With AACE’s 10th anniversary approaching this spring, we’re kicking off a series of catch-ups with our API cannabis industry community.
This week’s profile is Kyle Boyar:
When did you first step into the cannabis industry?
A: Going to college at UC Santa Cruz I was always around cannabis, but I first stepped into the industry by working as a laboratory technician at one of the first cannabis testing laboratories in the country, SC Laboratories.
What was your initial role, and where has your journey led you today?
A: From my humble beginnings as lab tech, I have traversed a wide variety of roles within cannabis science and testing. I transitioned out technician work to become a Field Application Scientist at Medicinal Genomics, teaching people who were in a similar position in my former role how to run their assays. During that transition, I also began volunteering at the American Chemical Society’s Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision (CANN). Understanding the complexities of cannabis testing and regulatory compliance, I then worked as Director of Product Science for Tagleaf, a software company that provides a laboratory information management system (LIMS) designed for cannabis testing labs. From there I did a brief stint in academia at UC San Diego’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) before ultimately deciding to move back to the private sector where I am currently employed as an International Field Application Scientist, serving as the cannabis lead for North America at Bio-Rad Laboratories. I was also recently elected as Chair of the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision (CANN) at the American Chemical Society where I began volunteering 9 years ago.
What advice would you offer to someone looking to enter the cannabis industry?
A: Cannabis is constantly evolving so it is imperative to stay up to date by learning and reading all you can. Building a network is also essential for staying in the loop on what’s going on in the field. Go to conferences, check out networking events, and talk to people whose shoes you’d like to see yourself in one day. I would also emphasize to always be kind - This industry has no shortage of challenges and having empathy and compassion for others always pays dividends in the long run.
Links:
ACS CANN: https://cann-acs.org/
My ResearchGate where all my publications are available for download: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kyle-Boyar
Bio-Rad Cannabis: https://www.bio-rad.com/en-us/applications-technologies/microbial-detection-solutions-for-cannabis-testing