03/10/2026
WestCal® and the world has lost a remarkable mentor, dear friend, and accomplished businessman.
Brad Liszt's connection to WestCal Academy® began 30 years ago with a casual request for a lighter from now WestCal Academy® President, John Paul Tabakian at Carissimo, a now-closed coffee shop in Redondo Beach. Brad asked for a lighter, John Paul gave it to him, and Brad kept it with him. It has been a longstanding joke between two unlikely friends who enjoyed each other company.
Over the course of those 30 years, JP and Brad developed each their own entrepreneurial businesses and would later collaborate closely. Brad was drawn to WestCal Academy's mission of legitimizing and destigmatizing cannabis through workforce apprenticeships. He served as a board member of WestCal Academy® and as a member of the WestCal® CTE Apprenticeship Standards Committee overseeing cannabis — contributing his real-world expertise to the development of standards that would shape the industry's professional future. Brad's involvement reached the national stage as well, as Brad participated in the National CTE program encompassing cannabis cultivation, production, and distribution, developed in collaboration with WestCal Academy® and the United States Department of Labor.
His contributions extended beyond governance and policy. He gave generously of his time to our WestCal® students through experience as a mentor, speaking in JP's Business Communications classes at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and offering decades of hard-earned wisdom and encouragement to incarcerated youth at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. So valued was his perspective that Brad became the subject of multiple WestCal® Career Pathway Interview Assignments. His story and insights served as a living curriculum for students navigating their own professional pathways.
Brad Liszt's life in business was as remarkable as the man himself. He built a distinguished career in music disc replication through his company, Disc Replicators International, working alongside some of the most celebrated names in West Coast hip-hop, rap, and even rock. He later co-founded Dr. Zodiak's Moonrock, a cannabis production company, alongside his stepson Danny — a venture that reflected his natural entrepreneurial nature and his belief in the industry's legitimate future. Brad has been instrumental in forging new national standards of quality assurance to assure safety for all cannabis customers. Brad and WestCal Academy® have brought medical standards to the cannabis industry that include sterile processing, to assure safety for all customers. This work has also led to the establishment of a national Career Technical Education (CTE) Apprenticeship Program with the United States Department of Labor for all occupations and employers that include the cannabis industry.
Brad leaves behind a mark and legacy in everyone fortunate enough to have known him and will be tremendously missed. Cheers to you, Brad! 🍻
