Intellex Acquires Expert by Big Village

We're thrilled to announce that Intellex has acquired Expert by Big Village, effective March 22, 2024. This strategic move enhances our capabilities and strengthens our commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to our customers.

Stay tuned for more updates on how this acquisition will benefit our clients and experts.

For inquiries or more information, please contact us at info@intellex.com.

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Expert Details

Cannabis Horticulture: Plant Science, Facility Design, Licensing, Compliance, Training, Optimization, and Profitability

ID: 739817 Louisiana, USA

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Expert has been a cannabis cultivator, teacher, and consultant for over 29 years. He began his work with medical cannabis in 1994 while attending U.C Berkeley, and was active in decriminalization efforts in Oakland and Berkeley, as well as organizing efforts for the first state to legalize medical cannabis in California in 1996. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he worked and volunteered in public health, research and education at the Berkeley Free Clinic, UCSF, LYRIC LGBT youth center, and the Harm Reduction Training Institute. During this time, he also helped found and operate several legal medical cannabis farms in Northern California.

In 2006, Expert helped build the Oaksterdam Nursery, which was the largest cannabis nursery in the state at that time. He managed the daily production of thousands of clones for the statewide medical market. During this time, he also worked in the Oakland-licensed medical cannabis dispensary, SR-71/Coffeeshop Blue Sky. In 2007, he helped develop and teach the first horticulture classes at Oaksterdam University and has been teaching there ever since. As the current Horticulture Department Chair and Lead Horticulture Instructor he has led the development of the entire Horticulture Curriculum and helped teach over 80,000 U.S. and international students about cannabis cultivation, science, regulations, and how to design, license, and operate a compliant cannabis business. During this time, Expert also founded Let It Grow Consulting, and has since worked with dozens of indoor, greenhouse and outdoor clients across the nation.

In 2014, Expert joined the Board of Directors at Sparc, San Francisco’s premiere medical cannabis dispensary. That year, his Nevada company was awarded four NV-state medical cannabis cultivation and manufacturing licenses for two commercial facilities currently operating in Las Vegas.

In 2015, he was a featured presenter at the Native Nations Cannabis Symposium and at the MJ Business Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, the world’s premiere cannabis conference, where he lectured on sustainable cannabis cultivation.

In 2017, Expert joined the Hood Incubator, an accelerator program for people of color trying to enter the cannabis industry. At this time, he also became Sparc’s Cultivation Director, helping to run a commercial indoor facility in San Francisco, and to design, license and launch a multi-acre, outdoor and greenhouse, adult- use, cannabis farm in Sonoma County, CA. Within two years, Expert was able to secure Demeter Biodynamic certification for this farm, the oldest and most prestigious international, sustainable farming certification on the planet. He is also lead consultant for a second, Demeter Biodynamic outdoor, cannabis farm in Sonoma County owned and operated by renowned biodynamic winemaker, Mike Benziger.

In 2018, Expert secured cultivation and manufacturing licenses for a currently operating, commercial cannabis company in Rhode Island. In 2019, Let It Grow Consulting helped their client secure four highly competitive cultivation and manufacturing licenses in Missouri. This company is currently operating in multiple facilities totaling over 100,000 sq. ft. And in 2021, another client successfully won cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, and retail licenses for a 17,000 sq. ft, mixed-light, greenhouse facility in Contra Costa, CA. Expert most recently helped a client win cultivation, manufacturing, and retail licenses in New Jersey and design their 30,000 square foot facility in Atlantic City.

Expert is a contributing author and editor for Ed Rosenthal's Cannabis Grower's Handbook (2021). He has been featured on National Geographic, CNBC, NPR, the Atlantic, Washington Post, High Times, Press Democrat, SF Bay Guardian, and Leafly.

He has worked as an expert witness on several cases, where his work entailed:
- Authoring an expert report for an intellectual property lawsuit regarding claims about proprietary cannabis cultivars, facility design/equipment investments and improvements, operational and quality control procedures, programming, and training.
- Offering a range of expert witness services for a lawsuit regarding claims of cannabis crop loss due to alleged negligence of a security contractor at a commercial cannabis cultivation facility.
- Providing expert opinions and testimony during mediation leading to resolution via settlement.
- Providing a range of expert witness services for a lawsuit regarding claims of cannabis crop loss due to a fire alleged to be started by a dehumidifier at a commercial cannabis cultivation facility.
- Providing deposition testimony and written opinions helping the client win a pre-trial settlement.
- Providing a range of expert witness services for the plaintiff in a lawsuit regarding crop loss due to alleged, faulty construction methods and mechanical system malfunction (air conditioning, heating, and dehumidification systems).

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1999 Degree: BS Subject: Tropical Ecosystem Ecology Institution: U.C. Berkeley
Year: 1997 Degree: N/A Subject: Tropical Ecosystem Ecology Institution: PUC - Rio de Janeiro (Education Abroad Program)

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2007 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Horticulture Department Chair and Lead Instructor Department: Horticulture Department
Responsibilities:
Oversee the Horticulture Department for America's first & premiere cannabis college. Responsibilities include curriculum development, instruction, and student mentoring re: cannabis horticultural science, facility design, technologies, licensing, compliance, optimization, and finance.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2007 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: Founder and Lead Consultant Department:
Responsibilities:
Professional consulting for individuals and organizations in legal cannabis states. Responsibilities include expert support for cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility licensing, design, technologies, construction supervision, staffing, training, compliance, optimization, and finance.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2021 to 2021 Employer: Cannabis Grower's Handbook Title: Contributing Author and Editor Department:
Responsibilities:
Cannabis horticulture expert contributor for Ed Rosenthal’s new book.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2019 to 2021 Employer: C4 Pharms Title: Cultivation Director and Consultant Department:
Responsibilities:
Licensed, designed, supervised construction, staffing, launch and compliance for a Missouri cannabis company with three 30,000sf cultivation licenses and one manufacturing license.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2019 to 2019 Employer: Demeter USA Title: Member Department: Cannabis Standards Advisory Committee
Responsibilities:
Advisor for development of cannabis specific standards for Biodynamic certification in the US.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2017 to 2019 Employer: SPARC / Terra Luna Farms Title: Cultivation Director Department:
Responsibilities:
Licensed, designed, supervised construction, staffing, training, launch and compliance for a multiple-license, biodynamic-certified, greenhouse and outdoor, cannabis farm for N. California's premiere dispensary chain.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2017 to 2017 Employer: Hood Incubator Title: Mentor Department:
Responsibilities:
Free industry training for POC, LGBT, disabled and low income cannabis entrepreneurs.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2014 to 2018 Employer: Green Therapeutics Title: Owner and Chief Operations Officer Department:
Responsibilities:
Consultant turned owner/director for four NV medical cannabis cultivation and manufacturing licenses located in Las Vegas, NV. Responsibilities included licensing, design, supervised construction, staffing, training, launch and compliance.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 2009 to 2014 Employer: SF Patient and Resource Center (SPARC) Title: Board of Directors and Consultant Department:
Responsibilities:
Board member and expert consultant for San Francisco's premier medical cannabis dispensary.

International Experience

Years Country / Region Summary
Years: 1997 to 1997 Country / Region: Brazil Summary: PUC - Rio de Janeiro - Education Abroad Program - studied Tropical Ecosystem Ecology & Portuguese

Career Accomplishments

Publications and Patents Summary
Contributing author and editor for Ed Rosenthal's Cannabis Grower's Handbook (2021). He has been featured on National Geographic, CNBC, NPR, the Atlantic, Washington Post, High Times, Press Democrat, SF Bay Guardian, and Leafly.

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Expert has worked as an expert witness on 4 cases.

Language Skills

Language Proficiency
Portuguese (Brazilian) Intermediate
Spanish Intermediate

Fields of Expertise

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