THC DESIGN LAUNCHES MOST COMPREHENSIVE CANNABIS CULTIVATION CURRICULUM, PAID INTERNSHIP AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR VETERANS & ANNOUNCES ITS NEW VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD August 7th, 2017—LOS ANGELES, CA—THC Design, the leading breeder and cultivator of premium, safe, estate-grown cannabis in California, announced the launch of the cannabis industry’s most comprehensive cannabis cultivation curriculum, paid internship, and mentorship program for veterans. The new program includes a 12-week cultivation course and curriculum that will be overseen by THC Design Co-Founder and ‘Master Grower’ Ryan Jennemann at THC Design’s self-sustaining facilities. Jennemann, along with other master growers, engineers, and scientists will teach veterans, who apply to the paid internship program advanced cultivation practices and operations, renewable water best practices, Oregon Organic Tilth agriculture standards, research-based approaches to sustainable farming, and the entire growth cycle of the plants, from seed to sale. “We are committed to being continually responsive to the needs of our veterans,” said Ryan Jennemann, Founder of THC Design. “With the nation facing a veteran-suicide and opioid crisis everyday, we knew we needed to implement a program that gives back and that would allow veterans to do what they do best—master a skill, put it use, lead, and take it to the next level with success. Our cannabis cultivation paid internship program will teach veterans—young and old—the latest sustainable cultivation techniques and skills, so they are able to participate in an emerging marketplace, where opportunities and creativity abound and are growing every day.” THC Design also announced the formation of its Veterans Advisory Board, along with the board’s new members, who bring decades of experience in veterans affairs to the company. The new board will advise THC Design’s leadership on issues within the veteran community, share resources with veterans, fight for veteran-related cannabis issues, and work to make certain veterans have access to promising, new opportunities in the cannabis industry’s emerging marketplace. A full list of newly appointed members of Veterans Advisory Board can be found below. Jenneman stated: “We want to thank and welcome our new Veterans’ Advisory Board members, who bring an untouchable depth of expertise to the table, and a firsthand understanding of the issues because they, too, live the veteran experience, and know exactly what that means. We are thrilled to work with such an esteemed group of servicemen and women, and we look forward to implementing and expanding our new paid internship and mentorship program with them by our side.” Currently, there are about 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from PTSD and/or depression. Additionally, every day, approximately 22 veterans commit suicide, which account for 19 percent of all suicides across the country, yet veterans only make up less than 9 percent of the US population. Cannabis has been known to help battle depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even addictions to alcohol and painkillers according to Medical cannabis and mental health: A guided systematic review, yet the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress have continually denied veterans access to medical cannabis. Jennemann added: “We recognize our nation’s drug policies have failed our veterans, along with many others. That’s why we are fully committed to these educational programs and fighting for sensible cannabis policies that serve the best interests of our servicemen and women. We want them to be able to receive access to safer medical alternatives than opioids, and won’t stop fighting for them until that happens.” Veterans interested should contact THC Design Community Liaison Ophelia Chong at ophelia@thcdesign.com for more information. THC Design Veterans’ Advisory Board members are: MICHAEL WHITER Mike Whiter was born in Huntington, NY on May 31, 1976, and raised in Atco, NJ. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1996. Mike was deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation Allied Force in 1999 and Iraq (OIF II) in 2004-2005. He received a medical discharge as a Staff Sergeant a year after returning from Iraq, because he was exhibiting signs of severe depression and anxiety which were later diagnosed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) as symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After Mike was discharged from the Marine Corps in 2006, he moved to Philadelphia, PA where the VA proceeded to prescribe him 40 different types of anti-depressant and opiate pain medications over a course of five years. In 2012, after six years of extreme overmedication and depression, Mike discovered cannabis. He has been loudly advocating its use as an alternative treatment for PTSD ever since. In June of 2015, Mike started a photo series called #OperationOvermed which highlights overmedication and alternative treatments for PTSD. The series depicts veterans who have been overmedicated by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and who have since found alternative forms of healing, such as cannabis. RICARDO PEREYDA Ricardo was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005, he performed a wide variety of combat missions. After his deployment Ricardo ran the gauntlet of “traditional” treatment methods at the VA for years. In 2009 he began using cannabis and enrolled at the University of Arizona. Since then, Ricardo has been focused on helping other veterans overcome the inevitable challenges that come with the military to civilian transition. Particularly, advocating for cannabis law and public health reform, he has been outspoken in calling for action at the city, state, and federal level. He is a Fellow of the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy, as well as an Alumni Fellow of The Mission Continues (B-2014). RYAN MILLER Born in San Francisco, Ryan Miller is an active-duty Marine Corps veteran, Golden Gate University graduate and proven leader in the cannabis industry with over 10 years of experience. He co-founded Operation EVAC (Educating Veterans About Cannabis) in 2016 to promote the growth and healing of veterans through mutual assistance, personal development and community service. SETH FREDERICK SMITH Seth served in the US Navy from 2002-08 as a cryptologic interpreter and airborne mission supervisor, leading teams of intelligence personnel on reconnaissance and surveillance missions. He worked closely with US, British, Australian and other coalition partners to provide real-time intelligence to war fighters and strategic planners in support of OIF and OEF. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf region for over 4 years. Seth has been a veteran advocate since receiving an honorable discharge in 2008. He has worked on the IAVA legislative team in Washington, DC, served on the Got Your 6 Certified Committee, and worked with other young veterans to impact the WEST LA VA revitalization master plan. Prior to joining SCVA, Seth was Director of Campaigns and Programming at Participant Media. Seth is a graduate of UCLA and he received his master’s degree in International and Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. https://scveteransalliance.com/ THERÈSÈ CARROZZINO Therese Carrozzino (Trace), Founder of Women Veterans Collective, served three years active duty as a 31B/Military Police, in the United States Army. After sustaining injuries, Trace now finds herself among a growing number of disabled veterans. For pain and PTSD, Therese chose the natural alternative over the pharmaceutical route. Cannabis saved her life and helped her defeat opioid addiction. Therese has chosen the path of enlightenment and strives to guide as many people and veterans along the way as possible. She strongly believes willpower and personal development are everyday tools for life. Therese is a personal motivator and a strong link in the support chain for veterans. https://www.instagram.com/womenveteranscollective/ For more information, please visit http://thcdesign.com, follow THC Design on Twitter at @_THCDesign or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thcdesign/.