David Abernathy has vast experience in the cannabis industry, from financial services, consulting, and investments to data, analytics, and market research. He currently serves as Principal for Arcview Management Consulting, and as a board member for the Minority Cannabis Business Association and the Marijuana Policy Project among other non-profit groups.
When David decided to get into the cannabis industry in 2009, Oaksterdam was his first call.
“OU’s classes gave me a fantastically thorough introduction to the history, dynamics, and landscape of the industry and served as a platform to network,” he says.
When the federal government raided and attempted to shut down OU in 2012, he came back to help rebuild the school that he says had given him so much.
David began serving on Oaksterdam University’s Board of Directors in 2021. He hopes to use his experience to help guide OU into a bright and dynamic future, positively impact students, and move the industry closer to a world in which cannabis is legal and accessible to all.
“Cannabis saved my life,” David says. “I will forever be indebted to the plant and it has been an honor to work with organizations like Oaksterdam University who are devoted to creating a freer and more just world in which people have opportunities to use cannabis to thrive rather than being criminalized for it.”
David also serves on OU’s faculty. Read more about him here.