As the first executive director of the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation, Sarah A. Chase sees her role as an information conduit that ensures all stakeholders understand the complicated nature of the cannabis industry.
“We’re here to help educate, advocate and communicate for federal cannabis regulation,” she says.
But communicating complicated ideas in easy-to-understand ways is not a new task for Chase, who prior to joining the not-for-profit council in July was chief operating officer for Hollywood legend and science advocate Alan Alda’s Communication Training Company. During her four years there, Chase helped establish the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, a first-of-its-kind public/private partnership aimed at helping scientists become better communicators about what they do. She also launched the “Clear+Vivid” podcast, which ran for 150 episodes and featured Alda interviewing both scientists and celebrities.
For her next move, Chase wanted “to mix things up a bit” and looked at three emerging industries, all of which had components of social justice and sustainability and says cannabis looked the most exciting and the best opportunity to make a difference.
Under her leadership, the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation has launched a webinar series, among other projects to help regulators better understand the industry and its needs.
“We’re bringing together as many groups from within the industry and outside so we can be a conduit for accurate information on both the science and regulatory side,” Chase says.
– Brian Beckley