CPOT provides the Office of Community & Civic Life with diverse stakeholder perspectives on cannabis-related public policies. It consists of cannabis industry representatives and others that possess an in-depth understanding of issues affecting and affected by the cannabis industry. The Body’s objective is to discuss and develop policies that support equitable access and outcomes for the cannabis industry, cannabis consumers, and all City of Portland residents.

Link to full description of the CPOT advisory body

2019 CPOT Meeting Dates (2nd Thursday of month; TENTATIVE)

2019 Cannabis Policy Oversight Team (CPOT) Roster

Nicole Bowles, PhD – Research Assistant Professor, OHSU

Dr. Bowles graduated with her Ph.D. from Rockefeller University and went on to earn a master's in clinical epidemiology from Weill Cornell Medical College as a Health Disparities and Community Engagement Research Fellow. Broadly her research focuses on the interplay between stress, endogenous circadian rhythms, and cannabinoid signaling in humans.

Tiara Darnell – Freelance Journalist & Independent Multimedia Producer

Tiara Darnell is a freelance writer, podcaster, videographer, and Oregon's Budtender of the Year, 2017. Her work has appeared in EstroHaze, Willamette Week, and Travel Portland. She currently produces the "potcast" High, Good People, a podcast that explores the relationships between people of color and cannabis in the new age of legalization. Other affiliations: City of Portland, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Dr. Rachel Knox – Chair, Oregon Cannabis Commission

Dr. Rachel Knox, MD, MBA is an Endocannabinologist and Cannabinoid Medicine Specialist who co-founded the American Cannabinoid Clinics and ADVENT Academy. She currently serves as Chair for the Oregon Cannabis Commission and Medical Chair for the Minority Cannabis Business Association.

Katherine Krajnak – Project Manager, Prosper Portland

As an entrepreneurship project manager at Prosper Portland, Katherine co-manages and facilitates the Inclusive Business Resource Network (IBRN), a $3M portfolio of 16 service providers and resources dedicated to building an inclusive business environment in Portland. Katherine also manages the City-funded contract with Nu Leaf Project, which uses City of Portland cannabis tax revenues to provide technical assistance and grants to entrepreneurs of color in the cannabis business.

Madeline Martinez – Owner & Founder, World Cannabis Café

Madeline Martinez is a board member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and co-founder and chair of the NORML Women’s Alliance. In 2009, Martinez opened the first private cannabis consumption lounge in Portland, Oregon USA, the World-Famous Cannabis Café.

John Monteleone – Co-Founder, Fidus Family Farms

Fidus Family Farms transitioned from licensed production and sales through Oregon’s Medical Marijuana program to Oregon’s recreational cannabis program. John developed and leads Fidus in its organic, sustainable, small batch craft cannabis production and sales. Fidus Family Farms and Fidus PDX operates within the City of Portland. 

Stephanie Neil – Director of HR & Compliance/Pearl Store Manager, Oregon’s Finest

In 2016, after publishing a video interview about the restrictive banking laws the legal Oregon cannabis industry faces with Senator Merkley and Representative Earl Blumenauer, Stephanie Neil joined Oregon’s Finest, one of the first medical and recreational retail dispensaries in Portland. Stephanie became the first Sustainability Coordinator in Oregon’s cannabis industry in 2017. With over 20 years of management experience, she oversees corporate administration, HR, employee benefits, compliance with rules and regulations, sustainability initiatives, and third-party certifications.

Al Ochosa – Director of Licensing & Corporate Relations, Cura Cannabis Solutions

Al began his career with Cura in 2015 as the Director of Retail Operations, and now serves as Director of Licensing & Corporate Relations in 2016, overseeing the Company's licensing and permitting needs in multiple jurisdictions, among directing the Company's regulatory and governmental affairs, among other duties. Al has also volunteered for the Minority Cannabis Cabinet and Cannabis Tax Allocation Steering Committee in the City of Portland. Other affiliations: Oregon Entrepreneur Network (Cannabis Leadership Team)

Daniel Rowland – Director of Operations, Fleschner Construction

Daniel is the Director of Operations for Fleschner Construction. Fleschner Construction has been an industry partner since 2014 delivering High Quality Project Management and support to Cannabis business owners. Daniel has been working with code authorities, cannabis clients and vendors to deliver dispensaries, extraction laboratories, greenhouses, and indoor grow facilities in the greater Portland Metro area. 

Laura Valden-Vega – Co-Owner, Green State of Mind

Laura is the co-owner and operator of Green State of Mind, a national media award winning cannabis company that was started in Portland in 2014. They received their recreational license in 2017 and the company has since expanded into multiple markets, collaborated with premiere industry brands and consulted on business viability and brand creation. Laura has a law degree from George Washington University and sits on the board of NuLeaf, a Portland non-profit providing funding and entrepreneurial up-skilling for cannabis businesses owned by people of color. 

Tim Zimmerman – Co-Owner, Indoor Cultivation Systems

Tim co-owns both Indoor Cultivation Systems is a Portland cannabis production facility in the heart of the city, and Discovery Cannabis on the Oregon Coast. Tim participated as a producer in the Oregon Medical Marijuana program prior to transitioning to producing recreational cannabis. Tim was a founding member of the Oregon Cannabis Association and served on their Board of Directors, and volunteers with several organizations around Portland. His goal is to use his expertise to help facilitate access for grassroots entrepreneurs to participate in the cannabis industry.

We are not currently seeking new member candidates for CPOT.

QUESTIONS? 

Please contact Kimie Ueoka, Coordinator II for the Cannabis Program, at 503-823-9333 or Kimie.Ueoka@portlandoregon.gov.

Click here for 2016-2017 CPOT Archives