kurt brings his 34 years of corporate experience and operations management skills to bear on the business challenges of cannabis cultivation.



David Bonvillain owns and runs Elite Cannabis Enterprises and Elite Botanicals out of their center of operations in Loveland, Colo. The businesses include a 25-acre organic CBD farm leveraging a low/no-till permaculture methodology, a 6-acre greenhouse property and botanical-extraction laboratory that operates year-round, producing organic CBD for national and international markets through Mary’s Medicinals, Mary’s Nutritionals, and Mary’s Pets. He is a speaker, author, consultant and High Times’ Cannabis Cup winner.



Nic Easley is the founder and CEO of Comprehensive Cannabis Consulting (3C). A decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Easley established a 35-acre organic farm in Colorado after completing his military service. Through formal studies—including degrees in biology and environmental studies—and real-world experience cultivating medical and adult-use cannabis, hemp and other crops, he has developed science- and systems-based cultivation strategies that are fully organic, cost-effective, and result in high yields of top-quality cannabis and industrial hemp. Over the past eight years, Easley has consulted with more than 60 clients in Colorado. He formed 3C to bring organic, sustainable cultivation solutions to the world.



Margaret Battistelli Gardner is a freelance writer and the editor of Marketing AdVents magazine, the member publication of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington, D.C. She can be reached at megmgardner@aol.com.



Kathleen Hokanson is an energy-industry veteran who believes that “saving energy saves life.” President and co-founder of koan energy consultants since 2013. She previously worked throughout North America as business development manager of LED Lighting for Philips Electronics N.A. Hokanson also worked as vice president of business development for Coleman Hines, an energy management consultant firm servicing Fortune 100 companies throughout United States and Canadian markets, and as Target’s National Energy Manager, overseeing procurement and demand side reduction strategies of the asset portfolio.



Adam Koh is the chief cultivation officer for Comprehensive Cannabis Consulting (3C). Previously, he served as cultivation manager of a Denver-area medical cannabis facility that was awarded the High Times Cannabis Cup for Best Medical Hybrid in Denver in 2014. Koh has experience cultivating more than 100 different strains, including numerous high-CBD varieties, and in his previous position oversaw the care of roughly 3,000 plants at any one time. In his past life, he served as an adjunct professor while pursuing a Ph.D., during which time he gained valuable teaching experience that he now employs to educate cultivators seeking to grow high-quality organic cannabis.



Scott Lowry resides in Oakland, Mich., with his wife, five children and their dog, Nora. He is a licensed medical grower and caregiver, and has focused on organic cannabis cultivation for the last 8 years. He also is founder and COO of a large-scale Canadian cannabis production company out of Tecumseh, Ontario, called Global Organiks, which is currently in the application process for becoming a Licensed Producer under Canada’s Medical Marijuana Program. In addition, Lowry is the founder and CEO of GO Engineering, an agribusiness technology engineering company, which creates products for the indoor cannabis cultivation industry. It is safe to say he has a healthy obsession for science, business and all things agriculture.



Alison McConnell is an upstate New York-based writer and frequent Cannabis Business Times contributor. In her 11-year career as a journalist, McConnell has covered topics ranging from food to financial markets. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, as well as on the radio and online.



Kenneth Morrow is an author and writer who has been covering cannabis-related subjects for more than 20 years. He is the owner of Trichome Technologies, a cannabis research and development company. Morrow also is an award-winning grower and breeder. Has made contributions to many of today's extraction methodologies, and he holds multiple patents in the field. He currently specializes in product formulation and consults on all cannabis-related subjects.



Steven Nelson covers legal affairs and drug policy for U.S. News & World Report. He lives in Washington, D.C., where a green thumb would be useful.



Cher Neufer founded Ohio NORML in 2001; she was president until 2013, vice president from 2013-2015, and then served as treasurer. She has a Master's degree in Guidance and Counseling. Neufer was a teacher from 1974-1981, and a senior programmer analyst until retiring. She also was treasurer and secretary of Ohio Patient Network. She lives in Lodi, Ohio.



Morgan Paxhia is a founding partner and managing director of Poseidon Asset Management LLC (PoseidonAssetManagement.com), a California-based Investment Advisor. He is the key navigator at Poseidon, guiding the fund through the cannabis industry’s uncharted waters. With a degree in Applied Mathematics, Paxhia draws on his years of experience along with a blend of instinct and innovation in crafting leading-edge investment strategies for the portfolio he stewards.



Mike Ray, director of Bloom Farms, lives in Calaveras County, Calif., and has worked in the cannabis industry for 10 years. He is also on the board of directors for the California Cannabis Industry Association.



Wil Wicke is the marketing and sales director for koan energy consultants. He creates strategic energy plans optimizing energy products and services for legalized marijuana cultivators who own, manage and lease existing and new buildings. Prior to koan, Wicke spent 16 years as a marketing consultant for Wells Fargo. He holds a B.A. with a double major in international relations and political science from Cornell College. Wicke resides in West Hollywood, Calif.

Read Next

New York Begins Treatment with Medical Marijuana

January 2016
Explore the January 2016 Issue

Check out more from this issue and find you next story to read.

Latest from Cannabis Business Times

More from Cannabis Business Times

South Dakota Group Submits 29K Signatures for 2024 Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Measure

Rescheduling Would Have Saved Verano $80M in 2023 Tax Payments, CEO Says

Aurora Marks 1st Medical Cannabis Shipment to New Zealand Market

Where All 100 US Senators Stand on SAFER Banking Act

Blumenauer Unveils Legislative Blueprint, Additional Administrative Action Needed Following Rescheduling

Cannabis Rescheduling FAQ: What Now?