Originally hailing from Oregon, James has been involved in the cannabis industry in one form or another for most of his life. With an educational background in evolutionary biology and ecology, he left the US to serve with the Peace Corps in Zambia before making his way to Latin America. After several years working with startups and managing conservation and sustainable agricultural development projects, he returned to the cannabis industry when medicinal cannabis was legalized in Colombia. For most of the last decade, he has been focused on developing genetics for commercial use on the Caribbean coast and Andean plains. While breeding, selecting and evaluating cannabis strains for a range of climactic subregions, he has also been intricately involved in the business, finance, and compliance components that are so critical to what is still a nascent and rapidly changing industry in most of South America. Identifying plant nutrition and integrated pest management as among the most crucial factors for the success of cannabis operations in the region, he now serves as Latin America Business Development Manager and Facility Advisor with Athena Ag.