​Carl Sagan suggested “it would be wryly interesting if, in human history, the cultivation of marijuana led generally to the invention of agriculture and thereby to civilization.”

Carl Sagan’s reflection (Sagan, 1971) captures the enduring and complex relationship between Cannabis sativa and humanity. Sagan’s dryly humorous speculation alludes to a deeper truth: Cannabis has long occupied a unique niche at the intersection of plant evolution, human culture, and ecological function. But beyond its storied cultural and agricultural history lies a less explored question: How does the phytochemical composition of Cannabis mediate ecological interactions—particularly with arthropods—and how is it shaped by evolution, environment, and human intervention?
My Cannabis Research Journey

I first entered the cannabis industry in 2004, gaining firsthand experience with cultivation, compliance, and community engagement as regulations evolved. This early work inspired me to pursue scientific training and apply ecological approaches to questions relevant to both producers and researchers. My doctoral research at the University of Nevada, Reno focused on the role of phytochemistry in mediating plant–insect interactions and environmental stress. Cannabis served as a powerful model system in which I could test how drought, domestication, and selection shape ecological dynamics.

​This journey — from cultivation to compliance to research — has allowed me to connect applied agricultural practices with ecological theory and to frame Cannabis as both a crop and a lens for exploring broader questions in plant ecology and resource management.

Ecological Perspectives on Cannabis sativa Phytochemistry: Biotic Interactions and 
Abiotic Stress in Managed and Natural System

For my PhD dissertation I investigated how phytochemical composition—both individual compounds and whole-mixture diversity—shapes plant–insect interactions, and how environmental stress and selection history reshape those chemical traits over space and time. Using Cannabis sativa as a chemically rich model, my work integrates multi-state field surveys, a cultivated-vs-feral comparison, and multi-year field experiments manipulating water stress, coupled with laboratory feeding bioassays.
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Bugs in the bud: An entomological road trip through Cannabis fields of the West

Since 2017, I have collected more than 4,000 arthropods from outdoor Cannabis (hemp and marijuana) fields across five western states - California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado and Nebraska- documenting > 5,800 arthropods. Our study shows that cultivated hemp supports the highest species richness, that communities are dominated by Hemiptera (notably Phorodon spp. and Myzus persicae), and that most taxa are site- or chemotype-specific, indicating strong local turnover rather than dominated by group of host-specific associates. We also repeatedly found beneficial predators  (e.g., Orius, lacewings, lady beetles), underscoring opportunities for IPM. I additionally collected Helicoverpa zea to establish a lab colony for feeding trials.

Parched but productive: How drought alters hemp phytochemistry and its ripple effects on the associated insect community

Producers aim to increase the yield of target phytochemicals, such as CBD, while minimizing inputs and staying within legal thresholds of THC. Previous research indicates that drought stress can increase target phytochemicals, but whether this translates to an overall increase in the net yield of these phytochemicals remains unclear. To explore this, we grew 150 hemp plants outdoors at the NV Agricultural Experiment Station Greenhouse Complex (2018, 2019 and 2020), applying three different water treatments to examine how soil moisture levels effect CBD concentration, net yield, and phytochemical diversity. Additionally, we investigated how changes in phytochemistry might mediate interactions with the insect community by collecting arthropods from the plants to observe any effects on insect community and herbivory. The harvested plant matter was also used to create artificial diets for Lepidopteran feeding bioassays.

Into the wild: The effects of natural and artificial selection on hemp phytochemistry and arthropod communities

Agricultural domestication has shaped human civilization and ecosystem processes, often leading to reduced genetic and phytochemical diversity in cultivated plants. This research compares cultivated and feral hemp to explore differences in phytochemical profiles and their impact on their associated arthropod communities. Focusing on how natural and artificial selection influence these dynamics, the study sheds light on the ecological effects of domestication. Conducted in Nebraska in 2020, where both feral and cultivated hemp populations coexist, this work has important implications for agricultural practices, biodiversity conservation, and the sustainable management of hemp crops. 

Unraveling the Impact of Hemp Phytochemicals on Helicoverpa zea Growth and Survival with Feeding Bioassays​

We conducted laboratory-based feeding experiments using performance bioassays on Spodoptera using mixtures that range above and below naturally occurring concentrations and proportions observed in hemp plants grown at the UNR Greenhouse Complex. These bioassay were prepared using coarse extracts from the hemp cultivated in our drought experiment. Our focus is on examining the effects on growth rates, development time, survivorship, and fecundity.

Research Assistantships

Research Assistant, The Gompert Lab                                                             
Utah State University                                                                                      
July-December 2022
Quantified cuticular hydrocarbons (Lepidoptera) using GC-FID. 
Research Assistant, Cooperative Extension
University of Nevada, Reno                                                                        
February-October 2022
Assisted with outreach including Hemp Field Days, wrote and published Extension Fact Sheets, and lead undergraduate workers in final field experiment data collection and harvest. 
Research Assistant, The Bug Lab (Dr. Matthew L. Forister)
University of Nevada, Reno                                                                             
​May-December 2021 
Prepared field collected plant samples for chemical extractions for analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.