James Croker, PhD

J. Alton Croker III, PhD, received his doctorate in Health Services & Policy focusing on cannabis policy, health outcomes, and health disparities. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2021, where he served as a research investigator for the Cannabis and End-of-Life Study, along with research associate roles within the RUPRI Center. He previously worked in public affairs at GLAD (GLBTQ Advocates & Defenders), an impact litigation firm focusing on social equity for LGBTQ persons, people living with HIV/AIDS, and their families. He also held research and grant management roles at Fenway Health Institute and the SARDI Center for Interventions at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, working to meet the health needs of communities of color. With a focus on health and social equity for Black people and LGBTQ youth of color, he also served in policy and community engagement roles with the National Black Treatment Advocates Network.

As a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF, Dr. Croker hopes to investigate adverse health effects of cannabis use, the ‘reinvestment’ of cannabis revenues by states and local governments into communities of color disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs, and the role of the cannabis industry in the policy making process.