From Tuesday, July 28th through Thursday, July 30th, CannaCon hosted its first-ever virtual conference. Due to the COVID-related restrictions, this usually in-person convention was moved to an online forum to ensure all attendees’ safety.
Much like its usual format, this event hosted industry experts, ran educational seminars, and enabled cannabis business exhibitors to interact with current and potential clients. There were several live chat and video conferencing features throughout the event—in the main lobby, sessions, at each exhibitor’s booth, and an entire space dedicated to it.
Attendees were virtually able to visit all exhibitor booths and partake in Q&A sessions after each seminar, all from the comfort of their own homes. For those who didn’t get to attend this virtual event, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite sessions and industry experts who made up CannaCon’s impressive line-up.
The Virtual Webinars and Hosts
Building a Cannabusiness: Application to Operations, hosted by Sheri Springer
Created and presented by MJ Freeway’s own Director of Service Sales, Sheri Springer, this seminar walked viewers through what they need to know in order to plan for a profitable cannabusiness. Sheri highlighted a six-phased approach to becoming operational. These phases included:
Sheri Springer has been the Director of Services Sales at MJ Freeway since 2016. She has worked tirelessly to educate the cannabis industry and assist clients with obtaining licenses, opening their doors, and optimizing their business operations.
Day One
The Importance of Food Safety in the Cannabis Industry, hosted by Brett McMillen
This presentation covered the importance of food safety in the cannabis industry, including the potential risks and steps for mitigation. Additionally, the benefits of third-party certification and the steps to certification were also explored.
Brett McMillen is the Project Manager at Perry Johnson Registrars Food Safety, Inc. He has over 10 years of Quality and Regulatory experience and has leveraged that experience to help develop Perry’s Cannabis and Hemp Accreditation and Certification programs.
The Secrets of Solventless Extraction, hosted by Eric Vlosky
The longer title of this webinar was “The Secrets of Solventless Extraction: A Seminar on How to Leverage Premium Rosins and Hashes for Your Business”. This seminar focused on teaching attendees the ins and outs of the premium infused products and concentrates space—specifically on solventless products, which are the highest-selling concentrates. Education was key as well, as the webinar went on to explain how solventless rosins, hashes, and their various sub-products can be used to win over influencers while also creating a brand presence for connoisseurs.
Eric Vlosky is the Direct of Marketing at PurePressure, the world’s #1 solventless processing equipment manufacturer and provider. He has over 6 years of experience in marketing, sales, and account management within the cannabis industry.
Marijuana Regulation in Michigan, hosted by Andrew Brisbo
Andrew Brisbo guided attendees through the current status of the regulatory programs within the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, focusing on topics like patient/caregiver registry, medical marijuana faculty licensing, and the adult-use ballot initiative.
Andrew Brisbo is the Executive Director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA). He was appointed by Michigan Governor Whitmer due to his long years of experience in licensing and regulation.
Day Two
Introduction to Cannabis Testing, Laboratory Start-up, hosted by Chanece Wagner
An ideal fit for attendees interested in starting a cannabis testing laboratory, Chanece Wagner’s webinar aimed to help such entrepreneurs navigate the world of cannabis testing. Growers, for example, need to comprehend the importance of vetting third-party testing laboratories for reliability and production turn-around times. Laboratories, on the other hand, need to validate all methods and workflows, ensuring testing results are scientifically sound.
Chanece Wagner is a National Account Manager with Specialty Testing Solutions. He has over 25 years of experience in laboratory testing support services, including method development, application, and engineering.
The Secret to Becoming a Profitable Cannabis Cultivator, hosted by Matthew Kosinski
This presentation sought to teach attendees about the most common causes of setbacks and challenges that commercial cultivation operations face. And perhaps more importantly, this webinar offered ways to prevent these expensive mistakes from occurring in the first place. The goal here was to teach viewers how to identify areas of improvement within their operations and how to become a more profitable cannabis cultivator.
Matthew Kosinski is a Senior Technical Consultant at Agro Lighting. His many years of experience have enabled him to provide valuable insight and recommendations for structuring efficient cultivation operations that minimize operating costs and environmental impacts for his clients.
Getting Banked: How to Get a Bank Account for Your Cannabis Business, and Keep It! Hosted by Daniel Roda
Abaca CEO Dan Roda—a cannabis attorney and banker—led viewers through an informative session that covered all the “dos” and “don’ts” of getting their cannabis businesses banked. The goal of the presentation was to educate cannabis business owners and managers about the realities of what financial services are available to their business, how to obtain those services, and most importantly—how to keep them.
Dan Roda, CEO of Abaca, first experimented with the cannabis industry in 2015 while helping clients draft and file dispensary license applications in Arkansas. This venture resulted in him and 3 partners founding Abaca, a financial technology company that provides banking, payments, and lending solutions to the cannabis and hemp industries.
Day Three
Reducing Labor Cost and Product Waste Utilizing RFID-Based Compliance Solutions, hosted by Mike Pavlak
This session took a look at how cultivators can use RFID-based technology solutions to reduce the labor cost associated with compliance, while also reducing the risk of damaging or contaminating plants in the facility. Traditional systems rely on barcode scanning, which is inefficient cost-wise and poses a risk to plants, both physically and in terms of contamination. With RFID-technology, entire rooms can be scanned and reported to state compliance systems.
Mike Pavlak is the CEO of StashStock.
People, Process, Plants: Designing a High-Performance Cultivation Facility, hosted by Lucas Targos
Lucas Targos explored the importance of Cultivation Space Programming. Design mistakes can be costly for cultivators, resulting in reduced operational efficiency, increased production costs, elevated contamination risks, and inadequate staging of the entire facility. By asking the appropriate questions and tailoring the space programming process to your desired operational practices and go to market strategy, cultivators can ensure their facility is profitable even in the ever-evolving cannabis industry.
Lucas Targos is the Vice President of Facility Integration at urban-gro, Inc. He has over 10 years of crop and cultivation management experience, allowing him to bridge the gap between commercial horticulture and the cannabis industry. He has been able to leverage his experience to provide the framework to develop successful solutions for cultivation challenges, as well as being able to integrate more established and regulated industries’ policies into the cannabis landscape.
Guidelines for Passing Cannabis and Terpene Contaminant Testing, hosted by Jill Ellsworth
Jill Ellsworth took viewers on a journey regarding the recent scrutiny on testing standards for cannabis retailers and cultivators. Complicated by inconsistent state regulations and the absence of federal oversight, these testing standards are far from clear. However, this session gave a comprehensive overview of potential microbial, and chemical contaminants that can adversely affect harvests and consumers alike. The session also discussed the importance of partnering with a trusted decontamination provider, as well as a list of key contaminants that are currently being tested for under various state regulations.
Jill Ellsworth, MS, RDN, is the CEO and Founder of Willow Industries. Her aim is to protect consumers and patients by helping producers put clean, safe cannabis on the market.
What’s next for CannaCon?
CannaCon South is scheduled for September 28-29, 2020, in Oklahoma City. As of now, this event is still planned to take place in-person, though it’s been noted this is somewhat up in the air due to coronavirus precautions.
