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NY Cannabis Insider is hosting an industry summit at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo, N.Y. on September 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Details and tickets available here.
The conference will focus will be on the “state of the industry” discussion from several key stakeholder perspectives, such as cultivators, processors, retailers, politicians, attorneys, and medical operators.
Lightning-round business planning consultations will be available for attendees, in addition to networking opportunities, lunch, happy hour and more. Business owners and CAURD license holders are eligible for half-price tickets by entering the discount code 50PERCENT during registration.
The event will feature a keynote and panel discussions on the current state of industry perspectives specific to New York State as shared from growers, processors, CAURD licensees/hopefuls, and more. View the full agenda timing here.
Panelists and speakers sharing their perspectives include:
· Jenny Argie – Founder, Jenny’s: Jenny’s is a woman-owned cannabis brand founded on health, wellness, and love. Based in the heart of Hudson Valley, New York, Jenny’s has been a leader in New York’s legal cannabis industry by being one of the first Processors to be licensed for hemp (CBD), and now for adult-use cannabis.
· Jennifer Byrnes – Head of the Business Insight Center, Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County: Jennifer coordinates all cannabis initiatives and programming in Rochester. BIC provides free and confidential market research and start up information for businesses of all sizes, stages, and sectors. It is also the home of the Carlson Center for Intellectual Property which conducts free prior art searches for patents and trademarks and advises on filing processes.
· Joseph Calderone – COO, Grateful Valley Farm: Grateful Valley Farm LLC is a woman-owned cannabis medicine farm in Upstate New York. We produce high-quality recreational and medicinal flowers using organic, regenerative, and sustainable practices.
· Michael Casacci – CEO, House of Sacci: House of Sacci is one of New York’s first licensed cannabis brands. They cultivate in a heated 40,000-square foot greenhouse with a climate controlled dry/cure room that produces some of the finest flower products in the state. Michael and his team have had decades of experience growing and experimenting with the plant they all love.
· Paula Collins – Attorney, Law Office of Paula Collins, PLLC: Paula is an Enrolled Agent and an Attorney, dedicated to representing cannabis entrepreneurs and investors through all phases of the business life cycle. She specializes in finding solutions for social equity license holders, fundraising, and taxation in the cannabis space and helping start-up and legacy operators transition into legal cannabis businesses by first examining their personal journeys, family history, and financial snapshot.
· Samuel Coronado – Owner, Mary Janes: Samuel Coronado is a proud CAURD licensee selected in WNY in May 2023. Sam is a born, raised and residing West Side Buffalonian. When the opportunity of becoming a Justice involved dispensary owner became a reality, Sam and his family have diligently tried to make this newly possible dream come true.
· Andrew DeAngelo – Global Cannabis Consultant & Strategic Advisor: As a co-founder of Harborside, Andrew has pioneered legal cannabis business processes and provided groundbreaking political engagement and thought leadership to the cannabis community. Andrew is co-founder of the non-profit Last Prisoner Project (LPP). Over three decades as an activist, Andrew worked on a variety of voter initiatives which legalized medical and adult-use cannabis in San Francisco, Washington D.C, and the State of California.
· Brian Lane – Compliance Officer, NOWAVE: Brian Lane is one of the Owners and Compliance Manager at NOWAVE in Rochester, NY. NOWAVE is a cGMP certified Cannabis Facility which has held a New York State Hemp License since 2018. In his current role, Lane is responsible for the cGMP certification, licensing, and regulatory requirements to keep NOWAVE in good standing with New York State.
· Nikki Lawley – Founder, Nikkiandtheplant.org: Nikki is a cannabis patient advocate, speaker, and founder of Nikki and the Plant. She discovered medical cannabis after experiencing a life-changing brain injury while working as a pediatric nurse in October 2016. Nikki is a leading voice in the community, chronicling her journey from a healthcare provider to a patient to an advocate.
· Assemblymember Crystal People-Stokes: In December 2018 Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes was elevated to the position of Majority Leader of the New York State Assembly. Peoples-Stokes has served Buffalo’s 141st Assembly District since 2003. Peoples-Stokes was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. In March 2021, Peoples-Stokes successfully passed The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA), legalizing the adult use of cannabis with a goal of 50% of licenses going to equity applicants and the dedication of 40% of cannabis revenues being reinvested into disenfranchised communities of color in New York State, a bill and effort she had sponsored for eight years.
· Benjamin M. Rattner – Partner, Cermele & Wood LLP: Ben is an experienced attorney who leads the cannabis practice at Cermele & Wood LLP. Ben has helped numerous clients successfully navigate licensure under the MRTA and is passionate about achieving results. Ben drafts the legal documents necessary to form and operate cannabis businesses, assists with fundraising efforts, negotiates leases and land deals, negotiates licensing and purchase agreements, counsels clients about brand protection, and, of course, quarterbacks cannabis license applications.
· Thomas Spanos – Solo Practitioner. Law Office of Thomas G. Spanos: Thomas is one of New York State’s foremost cannabis attorneys. His Buffalo-based practice touches on all aspects of the NY cannabis market, from licensing and compliance to CGS event organization. His clients include conditional licensees (CAURD, AUCC, and AUCP) as well as future applicants. Thomas is passionate about the revitalizing impact cannabis businesses can have for our local communities.
· Eddie Sundquist – Mayor & Chief Executive Officer at City of Jamestown, NY: Eddie is a proud native of Jamestown. He graduated from Jamestown High School in 2007 and became the first in his family to graduate from college from St. John fisher in 2010. After graduation he became a middle school teacher, and while teaching he earned his Masters of Science in Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
· Britni Tantalo – Co-founder, Flower City Hydroponics: Britni is the co-founder of Flower City Hydroponics, a retail grow store located in Fairport, NY that provides all equipment and supplies needed for indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation. She is the co-founder of MetaVega Corporation, a manufacturer, wholesaler, and distributor of indoor growing equipment and cannabis extraction products. Britni is a woman minority New York State CAURD applicant looking to obtain a retail dispensary license as Flower City Dispensary.
· Jeremy Unruh – SVP, Public and Regulatory Affairs, PharmaCann: Jeremy serves as the PharmaCann senior vice president of public and regulatory affairs. Jeremy is responsible for the company’s strategic external matters, including legislative policy and public affairs; media relationships; organized labor; and coordination with state and local regulators.
· Aaron Van Camp – Owner, Dank716: Dank is owned and operated by Aaron Van Camp who spent close to 7 years in prison for cannabis charges. The social justice program through NYS allowed him to be the first licensed retailer in WNY. Aaron works diligently and ethically within the industry and collaborates frequently with other licensees as well as cannabis companies.
· Michael Yager – Yager Farms
Topics speakers will share insights on during the conference include:
- Grower investment & supply chain issues
- Checking in with CAURD licensees
- Processor challenges & successes
- Medical marijuana roadblocks & outlook
- A legal perspective of what’s happening & when (and what you can do in the meantime)
- The politics of cannabis across NYS
NY Cannabis Industry is hosting a “current state of the cannabis industry” event in Buffalo on Sept. 21, 2023.
Sponsors and vendors are the businesses shaping the industry locally and regionally. Look for them at the event for advice and help with your business:
· Cannaworkforce Solutions is dedicated to helping organizations in New York State find the best talent for key roles in their companies by assisting new and current job seekers find their place in the Cannabis Industry.
· Canterra is a licensed adult use retailer based in Buffalo NY! Our central goal is to work with industry stakeholders to create the a digital space where consumers can connect with their favorite NY Brands! We are currently hiring all over the WNY and Finger Lakes region and looking to connect with all the attendees of the conference.
· New York Consortium of Cannabis Accountants promotes financial literacy and empower New York’s legacy cannabis market leaders and social equity entrepreneurs so that they may make informed business decisions.
A limited number of sponsorships and vendor tables are still available. Contact Lindsay Wickham at lwickham@advancemediany.com to learn more about opportunities to reach this audience.
NY Cannabis Insider events are attended by industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and key stakeholders in the state’s nascent industry, as well as those from cannabis-adjacent businesses such as legal, security, retail, banking, finance, construction, engineering, compliance and medical marijuana advocates. Read a recap of the first annual NYS “problems and solutions” cannabis summit and conference held in Albany earlier this year along with an overview of the perspectives that emerged during our most recent networking meetup in New York City.
There will also be an additional full-day industry conference in White Plains on November 16 (details here).