Cody Funderburk
President
Cody entered the MCST program after earning two undergraduate Business Administration degrees in contemporary cannabis-specific curricula. With six years of experience in cannabis retail, Cody gained valuable expertise working as an assistant manager and state-licensed Medical Cannabis Consultant in Seattle. Cody now works in homeless services for Virginia Mason Hospital Network while holding leadership roles in cannabis-adjacent values-driven organizations such as The Full Spectrum Network. Recognized as a social equity activist, Cody has collaborated with community stakeholders to shape city and statewide legislation that safeguards the rights of cannabis workers and addresses the racially disparate impacts of the War on Drugs. As the President of the Medical Cannabis Student Association, Cody strives to create new opportunities that enable the success of all students in the MCST program.
Rich DeSantis
Vice President
As part of the operations team for the MCSA, Rich plans to utilize his undergrad degree in business and a decade of professional experience in multifamily housing to help manage the overall goals and objectives of the association. An important element in MCSA’s ability to be successful, as for any organization, is effective communication. Rich possesses the unique talent of igniting vibrant discussion and fostering strong bonds, which helps to create a positive and inclusive community within the MCSA.
Rich is currently an Assistant Vice President with a multifamily development company specializing in operations, project management, development/construction, and compliance. He joined the MCST program in hopes of pivoting his skills into an industry that drives his passion and to utilize his ability to navigate through government red tape to help advocate for social equity and safe access to medical cannabis for all patients. He would like to help uplift the cannabis community and cultivate the industry culture to guarantee future policies related to expungements, first advantage for disproportionately affected communities, micro-licenses, and ensuring ethical operators who emphasize social justice. The MCSA is a great opportunity to create a network of like-minded cannabis professionals to change the industry and ensure the value of ethical practices over bad actors.
Alicia Schaal, BS, BSN, RN, PHN
1st Year VP of Education
Alicia Schaal is the owner and CEO of Midwest Cannabis Professionals, LLC, a medical cannabis healthcare consulting company. Alicia has been a nurse in Minnesota for over 23 years in many different specialties, including solid organ transplant, interventional radiology and most currently as an operating room circulator. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in medical cannabis science and therapeutics through the University of Maryland-Baltimore. As a lifelong learner, she is excited to apply her practical nursing skills in the new arena of cannabis nursing. Alicia is enthusiastic about bringing an additional option for people to enhance their quality of wellness.
Jay Ganson
1st Year VP of Advocacy
Hailing from Detroit, MI, Jay is a multifaceted cannabis industry expert with over a decade of executive sales and entrepreneurial expertise. He has been a key role-player in developing product launch strategies for cannabis brands like Hyman, PTS Grows, Infinity Wellness, and Landrace Cannabis. In addition to serving on the executive board here with the MCSA, Jay also serves on NORML's executive board for the Michigan chapter. Through his passion and service to the industry, Jay is emerging as a global thought leader in the cannabis space.
Jassmin Brown
Executive VP of Insights
Jassmin joins MCSA as the VP of Data Insights with the hope of identifying areas for improvement and suggesting strategies to enhance the organization's performance. She’s also adept at seeking student feedback to understand their needs and desires, allowing the association to better align its activities with the interests and aspirations of the student body. With her background in Business Management & Administration, Jassmin aims to streamline the organization's operations, optimize resource utilization, and implement data-driven decision-making processes, thereby fostering a culture of efficiency and innovation within MCSA. Furthermore, her collaborative leadership style and passion for empowering team members will create a cohesive and motivated environment, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie among the MCSA members and ensuring the successful execution of strategic initiatives.
Jessika Bartron
Executive VP of Outreach
Jessika is joining the MCSA executive team to develop the new position of Executive VP of Outreach. “My goals are to connect with hiring managers to raise awareness about the specialized skills of the MCST graduates and create pathways for career opportunities in the cannabis industry. I am a graduate of Salisbury State University with a background in biology and chemistry. I have been living in California and completely immersed in the cannabis industry with experience from seed to sale. My experience, strong network, and knowledge of the industry will be valuable tools to help build a program where students can easily access information about career options and hiring managers can connect with students for specialized job opportunities. I am honored to be able to serve the student body and I hope to use the knowledge and experience I have gained during the MCST program to help advance the cannabis industry by raising standards and helping to educate decision.
Arnelle Etienne
1st Year VP of Outreach
As the 1st Year VP of Outreach, Arnelle is dedicated to shaping the future of the cannabis industry and creating opportunities for MCST students and alumni. She aims to create, illuminate, and share career opportunities within the community. In a rapidly changing industry, she believes there is the power to make a difference. Arnelle's primary goal is to introduce cannabis businesses to the incredible talent within their program and establish lasting relationships for future employment and collaboration. She is passionate about forging partnerships with businesses to develop scholarships, grants, internship programs, and fellowships that will benefit both MCST students and graduates. Her passion for cannabis is deeply rooted in her belief in the healing power of nature. She has witnessed how cannabis can transform lives and maintain balance for individuals throughout their day. It's this transformative potential that drives her dedication to the cannabis industry and fuels her commitment to creating positive change.
K’hari Leno
Executive VP of Operations
I'm Khari Leno, a passionate professional dedicated to the world of cannabis science. Currently, I serve as the Vice President of Operations for the Medical Cannabis Student Association (MCSA) and work as a Lab Analyst at Steep Hill Oklahoma.
My journey in the cannabis industry began after graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering from Tuskegee University. During my undergraduate years, I founded the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency (SMART), making my university the first HBCU with a cannabis student organization.
At the MCSA, my goal is to bridge the gap between cannabis education and professional opportunities, encouraging more individuals to enter this exciting field. I'm committed to advancing both scientific rigor and professional development in the cannabis industry, making a meaningful impact in the process.
Melanie Julion
Executive VP of Advocacy
Proud to serve as the Executive Vice President of Advocacy for the Medical Cannabis Student Association, Melanie Julion is a cannabis educator, consultant, and the founder of The Cannabis Doula, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington DC that provides cannabis education, holistic support, and advocacy centering women and birthing families in communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs. As a medical cannabis patient and caregiver, Melanie was inspired to use her knowledge and experience to support parents and medical patients in safe and holistic use of cannabis while working at a licensed medical cannabis cultivation center in 2015. With a background in family social services, Melanie incorporates her professional training as a doula and expertise acquired through UMB’s Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics program to support communities in advocating for safe access to quality cannabis, culturally-competent cannabis education and care, in addition to cannabis reparations to expand social and health equity in Black and Indigenous communities. Melanie’s goal for Advocacy is to inspire MCSA members to become passionate cannabis advocates and educators in their respective professions and communities. Let’s Shatter the Stigma!
Ma-jeanne Nganga -
Executive VP of Membership
My name is Ma-Jeanne Nganga, I’m from Salinas, California, and I will be serving as a first-year Vice President of Membership for the Medical Cannabis Student Association. My passion for cannabis has blossomed from growing up in California. I’ve seen the industry grow right before my eyes, and as soon as I realized the potential it has to help people therapeutically, I decided to learn more about it and how I can positively contribute and fight against a system that has been responsible for the imprisonment and unfair treatment of people of color. I believe that the MCST program has a unique way of bringing all types of people together all for the right reasons, and I want to do my best in assisting in that.
Darionna Malone
Director of MCSA Business Owners
Darionna Malone is a professional chemist in the cannabis industry, from Southern California. She is well versed in both the extraction processes and analytical testing of medical cannabis. Darionna is also the creator of Dariiiqueen Elements, a small cannabis essential brand that she is looking forward to growing. She loves to see minorities breaking the negative stigmas that medical cannabis has grown to have and putting that passion into creative efforts. She hopes to bring other small businesses to light, especially those with the knowledge from the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program. As a chronic pain patient, Darionna has used and advocated for medical cannabis and its therapeutic effects, but also understands the hazards and short cuts that are abused in the industry. She hopes to bridge that gap by pushing forward the knowledge she learns in the MCST program along with the connections that she makes along the way.
Victoria Grasso
Executive VP of Marketing
I come to the MCST program with a professional background as a clinical research professional which has motivated me to want to see a world where our clinical trials move out of testing newly developed pharmaceuticals on patients to utilizing various methods of cannabis administration as investigational treatment. It is my goal that this program will grant me the knowledge necessary to advocate for the rescheduling of cannabis, as we know it does have medical properties, and should at least be a schedule 2 drug, so we are able to utilize it in federally funded clinical trials. During my time in the Medical Cannabis Student Association I plan to build lasting fruitful relationships with my peers so that we will all be able to support one another to reach our individual goals for growing the medical cannabis industry. As the saying goes, it takes a village, this applies to anything in life that you want to accomplish especially if you want it done right, you need a village who has your back. It is my intention to support the MCSA in being the best possible village to fight the uphill battle of moving the medical cannabis industry forward. My passion for medical cannabis comes from my family history of Retinitis pigmentosa, where I have seen numerous of my family members utilize cannabis medicinally for reduction of ocular pressure as well as some saying that after the onset of their cannabis use they believe the progression of their vision loss slowed.
Dr. Tiffany Buckley
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Tiffany Buckley earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California San Francisco. She completed her acute care pharmacy residency at Yale New Haven Health, then completed specialized residency in psychiatric pharmacy at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist. Currently, Dr. Buckley teaches Advanced Cannabis Therapeutics for Neuropsychiatric Disorders in the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She practices as an advanced practice psychiatric pharmacist at a maximum-security psychiatric hospital in Maryland, where she specializes in medication management. Dr. Buckley’s interests include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, medical cannabis, teaching, curriculum design, and evidence-based medicine.