NEWS AND COMMENTARY

Erik Gundersen

Senior Advisor

Erik Gundersen is a senior advisor at CPPC and the Founder and Principal of ERG Strategies, LLC, a boutique cannabis consulting firm which works with government clients in navigating all aspects of legalization. As a former cannabis regulator, Mr. Gundersen brings real life, on the ground experience, from a state regulator perspective. In 2019, Mr. Gundersen was tapped by Maine Governor Janet Mills to serve as the inaugural Executive Director of Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP). Under his leadership, the new cannabis agency was established, the first set of adult use cannabis regulation were implemented, and Maine’s adult use cannabis program launched in the fall of 2020. Mr. Gundersen has successfully launched state cannabis programs as both a top regulator and consultant. Mr. Gundersen’s experience in the cannabis policy, at the state level, is unrivaled. Mr. Gundersen will serve as the Subject Matter Expert for the project.

Gideon Cunningham, PhD (2025)

Senior Scientist in Economics and Public Policy

Pronouns: he/him

Gideon Cunningham is a Senior Scientist in Economics and Public Policy at CPPC. He has a M.A. degree in International and Comparative Politics from Wright State University and is a PhD student in the Public Policy Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is an interdisciplinary researcher that specializes in drug policy and economic policy, and the intersection of the two. His educational background is in comparative public policy and political psychology. Some of his current research interests include economic analysis of adult-use and medical cannabis drug markets, cannabis public policy opinion research, cannabis public health outcomes. His dissertation will focus exclusively on the future of cannabis policy in the United States and how public preferences will shape future decision-making concerning topics such as: taxation, public health, integration of cannabis markets, centralization of policy, and social equity.

Keegan Gendron

Senior Policy Consultant

Pronouns: he/him

Keegan Gendron is a Senior Policy Consultant at CPPC, where he specializes in researching and analyzing cannabis policy frameworks, developing regulatory best practices, and advising CPPC clients on evidence-based policy and implementation solutions. He has an extensive background in policy research and development, strategy, and government relations spanning across multiple industries. He is a talented writer, a drug policy reform advocate, and an armchair psychedelic/entheogen expert. Prior to joining CPPC, Keegan spent time at a cannabis technology company where he advocated for responsible cannabis legalization and regulatory policies that have contributed to industry innovation and the formation of new cannabis markets. Keegan received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Management from Michigan State University. He lives in northern Michigan where he enjoys writing, reading, playing guitar, and mushroom foraging.

Sara Zimmer, MS

Research Consultant

Pronouns: she/her

Sara Zimmer is a research consultant at Cannabis Public Policy Consulting where she specializes in the scientific investigation of cannabis use-related outcomes and the implications of cannabis policy on public health. Coming from a background in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Sara is passionate about leveraging her expertise in these fields to employ novel techniques in her research at CPPC. In addition to cannabis use research, Sara has specialized in areas related to aging and memory and has experience utilizing neuroimaging techniques in her research prior to joining CPPC. She is skilled at designing research studies analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data and is experienced at reporting information in tangible forms to a wide variety of audiences. Sara received her B.S. in Mind, Brain, Behavior Psychology from Colorado State University, and her M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Villanova University. She lives in Colorado and enjoys exploring National Parks,going flying with her husband, and visiting local coffee shops and bakeries.

Lydia Mudd, MPH (2024)

Research Consultant

Pronouns: she/her 

Lydia Mudd is a research consultant at CPPC where she contributes to scientific and regulatory developments on cannabis use. She received her BA from Goddard College and her Master of Public Health from the University of Colorado in Winter 2023. Lydia aims to foster widespread understanding of research findings by translating methodology, data, and results into clear and practical verbiage that is accessible to many different audiences. Employing her expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods, she’s investigated cannabis use from individual, population, and industry lenses, and in topic areas including patterns and perceptions of cannabis use, medical and adult use, supply and demand, and illicit market implications. Driven by a curiosity and passion for improving population health, Lydia contributes to the development of novel research in cannabis and behavioral health. Lydia lives in Longmont, Colorado, and spends her time exploring local arts and culture, gardening, yarn crafting, and playing with her dog.

Brent Kaplan, PhD

Data Science Advisor

Pronouns: he/him

Brent Kaplan serves as a data science advisor at CPPC. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles on topics including behavioral economics; behavioral science; substance use; policy implications; and statistical and methodological tools for experimental psychology. He has served as a co-investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health R01 grants. In addition to his expertise in behavioral science and statistics, Brent utilizes his R programming skills to develop interactive R Shiny dashboards providing quantitative insights into cannabis use trends and robust data pipelines for CPPC. Brent conceptualized and developed the only open-source R package (beezdemand: Behavioral Economic Easy Demand) specifically designed for behavioral economic demand curve analyses. He received his undergraduate degree in the majors of Applied Behavioral Science and Psychology, his M.A. in Applied Behavioral Science, and his Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Kansas. After graduate school, he served as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Addiction Recovery Research Center at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech. Before joining CPPC, Brent worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Kentucky.

Summer Fox, MPP

Strategic Research and Policy Lead

Pronouns: she/her

Summer Fox (MPP) is a senior consultant and strategic research and policy lead at Cannabis Public Policy Consulting, where she manages the research team’s contracts, provides expert consulting on cannabis policy and program implementation, and lends operational support to leadership. Summer received her Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Bachelor of Arts in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Before joining CPPC, Summer worked as the Manager of Policy at a cannabis technology company and has extensive experience in policy research, communications, government relations, and project management. She lives in Long Beach, California and enjoys scuba diving, running, and watching movies.

Ari Kirshenbaum, PhD

Behavioral Science Advisor

Pronouns: he/him

Ari is a behavioral science advisor at Cannabis Public Policy Consulting and is involved in research design, analysis, and writing. He has over 20 years of research experience in psychopharmacology and, as a principal investigator, received over a million dollars of grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He joined CPPC after a career as a Professor of Psychology where he published papers on a range of topics, including medical and legal ethics, toxicology, neurobiology, comparative psychology, and behavioral economics. He also co-founded a company that developed patented digital technologies to address drug-impaired driving and served as the Chief Scientific Officer; given that experience, he now trains legal and law-enforcement professionals about the effects of cannabis on behavior and physiology. Ari received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado (B.A.) and graduate degrees (M.A. & Ph.D.) from the University of Montana. He held post-doctoral appointments at NASA Ames Research Center and the University of Vermont, College of Medicine. Ari lives in a small mountain town in Vermont and enjoys trail running, skiing, cooking, woodworking, and playing music with friends and family by the woodstove during the long winters.

Hannah Boyum

Chief Operational Officer

Pronouns: she/her

Hannah Boyum serves as the Chief Operational Officer of CPPC, where she plays a multifaceted role in the organization. Her responsibilities include managing policy and programmatic contracts, serving as a lead policy and communications consultant, and directing internal projects. Hannah holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and government from Ripon College and post-baccalaureate specializations in graphic and UX/UI design from the California Institute of the Arts. Hannah’s unique skills in graphic design, behavioral public policy, and strategic communications have proven to be invaluable in crafting impactful content that translates complex policies into accessible and meaningful information for the public. Hannah lives in Rochester, Minnesota, and spends her time outside of work practicing yoga, attending concerts, and spending quality time with her partner and pets.

Michael Sofis, PhD

Director of Research and Advisor

Pronouns: he/him

Mike is the Director of Research and an advisor at CPPC. Mike has published over 25 peer-reviewed, scientific manuscripts in the health behavior change domain, including 10 publications dedicated to better understanding the impacts of cannabis legalization on health outcomes and examining the risks and benefits of cannabis use through large-scale survey designs. Since joining CPPC in 2021, he has successfully led over 12 cannabis research contracts commissioned by government agencies, non-profit organizations, and for-profit entities. He has also obtained over $2 million in federal grant funding for his research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). Mike received his Ph.D. in behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas prior to completing a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. Mike spends most of his free time with his wife, his pets Luna (Dog), Kali (Cat), Karl (Cat), Echo (Cat), and Itty Bitty (Cat), and his sports (Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates).

Mackenzie Slade, MPH

Chief Executive Officer

Pronouns: she/her

Mackenzie Slade is the Chief Executive Officer of CPPC. As a public health professional and trained implementation scientist, Mackenzie specializes in translating original research into practice to identify areas of cannabis program improvement, conceptualize and test policy and program interventions, and evaluate the success of these changes. Ms. Slade has successfully planned, implemented, and continuously improved upon numerous cannabis programs across the country at all levels of government, including tribal. As one of the few government consultants with robust on-the-ground implementation experience, Ms. Slade is a called-upon expert for strategizing cannabis program policies and rollout, including applications and licensing processes, cannabis testing procedures, data collection planning, and risk reduction tactics. Ms. Slade has a master’s in public health from UCLA and lives in New York City with her bulldog, Chicken.

Eukirah Pennyman, MSW (2024)

Communications Associate

Pronouns: she/her

Eukirah Pennyman is the communications associate at Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC), where she leads in internal communications planning, product marketing, and client design and marketing support. She specializes in nonprofit marketing and communications, with key experiences in strategically developing communications plans for public health programs, managing and growing social platforms, and creating and executing successful marketing and advertising campaigns. She received her Bachelor of Communications from Tennessee State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University. Eukirah resides in Atlanta, GA, and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, long strolls at the farmers market, and traveling.