The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and legalization of hemp has opened up many exciting business opportunities for its producers. In this webinar, we’ll discuss how producers can protect their competitive position in the market through the strategic procurement of intellectual property assets. We will explain the three major categories of IP protections for newly “invented” plants – Plant Variety Protection Certificates, Plant Patents and Utility Patents – and explain some of the key considerations that go into deciding the right path for your business.
Meet the Speaker
Scott Lloyd counsels emerging and midsize businesses on a wide array of legal issues in the areas of corporate governance, intellectual property, commercial transactions and dispute resolution, regulatory compliance and international trade. Mr. Lloyd is also a registered patent attorney who combines his scientific and professional experience to focus his practice on serving the needs of clients requiring an attorney with both legal and scientific expertise to address intellectual property and regulatory support needs. He counsels those companies on intellectual property strategy, assists them in gaining regulatory approvals for products and provides advice on compliance with international import and export regulations. Mr. Lloyd works primarily with small and midsize business owners seeking to implement growth strategies and succession plans.
As CEO of Jabez Pharma Holdings, Inc. Steve Beagle addresses the topic of real investigative science going on in both the regulated and non-regulated areas of cannabinoid science. The continued loosening of restrictions from the FDA, in particular, presents some exciting opportunities to do research science on cannabinoids in humans, but at the same time, ongoing uncertainty and delays present major obstacles to broader market acceptance and expansion. Mr. Beagle will be explaining the current state of cannabinoid science and shedding light on the challenges that drug development companies face as they attempt to navigate this highly dynamic space and formulate drug dosages for the Rx, OTC and nutraceutical markets.
About Steven Beagle | CEO, Jabez Pharma, Inc. Steven Beagle has held senior positions in the pharmaceutical sector for over thirty years. Prior to founding Jabez Pharma in the summer of 2018 he was Senior Director of MSN Pharmaceuticals from 2013-2017 where he headed North American marketing and sales of their API division. He has been credited for the exponential US growth that has now emerged from his work during that time period. Prior to this role, Steve headed publicly-traded Dr. Reddy’s CPS custom chemistry business from 2011 to 2013. Mr. Beagle possesses extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, holding key roles not only at MSN and Dr. Reddy’s but also at DSM, BASF, Rohner AG, American Cyanamid and Hovione. He holds a BS from the University of Connecticut and also studied at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz (Brooklyn) College of Pharmacy.
Big changes are finally on the horizon for hemp in the United States. On Tuesday, October 29th the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) dropped its interim hemp rules pursuant to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill). The 161 pages of interim rules set up a regulatory system for federal government oversight and licensing of hemp farmers across the country. Importantly though, state and tribal law remains hugely relevant in that states and Indian tribes need to submit cultivation plans to the USDA for the agency’s approval, and those plans will also govern the regulatory conduct of hemp farmers. What does this mean? It means that hemp farmers are going to face a bevy of regulations and compliance issues and protocol on the state, tribal, and federal levels in a way they haven’t had to before even under 2014 Farm Bill pilot programs.
To better inform and educate our clients, readers of this blog, and those interested in hemp cultivation and/or production of hemp products, including hemp-CBD, we’ll be hosting a free webinar on Thursday, November 14, 2019 from noon PT to 1 p.m. PT. Join Nathalie Bougenies and Daniel Shortt, who will discuss and analyze the following topics:
- Highlights of the USDA interim hemp regulations including testing, interstate transport, and federal licensing;
- Immediate legal impacts on hemp farmers;
- Ambiguities in the regulations and areas of concern;
- Steps for hemp farmers to take now to best prepare for compliance with the interim rules once they’re finalized; and
- The effect of the USDA regulations on hemp-CBD and hemp-derived products.
Nathalie and Daniel will also take audience questions throughout the presentation.
Even though the interim rules are not yet final, it’s hugely important for stakeholders to get a firm grasp on their meaning and consequence now in order to be better prepared for the future of what the USDA and states and tribes will impose upon hemp farmers and producers. We sincerely hope you can join us on November 14th!
Due to the vape crisis sweeping our nation, the world is finally paying attention to the extensive quality and safety issues that have arisen with the rapid growth of the legal cannabis industry. This session will explore how a lack of federal oversight, an absence of uniform state regulations, a heavy reliance on testing, significant taxation, and specific industry behaviors contributed to the situation. This will be followed by a discussion on how the implementation of comprehensive cannabis-specific good manufacturing practices and standards could have prevented the situation and what businesses can do now to avoid further damage.
This webinar is presented by Lezli Engelking, Founder, FOCUS: The International Cannabis Health & Safety Organization
Lezli brought her 20-plus years of experience in the mental health and pharmaceutical industries to the cannabis industry to open the first chain of medical cannabis operations in Phoenix, AZ. Having gained a comprehensive understanding of the extensive quality and safety issues surrounding cannabis, in 2014 Lezli sold all financial interest in the industry to found FOCUS: The International Cannabis Health & Safety Organization. FOCUS is an independent, 501c3 non-profit organization that develops cannabis specific standards and provides third-party accredited certification and related services to the public and private sectors globally.
Meet the Speaker:
Lezli brought her 20-plus years of experience in the mental health and pharmaceutical industries to the cannabis industry to open the first chain of medical cannabis operations in Phoenix, AZ. Having gained a comprehensive understanding of the extensive quality and safety issues surrounding cannabis, in 2014 Lezli sold all financial interest in the industry to found FOCUS: The International Cannabis Health & Safety Organization. FOCUS is an independent, 501c3 non-profit organization that develops cannabis specific standards and provides third-party accredited certification and related services to the public and private sectors globally.
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It’s easy to toss around buzz words, such as micro-dosing, senior demos and luxe-ing the leaf, but what are the deeper cannabis trends that will reveal themselves, engage consumers, change purchasing behaviors and have staying power? In this discussion, Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman will explore the future of infused cannabis products, including how to get out ahead of where the market is going while still running a profitable business today; and how to spot a real trend and not just marketing hype.
Meet the Speaker:
Nancy Whiteman Heralded as “The Queen of Legal Weed” by Inc. (May 2017) and “The Martha Stewart of Edibles” by Entrepreneur (Jan. 2019), Nancy Whiteman is CEO of Wana Brands, the producer of best-selling products Wana Sour Gummies and WanaCapsXR. Wana Brands is ranked the No. 1 edibles brand in sales revenues in the United States, according to BDS Analytics Brand Share Report. Nancy directs the development of partnerships and licensing agreements domestically and internationally. Nancy leads the company’s strategic vision and has been instrumental in Wana Brands’ growth into new and emerging markets. She was one of six women included in High Times 100 in March 2019. In May 2019,Nancy was listed as No. 3 in Cannabis Business Executive’s 2019 Power Women in Cannabis. Prior to Wana, Nancy was a principal with The Whiteman Group, a sales and marketing consultancy, and previously held a range of senior level marketing and business development positions including Vice President, Marketing and New Corporate Ventures for the Paul Revere Insurance Group in Massachusetts. Nancy holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is a member of the Colorado Cannabis Manufacturers Association, National Cannabis Industry Association and Marijuana Policy Project. |
Presented by:
Part 2 of the GMP Webinar Series will examine the qualification and validation of equipment designated for GMP environments. The discussion will focus on the documentation associated with the qualification and validation process, with emphasis on the following;
- User Requirement Specification (URS)
Outlines the equipment specifications required by the customer
- Installation Qualification and Operation Qualification (IQ/OQ)
Validates that the equipment has been installed as per manufacturers specifications and that the equipment operates as designed
- Performance Qualification (PQ)
Validates that the equipment performs as required, consistently, under real-world conditions
- Turnover Package
Documented evidence of materials of construction and calibration of measuring devices
Participants should leave the webinar with a better understanding of what is required from a manufacturer when purchasing a GMP-compliant piece of equipment.
Event host, Kiran Dayaram, GMP Specialist
Join a live presentation of an exclusive, not yet publicly available, poll among cannabis business decision makers that provides key insights on how to improve business conditions in the cannabis industry. Jason Boxt, EVP at PSB Research, will guide the live presentation of the results followed by a moderated Q/A session. Specifically, this report touches on the following:
- What are the most prominent business challenges in the cannabis industry?
- Which state or federal regulatory policies would be most impactful?
- What are the biggest opportunities around the corner?
- What is the next wave of consumer growth?
Be a part of the conversation with industry leaders standardizing and professionalizing the cannabis industry. Register for the live presentation today!
This survey was made possible by CBE Insights, PSB Research, and BCW (Burson, Cohn & Wolfe).
Meet the Speaker:
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Jason Boxt is an Executive Vice President based in the Washington DC office, overseeing the growth and development of the firm’s corporate and public affairs client base. Jason has worked in the public affairs and public opinion research spaces for nearly 20 years, with expertise in communications and digital research, reputation and brand management, message development and issue advocacy. In partnership with sister company, Burson, Cohn, and Wolfe (BCW), Jason has positioned PSB as a thought leader in the cannabis industry, conducting a variety of consumer and professional opinion research studies. |
Compliance as a Competitive Advantage
Meet the Speaker
| Brooke Butler, Vice President of Business Development at Simplifya, is an energetic professional who spent the last decade building her career in 8 countries across 4 continents before returning to the US to help grow Simplifya’s business. Heading up the local offices as a Country Director for global research and publishing firm Oxford Business Group, Brooke gained vital experience introducing a brand and products to new markets and fostering commercial partnerships with the public and private sectors. |
Learn how to improve your gross profit, reduce expenses and grow your after-tax cash flow. You will want to take notes on this program which has been developed from the Bridge West files of over 300 cannabis clients. Join Offit Kurman as it hosts a talk with Jim Marty, Chief Executive Officer of Bridge West LLC, on How to Improve After Tax Profits for a Cannabis Business. Jim will share techniques used by Bridge West’s most profitable cannabis clients. Join us on Tuesday, May 21st for our webinar/affinity group on this exciting topic!
About Jim Marty:
Jim Marty is the Chief Executive Officer of Bridge West LLC. Jim is a pioneer and a leader in the cannabis industry and is a nationally recognized and renowned expert on cannabis tax, accounting, and banking issues. Jim has been featured on Fox Business News, CNBC, and numerous other nation-wide media outlets. Since 2009, Jim’s practice has grown to more than 300 cannabis clients and in 2012, Jim founded Bridge West LLC, the first accounting firm in the world to focus solely on the cannabis industry. He continues to be a spokesman and endorser of the cannabis industry through his highly attended marijuana education business presentations and the work he does to support the expansion of the industry. In addition to providing his clients with exceptional tax preparation assistance and unparalleled client services, Jim has consulted in more than a dozen of medical marijuana IRS audits, is accredited in business valuation, intangible asset valuation, and certified in financial forensics. Jim has testified for several cases involving business disputes, mergers and acquisitions, and business valuation issues.
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill is a game-changer for hemp in the US and globally. The multi-billion hemp industry has just begun to take hold and now the Farm Bill is expected to supercharge growth in this space. Join Offit Kurman as we host a talk with Eric Steenstra, president of the influential political advocacy organization Vote Hemp, about the impact of the Farm Bill on the hemp industry. Eric will be discussing the political factors that brought hemp legalization to the forefront in the Farm Bill, what steps various states, including Maryland, have taken to pursue hemp cultivation in their area, and what you can expect to see on the national landscape moving forward. Register to attend this exciting online webinar presented on Friday April 5th.
Guest:
Eric Steenstra is a hemp industry pioneer cofounding hemp clothing and lifestyle brand Ecolution with Steve DeAngelo in 1992. Steenstra was a founding member of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and served as its Executive Director from 2008 to 2016, growing membership during that time by more than 300%. Steenstra now serves as the president of Vote Hemp, the political advocacy organization that he co-founded in 2000.
Please join our host Ellis Smith and special guest Mike Leago, Trusted Global Hemp Ambassador, for a live Q&A session on the state of the international hemp market.
* Farming – Clones & Seeds
* Supply & Demand – How to find buyers for your wholesale & retail products or services.
* Technology to drive your hemp business
Guest: Mike Leago
Mike Leago is the Founder of the International Hemp Exchange, Production Specialist at HGH Seeds, Co-Founder of Zohko, Co-Founder of Mahalo Wellness and Founder of Liberty Tree CBD. |
Did you know that Maryland is opening a new round of applications for grower and processor licenses in March 2019? This is probably the last opportunity to be awarded a license under Maryland’s thriving medical cannabis program for many years. Join host Jason Klein as he walks through in detail the in’s and out’s of the upcoming application and shares insights on how to make your application stand out and win! This webinar will touch on the application scoring methodologies, the submission requirements, diversity and disadvantaged business categories, lessons learned from the last round of applications, and much more. The webinar will also feature a more interactive format to engage with the audience and maximize the learning opportunity. Please join us for this exciting topic on March 1st at 12pm ET!
Presented by Jason Klein:
Jason Klein is a business law attorney at Offit Kurman with a focus on licensing and compliance in tightly regulated markets on the east coast. Jason started working in the industry in 2011 and his practice focuses exclusively on serving direct and ancillary cannabis business clients. As one of the first attorneys east of the Mississippi to work with cannabis business clients, Jason has a track record of successfully navigating competitive licensing environments and assisting his clients to stay compliant and profitable in the face of challenging regulatory atmospheres. He is a founding board member of the National Cannabis Bar Association and a frequent speaker at local and national cannabis industry conferences.
Mr. Klein hosts a monthly Cannabis webinar with a different guest speaker each month. Topics range from “Cannabis Police and Practice in the Trump Era,” to medical cannabis for pain and the opioid epidemic (“Can Medical Cannabis for Pain Really Help with the Opioid-Dependency Epidemic?”) to cannabis insurance preparation (“An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure Commercial Insurance Preparation”).
Mr. Klein holds a bachelor’s degree in physics (2002), master’s degree in public administration (2009), and J.D. (cum laude – 2009), all from Indiana University – Bloomington. He is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Michigan.
How we can overcome the lack of accessible germplasm resources and begin proper plant breeding programs in cannabis?
Please join our host Ellis Smith and special guests panelist to discuss one big unsolved problem in the cannabis industry; the lack of significant germplasm repositories with good databases to support plant breeding.Topics we will cover:
- * What is Germplasm?
- * Same Plant, Different Regulations
- * Public vs. Private – Can the private marketplace fulfill all critical roles?
- * The Germplasm Marketplace
Guest Panelist:
Guest Panelist: Dr. Mitch Day, Scientist and Entrepreneur Mitch is a subject matter expert on micropropagation and analysis of genetic information. Micropropagation offers two major benefits to cultivators: disease-free cloning and economical large-scale storage of cultivars for breeding programs. |
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Guest Panelist: Dylan Wilks, Founder & CTO of Orange Photonics Spectroscopy, entrepreneurship and invention are a family legacy for Dylan. His grandfather is the “Father of Infrared Technology” and one of the industry founders in the 1940’s. Dylan has led optics projects serving NASA’s Mars Rover as well as air and ground based imaging systems, specialized lighting (lasers, fiber illuminators, etc) and within the infrared spectroscopy disciplines. Dylan has also worked extensively within the petroleum industry and chaired an ASTM method. |
Nichole Galvin, an attorney at Offit Kurman, will discuss the prenuptial steps that should be taken when forming a cannabis business, and what you can do now to protect yourself and your business in a corporate divorce.
Nichole Galvin is an attorney in the Business Litigation practice group focusing on commercial and fiduciary litigation in state and federal courts. In her commercial practice, Nichole represents businesses, investors and property owners in a variety of commercial, real estate and contract disputes. Nichole has particular expertise representing clients in complex, multi-party commercial litigation disputes in federal courts in Maryland, New York, and Delaware.
New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association President Hugh O’Beirne will provide a brief history and overview of New Jersey’s medical cannabis program. He will also discuss the proposed legalization of cannabis for adult use in the Garden State. Hugh’s explanation of New Jersey’s comprehensive approach to regulating legal access to cannabis will provide a broader understanding of the evolving east coast markets for the legal cannabis industry.
Guest Speaker
Hugh O’Beirne
President of the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association
Hugh O’Beirne is an attorney who has previously served as an Executive Vice President and the Chief Legal Officer of a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Prior to that, he practiced corporate and securities law with two major national law firms. Mr. O’Beirne is a long-time advocate for the legalization of cannabis and is an experienced investor in the medical marijuana industry on the east coast.
Sean Murphy, the Director of Hemp Analytics, will discuss the state of play of hemp and CBD markets.
Sean Murphy
Director of Hemp Analytics
Sean Murphy is the founder and publisher of Hemp Business Journal, the hemp industry’s premiere publication for market research and intelligence, and the Hemp Summit, an annual event for investors, operators and executives. In early 2018, Hemp Business Journal and the Hemp Summit were acquired by New Frontier Data, a leading provider of cannabis data and market insights.
Sean is a frequent speaker at hemp, cannabis and natural product conferences and source to the media, including Forbes, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and Entrepreneur.com. He has spoken across the world including such venues as Hebrew University, Silicon Valley, the White House, Paris Climate Summit and the Vatican.
Learn how to be successful in new cannabis markets! The diverse group of industry experts at Canna Advisors and Cannabis Trainers have teamed up to share insights and tips for cultivators, processors, and dispensaries. Learn how to get started in the key areas of business development, staff sourcing, brand development, and licensing applications from industry pioneers and trusted advisors who have been successful in national and international markets. Gain insider knowledge about the application process, regulations, location selection, financial modeling, community outreach, brand identity, essential roles, and staffing and training.
E-Commerce sales are estimated to reach a whopping 4.4 trillion dollars by 2021. These digital platforms present a myriad of opportunities and challenges for direct and ancillary cannabis businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits of increased brand awareness and customer access. Matt Alexander, General Manager of Leafly Holdings, will be discussing the intersection of cannabis e-commerce and retail, working with third parties to optimize your online store, how to avoid industry-related restrictions on social media, and how to effectively reach your desired customers with a concept that works in tightly-regulated marketplaces.
Guest Speaker:
Matt Alexander – General Manager for Leafly
Matt Alexander is the General Manager for Leafly, the world’s largest cannabis information resource, in Maryland and Washington DC. Alexander develops relationships and business with licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the region. Previously, Alexander was District Sales Manager at Toast and Regional Manager at OrderUp.
