Faculty and Staff

The CTU Faculty and Staff is the most impressive and knowledgeable cannabis faculty in the world. Think of Cannabis Training University (CTU) as a cannabis university online – a marijuana university, if you will, comprised of many of the world’s leading cannabis growers, who have won numerous awards worldwide for their various medical marijuana strains and gardens. We are privileged to have such a wonderful and talented Faculty and staff!

The faculty and staff at CTU is also made up of leading medical marijuana business owners who have been running successful medical marijuana dispensaries and other cannabis businesses since the inception of this exciting industry.
All Cannabis Training University faculty and staff are experts in the medical marijuana industry and CTU is proud to be affiliated with such a talented group.
Ed Rosenthal, the Guru of Ganja is the head of the CTU horticulture department. Ed has sold millions of cannabis books around the world. Ed’s latest grow book, “The Marijuana Grower’s Handbook” is the official textbook of CTU and all Master of Marijuana students get access to the book.
Cannabis Training University is able to remain the best marijuana school partly because of the amazing faculty and staff that we have been fortunate to partner with over the years.
When comparing marijuana schools is it recommended to look at the faculty and staff of each program.
CTU’s faculty and staff is unmatched by any cannabis college.
Check out all the new content at the new and improved Cannabis Training University.
Sign up today at Cannabis Training University and see what CTU has been ranked the top marijuana school since 2009.

Meet Our Contributors:

Jeff Zorn – CEO/Owner
Jeff Zorn is the mastermind behind CTU. Jeff is responsible for all business decisions for CTU. Jeff and his team travel the world attending cannabis events and shooting videos of the latest industry advancements & techniques. Jeff is also a former collegiate basketball player for the University of Tampa.

Ed Rosenthal – World Renowned Marijuana Consultant California
Ed is a California horticulturist, author, publisher, and Cannabis grower known for his advocacy for the legalization of marijuana use. He served as a columnist for High Times Magazine during the ’80s and ’90s. We are lucky to have him on our team. Ed Rosenthal is known as the Guru of Ganja. He has written and sold the most cannabis books of any author around the world. Ed is proud to be the head of the horticultural staff at CTU. CTU is proud to be able to offer 1 year of access to 4 of Ed’s latest cannabis books!
More about Ed…

Julie K. Goddard
Julie K. Goddard is an expert cannabis industry consultant, writer, and editor who has worked extensively in the cannabis, medical cannabis, and industrial hemp industries. She has written and researched business applications in the medical and recreational cannabis and hemp industries across the United States, Canada, and throughout the world. Julie is passionate about sharing accurate and researched information about cannabis in a way that students and instructors understand. Her cannabis-industry articles have been published in Bust, online at 3C Cannabis Consulting, Mass Roots, and Green Lotus Hemp. She has worked with Canna Advisors, Cure, Cannabis Training University, and many other cannabis business clients in various states and countries.
Julie holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an M.A. in Technical Communications from MSU Mankato, and is pursuing a web development and design certificate. She also has extensive writing and research experience with non-cannabis-related medical, technical, academic, and political topics. In her spare time, Julie writes short fictio, children’s books, and short horror fiction. Her work has been published in numerous antholgies and online. Julie lives with her family in Denver, Colorado where she enjoys every changing season to the fullest.

Jenifer Marks Hillegas
Jenifer Marks Hillegas has been a Washington State licensed attorney for more than ten years. Prior to working as an attorney, she was involved in grassroots marketing campaigns for SOBE Beverage.
Jenifer brought her legal and marketing experience to Washintgons recreational cannabis market in 2013. She now owns and operates a cannabis cultivation and processing facility in the Seattle Metropolitan area. She has built two craft cannabis brands from the ground up: Sensi Organix and Blunt Royale.
Jenifer has experience in hydroponic cultivation, organic based soil cultivation, and indoor and outdoor growing. She also has extensive experience in cannabis business development, planning, and marketing. She is passionate about both the medical and recreational cannabis markets. In her consulting projects, she strives to bridge the gap between commercial grows and consumer needs. In her spare time, Jenifer loves playing soccer, futsal, and making tacos seven ways for her three kids.

Karen Getchell – Content Developer
Karen Getchell has been a cannabis educator and patient advocate for nearly 20 years. She began her journey as a patient, searching for a way to heal herself with cannabis. When she perfected her method for making cannabis oil, other patients began to seek her out. Over the last two decades, Karen has taught hundreds of people how to select strains, infuse oils, and extract cannabinoids.

In 2015, Karen started a Texas-based company to sell the hemp-infused product line she had developed. The line included topical, oral, transdermal, vape, and sublingual products, all infused with hemp-based CBD. The company closed its doors in late 2017 when CBD dispensaries became regulated in Texas. This left Karen free to move to Colorado, where she began her career in the cannabis industry.
Currently, Karen runs a successful cannabis consulting company based in Longmont, Colorado. She has partnered with Julie Dooley (of Julie’s Natural Edibles) to provide home-based cooking classes to patients in Colorado and throughout the United States. Karen is also a freelance writer with Leafly. As the Lead Content Developer at Cannabis Training University, she leads a team of cannabis experts who write new content and keep the curriculum up-to-date.

Ronnie C. (a.k.a GrowGuide420) – Master Gardener
Los Angeles, CA
Ronnie is a YouTube personality for the cannabis community, a film maker, photographer, editor, artist, activist, and arguably a master grower. He is a cannabis extraordinaire of our generation, continuously experimenting with new and old grow methods and techniques. He currently resides in southern California. Ronnie made his way into the world wide web early on in 2012 by creating his well known YouTube channel, Grow420Guide, which is focused on cannabis cultivation.

Garyn Angel – Founder, CEO MagicalButter.com, President ThinkMB
Seattle, WA
Garyn Angel oversees the strategic direction of the Seattle-based, technology company. MagicalButter manufacturers its own brand of appliances, accessories, and apparel. MagicalButter’s offices are located in Seattle, Blaine, Tampa, and Hong Kong. In 2014 Angel was selected to the CNBC NEXT List for his work with Legal Marijuana. Before taking the helm at MagicalButter, Angel held the position as President of G. Angel & Associates, Inc., a leading Advanced Estate Planning and Tax Specialty firm. Reuters Advice Point honored Angel at a Gala dinner in 2008 naming him one of America’s Top Financial Planners. A native of Florida, Angel earned a B.A. of Finance degree from the University of South Florida in 1998 and completed the College for Financial Planning Program at Florida State University in 2000. He enjoys skiing, boating, and all competitive sports.
Dr. Sean D. McAllister
California Pacific Medical Center
Dr. McAllister earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology and his doctoral degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. McAllister’s doctoral research focuses on the interactions of cannabinoids with their endogenous receptors. He completed postdoctoral training at the Forbes Norris Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Research Center.

Pierre-Yves Desprez, Lead Scientist
California Pacific Medical Center
Desprez completed his Ph.D. at the University of Lyon in France, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratories of Drs. Judith Campisi and Mina Bissell at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on extracellular matrix, mammary gland development, breast cancer and cellular senescence. He works hand in hand with Dr. Sean McAllister on the study of endocannabinoids and cancer.

James J. Clark – Medical Marijuana Defense Attorney
For more than a decade, James Clark has been dedicated to fighting on behalf of the victims of America’s “war on drugs.” As an attorney, he has devoted his practice for six years on litigating constitutional, civil, and human rights issues in state and federal courts. His focus is on defending people accused of cannabis related crimes, with the vast majority of his cases involving medical cannabis issues and defenses.

Chef Eva – Executive Chef
San Francisco, CA
Eva is a licensed executive chef who resides in San Francisco, CA. She has been making cannabis edibles for the past 20 years and is renowned for her line of delicious cannabis treats.

Tamarya Hulme – Cannacare Topical Products
Tamarya is an expert on the subject of topical cannabis applications. She offers her expertise in CTU’s topical cannabis courses and is part-owner of CannaCare Topical Cannabis Products.

Anne Mullenniex – Gardener, Artist, Baker – Arsenic Creations & CannabisOutdoorGrowing
Washington State
Anne Mullenniex, M.A. is an artist, botanist, organic gardener, a maker of ceramic pipes and a baker of delicious edibles, at home in Washington state. She is also a freelance writer online and has co-authored an outdoor grower’s guide for the Cannabis-growing beginner. She is artist/owner of Arsenic Creations and co-owner of CannabisOutdoorGrowing.

Tim Mullenniex – Master Gardener – CannabisOutdoorGrowing
Washington State

Tim Mullenniex is a retired construction contractor with a lifelong love of Cannabis. He’s been growing organic medical marijuana in the northern California Siskiyous for several years, having learned his craft from the old growers in the region. He’s developed his own methods through trial and error; each year’s crop teaches him something new, as he works with strains that are best suited to the mountain climate. Tim uses his crop medicinally for arthritis, old and new injuries, and simply for the pleasure of it. He co-authored an outdoor grow guide in 2013 (Easy Outdoor Grower’s Guide) and is currently working on a 2^nd book with his co-author. Tim is also a photographic enthusiast and his beautiful Cannabis photos can be seen at www.cannabisoutdoorgrowing.com, while several of his “growing tips” videos can be found on YouTube.

Dr. Joe Cohen – Medical Marijuana Physician
Denver & Boulder, CO
After spending the first 35 years specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Cohen ventured into the practice of cannabis medicine upon his return to Colorado from New Zealand in 2009. Throughout his career, Dr. Cohen has integrated nutrition and a healthy lifestyle- functional medicine- into his medical practice. Cannabis is a natural fit to functional medicine. This combined approach can be used effectively to guide patients toward wellness.
Dr. Cohen completed his Ob/Gyn residency training in 1979 at Bridgeport Hospital in affiliation with Yale University School of Medicine. He was in private practice in CT and CO before venturing off to Wyoming to provide care to women of the Shoshoni and Arapaho tribes and then to New Zealand where he worked with Maori women and families.
Holos Health and Journey2Life were conceived in 2009 in order to combine cannabis and functional medicine. Having cared for thousands of patients utilizing this approach, he has seen staggering results- often helping his patients to reverse disease while reducing their need for pharmaceutical drugs and procedures. Although reading texts and journals as well as attending cannabis medicine conferences is essential, Dr. Cohen believes that the wisdom necessary to practicing the art of medicine comes from patient encounters.
In addition to teaching cannabis medicine to the public, industry personnel and physicians Dr. Cohen maintains a full-time medical practice in both Boulder and Denver, CO.

Dr. Arif Khan – Medical Marijuana Physician
San Francisco, CA
Dr. Khan was a leading medical marijuana industry physician until his recent unexpected passing in July, 2014. Dr. Khan shared his vast cannabis knowledge with CTU and his passion for the medicinal aspects of cannabis can be heard in his voice.

Julie Dooley, President of Julie’s Natural Edibles
Julie Dooley, president of Julie’s Natural Edibles established in 2010 and a patient with Celiac Disease, created a premium medicated product that gluten-sensitive and health conscious adults in Colorado freely enjoy. The timeless cannabutter and cannacoconut oil extraction kept strain specific sets these edibles apart. Taking her time with plenty of research, development and finding a staff with integrity and a great work ethic she is proud of the company and product line today.
Julie spends much of her time today with Colorado marijuana industry work groups and legislators at the state and national level. When not working, Julie spends her time with family and loves hanging out on any of Colorado’s beautiful mountains. She is a happy wife for 23 years and a calm mother of 3 kind & intelligent kids all of whom are experts on the subject of cannabis.

Shawn Honaker, Founder of Yeti Farms
Yeti Farms founder Shawn Honaker has come a long way in life. An Indiana Native raised in a loving but strict home, he learned early the value of hard work. Typical of the farming agricultural community he grew up in, Shawn had his first job at 9 years old.
As Shawn came of age he had many jobs and businesses ranging from car maintenance to lawn care, later commenting this experience was priceless in cementing his focus on self-sufficiency. Once at college with his entrepreneurial experience and drive he focused on Business Finance as his major. A year away from graduating with a Degree in Business Finance he dropped out to start his career in Finance.
After a few years working in corporate finance sales, Shawn had saved enough money to start his first business. With some strategic purchases and moves Shawn developed commercial property in Rifle, Colorado and built up a thriving trucking business by his late twenties.
Living in Colorado since he was 20, Shawn experienced the Colorado lifestyle and jumped in full-heartedly, operating a small hobby ranch in Rifle while running his businesses. Shawn then watched the legalization of marijuana, both medical and recreational, and realized he was the perfect person to work in the industry.
Shawn then started the long process of building Yeti Farms. Over the next few years Shawn perfected his grow skills, specializing in soil grows using Colorado’s natural sunlight.
The Pueblo-based Yeti Farms is an anomaly in the marijuana business as it grows outdoors in the sun. In an industry where much of the product is gown in hi-tech, indoor, artificial lighting, Shawn went back to his agricultural roots and started farming again. All of Yeti Farms’ marijuana is grown outdoors in Shawn’s proprietary soil and under the natural sun.
Today with his wealth of cultivation knowledge and experience, he has focused on extracting from Yeti Farms Cannabis the finest shatter and wax. The cornerstone of Yeti farms is his high-quality, private label product “Blonde Sugar”, Yeti Farms has raised the bar on quality and consistency in the extraction marketplace.

John J. Simmonds
In my life many plants have peaked my interest, none more than cannabis. She is an amazing medicine gifted to ancient man for us to unlock all her secrets. She is a great teacher of patience and perserverence. Rare in this world is a plant that is constantly changing and evolving to better serve man with or without our help. It has changed me immeasureably and it will change all who choose to embrace her and join the journey.

Phil Samuelson – Cannabis Communications and Consulting
Phil is a communication, marketing, and publishing professional with a long history in the cannabis space. He maintains an active involvement in industry best practices and business development. Cultivation is an area of focus for him, and he enjoys monitoring emerging cultivars, as well as recognizing the importance of old established strains. A native Californian from the Central Coast, Phil and his family now reside in Colorado, where he has been able to observe and participate in the emerging cannabis industry throughout its development, in both the medical and recreational markets.

A graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in Journalism, Phil’s communications career includes leadership roles in several industries, including book publishing, the pet and veterinary industries, as well as several years in cannabis. His key areas of interest include new product development, marketing, public relations, and business promotions.
In cannabis communications, Phil has penned numerous articles on a wide range of topics, including cultivation, innovative products, hemp, business profiles, and business operations and services. His cannabis career also includes being the Editorial Advisor for Sativa magazine, the Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis Product News, and the Director of Communications for one of Denver’s largest (700+ employees) and most progressive cannabis operations, managing internal and external communications for the company’s diverse, vertically integrated business model.
Cathy Wilson
Cathy Wilson is a writer, a teacher, an artist—and a healer. She has had a long career in alternative health, especially essential oils and, since she moved to California in 2013, cannabis. She is a skilled and beloved medical intuitive, doing readings and healings in the style of Carolyn Myss. For many years, she taught writing, dance, music and art in juvenile corrections, doing what she called hands-off healing. She has also had a long and successful career as a university professor of writing. She is a dancer, a drummer, a classical musician, a published author, and a craniosacral therapist. Funny and smart, Cathy is devoted to growing, using, and formulating with high-CBD cannabis.
Read her blog at www. helpertouch.wordpress.com and, if you are lucky enough to live in California, buy her quick-and-effective topical at www.csalve.com. If you have any questions for Cathy, you can contact her at cathy@csalve.com.
Adam Pitts – Master Gardener, Breeder
Cape Cod, MA
Adam is a cannabis cultivation expert representing the East Coast area of Cape Cod Massachusetts. Adam focuses on new strain development and seed breeding.
He is co-owner of ECA Seeds and a long-time cannabis activist in the New England area. Adam has won numerous awards for his cannabis strains and extractions at Cups around the globe.