About Us

In 1992, I smoked cannabis for the first time. I was 15 years-old and a sophomore in high school. It was love at first puff. Since that day cannabis has played a very large role in my life. In 2012, almost twenty years later to the day, I secured one of the very first recreational cultivation licenses in Washington state and the country. Three years later, I had my first and only run-in with PM (powdery mildew). Likely the two worst letters ever said to a grower. Responsible growers mitigate risk. That meant killing off irreplaceable stock. A brutal outcome made only worse by a lack of replenishment options. Sourcing legal (state-compliant), verified genetics was incredibly difficult. Most states require licensed cultivators to intake genetics only from other in-state licensees, but there was no centralized system to find them. No listings. No visibility. Just a fragmented mess of gatekeeping, guesswork, and regulatory headaches.

There needed to be a centralized, compliant marketplace for cannabis genetics. Well, in true cannabis fashion it took me a decade to get there, but CannaGen was finally born in 2025. At first, I was thinking solely about THC-dominant cannabis and the licensed recreational side. Hemp wasn't even on my radar. After all, there weren't many regulations for hemp genetics, and truth be told, I felt aligned with the recreational and legacy folks. I didn't fully grasp all of the different markets for hemp genetic material either.

Enter stage left Anna Schwabe, PhD. A cannabis geneticist and educator, Anna quickly pointed out the bigger picture. There is an entire world of genetics beyond THC, and cultivators on both the marijuana and hemp sides were dealing with the same barriers. What started as a few questions turned into a real partnership. I brought the vision. Anna brought the science. I convinced her to come on board as Director of Hemp, but quickly elevated her to COO. Together we are building CannaGen, a trusted and transparent marketplace for verified cannabis genetics, exclusively for licensed breeders, nurseries, and cultivators.