Team – Cannabis Travel Association International

About CTAI

We serve to advance the mainstream adoption and integration of the cannabis-related travel trend through Advocacy, Education and Networking. We provide information on safe and responsible cannabis travel by demystifying the cannabis-related travel trend and work to unify the cannabis, hemp and travel industries. The CTAI empowers the development of favorable regulatory environments and facilitates meaningful data-driven discussions while promoting best practices in this emerging space. The CTAI works to advance the cannabis travel trend in the greater global travel market. The CTAI is a volunteer-run, fully registered 501c6 organization.

CTAI members and partners include major cannabis brands, tour operators, retailers, transportation companies, hotels, tourism boards, industry associations, media companies, and other organizations for whom cannabis tourism advocacy is important.

Core Pillars

EDUCATION: Our members and strategic partners have access to the best and most up-to-date information about the cannabis travel trend globally.

ADVOCACY: Our members and partners have access to tool kits that empower actionable advocacy in any market around the world.

NETWORKING: Our members and strategic partners have access to hyper-targeted networking.

B2B MARKETING: Promote your cannabis travel-oriented business easily and effectively through exclusive opportunities.

CTAI Board of Directors

Laura Hand | Board Member

Laura Hand is the CEO and Founder of Laura Loo Experience Design (LLXD). She is an award-winning marketing executive rooted in technology and customer experience design. With 20+ years of leading a digital advertising agency to corporate healthcare marketing teams, Laura offers executive-level fractional marketing expertise for companies that want to remain lean but recognize they need marketing leadership to take them where they want to go. She works with wellness brands that want to reach their desired audiences, be seen as the authority in their space and practice the “Less but Better” marketing mindset of doing what is most impactful to move their business forward. She is a Board Member and Marketing Chair for the Cannabis Travel Association International (CTAI), a mentor for women-owned businesses and has served at the national level of the American Advertising Federation on the Council of Governors and still serves as an AAF creative competition judge. Learn more at www.customerdelightprocess.com

Jerred Kiloh | Board Member

Mark Waller | Board Member

Mark R. Waller, CPA, co-founder and managing partner of Morem & Waller, CPAs, PLLC, has 15+ years of experience working as a public accountant as well as a controller in the private sector. He partners with CEOs, founders, and interested parties in the cannabis industry to help them stay compliant, achieve world-class financial records and financial reporting, and provide tax planning, preparation, and filing. A graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Mark lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Brigitte, and two children, Malcolm and Coco.

Founding Board

Brian Applegarth

Brian Applegarth is the founder of the California Cannabis Tourism Association, the original organization that evolved into the Cannabis Travel Association International (CTAI). Brian served as the founding chair from 2017 to 2021, and served on the CTAI advisory board from 2022 to 2025. Beyond the Cannabis Travel Association, Brian has pioneered initiatives such as the California State Fair Cannabis Awards & Exhibit and the Cannabis & Hemp Hospitality Training Course for hotel frontline staff and tourist information centers. In 2019, Brian co-authored the first national study on the active leisure Cannabis Travel Audience in the United States in collaboration with MMGY Travel Intelligence. He leads the cannabis and hemp council for the California Travel Association and the cannabis and hemp task force for Destinations International, the world’s largest association of destination organizations with over 700 member orgs and more than 7,500 destination professionals from 26 countries and territories around the world. His work has been recognized by the Clio Awards, the Visit California Poppy Awards, US Travel ESTO Awards, Conde Naste, and the International Federation of Fairs and Expos Awards. Learn more at https://brianapplegarth.com.