Ashley Hill doesn’t just know a little about cannabis, she has a master’s degree in it. Hill is member of the first class of 132 students to graduate from the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
Initially getting an undergraduate degree in hospitality, Hill left a job as general manager of hotel to become general manager of a cannabis dispensary and though she thought it a temporary gig at the time, she ultimately “fell in love” with the cannabis space.
She went on to work in a cultivation facility before transitioning to the culinary side to write “Smoke From the Pot,” a cannabis cookbook. She also founded the Los Angeles-based Greenlight Project in 2018 with the goal of creating an “elevated edible experience” through infused-catering events with a heavy educational aspect.
“With my eight years in the industry I’ve been able to identify certain gaps when it comes to cannabis and the consumer,” she says.
Hill also noticed a need within the industry, particularly on the retail side, for basic human resources skills and strategies, prompting her to start Winning Coaching, a management consulting firm where “Coach Ash” helps retailers decrease turnover and increase profits.
“It is pretty wild,” Hill says of receiving a master’s degree in cannabis. “It was something that was important for me to be a part of.”
— Brian Beckley