NY Cannabis Insider’s week in legal weed for May 14, 2022

NY Cannabis Insider is hosting an in-person conference in Albany on May 20th. The event will feature panel discussions led by industry experts, as well as networking opportunities, a vendor fair, lightning round consultations and more. Tickets?are available now .

Happy weekend, everybody!

It’s finally starting to feel like summer, but NY’s weed industry certainly isn’t going into dog-days mode. Let’s dive into the news we followed this week.

We’re fast approaching?NY Cannabis Insider ’s first in-person event, which we’re hosting Friday in my new stomping grounds of Albany. Have you bought?your tickets ?yet?

Earlier this week, we ran a?piece about the conference , which includes information about the venue, panelists and sponsors. Give it a look to check out the full list of speakers. Additionally, some of our guests will be giving “lightning round”-type consultations with ticket holders seeking branding, marketing and business advice for weed businesses.

In a?story today , I followed up on a police raid at an Oswego cannabis farmers market earlier this month, and looked at how it might affect legacy operators’ views on entering the legal market.

Josh Waterman, co-founder of the?Legacy Growers Association , told me the May 1 raid – during which Oswego police confiscated “several pounds” of weed, and about $1,700 – has turned off some legacy operators from the idea of joining the legal market. Waterman also provided me with comments from LGA members who didn’t want to be identified after getting caught in the dragnet.

They all seem frustrated with unclear rules, and suspicious of rhetoric from state officials who say they want to include legacy operators in the legal market.

Brad ran a really interesting Q&A ?with Jeremy Rivera, a former Crip who plans to enter NY’s legal marijuana marketplace. The Office of Cannabis Management is reserving the first round of dispensary licenses for justice-involved applicants, and Brad talked to Rivera about his plans and hopes to?win a license , and staff his dispensary with young people who have sold drugs, and are looking for a way out of a destructive lifestyle.

In addition to that Q&A, and doing a lot of planning for our event next Friday (did I mention we’re hosting a?live event in Albany ?), Brad wrote a?story about the OCM hosting ?two virtual “learning series” workshops next week to provide information for those looking to get a first-round retail marijuana license.

The talks next week – which OCM dubbed “Get Ready, Get Set” – will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, and will focus on eligibility criteria for applicants who have been negatively impacted by the War on Drugs and how organizations that work with those applicants can support them. The following week, OCM will host two “listening series” workshops around supporting cannabis cultivation in the state and ensuring equity in the industry.

Reporter Will Fritz wrote about another weed education opportunity, with a piece about LIM College in New York City?launching bachelor’s and master’s degree programs ?in “The Business of Cannabis” this fall.

Among the team of top cannabis industry professionals hired to teach for LIM College’s new programs: Cannabis advocate and business strategist?Dasheeda Dawson ;?Branding Bud Consulting Group ?founder David Paleschuck; and Kristin Jordan, CEO of commercial real estate brokerage firm?Park Jordan , Will writes.

Lastly, I reported a story on Tuesday about a niche within the cannabis market of “cannathletes,” or people who?incorporate weed into their exercise . I talked to a couple scientists, an author and a hemp company owner about how people are using marijuana to enhance their exercise and recovery, and the business opportunity this sub-sector presents to NY weed companies.

The people I talked to say the market for this is likely much larger than people would think, and could turn out to be very profitable in NY.

I still have some vicarious runners’ cramps from reporting that story, so I’m going to take my weed without exercise for the rest of the weekend.

— Sean Teehan

NY Cannabis Insider's conference, presented by?Foley Hoag , is Friday, May 20, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The in-person conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany.?Purchase tickets here .

For the first time, the conference will also feature?lightning-round business consultations?free for all attendees. Industry veterans will review your business plan, branding, marketing strategies and more, and provide you with expert guidance and next steps.?

Our speaker list and panel discussions have been finalized. Here's who and what you can expect:?

Check In:?8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

9:15-10?Panel #1 - Get Started Now: Crafting a Successful Cannabis Business Plan

Actionable advice from attorneys and accountants about the nuts and bolts of putting together a comprehensive business plan: What to include in your plan, how to structure and budget for it, and ways to leverage resources at your disposal.?

Panelists:

Erica Edwards, Founder and Accountant at?The Number Grinder

Paula Collins, Founder and Attorney at?Law Office of Paula Collins

Meaghan Feenan, Attorney, Cannabis Industry Team Member at?Harris Beach

Allison Kirchhofer, Owner and CFO of?Accounting by Design

10:15 – 11 Panel #2 -?A Deep Dive Into the Regulations for Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Licenses?

A blunt discussion about the potential problems with the OCM’s conditional retail regulations as published in draft form: Legal implications, confusing and opaque language, logistics, and more.

Panelists:

Ngiste Abebe, VP of Public Policy at?Columbia Care ?and President of the?NY Medical Cannabis Industry Association

Wei Hu, Attorney and Founder of?MRTA Law

Charles Johnson, Attorney and Co-Founder of?LeafSpotZ

Jonathan Purow, Attorney at?Zuber Lawler ?and host of the?Cannabis Last Week podcast ?

11:15 – 12 Panel #3 -?Veterans & Cannabis in the Broader NYS Landscape?

Benefits for businesses to hire and work with veterans and veteran-certified companies, loans/education/training benefits veterans have that many don’t, the therapeutic and mental health benefits of cannabis for veterans, and roadblocks and obstacles (mainly at the VA) for vets to access marijuana.

Panelists:

Sarah Stenuf, Founder and CEO of?Ananda Farms ?and?Veteran’s Ananda

Lee Buttolph, Veteran and COO of?Tap Root Fields

Jeremy Rivera, CoFounder and CEO of?Honest Pharm

1:15 – 2 Panel #4 -?Impact of Recreational Adult-Use Legislation on Medical Marijuana Providers

A frank and honest discussion about the current issues plaguing NY’s medical program: access, affordability, quality, and more.

Panelists:

Katie Neer, General Counsel at?Lantern

Geoffrey Brown, Dispensary Pharmacist and Editor-in-Chief of?CannaBuff ?magazine

Timothy Mitchell, Patient advocate

Cecilia Oyediran, Attorney at?Foley Hoag

2:15 – 3 Panel #5 - Get Started Now: Developing Brand & Marketing Foundations for Your Cannabis Business

Tips and tricks for putting together your brand identity, what to watch out for from a legal perspective (logos, design), copyrighting, and how to market your cannabis business in the face of severe social media restrictions.?

Panelists:

Tiffany Yarde, Co-Founder of?SHOKi Bev

Brittany Carbone, Conditional?Cultivator Licensee ?and Founder of?Tonic

Gareth Charter, VP of Sales at?MassLive

Kaelan Castetter, Managing Director of the?Castetter Cannabis Group

3:15 – 4 Panel #6 - Understanding Legacy Market Transition and Impact

A focused conversation with?Joshua Alb : Scientist, activist, entrepreneur and founder of Cannademix.

4-6 Happy Hour and Networking?

The conference will also include a vendor fair, featuring service partners designed to help cannabis entrepreneurs find reliable business partners to build out their business team. Some of our vendors include Cannaspire, Cova, Reagan Companies and Cannabis360. Vendor space is still available.?Please reach out to Lindsay Marlenga ([email protected] ) for more information.

Tickets for the all-day, in-person conference are $225. Tickets include admission, a drink and appetizers during the happy hour and networking session, as well as complimentary headshots provided throughout the day.

Purchase tickets here .