S2 Ep46: Pharmacy Focus: Pharmacists’ Role in Medical Cannabis Counseling and Patient Education

Jill Simonian, PharmD, received her PharmD from UCSF, followed by an acute care residency at UCSD Medical Center. Her professional career includes 25 years as a clinical pharmacist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and a brief time as a part-time pharmacist at an independent pharmacy in Carlsbad. 

She is currently conducting a course on Cannabis Pharmacology and Therapeutics at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and, with Dr. Peterson as co-chair, at UC Irvine School of Pharmacy. Dr. Simonian is a founding member of the Pharmacists' Cannabis Coalition of California, a nonprofit organization aimed at bridging the gap between healthcare and cannabis for the purposes of patient safety.

Codi Peterson, PharmD, MS is a pediatric pharmacist and cannabis science expert. He is a PharmD graduate from Duquesne University and later graduated with an MS in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics from UMaryland, Baltimore. Codi is the Chief Science Officer of The Cannigma, a science-forward media company dedicated to helping the world understand cannabis. 

Dr. Peterson is also an associate clinical professor at UC Irvine, where he contributes to advancing medical education. Additionally, he teaches pharmacology to paramedics in Southern California through OCEMT, and continues to practice pharmacy in an emergency department to this day. Codi is a co-founder of the Pharmacists Cannabis Coalition of California (PCCC), a public-benefit nonprofit dedicated to educating and elevating California pharmacists in the cannabis space.