CTU Faculty

Dr. Phil DiGiacomo is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician who has been in practice for over 10 years. While working in the ER, Dr. DiGiacomo became acutely aware of how often modern Western medicine fails patients. He witnessed several patients suffering from chronic pain, intractable seizures, paralyzing anxiety and PTSD, despite treatment with prescription medications. This realization led him to the field of medical cannabis.

Dr. DiGiacomo is a firm believer that cannabis is medicine and has the potential to help millions of people. He has dedicated himself to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the benefits of cannabis.

Karen gained expertise in developing training programs and technical documentation as a Senior Editor at Cisco Systems. She began her journey in cannabis as a patient, searching for a way to heal herself. When she perfected a method for making cannabis oil, other patients began to seek her out. An early adopter of CBD medicine, she started her CBD-infused-products business in 2014. Over the last two decades, Karen has taught hundreds of patients and caregivers how to select strains, infuse oils, and extract cannabinoids.

When she isn’t teaching cannabis cooking classes, Karen works as a cannabis business consultant, writes for online cannabis publications like Leafly and Weedmaps, and runs a CBD-infused-product business.

After spending the first 35 years of his career 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 Connecticut and Colorado before venturing off to Wyoming to provide care to women of the Shoshoni and Arapaho tribes. He then moved on 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, Colorado.

Jenifer’s experience includes grassroots marketing at fortune 500 companies. She has built two craft cannabis brands from the ground up.  She has written winning cannabis licenses for multiple cannabis companies. She has extensive experience in cannabis business development, planning, and marketing. She currently owns and operates a cannabis cultivation/extraction facility in Seattle, Washington and has experience in hydroponic cultivation, organic-based soil cultivation, and indoor and outdoor growing.

Luis holds a M.S. in Plant Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science and is a contributor Maximum Yield Magazine. He is a long-time cannabis grower, and has advanced knowledge in both indoor and outdoor growing. He has put his focus on breeding cannabis and development of organic soils for tropical regions. He loves how much the industry has grown and changed. He hopes to pass on new and old knowledge to all cannabis growers across the world.

John believes that cannabis is a gift to humanity. “She is a great teacher of patience and perseverance. 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 immeasurably and it will change all who choose to embrace her and join the journey.”

Dustin is a Probiotic Horticulturist & Soil Consultant. He is actively revolutionizing the cannabis industry in Colorado. He works closely with Innovative Organics Soil Company developing and refining cutting edge probiotic cultivation techniques for commercial cannabis growers. His work eliminates the use of all synthetic fertilizers and pesticides with no loss in yield. He is dedicated to proving that Probiotic Soil Management consistently delivers the highest quality harvests at the lowest possible cost.

Dustin has been responsible for the success of hundreds of acres of outdoor cannabis & hemp, as well as tens of thousands of indoor plants. The accomplishment he takes the most pride in is the prevention of countless applications of dangerous chemicals & pesticides into our Mother Earth by educating farmers on sustainable probiotic growing techniques.

Bob has successfully managed both indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation for many leading Colorado cannabis grow facilities.

Bob specializes in organic cannabis growing methods and has produced some of the world's finest marijuana. Bob has won multiple Cannabis Cup awards for his finest strains. Bob teaches how to grow cannabis at Cannabis Training University for all levels of marijuana growers, beginner to expert.

Dion was born and raised in Colorado. He served in the United States Marine corps, and started cultivating plants in 2013 after he was honorably discharged. He quickly became head cultivator of the cannabis dispensary Berkeley MMC. In 2015, Dion began his own cannabis and hemp horticultural consulting company.

Dion’s cultivation experience spans a variety of growing techniques, including salt synthetics, organics, and probiotics. His extraction experience is in CO2, short path distillation, BHO, solventless extraction, and rosin. He has been a product development specialist in Rhizosphere dynamics, fungi, anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, and mycology. He is known for his experimentation in honing the connection of probiotics and the growth of terpene/cannabinoid production.

Dion currently works as a lavender farm owner, and as a consultant with ECOBIOCORE, a soil probiotic company. Dion truly believes one day we all will change the way horticulture and cannaculture are grown, and it will be without GMOs.

Shawn grew up in a farming agricultural community. When marijuana was legalized, he realized he was the perfect person to work in the industry.

Shawn started building Yeti Farms and perfected his grow skills, specializing in soil grows using Colorado’s natural sunlight. All of the Pueblo-based company's marijuana is grown outdoors in Shawn’s proprietary soil and under the natural sun.

Now, Shawn focuses on extracting cannabinoids from Yeti Farms Cannabis to create 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.

He unexpectedly passed in July, 2014. His passion for the medicinal aspects of cannabis can be heard in his voice.

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 has worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratories of doctors Judith Campisi and Mina Bissell at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His specialties include extracellular matrix, mammary gland development, breast cancer, and cellular senescence.

MagicalButter’s offices are located in Seattle, Blaine, Tampa, and Hong Kong. In 2014 Angel was selected to be on 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. 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.

Bringing healthy infused products to market is Julie’s passion and focus. She’s been creating edibles since 2009. Her specialties are recipe creation and modifications, costing, ingredient procurement, Standard Operating Procedures, staff training, Laboratory liaison, Legal liaison, food and cannabis regulations/compliance expertise, kitchen design, and kitchen equipment procurement.

In 2014, Dr. Thompson founded and became the CEO of extraktLAB, Supercritical CO2 Extraction Equipment & GMP Manufacturing Solutions. In addition to owning his own extraction business, he has helped companies across the US and Canada obtain hemp and cannabis licenses, and operationally set up their businesses for success. His hemp and cannabis business consulting expands across all facets of the industry, including extraction, cultivation, and general business planning.

As a scientist, Dr. Thompson has worked in engineering firms doing separation science on a global level.

As an attorney, James has devoted his practice for several 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.

While attending law school at Western Michigan University, Theresa focused her studies on legal research and writing. As a Senior Associate Editor for Law Review, she was responsible for final edits for published law review articles. Theresa also served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Judge John Badalamenti at Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals, where she excelled in legal research. In addition, Theresa was a student intern for Hoban Law Group, the nation’s leading cannabis law firm. Here, she was able to learn in depth about Colorado’s cannabis and hemp laws. While an intern, Theresa was also involved in Colorado’s Special Issues Marijuana Committee where she was able to engage in proposed changes to both Colorado’s medical and recreational cannabis use programs.

Eric also serves as a Marketing and Brand Strategist for Pure Cannalabs, a premium processed products consultancy. He speaks frequently at seminars in the cannabis space about solventless processing. Eric is one of the premier experts in the solventless extraction space and works closely with some of the top labs across the country. As a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder's nationally recognized Advertising program, Eric's primary focus is on cannabis brand building and business growth.

Daniel specializes in purging raw extracts, distillation/separation, and creating concentrated marijuana products.

Darek is an entrepreneur at heart, who strives to succeed and make a difference for those who need it most.  Darek has a background in news media and is a former Division One collegiate soccer player.

He's written for nearly every sector in the industry including cultivators, processors, retailers, and brands. At CTU, Fred writes new blog posts about industry developments and updates the blog archive with new information. He writes weekly strain profiles and develops and updates course content.

During his tenure in the industry, Jon has worked in cultivation, processing, extraction, formulation, operations analysis, strategic advisory, and consulting for ancillary products.

Some of his recent projects include the environmental controls and SOPs for a cultivation facility, a water-soluble extraction method for the Canadian beverage market, and methods for cannabinoid separation using flash chromatography. He currently owns the consulting firm Applied Ecophysiology, which integrates sustainable principles from Controlled Environment Agriculture and Agroecology into the cultivation of cannabis.

Julie 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, 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.

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Adam has always demonstrated persistence and passion in the arts. While studying electronic media production and photojournalism at Kent State University, he also served as a tour manager and production manager for a nationally touring artist based in Ohio.

Upon graduating with his Bachelor's degree from Kent State University, Adam followed his heart to Colorado where he began working as the Production Coordinator and quickly shifted to a full-time camera operator and editor position for Engine7 Media. In 2017, Adam started Mile High Media House to continue to push his creative boundaries and naturally blur the lines between work and play.

Ed brings his cannabis experience into his writings, teachings, and lessons. He is regarded by many as the best cannabis grower in the world.

“Ed Rosenthal holds the distinction of turning more people on to pot than Cheech and Chong.” – Tommy Chong

“Mr. Rosenthal is the pothead’s answer to Ann Landers.” – Judge Judy

“Martha Stewart, and the Burpee Garden Wizard all in one.” – The New York Times

Ed Rosenthal is the world’s leading expert on the cultivation of cannabis. In his more than forty years as the “Guru of Ganja,” he has written or edited more than a dozen books. His books about marijuana cultivation and social policy have cumulatively sold over two million copies.

All CTU students get FREE ACCESS to some of Ed Rosenthal’s cannabis ebooks!

Ed’s “Ask Ed”® marijuana advice column ran in High Times for several decades. It still appears internationally. His books, including The Marijuana Grower’s Handbook, are the official textbooks at Cannabis Training University. Ed’s books are the only marijuana books to be reviewed by the New York Times.

Currently Rosenthal consults for commercial growers throughout the world, both independently and as a team member of Quantum 9, a cannabis consulting service. Beyond the garden, Rosenthal views marijuana law as a crucial social issue. He has been active in promoting and developing policies of civil regulation. In 2003 he was tried in federal court for marijuana cultivation. In the trial, the jury was not allowed to hear that he was deputized by the City of Oakland to provide marijuana for patients. His trial shifted public opinion in favor of state medical marijuana laws.

He currently serves as the Executive Director of Green Aid: The Medical Marijuana Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Rosenthal has also served as an expert witness for federal, state, and civil marijuana cases for over thirty years.

Books by Ed Rosenthal include:

• Beyond Buds, Next Generation: Marijuana Concentrates and Cannabis Infusions
• Beyond Buds: Marijuana Extracts, Hash, Vaping, Dabbing, Edibles, and Medicines
• Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits
• Marijuana Garden Saver
• Marijuana Grower's Handbook
• Marijuana Harvest: Maximizing Quality & Yield in Your Cannabis Garden
• Protect Your Garden
• Marijuana Pest & Disease Control
• Medical Marijuana 101
• The Best of Ask Ed
• Marijuana Success Indoors
• Closet Cultivator

Jeff and his team travel the world attending cannabis events. He engages with the latest industry advancements & techniques to ensure our students remain at the forefront of the cannabis industry from the moment they enroll with CTU.

After a distinguished career as a collegiate basketball player, including a personal best 50-point scoring effort in a regulation game, Jeff found relief from a lasting injury through the use of medical cannabis. This personal experience inspired him to learn more about the amazing potential of cannabis as medicine. This led to the creation of CTU as a way to spread all he had learned.

Since then, Jeff has grown CTU into a full-fledged online cannabis college. He has added a talented staff of educators and faculty members to reach thousands of students all across the globe, each searching for the best path into the booming cannabis industry. Jeff has grown CTU from its very first student in 2009 to now over 50,000 students worldwide.