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Oaksterdam University's Dale Sky Jones: On a Marijuana Mission
After years in corporate America, Dale Sky Jones found her calling as head of California's Oaksterdam University, a trade school focused on the marijuana industry.
Posted 10/ 31 10 at 6:00 PM | Entrepreneur Spotlight, Leadership, Legal Issues, Education, Health, Inventions & Innovations
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Have we become a nation of chronic employment? Out in California -- spiritual home to the Grateful Dead, Snoop Dogg, Cheech & Chong and Weeds -- it appears to be the case. According to a 2009 Field Poll, 56 percent of Californians want marijuana legalized, although enthusiasm for Proposition 19, the bill for voters to decide if recreational pot usage is legit for those 21 and older, appears to be burning out as election day approaches. Pass or fail, however, attitudes seem to be shifting all across the country. A recent Gallup poll found more Americans than ever (although still a minority) support legalization, with a whopping 78 percent of self-identified "liberals" saying marijuana should be decriminalized and taxed.The Golden State already has a booming $2 billion medical marijuana industry, and estimates of the total market are at $14 billion, which would make it the state's largest cash crop. For medical patients, 14 other states have followed suit, and a January ABC/Washington Post poll found that Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of allowing doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to alleviate pain and suffering.
For entrepreneurs, there's gold in them thar crops. Richard Lee, who founded one of the nation's first hemp retailers in Houston, is a leader in the blossoming field. In 2007, he founded Oaksterdam University, a trade school with a curriculum focused on the cannabis industry. Today, executive chancellor Dale Sky Jones, a medical marijuana patient who spent years in corporate America, handles the day-to-day operations and expansion projects at Oaksterdam U.
In a wide-ranging interview, Jones, 35, explained how the operations work, why it's such a potential growth industry and who stands to benefit. And for the record, there's no need to ask her about "higher learning," or if students remember to go to class. She's heard it all before, thanks.
Tell us a bit about your background.
I grew up in a rock-and-roll household. My mom was a popular radio host in Miami, who used my teenage years as fodder, but raised me to be a go-getter. My stepfather, who raised me from 10, was a drummer for Grand Funk Railroad and Bob Seger. In true rebellious fashion, I went conservative and got the hell out at 18 to work in corporations. I spent years working in retail and hospitality management for companies like Brown Shoe, Radisson and T.G.I. Friday's. I lived all over, in cities like Seattle and small towns like Casper, Wyo. I learned a lot of best practices that need to be brought to the cannabis industry.
What brought you to California?
I took a job managing a group of doctors in Orange County, which is where I learned about medical marijuana. In 2008, I was sitting in an Oaksterdam class in Los Angeles and the doctor got lost and couldn't make the class. Since I was already teaching patients about it, I stepped in as a facilitator. I'm still teaching today. There's been a lot of red-eye flights, but come hell or highwater, I haven't missed one yet.
Explain how Oaksterdam University got started.
California went through a nasty learning curve after medical marijuana was legalized in 1996. Richard Lee saw an opportunity to teach people not only how to grow and cultivate the crops, but also the history, politics, First Amendment issues and science. Most of us slept through our 8th-grade civics classes. People don't know their rights. One of our faculty members, Robert Raich, was an attorney in the two medical marijuana cases that went before the Supreme Court. Initially, it started out somewhat as a marketing scheme to get people involved in government meetings. We want to educate folks so they become advocates.
How big is Oaksterdam University?
Our mothership is in downtown Oakland, which is where the city's dispensaries are. We have a 30,000-square-foot campus with classrooms, auditoriums, a grow lab and a theater. We have satellite campuses where we hold weekend seminars in Los Angeles, Sebastopol in the North Bay, and in Flint, Mich.
How many students have taken courses, and what are the offerings?
Around 12,000 people have taken classes, everyone from kids out of high school to out-of-work real estate agents to retired law enforcement agents. The weekend seminar is $250 for 12 hours of instruction and a binder full of core source material. The $650 advanced semester program is 32 hours over 13 weeks and features classes like Methods of Ingestion and Cannabusiness. We also offer electives with guest speakers, and a comprehensive hands-on Horticulture Semester.
Is it legal to work with marijuana?
No. Our students work with rosemary, unless they are qualified medical-marijuana patients. We don't dispense. All we do is educate. The marijuana that is grown legally by our gardeners is donated to a local wheelchair-bound woman who suffers from MS and to a nearby AIDS patient.
It must be a challenge running a business with all these legal questions.
It is. We have to walk the line of both federal and state laws. Until marijuana is legalized, this isn't an industry, it's a movement. Right now, I'm almost entirely focused on California's current legalization campaign. I sort of fell into the role as one of the political leaders. This is a for-profit business, we're big fans of capitalism, but right now we're reinvesting everything back into the company and the greater cause.
If marijuana is legalized, what kind of economic benefits do you think California will actually see?
We know it's the largest cash crop, but the size of the black market is tricky. Conservative estimates are that, if controlled and taxed, California would receive $1.4 billion in tax revenue a year. Once it's legitimate, there will be tens of thousands of green jobs for gardeners, farmers and growers. But it's not just marijuana, there's also hemp, which can be used for paper and fiber. There are also all the ancillary businesses like insurance, tech support, cleaning crews and so on. It will be a huge growth market, ideal for single-earner families or people looking for a new career. We haven't had a major new industry in California in decades other than the brief housing bubble and the growth of the prison-industrial complex.
What about those who say it will lead to more crime?
I think taking the power out of the hands of the Mexican drug cartels will lead to less crime, and our prisons won't be so overcrowded. We're way over capacity, and the majority of inmates are non-violent drug offenders. I'd rather have tax dollars going to support law enforcement agencies than illegal revenue going to criminal enterprises.
As more and more states legalize medical marijuana, will Oaksterdam set up shop there?
We plan on partnering with other states, but what we provide is a blueprint. We want to help start programs, but let local communities implement them as they see fit. We still have plenty of places in California to start weekend seminars like San Diego, Orange County and the Inland Empire.
It seems that discussing the decriminalization of marijuana in a public forum no longer tars politicians with a scarlet pot leaf.
In many parts of the country, we're finally having an honest debate. Cannabis isn't seen like heroin anymore. We've always had science on our side, and now politicians are realizing it isn't necessarily a ballot killer. A lot of small local governments, like in Oakland, love what we're doing because we encourage people to do things the right way. We encourage growers to take off the tie-dye, put on a suit, and come meet with city officials so you're licensed and paying taxes.
And you are a medical marijuana user yourself?
I am a patient, for cyclic vomiting syndrome. It's involuntary and usually an issue reserved for chemotherapy patients. A couple of times a year, I used to go into wicked cycles of dry heaving that required going to a hospital to get hooked up to IVs all night. The only option was a pill, to be taken immediately upon feeling nauseous. Problem is, you can't keep water down, never mind a pill, so I've thrown up some expensive medication. I lost six pounds of water weight in 36 hours last time. Not fun, or pretty. Cannabis doctors recognized my issue was not mysterious allergies but what cancer patients go through, and more importantly, that I can control these triggers to reduce incidents. Once the cycle starts, I can have some hash, immediately feel better, and go about my business rather than curling up in a fetal position, dry heaving all day and night. The plant I can grow in my closet is way cheaper than those pills that didn't work anyway, and I save an average of a thousand bucks out of pocket per hospital trip. This was a revelation I could have used 15 years ago!
It sounds like you've found a calling.
I'm right where I belong. I fell down a rabbit hole and came out on the other side. Twenty years later, I am marching along the same folks from NORML as my mom did 40 years ago.
Entrepreneur Spotlight
Name: Dale Sky Jones
Company: Oaksterdam University
Age: 34
Location: Oakland, Calif.
Founded: 2007
Employees: 30 with another 25-30 part-timers, volunteers and interns
2010 Projected Revenue: $2 million
Website: www.oaksterdamuniversity.com
Patrick Sauer is a contributor for AOL Small Business and a freelance writer for Fast Company, ESPN, Popular Science, Smith and Huffington Post Humor. He is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents. Originally from Billings, Mont., he now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. For more from Patrick, follow him on Twitter (@pjsauer), or visit www.patricksauer.com.
Patrick Sauer is a contributor for AOL Small Business and a freelance writer for Fast Company, ESPN, Popular Science, Smith and Huffington Post Humor. He is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents. Originally from Billings, Mont., he now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. For more from Patrick, follow him on Twitter (@pjsauer), or visit www.patricksauer.com.
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Comments (Page 5 of 5)
You're just like many unrealistic non educated folks who think good people become bad from pot. Good people who drink aren't a problem, bad ones are.....these 2 substances do not addict non addivctive personalities.....
The sane thing to do is to evaluate people before giving them a pot or alcohol usage permit.....people shouldn't have to be restricted because of bad people.....there is no diffwerence in my life after 45 yrs. of pot....I have 2 grad degrees, had a great career as a college prof and scientist, have 2 college educated boys, no debt, no record of any legal problems, no tickets or accidents and have done charity work all my life...what can you say for YOURself?
You damn right I have something to say. I should be able to smoke pot legally in my own home. I don't need any hypocrite politician or any other hypocrite to tell me I shouldn't be able to do what i want in my own home. As long as I am not hurting anyone else. Drugs are not legal because all the money the state makes trying to stop it. What happened to individual rights in this country? There is not enough hell designed for the politicians and lawyers that make unjust laws to oppress and restrict freedom. You better learn seperation of church and state America. or be ready to taste WRath.
So if it doesn't affect your mood then why are you smoking it?
I have a graduate degree in mental health counseling/counseling psychology. After working at a mental health facility that also accepts inpatients I became aware of how detrimental marijuana actually is/can become from a psycho-medical perspective as well as the many detrimental effects/affects that it presents to society.
Most people do not really understand the potential long term implications of using this drug (cancers, developmental disorders [autism], neuro-inflammatory/plaque diseases [ALS, MS, Alzheimers]. Also, of all the street drugs marijuana is the only one that is composed of fat soluble compounds that will increase in the fatty tissues and organs with each use and if used fairly regularly these unhealthy chemicals would remain in the body indefinitely due to the drugs half life . Drugs such as heroin, cocaine, meth are all water soluble and although they present their own risks they are not used casually by large numbers of people and particularly among adolescents and teens. If marijuana becomes 'legalized' it would also be perceived as being safe which I believe it is very far from being. Additionally, I would estimate that the types of problems individuals, families, and society are having with alcohol abuse/use would at least double with the legalization of marijuana. We do not have enough: social workers, psychologists, medical professionals, mental health professionals, law enforcement, health facilities, and a judicial system to handle the burden and additional expense. Marijuana is also a unique drug because it also permeable and would not only permeate into the environment but also into other peoples homes/environments since the drug is carried via smoke-so all the problems associated with second-hand smoke from cigarettes would also apply to marijuana. Marijuana is already very easy to acquire but making it legal would increase the numbers of people using it or experimenting with it and making it legal would make it appear to be a harmless drug. Many people are unaware of the staggering number of DUI's/DWI's from alcohol use per each state per year; we don't need those numbers to double or triple as people would likely also use both of these drugs together and many would also smoke cigarettes in conjunction with these two intoxicating substances- one of which is also an hallucinogenic substance. Legalization is not worth the price that would be paid with the health and safety of our citizens and society. The money acquired from taxing it and the freedom to use it--a dangerous problematic drug for it's sought after intoxicating/hallucinogenic effects by some--again are not enough and not worth the loss of health, loss of life, and the gain of pain for many individuals and families.
I have a graduate degree in mental health counseling/counseling psychology. After working at a mental health facility that also accepts inpatients I became aware of how detrimental marijuana actually is/can become from a psycho-medical perspective as well as the many detrimental effects/affects that it presents to society.
Most people do not really understand the potential long term implications of using this drug (cancers, developmental disorders [autism], neuro-inflammatory/plaque diseases [ALS, MS, Alzheimers]. Also, of all the street drugs marijuana is the only one that is composed of fat soluble compounds that will increase in the fatty tissues and organs with each use and if used fairly regularly these unhealthy chemicals would remain in the body indefinitely due to the drugs half life . Drugs such as heroin, cocaine, meth are all water soluble and although they present their own risks they are not used casually by large numbers of people and particularly among adolescents and teens. If marijuana becomes 'legalized' it would also be perceived as being safe which I believe it is very far from being. Additionally, I would estimate that the types of problems individuals, families, and society are having with alcohol abuse/use would at least double with the legalization of marijuana. We do not have enough: social workers, psychologists, medical professionals, mental health professionals, law enforcement, health facilities, and a judicial system to handle the burden and additional expense. Marijuana is also a unique drug because it also permeable and would not only permeate into the environment but also into other peoples homes/environments since the drug is carried via smoke-so all the problems associated with second-hand smoke from cigarettes would also apply to marijuana. Marijuana is already very easy to acquire but making it legal would increase the numbers of people using it or experimenting with it and making it legal would make it appear to be a harmless drug. Many people are unaware of the staggering number of DUI's/DWI's from alcohol use per each state per year; we don't need those numbers to double or triple as people would likely also use both of these drugs together and many would also smoke cigarettes in conjunction with these two intoxicating substances- one of which is also an hallucinogenic substance. Legalization is not worth the price that would be paid with the health and safety of our citizens and society. The money acquired from taxing it and the freedom to use it--a dangerous problematic drug for it's sought after intoxicating/hallucinogenic effects by some--again are not enough and not worth the loss of health, loss of life, and the gain of pain for many individuals and families.
I just wanted to add my 2 cents.At 31 years old I have suffered from FM/CFS for the last 5 years.My life has been flipped inside and out.I have been on and off over 21 radom medications.None have helped.I haven't smoked marijuana since I was 16 years old.I decided to by the knock off of it Krypto (which is sold in stores)(because I don't want to use illegal drugs)however it worked I can sleep.It was amazing I have used it 2x in the last 2 months when I felt horrible.
I hate to tell people who do not believe in legalizing it..
The only reason why it isn't is because the government can't tax it.
It is too wide spread,and underground for them to reach it to do that.
However every single legal drug I have been handed in the last 5 years has come from natural plants mixed with different chemicals to create tablets- but the difference is mass manufactured & marketed & taxed.
You are always going to have people who are going to be addicts with everything.
I take enough advil,excedrin,tylenol,asprin that by the time I reach 45 my liver,and kidenys will start to shut down.I don't have a choice in the matter.I can be 31 full of life on different meds or I can be 31 and on disability.I am NOT willing to do that I love working.
Why is it that it seems all the "experts" that claim Marijuana to be a "gateway drug" have never used it? I smoked enough of that stuff to fill Yankee stadium when I was young, and I NEVER even tried hard drugs! AND guess what? When I grew up and lost interest in it, I didn't have any withdrawl problems. For that matter, I am a gun collector and I haven't killed anybody with one. Make freedom legal!
I say to each their own. You have one life to live, do what you want with it. You want to huff aerosol cans until your brain turns blue or shoot poison into your face to get rid of wrinkles, by all means, go nuts. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, but that's my personal choice. As long as what you do doesn't affect me or anyone else, and only yourself, we're good-to-go. The real questions are, can you do these things without affecting other people, and, if not, are you willing to accept the consequences? Unfortunately for myself, the answers to those questions are "no", and that's why I choose not to use them.
There are several big problems with all of this. First and foremost is the consideration that pot is a stepping stone drug for many who start with it. We already have a major problem with the dumbing down of the populous. Increase pot usage is only going to compound that problem. As far as pot being a growth industry, there is no doubt that everybody and their brother will start themselves a growing operation if it is legalized. It will be impossible to regulate and even if some semblance of regulation is achieved, their will be so much pot on the market that prices will fall like Hillary's jaw when she found out about Monica. We'll quickly be back to the days of fat bags for $20 and $200 El-Bees, thus severely decreasing the expected revenue generated by taxes. Most assuredly, the majority of pot grown will find its way into people's bongs via the black market. It has always been that sort of deal and just because you make it legal does not mean people are going to sell their crop via controlled channels. No, in fact, they will discover a myriad of ways to avoid having their crop taxed. Ultimately, it will have to be controlled just like the alcohol industry, which will take the small guy out of the equation and it will become just another giant corporate endeavor. Personally, I do not care one-way or the other because it is futile to care. You can't stop people from smoking pot. As long as there is a demand, pot will be available by whatever means it takes to get it to the people. With that being considered ... there is an argument for creating some competition for the murderous drug cartels and taking away one of their major revenue streams. I suppose that once it becomes a corporate endeavor, there will be many jobs created. Still, the thought of half of America walking around stoned out of their minds and giant business being the major recipient of money spent on a bad habit is unsettling to me and it should be to all of you. Rather than see corporate America get the deal … if I were the decision maker … I would not decriminalize it, but I would make the penalties for growing, selling, and smoking it no worse than a speeding ticket. Leave the industry to the people. The benefit will most assuredly be greater than the taxes generated from a legalized and regulated industry. Require people to pay taxes on their income just like they do from their paychecks. Encourage that with already in place tax evasion laws. It's not hard to prove someone is not paying taxes on all their income.
It seems to me, that we could grow our own marijuana, right here in the USA. I've had concerns, as to the quality and freshness of Mexican marijuana, for over 36 years! I am thankful that they found that tunnel... Marijuana of that caliber, has absolutely no business coming into our country! When I was paying $15 per ounce, it made sense, but inflation has changed the entire industry. Your better off paying $400 per ounce for a quality, American (USDA) product, than going cheap ($120, at last trade). What's missing is an aerosol THC dispenser, which can dispense a sterile puff of THC... This would be an OTC product, which would not compete with Marinol, which now occupies the #1 spot (for synthetic, ingestables). Industry is going to need to "man up" with the regulatory bodies (DEA & FDA), to get this through. Failure to do so, will result in yet another round of the "War on Some Drugs."
Marijauna is a "gateway drug," because it is illegal. When you are forced to go to black market suppliers, not only will you encounter other illicit substances, but also switch-blade knives, stolen guns and all kinds of things, which have very little to do with marijuana. I've seen where a person almost purchased a handgun, that was used in a murder, just because the marijuana dealer had it and wanted to get rid of it. This person had absolutely no interest in firearms, but they could have purchased it, naively. Then, one could easily make the case that marijuana leads to gun-abuse. If you go to Walgreens for your prescriptions, how often do you purchase something else, on impluse, while waiting for your prescriptions. Yes, prescription drugs can lead to the purchase of virtually anything, in Walgreens inventory! In that sense, my experience has been that prescription drugs are a "gateway" to Cadbury Carmello bars. It's not a causal relationship, but there IS a definite correlation, due to the fact that you must walk to the back of their store, past all the other "goodies." If you are trying to keep your kids off chocolate, never allow the doctor to prescribe them medicine!
Originally sent to Oula @ Oaksterdam U.
U.S. Government plot to steal senior citizen's inheritance.
Oula,
The Herb Hemp has other uses than detailed generally. The stems can be used to alleviate dental pain and swelling if placed between the cheek and gum of the infected area. Teeth can actually be saved by this previously unspecified use of the Herb Hemp.
Also, therapeutic use for physical therapy, is another very important use of this natural remedy not mentioned in any medical research. I have personally used Marijuana for this type therapy successfully many times in the last 40 years. The most recent episode related to paramedic physical abuse during a grand mall seizure in my home, one year ago. I have discovered this abuse is typical of elderly patients and is evident many people are permanently disabled beyond the norm, because of this very rough treatment by paramedics. When I was released from the hospital I could not do simple tasks lifting or writing my name. Higher grades of Hemp works with greater efficiency along with pressure points, and wrapping the hand, wrist and forearm with the old type round telephone wire. I can now lift very heavy items without experiencing much pain. I will continue to use this therapy as needed especially when the affected areas flare up with pain during strenuous labor. Lower grades of Hemp works also but cranial adjustments require higher grades whjch is extremely expensive. The seizures were caused by the use of Sleep-Aid product with the dangerous drug Diphenhydramine as its only ingredient with no warning labels about seizures, purchased at Family Dollar Store. (CVS pharmacist website about this synthetic drug's dangers prove many other incidences of this similar episode. This dangerous drug affects seniors over the age of 45 only. Class action should enjoin all conspiritors, including FDA, hospitals, and companies which produce and sell any product containing this drug. Services paid for by social services will be charged to anyone's estate after they are deceased.) This is another example of the FDA not protecting US citizens, condoning a drug not safe instead of a natural sleep aid like Marijuana. I believe this is a government conspiracy to redistribute peoples wealth. I now owe over $60,000 in medical bills from this episode and cannot pay.
Please try to do some research in these important therapeutic uses of Marijuana.
Thank you,
George Beard
Las Vegas, NV 89121
"When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide, then I stop, then I turn, then I go for a ride, then I stop... and I see you again!!! Yeah, yeah, yea-uh!"
"Well, oh yeah... Thank you, kindly... I think I bust a button on my trousers, hope they don't fall down... You don't want my trousers to fall down, no do ya? Oh, Carol!
Describe the inate-relationships between the preceding sentences and describe how you feel that they relate to cannabis intoxication (25 words or less).
She's so hot!!!!!!!!! I'm in love.....hahaha
I watched the special about pot the other night, and did you see those opponents? They looked like idiots. And admittedly, the countries have no more issues when the law looks the other way, than we do here....except for one point....the biggest point of all.....those countries like holland, have ZERO drug cartels screwing with them, unlike the US.
Hey Sanders....the first sentence is a stoned guy on a silly rant when he's stoned.....the second sentence is about the munchies, where he means that he gained enough weight to make his pants fit....right......hahahaha
Even though, I'm a Lifetime Member of the Marijuana Policy Project, principly because I donated thousands of dollars to the effort, I must say that marijuana is addictive. However, I've also found that pinball, sex and even alcohol, can become disproportionately large in one's life. As long as God is your first love, all these things can coexist, in balance. Since we cannot force people to love God, it only seems natural that we try to criminalize, tax and surpress everything else. While this is entirely stupid, it forms the cornerstone of man's philosophy.
MJ as a legit deal is as bogus as it gets!!!!!!!! This babe is just a creep trying to run another scam, pack of lies wrapped around another big lie. More enforcement, more education away from rec drugs of anykind. Just say No is what you need to promote - false justification is lie upon lie
Blame God for letting it grow natuarly. Alcohol is made by man.
As usual on these post boards, most people are simply not qualified to comment realistically.
Physiologically, there is a range amongst people and animals which can or cannot tolerate things like food, weather, allergens and......substances.
You can talk about all the "I know a person that....." you want, but that means nothing when the precise need is for statistical data.
And the facts are, less than 10% of human beings develop enough of a dependence on pot to cause any symptoms which would be regarded as withdrawl symptoms. Consequently, if you reverse that stat, you'd have an approximation for dependency regarding alcohol.
You like peanut butter? It can kill some people instantly......should we re label it as poison?
This issue is one of politics, not health, otherwise, we would have effective laws against alcohol, cigarettes, high fructose corn syrup, SLSs, aluminum chlorinates, chlorine in drinking water, ad nauseam....
On a purely sicial note....please name any of the trouble makers in the world today, who are frequent potheads.....oh, geez, not Mahmoud, not Bush, not bin Laden, not Kim Jong???? Not child molesting priests? Gosh, what do those pot heads do, anyway? They must do SOMETHING wrong.....and we need to poke them thar commies with a steeick!!!!!!
The planet is beseiged with rednecks, and they're picking on pot smokers......which would be ok, if we we suffering from a shortage of munchie foods, had a law against laughing, prohibited people from uttering certain words like "wow man" and "far out dude"
Ya, I can see where the problem is....can you?
BTW, I'm 60, in pefect health, have 2 grad degrees, raised two college educuated boys who have no personal or social issues, no tickets, no accidents, no DUIs, pay all my taxes, spent 12 yrs as a foster parent, was a red cross volunteer.....how about you?
just like a "liberal"....they think that it is government place to tax it....I say legalize and tell gov man to stuff it