Leadership

Founding Directors

Rezwan Khan

DNA Genetics

Rezwan Khan, J.D. is the President of DNA Genetics, the most recognizable and award-winning cannabis company in the world, and co-Founder of seedleSs, the first cannabis marketing firm, incubating many of the top brands in the industry.  “Rez” is one of the most widely-respected voices within the world-wide cannabis community with decades of experience in the issues facing international and emerging cannabis marketplaces, and is a leading expert on national and international comparative cannabis law and regulatory compliance.  

Moe Asnani

iLAVA

The co-founder of the iLAVA group and a partner in two Arizona dispensaries, Moe immigrated to the United States from India in 1995 and discovered the benefits of medical marijuana when his mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.  When Arizona legalized medical marijuana in 2010, Moe made the decision to participate in the industry with the goal of helping patients who were previously faced with the unfortunate choice of breaking state and local laws or watching a loved one suffer. The iLAVA group is a vertically integrated 200+ employee company in Tucson, Arizona.

Will Senn

Urbn Leaf

Will Senn is one of the most experienced policy and business voices in the cannabis community, having pioneered successful businesses and coalitions as the Founder of Urbn Leaf, a vertically integrated Cannabis company with operations in California and Nevada, Co-Founder and Vice President of Floris Capital Management, and the Co-Founder of the United Medical Marijuana Coalition.

John De Friel

Central Coast Agriculture (Raw Garden)

John De Friel is the co-founder and CEO of Central Coast Agriculture, founder and President of the Lompoc Valley Cannabis Association, and serves on the Santa Barbara Agricultural Advisory Commission. Mr. De Friel is a bioengineer, cannabis advocate, agricultural policy advisor and has been featured in the Washington Post, among numerous other outlets, for his work.  

Officers and Chairpersons

Rezwan Khan, President

DNA Genetics

Rezwan Khan, J.D. is the President of DNA Genetics, the most recognizable and award-winning cannabis company in the world, and co-Founder of seedleSs, the first cannabis marketing firm, incubating many of the top brands in the industry.  “Rez” is one of the most widely-respected voices within the world-wide cannabis community with decades of experience in the issues facing international and emerging cannabis marketplaces, and is a leading expert on national and international comparative cannabis law and regulatory compliance.

Sam Rodriguez, Vice President

Central Coast Agriculture (Raw Garden)

Sam Rodriguez has over a decade of experience in public policy at the national and state levels. He previously served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the United Food and Commercial Workers Western State’s Council (UFCW) where he spearheaded landmark workplace and environmental legislation protecting grocery workers, elimination of plastic bags, and was integral in drafting and advocating for regulations in both medical and adult-use Cannabis in the state of California. It was Sam’s early efforts to collaborate with local government (CA cities), law enforcement (police chiefs), and Cannabis industry leaders (CCIA) that led to the development of a ‘Policy and Regulatory Framework’ allowing for the issuance of a diverse set of licenses for commercial cannabis in the California market. Prior to UFCW, Sam was the California State Director for Government Affairs for Comcast. As the California Director, he successfully pursued a policy  agenda that provided an economic platform to help stabilize the workforce and continue new investments in technology to foster growth in a highly competitive market. He has excelled in developing new programs and managing complex systems that enhance access and availability to economically  disadvantaged communities. During his tenure at the U.S. Department of Energy, he developed a Community College Science Institute, the first of its kind and received recognition from the Harvard School of Government for Innovation. He was also editor of DOE’s ‘Science in the National Interest’ – a newsletter highlighting research and development investments in projects related to energy efficiency, transportation and renewables. At the State level, he was instrumental in the creation of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and spearheaded the integration of technology to better serve employers and job seekers. He developed the ‘Technology for Teachers Initiative’ for interested engineers and network  managers who  were eligible to be science and math educators for K – 12 schools. Sam has also served at the highest levels for President Bill Clinton and Senator John Kerry when they ran for President respectively. He is graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with a B.A. in Government and Politics.

Moe Asnani, Board Treasurer

iLAVA

The co-founder of the iLAVA group and a partner in two Arizona dispensaries, Moe immigrated to the United States from India in 1995 and discovered the benefits of medical marijuana when his mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.  When Arizona legalized medical marijuana in 2010, Moe made the decision to participate in the industry with the goal of helping patients who were previously faced with the unfortunate choice of breaking state and local laws or watching a loved one suffer. The iLAVA group is a vertically integrated 200+ employee company in Tucson, Arizona.

Will Senn, Board Secretary

Urbn Leaf

Will Senn is one of the most experienced policy and business voices in the cannabis community, having pioneered successful businesses and coalitions as the Founder of Urbn Leaf, a vertically integrated Cannabis company with operations in California and Nevada, Co-Founder and Vice President of Floris Capital Management, and the Co-Founder of the United Medical Marijuana Coalition.

John De Friel, Cultivation Committee Chairman

Central Coast Agriculture

John De Friel is the co-founder and CEO of Central Coast Agriculture, founder and President of the Lompoc Valley Cannabis Association, and serves on the Santa Barbara Agricultural Advisory Commission. Mr. De Friel is a bioengineer, cannabis advocate, agricultural policy advisor and has been featured in the Washington Post, among numerous other outlets, for his work. 

Staff

Randal John Meyer, Executive Director

Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce

Randal John Meyer is the Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce. Previously, Mr. Meyer served as legislative counsel to Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) before entering private practice as a litigator and a lobbyist in top D.C. firms. His work on the topics of cannabis and criminal justice reform have been published widely in such outlets as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, National Law Journal, and Newsweek.