Justin M. Brandt is Founding Partner at Bianchi & Brandt. He blends nearly a decade of business litigation experience with business-development savvy, setting the course for Bianchi & Brandt’s top-down, holistic support of licensed cannabis operators. In addition to overseeing the firm’s litigation practice and daily operations, he excels in proactive risk management and business transaction strategy.
He has been named Top 40 Under 40 Rising Stars by Marijuana Venture and Top 40 Under 40 by the Phoenix Business Journal, receiving notable recognition as a cannabis attorney and business leader.
Bianchi & Brandt was founded in 2019 and is a full-service Arizona-based law firm specializing in the burgeoning cannabis and psychedelic industries. Partners Laura Bianchi and Justin Brandt have a combined 24 years of experience balancing the irregularities of state versus federal legalities largely unknown to other attorneys.
The firm has served as a strategic partner to more than 500 clients to date and not only assists with legal matters but is also an expert at risk management, compliance, M&A, expansion, real estate, and human resources issues that present unique challenges in highly regulated industries.
Isaac Bock has served as a member management/ executive team of AlphaRoot for the last 2+ years. Prior to helping spin AlphaRoot, Isaac was a leading member of the Customer Success (renewal/client advisory) team of Founder Shield, which is the company AlphaRoot was initially founded. He brings 6+ years of cannabis-specific experience and 8 years of client advisory work.
Isaac earned his Master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland and graduated with Honors from the University of Pennsylvania. He holds his Associate in Risk Management (ARM) credential, which he earned during his first year as a professional.
We get into what’s happening at the state level, starting with New York, which has seen criticism for its slow roll-out of adult-use licenses. With that, there’s some frustration around that. We talk about what Isaac sees as an important thing for new dispensary license holders to understand and keep in mind as they launch in New York.
Melinda Yoo designs innovative, profitable, and award-winning cannabis retail dispensaries across North America. Her work is inspiring, her clients are notable and her vision for the cannabis industry is unparalleled. She leads her team thoughtfully through the creative and technical processes of creating unique retail experiences that are both jaw-dropping and profitable.
After over a decade at a traditional, residential interior design firm in Chicago, Melinda followed her curiosity to retail interior design and merchandising. She quickly fell in love with dispensary design and all the quirks and challenges that go with it.
Since then, she has grown and led Sungrown Studio and received press recognition for her magazine-worthy retail environments and thought leadership. Sungrown Studio was named Dispensary Design Master 2022 by mg Magazine. Melinda continues to design amazing retail stores that reflect her client's values and brands.
Chris Chiari is a driven entrepreneur and award-winning film producer with a wealth of experience in corporate strategy and regional politics. Skilled in marketing and messaging, he has engaged exclusively with the cannabis industry since 2011 and is a tireless advocate for cannabis policy reform and fostering industry growth.
Chris is a former Deputy Director of Colorado NORML, serving for over eight years. When not working on The 420 Hotels portfolio, Chris likes to stay involved with grassroots advocacy and advancing social reform
Chris owns and operates Denver’s historic Patterson Inn, the keystone of The 420 Hotels portfolio. As CEO, he uses his expertise in hospitality, operations, and community outreach to address the stigmas and ignorance that still exist around cannabis use while creating a unique and upscale environment for cannabis consumption. The 420 Hotels aims to be amongst the nation’s first hotel chains where guests will be able to consume cannabis onsite in legally licensed lounges.
Justin Battles is a passionate advocate for service-disabled veterans in the cannabis industry. After serving in the Army for 8 years, including time as an airborne infantryman and quartermaster chemical repairer, he was medically discharged due to knee injuries from his airborne service. This led Justin to pursue his interest in horticulture business management and cannabis studies.
His journey in the cannabis industry began with growing his own cannabis for pain management, anxiety, and ADHD. He intends to apply for a microbusiness license to further expand his involvement in the industry. Justin serves as the Co-chair of the Veterans Committee of the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY), where he works tirelessly to help as many veterans as possible find success in the cannabis sector.
His primary goal is to ensure that veterans have access to licenses, resources, funding, and affordable cannabis products in a fair and equitable industry. With a vision for the future that includes equal opportunities and access for service-disabled veterans, Justin Battles is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those he serves.
Ricardo Baca is a 20-year veteran journalist and cannabis futurist, widely respected in both modern media and drug-policy circles. He was appointed The Denver Post’s first-ever cannabis editor in 2013 and founded the news vertical The Cannabist, where he extensively covered the advent of the U.S. adult-use cannabis market and related issues around the world, as seen in the feature documentary Rolling Papers.
Ricardo launched Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency in 2016 to work directly with business leaders in highly regulated industries, from cannabis and psychedelics to spirits and healthcare. Grasslands is a journalism-minded marketing and public relations agency working with bold brands in cannabis and psychedelics.
Named one of Fortune’s 7 Most Powerful People in America’s Marijuana Industry in 2016 and Marketer of the Year by AdCann in 2019, Ricardo has received numerous accolades for his trailblazing work.
They talk about the challenges of advertising in cannabis, social media plays a crucial role in this. Recently Twitter sort of “opened up” some of the cannabis advertising capabilities so we dive into that and much more.
As part of his cannabis responsibilities, he led the expansion of the medical program, directed the launch of the State's cannabinoid hemp program, and drafted and negotiated the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA).
The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) was established upon passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in March 2021 to implement a regulatory framework for medical and adult-use cannabis and hemp in the state of New York. This includes but is not limited to production, licensing, packaging, marketing, and the sale of cannabis.
Last year we began to emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic and we were able to return to Washington D.C., but in the interim, we hosted some VIRTUAL LOBBY DAYS to fill the gap. And then returning in person, finally, in September last year, it was just like riding a bike, but with a few limitations. Mainly the security protocols for getting into the various House and Senate buildings, but things went mostly smoothly, so we discuss our guest's experience.
Some of our goals at Lobby Days have been consistent since Day One, which is generally educating Congress as to why cannabis should be federally legal, and of course, licensed business owners who want to see banking protections and 280E tax reform.
It’s important that we keep doing this work and keep adding to the conversation as it becomes more complex and sophisticated. We discuss the possibility of newer issues or topics that we’re bringing to Capitol Hill more recently or at this next Lobby Days event and much more.
Aaron Smith is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the National Cannabis Industry Associatio., Prior to launching NCIA, Aaron distinguished himself as a public advocate for marijuana policy reform. First under the auspices of a California-based medical cannabis advocacy group, Safe Access Now in 2005, and then as the California state policy director for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project until founding NCIA in 2010.
Monica Gray is from Nice Guys Delivery and is also an NCIA Board member. Nice Guys Delivery was incorporated in 2016 by Monica Gray-Fong and her husband Adam Fong. Nice Guys Delivery is a knowledgeable, high-level delivery service that offers the highest-grade flowers, edibles, lotions, teas, tinctures, and more. The couple owns and operates Nice Guys Distribution and Nice Gals, a CBD online retailer.
The cannabis industry certainly has a plethora of regulations to follow, so compliance is crucial. In fact, some operators like to joke that cannabis is “more heavily regulated than plutonium.” We talk about some of the complicated or challenging regulations already happening at the state level since it's currently illegal at the federal level.
This begs the question of the next stage or next step in all this, as we all look toward federal legalization. We dive into what they see happening on the regulatory side once that happens. Will the states that are more established with a cannabis market need huge changes, or will there be a smoother way to adapt to federal regulations? Harry Bernstein joins us today to discuss all this more!
Harry Bernstein - executive director of Verde Compliance Partners. As general counsel of a beer and wine wholesale distributor for nearly two decades, Harry handled all legal matters including, contracts, franchise agreements, labor negotiations, as well as state and federal licensing and compliance. For the past 19 years, as an attorney, he has assisted individuals with health care matters and special needs including representing clients at federal administrative hearings at the Social Security Administration.
Verde Compliance Partners is a national consulting firm focused on guiding clients through federal cannabis permitting and regulatory compliance. The firm prepares and navigates cannabis growers and processors through the regulatory, legal, and administrative requirements necessary to comply with current and future federal regulations. The team consists of senior-level experts with decades of experience consulting in federal, state, and local permitting, regulation, and compliance in the cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco industries.
Charlie Alovisetti is a partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm's Corporate Department. He is recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top cannabis lawyers in the United States and is the co-author of The Business of Cannabis: Understanding Law, Finance, and Governance in America’s Newest Industry (Routledge, 2020).
Prior to joining VS, Charlie worked as an associate in the New York offices of Latham & Watkins and Goodwin, where he represented public companies and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a range of corporate transactions.
So bigger picture here, cannabis companies have a myriad of challenges in operations and financial issues and banking. Some cannabis companies are finding it difficult to operate and keep their heads above water in a sustainable way for their businesses to survive. Considering 280E and banking issues, this is a tenuous situation so we dive into that and much more.
Tune in to learn more about the complexities and complications of various payment processing methods in the cannabis industry.
Gary Strahle is a Technical Architect with over a decade's worth of operational cannabis industry experience. 2023 NCIA Retail Committee Chairman. Avid surfer and golfer with a passion to help others.
Cannabis Cloud - Applications, Consulting & Payments. Founded in 2015, providing service to over 2,500 cannabis businesses.
Specialized as a Salesforce Partner innovating industry standard solutions from seed to sale, Cannabis Cloud’s payments integrated Retail Point of Sale hosts a robust API for connecting external menus such as Weedmaps or Leafly, and much more.
Angel Fernandez is a plant scientist at UC Berkeley in plant genetics and molecular biology. He is also a recognized researcher and scientist specialist in plant genomics and molecular breeding. As our CEO, he is committed to delivering the promise of revolutionizing the industry by applying all his knowledge, time, and effort to developing innovative solutions to break the barriers that growers and breeders face.
MyFloraDNA is a genomic laboratory based in Sacramento California, delivering modern genomics for the cannabis industry. Services include Trait detection (cannabinoid profile and sex/gender ID), Pathogen Detection, and Genetic Validation Services.
We start by looking into the microscope and taking a closer look at the cannabis plant, beyond even the terpenes and cannabinoids. Angel explains why the genetics of the cannabis plant is important, and what information we can get by looking at the genome of the plant.
When we’re cultivating cannabis, we think about sunshine and water and the basics of agriculture, but there are clearly some very high-tech aspects to growing cannabis. Our guest defined the genetic makeup part of it. We dive into what is “molecular breeding” and how is it different from traditional or “classic” breeding of plants.
On the construction side of the cannabis industry, before the facility or dispensary opens its doors before any plants are growing before any customers walk in the front door, is an important side to the whole process. After a certain number of years here of legal cannabis in the U.S., there are certainly some best practices, as well as some DOs and DON’Ts in this process.
Andrew Halbert, a member of the Fox Rothschild's Cannabis Law Practice Group, counsels clients on structuring, vetting, and closing purchases and sales of licensed cannabis businesses and provides guidance on regulatory compliance in Illinois and other states where cannabis has been legalized. He also advises clients in cannabis and other industries on a full range of corporate transactions, including debt and equity offerings and corporate governance.
Ron Williams is a seasoned construction lawyer who has advised numerous businesses, including major players in the cannabis industry, on the legal, contractual and operational aspects of major construction projects throughout the U.S. and abroad. In short, Ron helps clients structure and implement construction agreements that mitigate risk and facilitate efficient, on-time completion of projects.
In the previous episode, we focused a lot on the customer experience, but there are other aspects to a cannabis dispensary, like how design impacts those who work there. There’s the front of the house, so to speak, where the employees interface with the customers, and then the back of the house where they maybe store their lunch and hang their jackets. We dive into how the front-of-house design impacts employees and much more in today's episode.
Kevin Quinlan is an entrepreneur and serves as a Principal of Mintropy which specializes in Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection design consulting services in support of cannabis cultivation and retail facilities. Mintropy’s design approach strives to find ways to incorporate our technological advancements back into harmony with mother nature.
Brian Anderson is a founding Partner of Anderson Porter Design, with over 25 years of experience, and focuses on cannabis industry projects. Brian has now designed facilities for cultivation totaling over 3 million SF, and he has designed nearly 50 retail dispensaries. He has developed a proven process of project delivery in the Cannabis Industry. Brian is an active member of the Lean Construction Institute and implements lean methods in facility design and the construction process.
Kevin Quinlan is an entrepreneur and Principal in the built environment and building design industries with a 16-year track record of success in quality on project design, engineering execution, and quality assurance. He currently serves as a Principal of Mintropy, which provides Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection design consulting services in support of cannabis cultivation and retail facilities. Mintropy’s design approach encourages cohesiveness with nature, and we strive to find ways to incorporate our technological advancements back into harmony with mother nature.
Larina Scofield helps create welcoming and memorable experiences for many cannabis customers and employees alike. From starting on the retail ground floor in 2013 and then moving into management and operations over the past several years, Larina is now serving retailers outside of the store these days as the Director of Customer Success for Sweed POS. Sweed is an all-in-one retail cannabis solution designed for large cannabis retailers that deliver powerful POS functionality, analytics, marketing and loyalty, e-commerce, and so much more.
Michael has been at NCIA for over 9 years, and Michelle is close to her 9-year anniversary working at the organization. That date back to when two states, Colorado and Washington state, was just rolling out their adult-use cannabis laws for the first time. So with this, we discuss the tone and temperature when it comes to pro-cannabis policy reform in the halls of Congress at that time.
Lobby Days is easily our favorite NCIA event, and we think many people share the sentiment. Pre-COVID pandemic was always encouraging to see, year after year, the number of NCIA members attending Lobby Days in D.C. grow and grow, reaching over 300 in 2019. So now we see more and more Congressional offices take our group and our concerns seriously. We talk about what are our guest's reflections on that and much more!
Michelle Rutter Friberg is deputy director of government relations and has worked at NCIA since 2014. Michelle graduated from James Madison University in 2012, where during her studies, she held a year-long internship with Virginia House of Delegates member Tony Wilt (R).
Michael Correia is the director of government relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Prior to joining NCIA, Michael spent many years working on Capitol Hill, including working for Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), who retired in 2010, and the House Committee on Resources, serving three different Chairmen. Previously, he was director of federal affairs for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and senior project manager for the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget.
Many people rely on insurance professionals to navigate the complicated waters of protecting their businesses, and there are a lot of different types of insurance that a cannabis company should consider. We start with the basics of the types of insurance that almost any cannabis company should immediately secure. We also dive into more nuanced insurance types that people may not think about immediately. We sometimes think of the phrase “acts of god” which is sometimes covered in insurance, which is interesting to see in an insurance policy.
Matthew Johnson serves as QuadScore’s Vice President of Risk Services. QuadScore has grown to become one of the largest cannabis insurers over a short four years, with a specialty in covering the considerable assets of North America’s multi-state operators and publicly traded companies. At QuadScore, Matthew’s role is to manage risks for America’s premier cannabis operators, helping protect businesses from preventable claims
David Rahn with S2S Insurance is a highly specialized insurance professional with deep cannabis industry knowledge and experience. As an All-Lines Insurance Broker with strong analytical skills, he performs detailed risk assessments for both start-up and established cannabis companies, and develops customized strategies and solutions designed to minimize risks, safeguard and grow their business.
Tune in to hear more about NCIA's recent Lobby Days event for the cannabis industry, where most were talking to Congressional offices about SAFE Banking, 280E, and comprehensive reform like the CAOA. We discuss what the focus of the hemp team was during their meetings with members of Congress.
James Granger has built an extensive career focused on the blooming medical and recreational cannabis industry and holds a deep knowledge of cannabinoid effects, extraction, and processing, cannabis chemistry, regulation, management, consulting, politics, operations, product development, and more. In 2018, James joined The Clear (Now Clear Colorado Group) team to re-build and streamline operations, Now, as Chief Political Officer of Clientele Capital, a Denver-based venture capital firm that provides funding and strategic consulting to growth-oriented companies in emerging markets, James spearhead’s the company’s goals of staying ahead of extensive regulatory changes, challenges and nuances the company may face in the new developing cannabis industry.
Chris Hope has 20 years of experience in the cannabis industry. He founded, Sequoia Wellness (SW), a retail cannabis delivery service in 2013, serving the Los Angeles area. In 2016, he founded Sequoia Management Group (SMG), as a cannabis & hemp business development and consulting company. Today, SMG is focusing on the burgeoning industrial hemp industry with a focus on fiber, food, grain, seed, and building materials. Chris was, a founding member and Director of Member & Sponsor Relations for Angeles Emeralds (AE), a cannabis advocacy and lobbying group for Los Angeles County. As a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) since 2015, and In 2020, Chris became the Committee Organizer for the Hemp Committee (HC) with NCIA for the 2020/21 term. He now serves as the Chair for the HC, as well as contributing to both the NCIA Sustainability Collaboration/Council and the Novel, Synthetic, and Minor Cannabinoid Collaboration.
NCIA is leading the cannabis industry's unified and coordinated campaign to ensure our business sector is treated fairly and has the opportunity to reach its full potential. Now - more than ever - is the time to invest in your business and the future of the industry by becoming a member.
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