Sebastián Marincolo

Dr. Sebastián Marincolo (alias Dr. Sebastian Schulz) is an author, publisher, and consciousness researcher with a focus on altered states of consciousness and the cannabis high. He also consults for companies and organizations in the areas of communication and brand identity.

He studied philosophy and linguistics at the University of Tübingen and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he worked with some of the most influential philosophers of his time, including Manfred Frank, William G. Lycan, and Simon Blackburn. His doctoral research explored a topic at the intersection of neuroscience and the philosophy of mind.

From this interest in the nature of human consciousness and altered states of consciousness emerged a long-term research focus: the cannabis high and its influence on higher cognitive functions such as memory, attention, imagination, pattern recognition, introspection, empathy, creativity, and spontaneous insight.

To sustain this research in a long-stigmatized field, Marincolo worked in parallel across various roles, as a photographer, creative director, and senior communications consultant for foundations and internationally operating companies.

From 2017 to 2021, he led communications and marketing for what was then the world’s largest cannabis producer. In this role, he helped bring medical cannabis to mainstream acceptance in Germany and Europe, opening access to this treatment option for tens of thousands of patients.

Marincolo is the author of five nonfiction books and numerous essays on the mind-altering potential of cannabis. A long-standing collaboration and friendship connected him with Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a pioneer in scientific cannabis research. His work, both his research and his cannabis macro photography, has received international recognition, including coverage in SPIEGEL Online, ZDF/3sat, Deutschlandfunk, and numerous other media outlets.

A sought-after voice in the field, he regularly appears at conferences and on podcasts worldwide. He currently serves as Director of Strategic Content & Editorial for weed.de, one of Germany’s leading cannabis information platforms, and continues to work as an independent consultant and author.

Since 2025, he has served on the scientific advisory boards of CINTA (Cannabis Initiative for Transdisciplinary Analyses) and the Women’s Cannabis Project.