AZ-NORML is pleased to announce that celebrated AZ cannabis scientist, Dr. Hope Jones, has signed on to be the chapter’s scientific research adviser. Most notably the Chief Scientific Officer for C4 Laboratories – AZ’s leading cannabis testing company, Dr. Jones is the founder and CEO of Emergent Cannabis Sciences – a research, development and advising company – whose mission is to drive scientific innovation within the cannabis industry. Jones has already been serving unofficially as our adviser for quite a while, and now that her role is official, our chapter can go farther than ever before advancing sound policies and challenging misinformation.

Over the past two years, Dr. Jones has been at the center of many of AZ’s biggest cannabis developments, including helping draft the recently passed hemp legislation, serving as technical consultant on last session’s cannabis testing bill and as the expert witness in the notorious Jake Reuther case. It was Jones’ critical testimony caused the Navajo County judge to drop the concentrates charges. She is already consulting on the Yavapai County concentrates case appeal to the state supreme court.

Dr. Hope Jones received her B.S. in Plant Sciences and a Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Plant Sciences the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) while studying controlled environment agriculture, plant & mammalian genetics, physiology, and molecular & cellular biology.  Her tenure at CEAC allowed her to develop extensive micropropagation skills (AKA tissue culture), making Dr. Jones one of the few scientists in this country with extensive experience in micropropagation in vitro systems with cannabis.

Dr. Jones’ extensive experience also included serving as staff scientist for NASA’s Life Sciences and Biosystems Engineering Program, where she was responsible for micropropagation growing system technologies that improved both quality and quantity of crop yields during deep space missions.  Dr. Jones has also worked as the Director of Science and Micropropagation for a large cannabis cultivation and product manufacturer in Arizona. Regarded as an industry leader, Dr. Jones has been widely featured as a speaker at numerous industry trade show and educational conferences.

So, what does it mean for AZ-NORML to have a science adviser? For one, our office is constantly bombarded with questions about the latest scientific research on cannabis or about medical or technical issues far beyond our expertise. For another, AZ-NORML has a central role in shaping AZ’s cannabis policies. With Dr. Jones on board, you can rest assured that any decisions we make are made on a sound scientific basis and for the greatest good. THX Dr. Jones!

If you have a question about the science of cannabis, send those questions or comments to AskDrJones@normlinarizona.org or call our hotline (928-234-5633).