Michael Alan Krawitz is a

US Air force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

, Executive Director of the non-profit Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, researcher on the history of

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions ...

, and international advocate for cannabis policy reform with

FAAAT think & do tank For Alternative Approaches to Addiction, Think & do tank (FAAAT or FAAAT think & do tank) is an international non-profit organization working on drug policy, created in 2015 and based in Paris, France. The organization focuses on research and a ...

and the

International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines The International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM), formerly known as the ''International Association for Cannabis as a Medicine'', is a Non-profit organization, non-profit Learned society, scientific society founded in Cologne in 200 ...

Biography

Krawitz served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

from 1981 to 1986 as an Electronic Warfare Systems Technician and was a sergeant. He was stationed in Guam. Apart from his military career, Krawitz has been involved in the United States, researching the

traditions A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

and historicity of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

in the country, as well as working to secure access and availability of

for

s, in particular with the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

and has extended its involvement at the international level since the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug situation in 1998 throughout the 2020s. Internationally he has been involved in the New-York NGO Committee on Drugs as Executive Committee member, as patient representative of the

. Krawitz is also policy adviser of the organization

for his involvement around the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

and

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (Single Convention, 1961 Convention, or C61) is an international treaty that controls activities (cultivation, production, supply, trade, transport) of specific narcotic drugs and lays down a syst ...

international scheduling of

Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

, being instrumental in the efforts leading to the withdrawal of "cannabis and cannabis resin" from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention, in December 2020. Krawitz is also working on the creation of

Appellation of Origin A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

and other

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...

tools for traditional Cannabis products, both in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, participating as a board member of the Californian farmers organization Origins Council, and internationally as a registered observer to the

World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, 15 specialized agencies of the United Nation ...

. Since 2021, he has been member of board of advisors to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council).

Publications

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References

External links

Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access
website.
FAAAT think & do tank
website.
Michael Krawitz
on

ResearchGate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education'' ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krawitz, Michael Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American cannabis activists United States Air Force airmen