Our Team

Executive Committee

Trina Hazzah

Dr. Trina Hazzah

Dr. Gary Richter

Dr. Beth Mironchik-Frankenberg

Education Committee

Trina Hazzah

Dr. Trina Hazzah

Interim Chair

Dr. Malgorzata Meunier

Dr. Ajay Srivastava

Hunter Land

Dr. Stephanie McGrath

Dr. Susan Trapp

Dr. Joli Jarboe

Dr. Zac Pilossoph

Dr. Holly Hommerding

Advocacy Committee

Charles Lozow

Chair

Dr. Jeff Pollard

Dr. Jeff Powers

Dr. Andy Fleming

Dr. Gary Richter

Development Committee

Cameron Hattan

Michel Shane

Kimberly Peri

Tamara Forand Crawford

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:
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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.

Dr. Malgorzata Meunier

Dr. Małgorzata Meunier was born and raised in Poland, lived and studied in France, worked and gained her professional experience in Switzerland.

Dr. Meunier holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and was formerly acting as R&D Lead and Principal Scientist in several pharmaceutical companies (GSK Consumer Healthcare, Sunstar, Vifor Pharma, OM Pharma) collaborating with three different continents, always in multicultural and international teams (Japan, India, USA, Israel).

Dr. Meunier has been living in Israel for 3 years and is working as VP BD & Innovation in Panaxia Pharmaceuticals Ltd., in charge of the global business expansion and innovation strategy of Panaxia’s pharmaceutical products.

Dr. Ajay Srivastava

Dr Ajay Srivastava is a leading expert in nutrition and neuropharmacology with 20 years of experience in nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical product Development. He obtained his masters (MS) in medical pharmacology and doctorate in neuropharmacology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He also holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine and a BS in life sciences.

Ajay received his post-doctoral training in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Utah, his certificate in clinical pharmacology from the National Institutes of Health, and executive education in product innovation from Harvard Business School.

Currently Dr. Srivastava is serving as Chief Scientific Officer of the Vets Plus group of companies as well as Phytobinol LLC, a hemp research company in Wisconsin. Before Joining Vets Plus, Ajay served as a research faculty and senior scientist in the anticonvulsant drug development program at University of Utah, where his primary area of research was drug development in pharmaco-resistant seizure disorders. Ajay was the founder of Nutraceutra LLC, a nutraceutical consulting firm. He was also a co-founder of Anivive Life Sciences, a California based veterinary pharmaceutical company. Ajay is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Srivastava was the first scientist who proposed the antioxidant and neuroprotective role of melatonin and resveratrol in post traumatic seizures and published his findings in many peer reviewed journals. He has also worked extensively on the role of nutraceuticals in cognition and stroke and has published research findings in top peer reviewed journals. He has co-authored more than 25 book chapters and review articles and owns several patents on nutraceuticals in health and disease. Ajay is the reviewer of several scientific journals and a member of numerous scientific bodies including The American Nutrition Association and The International Brain Research Organization. Ajay frequently speaks on nutraceutical topics, particularly on obesity, cognition, and nutraceutical product development.

Most recently Ajay has co-edited the book, Nutraceuticals: Efficacy and Safety in Veterinary Medicine and is currently editing a book on nutraceutical efficacy and safety in humans. Ajay is a trained chef and in his leisure he likes to innovate in the kitchen as he believes cooking is not just an art but a science.

Hunter Land

Hunter Land, PhD, MS is the Vice President of Research & Development at Biopharmaceutical Research Company, one of the few DEA Schedule I, FDA compliant cannabinoid research and development companies. He has 20 years of R&D expertise across 25 different indications, as well as 12 years of cannabinoid-focused research. As an expert in the field of cannabinoid science, he has developed a pipeline of discovery work on over 20 novel cannabinoids and terpenes. Previously, Dr. Land acted as the Sr. Scientific Director, Director of Cannabinoid Research, and scientific spokesperson at Canopy Growth Corporation, the world’s largest cannabis producer. Most notably, he was GW Pharma’s first full-time R&D employee in the US, where he played a critical role in the development of Epidiolex® (FDA-approved prescription CBD) and Sativex®, and co-authored multiple protocols for the treatment of refractory epilepsy (Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome), multiple sclerosis, and pain. Dr. Land has presented at over 50 scientific conferences, is a named inventor on nine patent applications, and has over 20 publications. In addition, he serves as a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur as a cannabinoid subject matter expert. Dr. Land also holds several other important positions, including Chief Scientific Officer for the National Hockey League Alumni/NEEKA Brain Health, Executive Board Member at Alterola Biotech, co-founder of the Cannabinoid Education Working Group, and member of the advisory board for the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation.

Dr. Stephanie McGrath

Dr. McGrath is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Sciences Department and head of the Neurology Service at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She received her Bachelor’s degree at Columbia University, completed the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Michigan State University, and did an internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. Dr. McGrath completed the neurology residency program at Colorado State University and has been a faculty member there since 2012. She is board- certified in veterinary neurology and, for the past 13 years, has been working in the highly specialized field of medical and surgical neurology. Her responsibilities include clinical duties, didactic teaching for veterinary and post-graduate students, and research activities. Dr. McGrath’s research has been dedicated to finding novel treatments for canine epilepsy, canine brain tumors, cognitive dysfunction, and canine inflammatory central nervous system diseases. For the past six years, her research efforts have been primarily focused on cannabis, both in a laboratory setting and with clinical trials utilizing client-owned animals with naturally-occurring diseases. Her groundbreaking cannabis research and expertise is highly regarded and internationally recognized. She has been successful in generating and utilizing pre-clinical data to perform clinical trials in a variety of naturally-occurring canine and feline diseases, most of which serve as a strong translational model for humans. Most recently, Dr. McGrath was granted the 2020 Zoetis Award for Research Excellence, honoring her impactful, innovative, and successful research program.

Dr. Susan Trapp

Dr. Susan Trapp is a 20-year biotechnology expert with a vision to accelerate patient-centric cannabis and endocannabinoid discoveries through education and research.  She attended the University of Maryland where she earned her Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry with a focus on plant and fungal terpenoids. Dr. Trapp completed her 3-year postdoctoral educational training at the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Washington State University where she continued her research on terpenoid genomics and genetic engineering within a seminal terpenoid research laboratory. Prior to her graduate work in the early nineties, Susan had the opportunity to work directly with Dr. Craig Venter, on the human genome project which has definitely influenced her research fascination in genomics, personalized medicine, and computational biology.  Susan has a number of peer-review publications, book chapters, podcasts, and presentations on terpenes, terpene genomics, human genomics, and canine, and breast cancer biomarker identification.

Dr. Trapp earned her nickname as the ‘Queen of Terpenes’ by serving as a scientific advisor and valued consultant for cannabis and hemp companies as they continue to navigate the function of terpenes in products. Motivated by her passion for education, Dr. Trapp utilizes her in-depth knowledge of terpenes to educate the cannabis community at conferences and conventions nationwide. Susan Trapp also serves as an instructor for the Cannabinoid Industry Association’s accredited courses.

Since making the shift to cannabis, Susan co-founded several ancillary cannabis companies and is a recent graduate of Canopy Boulder’s cannabis business accelerator program. Her current projects include launching two terpene and cannabinoid-focused startups: Terpedia and EndoSyn Biosciences. Dr. Trapp is a founder and CEO of Terpedia, a digital scientific terpene knowledge-base with curated data and terpene – cannabinoid consultancy. Terpedia provides recommendations, formulations, validation, and effectiveness studies.  Susan is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, International Society for Plant-Microbe Interactions, and Society for Computational Biology.

Dr. Joli Jarboe

A native of Shepherdsville, KY, Dr. Joli Jarboe graduated from the Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. After spending a year in private practice and two years in a 24-hr referral hospital as an emergency clinician in Ft. Pierce, FL, she began a three-year neurology residency at the University of Missouri-Columbia and stayed on as a Clinical Instructor for another 1.5 yrs. Private practice has taken her to Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Cincinnati, OH; and Leesburg, VA. She has called Leesburg, VA and Bush Veterinary Neurology home since August 2009, serving as Medical Director for 5 years and continuing on as senior Neurologist/Neurosurgeon.

She has been actively involved with the training of neurology residents and interns since completing her Neurology Residency in 1999. She is past secretary of the Veterinary Neurosurgical Society. Her clinical interests revolve around all aspects of neurosurgery with a passionate interest in brain and cervical neurosurgery. She has become renowned for her interest and support of cannabinoid therapy in veterinary medicine in the past 15 years and is a passionate proponent of this adjuvant therapy. In 2017, she aligned herself with Zilis, a cannabinoid science supplement company manufacturing Ultracell, a full spectrum water soluble phytocannabinoid supplement and currently serves on their Medical Advisory Board. She is also an active consultant for Veterinary Cannabis Education and Consulting and a member of Veterinary Cannabis Society. She is a contributing author in 2021 Springer edition of Veterinary Cannabis Therapy in Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Zac Pilossoph

Dr. Zac Pilossoph is a nationally recognized Fear-Free integrative veterinarian and top graduate of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He is currently a front-line medical cannabis-focused vet in the integrative and holistic medicine space, advocating for the numerous benefits cannabis-based therapies can offer to all types of animals when applied responsibly. Furthermore, Dr. Zac enjoys balancing conventional western medicine techniques with holistic-based remedies both in practice and through his private telehealth platform Nayked Pet™ in order to maximize pet health, wellness, and longevity from the very beginning of life. With integrative medicine still being a relatively novel approach to patient care, Dr. Zac is extremely excited to be at the forefront of this movement alongside a select group of colleagues who also believe in the same principles he has come to trust and uphold.

Holly Hommerding

Holly Hommerding was born and raised in central Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science in 2005 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2008. Holly spent an early and fulfilling career in small animal general practice in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis through 2016, where her love for life-long patient care and preventative medicine, elder-life care, and an early interest in the potential benefits of cannabis in veterinary patients began to harmonize.

Dr. Hommerding joined Pet Poison Helpline in 2014, through which she was afforded the opportunity to specialize in veterinary toxicology. Holly became a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (ABT) in 2018 and a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology (ABVT) in 2022. Her work in clinical veterinary toxicology at Pet Poison Helpline has cultured and fostered an interest and appreciation for the complexities of the endocannabinoid system and the pharmacologic and clinical behavior of cannabis in companion animals. She most enjoys discussing the toxicological considerations of cannabis in pets with colleagues and animal guardians alike through consultation and lecture opportunities, and she continues to pursue knowledge in the ever growing and changing corner of this field. With gratitude to her mentors, Dr. Hommerding has most recently welcomed opportunities to share the toxicological considerations of cannabis in pets through contributions to several veterinary textbooks.

Holly lives in the Twin Cities area with her comical golden retrievers, her strong-willed cat, and her very geriatric small parrot.

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.”

Jeff Pollard

Dr. Pollard received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 from the University of Naples, Italy. Upon graduation, he worked in a mixed animal practice for several years before getting bit by the “ER bug.” Dr. Pollard has since practiced emergency/critical care medicine for the majority of his 25- year career.

In 2006, Dr. Pollard became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, and is currently one of only eight veterinarians in San Diego County with this distinction! He has judged the Science & Engineering Fair for many years and served as a representative of the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association.

When not pursuing his passion for veterinary medicine, Dr. Pollard is an inveterate gardener and a firm believer in the adage that gardening is cheaper than therapy; and you get tomatoes!

Jeffrey Powers

Dr. Jeffrey Powers earned his veterinary degree with Honors from Michigan State University in 1980. Powers began clinical practice in the 1980, practicing in rural southeastern Michigan in predominantly dairy and equine practice. He founded South Sanilac Veterinary Hospital in 1983 and has practiced in both large and small animal practice ever since. He is currently the owner of Veterinary Clinics North in Northern Michigan with practices in East Jordan and Beaver Island Michigan. Dr Powers also provides equine and small animal veterinary services to Mackinac Island, Michigan. Dr Powers was President of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association in 1997 and has served on numerous MVMA and AVMA Committees and Councils. Dr Powers is currently the Chairman of the AVMA’s Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents and was formerly Chairman of the Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee. He also helped to create the AVMA Working Group on Cannabis and formerly served as its chair. Dr Powers has a small hemp farm on Beaver Island in Northern Lake Michigan where he grows organically produced hemp in a unique Island climate environment. He is a frequent speaker on the practical use of Cannabis in Domestic Animals and has also led efforts in his home state of Michigan to develop legislation that will allow the veterinarian to legally discuss cannabis use in animals with their owners. Dr Powers also recently served on an ASPCA Think Tank on the Access to Basic Veterinary Care, with a focus on providing veterinary care to all income demographics in the United States.

Andy Fleming

Andy Fleming is a native of New York City. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Biology from SUNY at Stony Brook in 1977. He earned a Masters Degree in Public Health and Microbiology from Wagner College in 1978. Andy attended the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy and finished a course in Italian language and culture in that same year. He was admitted to the University of Parma, Italy to study Veterinary Medicine in autumn 1978. He earned his veterinary degree in 1985.

He returned to the United States in 1985 completing post-graduate clinical training at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan that same year. Dr Fleming purchased Cats Exclusively Veterinary Hospital in 1993. He managed Cats Exclusively until 2015.

With a keen interest in traditional and herbal therapy Andy graduated from the Chi Institute for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in fall 2015 after completing acupuncture training. He finished an additional course in advanced acupuncture technique in January 2019.

He has served on the Board of  the Genesee Valley Veterinary Medical Association as Treasurer, President, and State representative to NYSVMS. He has been active in the New York State Veterinary Medical Society for most of his career and is currently President of NYSVMS (2020). Andy has also served on the Board of Directors of local humane organizations over the last 25 years. 

Currently Dr Fleming studies the biology and pharmacology of cannabis and the potential applications of cannabis in Veterinary Medicine.

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.

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.

Kimberly Peri

Kim has volunteered and led fundraising programs mainly with Golden Rescue organizations for over 20 years. This included planning and coordinating the annual charity golf tournament for Rescue a Golden of Arizona which raised more than $500k over the span of nine years. During her tenure with Rescue a Golden of Arizona, she also coordinated fundraising efforts for rescuing Golden Retrievers from Puppy Mill Operations in Arkansas and Iowa. And she acted as the organizations Behavior & Training Liaison where she was able to network with and coordinated behavior rehabilitation modification for dogs that came into the rescue system. Kim worked with local trainers to evaluate behaviorally challenged dogs to determine if they could be rehabilitated and adopted out to loving families.

Kim has played an active role with the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study since 2012. She is a member and participant of the volunteer committee whereby she helped recruit dogs to join the study when enrollment was open and also assisted in organizing the 5th year anniversary celebration in Denver, CO. She enrolled her own Golden, Indy in the study known as Hero #123.

Currently, Kim is a member of the Valle del Sol Golden Retriever club. She has been a member of the club since 2011. Kim has served in various roles on the board during her tenure with Valle del Sol Golden Retriever club including club Secretary, President and Vice President. As of 2020, Kim acts as an advisor to the current Board and secures funding for trophies by soliciting donations for trophy sponsorships for the Club’s annual Specialty show.

Kim volunteers with Oakton Community college. On an annual basis she has been asked to review scholarship applications from students requesting funding from the school to assist and offset their education expenses.

Kim graduated from Roosevelt University with a BA in Economics. She is currently employed with Charles Schwab & Co. as a risk manager.