A ROAD LESS TRAVELED IN CALIFORNIA MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY
2006 — The Beginning of the MCC Directory
The MCC originally started as a dual directory, a Medical Cannabis Directory of physicians
who provided cannabis approvals and a directory that allowed patients to search by ZIP code
to find a physician or a medical cannabis dispensary.
2007 — Founding the MCC
Medical Cannabis Caregivers (MCC) was founded with the support of the
California National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (CANORML)
.
2009 — Education and Training Programs
By 2009, MCC had established an extensive curriculum designed to support physicians,
patients, caregivers, cultivators, and others involved in California’s medical cannabis community.
Physician Orientation
MCC’s first class taught physicians how to approve a patient’s medicinal use of cannabis
in compliance with
Medical Board of California guidelines
.
Patient Cultivation Workshop
MCC established and operated a safe, supervised cultivation workshop where qualified
patients could cultivate the six cannabis plants authorized by California regulations.
MCC provided instruction, equipment, and continuing cultivation support.
Regulatory Education
MCC developed some of California’s earliest medical cannabis compliance and best-practices
classes covering
Senate Bill 420
,
California’s Medical Marijuana Program, and later the
Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA)
.
Clean Green Certification
MCC worked with Chris Van Hook to promote the
Clean Green Certification Program
for medical cannabis cultivators, encouraging clean and environmentally responsible
cultivation practices.
Extraction and Product Formulation
MCC taught and demonstrated cannabis extraction methods, including alcohol extraction
and supercritical CO₂ extraction.
Product Packaging and Labeling
MCC developed cannabis product packaging, dosing information, and labeling designed
to meet applicable packaging and labeling guidelines before comprehensive
cannabis-specific labeling regulations existed.
Physician-Approval Software
MCC developed software designed for physicians to document and manage patient approvals
for the medicinal use of cannabis.
2010 — MCC and California Department of Social Services Continuing Education
MCC was approved to teach SB 420 and California’s Medical Marijuana Program under the
California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Continuing Education Program
for residential care facility licensees and administrators.
2011 — Landmark Research Collective
The Landmark Research Collective, a nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation established pursuant
to SB 420, was created to provide cannabis products for patients in state-licensed health care
facilities.
The collective also served as a clinical training component of MCC’s Practitioner Program.
2012 — Cannabis, Health, and Young Adults in Los Angeles County
Since 2012, MCC has been represented on the Advisory Board for the federally funded study
Cannabis, Health, and Young Adults in Los Angeles County (CHAYA Study)
.
2013 — The DJ Short Blueberry Project
Working with renowned cannabis breeder DJ Short, MCC produced strain-specific oral cannabis
drops using the Blueberry strain.
The project sought to standardize the strain’s cannabinoid profile for consistent patient
use and outcome tracking.
2014 — Nevada Medical Cannabis Information and Resource Center
MCC established the Medical Cannabis Information and Resource Center at
2923 West Charleston Boulevard in the Las Vegas Medical District.
Elevate, a Las Vegas publication covering cannabis news, featured MCC.
2015 — Telemedicine for Physician Cannabis Approvals
MCC pioneered the use of telemedicine to facilitate physicians’ approval of patients’
medicinal use of cannabis, particularly for patients who were non-ambulatory or otherwise
unable to visit a physician’s office.
Learn more about current medicinal cannabis guidance from the
Medical Board of California
.
2017 — MCC Information and Resource Center Model
MCC assisted investors in establishing and operating Medical Cannabis Information and
Resource Centers in Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma Information and Resource Center appeared on the cover of Oklahoma Magazine
and was featured by CBS News.
2018 — Medical Cannabis Practitioner Program
MCC developed and directed professional training for Medical Cannabis Practitioners,
providing patient education, consultations, safety guidance, documentation, and
outcome tracking.
2020 — MCC and California Department of Social Services Continuing Education
MCC was approved to teach California’s
Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA)
under the
CDSS Continuing Education Program
for residential care facility licensees and administrators.
For more than 20 years, Medical Cannabis Caregivers and Director Liz McDuffie have been recognized for leadership in medical cannabis education, professional training, patient advocacy, and responsible access.
Liz McDuffie serves as Director and Instructor at the MCC. As the Director, Ms. McDuffie is responsible for the development of the MCC educational program.
Ms. McDuffie founded the Landmark Research Collective in 2012, to serve as a clinical teaching dispensary for the Medical Cannabis Practitioner Program.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has approved Ms. McDuffie to teach the California Medicinal and Adult Use of Cannabis Regulations and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) under the CDSS Continuing Education Program for the Re-certification of Health Care Facility (HCF) Licensees and Administrators.
Prior to her work in the medical cannabis industry, Ms. McDuffie enjoyed a successful career as a development officer, educator and entrepreneur. Ms. McDuffie established and operated two Pasadena businesses: Ritz Resale, a women’s consignment clothing store and McDuffie’s Moving & Storage, a commercial moving and storage company. Prior to her entrepreneurial career, Ms. McDuffie served as Development Officer for Scripps College, as the Director of Donor Prospect Research at the University of Southern California, as a Program Development Specialist for Pasadena City College, as an Instructor at the US Army Education Center in Germany, and as a teacher for the Pasadena Unified School District.
Ms. McDuffie has completed Postgraduate studies at the University of Southern California School of Public Administration and holds a B.A. in History and Literature from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. Ms. McDuffie holds a Certificate in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) from Pasadena City College and has completed Medical Cannabis Training at Malaspina College in Duncan, British Columbia, and has conducted an on-site study of the B.C. Compassionate Use Clubs under Health Canada’s Medical Marijuana Access Program.