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Five categories showcase the 25 most influential people in cannabis science 

Initially launched in 2020, The Cannabis Scientist Power List celebrates the most influential and inspiring scientists driving the field forward. This year’s “5×5” Power List is no exception, featuring five top scientists in five specific categories that each reflect a special corner of cannabis science: 

• R&D Trailblazers: exploring the medical benefits and risks of cannabis and cannabinoids
• Analytical Heroes: keeping consumers safe with better cannabis testing and analysis
• Processing Pros: helping the industry evolve through improved processing and extraction
• Plant Science Pioneers: deepening our understanding of the cannabis plant and developing better cultivation methods
• Inspirational Mentors: supervisors, colleagues or teachers who support and inspire cannabis scientists at all levels

The List was developed in two stages. 

In stage one, we invited readers to nominate the scientists who they felt deserved recognition. We received many, many nominations, but only 25 positions were up for grabs…

Enter stage two, where our judging panel of noted cannabis scientists (who prefer to remain anonymous) were given the tricky task of ranking the nominees. The rankings were combined to provide the final Power List.

To get to know our chosen 25 a little better, we didn’t simply ask them for a basic bio – no, no no! Instead, we dug deeper by asking a mix of questions designed to extract golden nuggets of information about their motivations, advice, serendipitous moments, and controversial opinions. 

Here are just a few snippets to help whet your appetite: 

Controversial opinions  

“The cannabis testing industry is neither consistent nor reliable. Many laboratory owners intentionally compromise scientific methods to create broad acceptance ranges to meet customer needs within the limits of specifications. Although these methods may meet accreditation requirements, they do not always reflect the best science.” – Susan Audino. 

Advice

“Make the extra effort to get to know shy and quiet personalities. They often have a lot more insight and interesting things to say. As the Danish expression goes, ”Empty drums make the loudest noise.” – Monica Vialpondo. 

Biggest challenge

“One of the biggest challenges facing cannabis science in 2022 is pseudoscience and false product claims. We are seeing producers of what we call “snake oil” entering the markets as legitimate brands.[…]The rush to be first to market with a new product and capital appetite needs to come secondary to sound research and development activity before launching products into the market.” – Alisia Ratliff. 

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated. And to the mover and shakers who made it onto the List in 2022, our hearty congratulations!

To everyone else: Enjoy The Cannabis Scientist Power List 2022

If you’d like to share any of your thoughts on the Power List – please get in touch: rich.whitworth@texerepublishing.com