Our Team

Board of Directors

Trina Hazzah

Dr. Trina Hazzah

President and Co-Founder

 

Dr. Gary Richter

Vice President/Treasurer and Co-Founder

Dr. Beth Mironchik-Frankenberg

Acting Executive Director/Secretary

Charles Lozow, Esq.

Co-Founder and Advocacy Committee Chair

Michel Shane

Board Member

Cameron Hattan

Board Member

Renée Felice Smith

Board Member

Sheena Davis

Board Member

Our Mission is to create lasting solutions that ensure the safe use of cannabis in pets through education, advocacy, and promoting product standards.

Our Vision is an educated and empowered global veterinary medical cannabis community.

Email:
Click here to email us

Florida Mailing Address
7901 4th St. North, Suite 4404
St. Petersburg, FL 33702

California Mailing Address
4382 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611

Veterinary Cannabis Society is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. Tax ID #85-0986090

Veterinary Cannabis Society does not endorse any specific products.

© 2023 · Veterinary Cannabis Society

Dr. Trina Hazzah

Trina Hazzah was born and raised in Washington DC. She attended Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She completed her small animal internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey and a 3-year residency in medical oncology at the Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center, in Connecticut. She has also completed the requirements to be a Certified Veterinary Chinese Herbalist from the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Hazzah developed an interest in cannabis medicine during her quest for finding effective integrative approaches for veterinary cancer patients. She has spent the last half a decade reading though available literature, attending multiple cannabis conferences and symposiums, while also learning from cannabis physicians.  She has since given numerous lectures to veterinarians educating them on the topic of cannabis medicine. Dr. Hazzah is a founder and the co-president of Veterinary Cannabis Society and a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinician, Canadian Association of Veterinary Cannabinoid Medicine, Veterinary Cancer Society, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and California Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Gary Richter

Dr. Gary Richter is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and is certified in acupuncture, chiropractic, and Western herbology. His book on integrative medicine, “The Ultimate Pet Health Guide” was released in 2017. In addition to full-time practice, Dr. Richter is a vocal advocate for the safe use of medical cannabis for animals including being involved with the passage of AB 2215 in California, which allows veterinarians to discuss cannabis with pet owners. Dr. Richter is also a sponsor of SB 627 in California which will further protect veterinarians and pet owners by allowing veterinary recommendation of cannabis. As a founding member and co-president of the Veterinary Cannabis Society, Dr. Richter is continuing his efforts to educate the veterinary profession, support safe cannabis products for animals, and advocate for regulatory and legislative change to protect animals and the veterinary profession.

Dr. Beth Mironchik-Frankenberg

Dr. Mironchik-Frankenberg is a veterinarian with 15 years combined experience in small animal practice and shelter medicine. She is also a passionate cannabis advocate. She first discovered the world of medical cannabis during a long battle with a career-ending injury. After achieving her own impressive results, she began investigating how to spread the word to others in need. She has since left clinical practice and immersed herself in the study of cannabis science. Since 2016, she has helped educate countless others on the healing benefits of this miraculous plant. In 2018, she founded Veterinary Cannabis Consultants and now focuses on providing educational resources for cannabis use in the veterinary world.

Charles Lozow

Charles Lozow is a former farm kid with a love and passion for animals. He is a graduate of Cornell Law School with 30 years’ experience as litigator, transactional lawyer and executive and became involved in medical cannabinoid therapies for companion animals in 2016, following serving as a puppy raiser for Miracle III owned by Canine Companions for Independence. He has appeared before the California Veterinary Medical Board in support of AB 2215 and SB 627 and owns Stack Botanicals, LLC.

“VCS’s mission is critical now because more pet parents and veterinarians are seeking natural, efficacious and safe alternatives to big pharma, and what better plant is there than cannabis to set the standards? Consumers, the veterinary profession and producers of pet products using cannabis need VCS to lead the way.”

Michel Shane

Michel Shane has spent 30 years as a venerable entrepreneur. He is founder of Shane Gang Pictures, developing, creating, and executive producing blockbuster films, including Catch Me If You Can and I, Robot. He is co-founder and Co-CEO of Infinite Percent Partners, a natural products pharmaceutical company. He serves as Chair of The Emily Shane Foundation, which he co-founded to honor the memory of his daughter Emily by mentoring and tutoring to struggling middle school students through its Successful Educational Achievement program. Michel received a Lifelong Achievement Award in 2015 from President Barack Obama. He has taught Film Finance and Production at UCLA Extension and has served on the program’s Advisory Board. Michel earned his Bachelor of Communications and Marketing from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He resides in Southern California.

Cameron Hattan

Cameron is co-founder of Fiddler’s Greens and is a founding member of the Hessel Farmer’s Grange (the first grange hall to actively support cannabis operators). He has been a cannabis advocate, educator, and activist for over 30 years, and has deep knowledge of cannabis history, cannabis as medicine, and sustainable cultivation techniques. Cameron and his wife Shannon began cultivating cannabis for their small collective over a decade ago in Northern California, and they were one of the first farms to grow CBD-dominant cannabis strains which have gone primarily to medical patients in the form of tinctures and topicals. Fiddler’s Greens has won 4 Emerald Cups, multiple WeedCon Awards, and took 1st Place in the 2018 Grow-Off competition. In 2017, Fiddler’s Greens received the first cultivation permit in Sonoma County.

Renée Felice Smith

Renée Felice Smith is an actor/writer/director/ animal activist who has appeared in numerous television and Off-Broadway shows, and most notably starred on CBS’s NCIS: Los Angeles for 11 seasons where she played the quirky, quick-witted intelligence analyst Nell Jones.

Most recently, Renée wrote, directed, and produced her first award winning feature film, alongside her creative partner, Chris Gabriel, entitled THE RELATIONTRIP, which went to SXSW and is now available on HULU.

Renée graduated as an Honors Scholar at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she double majored in Drama and Journalism, minored in History. While at NYU, she studied commedia dell’arte in Florence, Italy, and also co-founded Tisch’s first student dance troupe, Pulse Dance Project.

Additionally, Renée and Chris wrote a children’s book, HUGO AND THE IMPOSSIBLE THING, published by Penguin Random House, available wherever books are sold. The tale is inspired by their tenacious first French Bulldog, Hugo, and his remarkable healing journey.

As an animal activist, Renée has partnered with North Shore Animal League America as a past Spokesperson for ‘Tour For Life’. She has lent her time to many adoption events along the tour as well as at NSALA’s largest adoption event of the year, Adoptathon. Additionally, Renée co-directed a PSA for North Shore Animal League’s Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum, an educational program that teaches students emotional and social skills through the use of shelter animals.

Renée enjoys spending her every waking moment with her three rescue pups: Mabel (English Mastiff), Alfie (Terrier/Pittie mix) and Gus (English Bulldog).

Sheena Davis

Sheena Davis, is a NYC Credentialed Veterinary Nurse, Certified Veterinary Cannabis Counselor and Veterinary Technician Specialist in Dentistry. She currently works for Abingdon Square Veterinary Clinic in the West Village. She started a Feline centered Cannabis Consulting business on December 15th, 2020 (Bigapple LVT Consulting). Her passions are Anesthesia, Pain management, Integrative medicine, Feline medicine and Dentistry. She lives with her husband and two cats Daniel & Dobby.