Legal weed pioneer Wanda James to keynote NJ Cannabis Insider’s Oct. 12 conference

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Wanda James, a trailblazing entrepreneur and leader in the cannabis industry, will be the keynote speaker at NJ Cannabis Insider’s fall conference on Oct. 12 in Newark.

Founder and CEO of Simply Pure, a Denver-based company with the distinction of being the first legally licensed Black-owned dispensary in the U.S., James is widely recognized as a pioneer and a role model in the cannabis space.

She touches down in New Jersey just as two Simply Pure retail stores prepare to open in Downtown Trenton and Ewing later this year.

She’ll open NJCI’s event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Newark Airport at 10 a.m. The day-long B2B conference and networking space will also offer informational CannaTalks and panels, featuring other industry leaders, regulators and educators. The day is broken up with intense speed-networking sessions. Purchase tickets here.

James’ background spans from the military to the corporate world to politics. She served as a Navy officer and later worked as a Fortune 500 executive, a five-time restaurant owner, and a political consultant. Among her other firsts, James became the first Black woman elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents in over 44 years. She has worked with government leaders such as former President Obama, Vice President Harris, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, among others.

Recognized for her many achievements and contributions, James continues to break boundaries and inspire others with her vision and leadership, especially on the social equity front and helping those harmed by the War on Drugs.

NJ Cannabis Insider Live! conference doors open at 9 a.m. The conference ends at 5 p.m. Tickets ($295) are on sale now for the conference. A select number (10%) of discounted tickets also are available for social equity business owners.

NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based online trade journal and events group produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers. Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for insider exclusives. Follow us on LinkedIn.