John Hudak
Brian Hanna
Executive Director Brian Hanna was designated by Governor Whitmer to lead Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) in December 2022. The CRA oversees the medical and adult-use marijuana industries, regulates hemp-derived products, and runs the state’s medical marijuana registry card program. CRA’s mission is to establish Michigan as the national model for a regulatory program that stimulates business growth while preserving safe consumer access to cannabis.
Brian previously spent five years with the CRA as the manager of field operations, inspections, and investigations. He has a law enforcement and military intelligence/civil affairs background, having previously served as a criminal intelligence manager with the Michigan State Police, a Deputy Sheriff for Kalamazoo County, and a Captain in the United States Army Reserve with a combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2010-2011.
Jen Lamboy
Michael Diaz-Rivera
Joshua Littlejohn
With over 10 years of cannabis industry experience. 2012 Joshua started working for the first cannabis waste management company Industrial Hemp Recycling where he realized he actually could own a piece of the cannabis industry. In 2014 Joshua and Richard setup Accannadations Distribution. In the year 2016 is when they had not only one but two product lines being sold in the Colorado market. HIGHGRADE SYRUPS and Colorado Moonrocks are the two products that kick started, Joshua’s father passed away in August of 2019. Josh’s mission is for HIGHGRADE Brands and The Commission Cartel along to triumph while keeping his father’s legacy alive.
Jared Polis
Governor Jared Polis is an entrepreneur, education leader, and public servant. After launching several successful companies, including one out of his college dorm room, Polis committed himself to making sure other Coloradans had the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Polis founded schools for at-risk students and new immigrants and started nonprofits to help veterans and entrepreneurs.
Prior to serving as Governor, Polis served on the State Board of Education where he worked to raise pay for teachers and reduce class size for students, and represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional district, where he was rated the most effective member of the Colorado delegation.
As Governor, Polis has focused on saving Coloradans money, keeping our economy strong, and preserving our Colorado way of life. Polis delivered universal free full-day kindergarten, signed a number of bills to save families money on health care, and made significant progress towards the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040, all while cutting taxes for small businesses and investing in affordable housing and transportation. His efforts to expand health care access to medically underserved communities and to ensure that equity and justice remain central to building a Colorado for All have produced impactful legislation and made progress toward his administration’s bold vision.
Arend Richard
Dr. Priyanka Sharma Ph.D
Dr. Priyanka Sharma grew up in Chicago and completed her bachelor’s and PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). In 2017, she and her husband Pulak Sharma, moved to Colorado where they co-founded Kazmira LLC. Kazmira is a science-based technology company focused on cannabinoid extraction and the elimination of contaminants and THC from hemp extracts. At Kazmira, Dr. Sharma is enthusiastic towards mentoring young engineers and technical operators in building a strong manufacturing team. Through the dedication of her and Mr. Pulak Sharma, they continue to work towards their infinite goal of accelerating the access of industrial hemp derived cannabinoids to the world through premier science and education. In 2020, Kazmira received a 50- million-dollar minority investment from Perrigo, which was used to build a robust cGMP process for our facility. cGMP standardization is key for ingredient safety, quality, and consistency, and has been our focus for the past several years. Kazmira has played a key role and interfaced multiple times with agencies such as the FDA (Cannabis Products Council) and worked closely with the CDPHE on hemp industry policy through the CHAMP work group. Dr. Sharma was a SB22-205 Task Force Representative for Intoxicating Cannabinoids during the 2022 legislative session, which led her to work with Colorado legislators to successfully pass SB 23-271, an Intoxicating Cannabinoid Hemp and Marijuana bill. More recently, Dr. Sharma is a founding member of ONE HEMP, an organization focused on advancing federal CBD regulation as a dietary supplement through bi-partisan legislation.
Jordan Wellington
Jordan Wellington is a partner at VS Strategies, where he regularly advises government officials, businesses, trade associations, and other organizations around the U.S. and across the globe on the responsible regulation of cannabis. He is also host of VSS’s Weed Wonks podcast, which features conversations about timely cannabis policy issues with state cannabis regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Jordan has played a key role in drafting cannabis legislation and regulations in Colorado and other states, and he has served on several public and private sector advisory boards and working groups dedicated to developing sensible cannabis policies. He has co-authored white papers on behalf of cannabis industry organizations regarding cannabis packaging, labeling, and testing policies, and he often appears in the media discussing cannabis policy and business matters. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he taught a class titled, “Regulating Cannabis.”
Prior to arriving at VSS, Jordan joined Vicente Sederberg LLP as compliance director in 2014 and helped launch the firm’s regulatory compliance practice. He also co-founded Simplifya, a cannabis regulatory compliance software company.
Previously, Jordan was a legislative staffer in the Colorado House of Representatives, where he shepherded legislation through the General Assembly to implement the state’s voter-approved legalization law, Amendment 64. He was then hired as a senior regulatory analyst for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in the state Department of Revenue, where he organized the division’s stakeholder engagement process and drafted many of the state regulations governing retail and medical cannabis.
Bia Campbell
Bia Campbell is an associate at VS Strategies, where she works with businesses, trade associations, policymakers, and regulators on a wide range of cannabis policy issues.
Bia joined VSS from the Denver Office of Marijuana Policy, where she researched and evaluated policy, coordinated industry and community outreach, and assisted with media relations. Bia played a key role in Denver’s cannabis equity policy, as well as the city’s development and implementation of a marijuana industry outreach program. She also coordinated the annual Denver Marijuana Management Symposium, a first-of-its-kind conference that focuses solely on the public sector and addressing the challenges associated with implementing and regulating a legal cannabis market.
Previously, Bia served as a lawyer for a political party in her home country of Brazil, where she advised congressmen from Rio de Janeiro on human rights and environmental issues, among others; drafted parliamentary questions and motions; and assisted with speeches. In 2014, she co-managed a Rio de Janeiro gubernatorial campaign.
Allison Robinette
Allison Robinette is the Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for the Marijuana Enforcement Division and the Natural Medicine Division within the Colorado Department of Revenue where she leads the Division’s engagement in the legislative process and legislation implementation through rulemaking and compliance assistance efforts. Allison has a J.D. and legal certificate in environmental and natural resources law from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a B.A. in Public Communication, minor in International Studies from Truman State University. Long: Allison Robinette is the Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for the Marijuana Enforcement Division and Natural Medicine Division within the Colorado Department of Revenue where she leads the Division’s engagement in the legislative process and legislation implementation through rulemaking and compliance assistance efforts. Previously, Allison represented state agencies, including the Marijuana Enforcement Division, the Liquor Enforcement Division, the Division of Water Resources, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board as both general counsel and litigation counsel in her position as Assistant Attorney General at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. As an Assistant Attorney General, Allison appeared before Boards and Commissions, in administrative hearings, and in district court, water court, and the appellate courts on behalf of her state agency clients. Allison has a J.D. and legal certificate in environmental and natural resources law from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a B.A. in Public Communication, minor in International Studies from Truman State University.
Stephen Cobb
Stephen Cobb is the co-owner and chief technology officer at Concentrate Brands (DOSD Edibles, Nomad Extracts, CSC, Fuehl Vape), where he oversees lab operations as the production manager, leads new product development, and participates extensively in compliance and regulatory affairs. Stephen is a chemist by trade and has 10 years of industry experience with specializations in extraction, distillation, and nano emulsions. He has served in Colorado the rule-making process via the CDPHE and MED Science and Policy Workgroup, where he chaired the Processing Issues task group that implemented new rules regarding heavy metals remediation, intoxicating hemp, and THC isomers and analogues. In 2022, Stephen was selected as a member of the SB-22-205 task force challenged with making ground breaking recommendations regarding intoxicating hemp, where he served as a subject matter expert on the processing methods and the chemistry of intoxicating hemp and marijuana. Stephen is passionate about advancing occupational safety standards in the industry and has advocated extensively for advancing respiratory protection standards and, along with his team, assisted NIOSH in a first of its kind industry exposure monitoring study.
Joy Strand
Tracey Lancaster Miller
Tracey Lancaster Miller is the Executive Vice President, founding member and owner-operator of Peake ReLeaf, an independent dispensary in Rockville, MD. She is also the President of the Maryland Dispensary Association (MDDA), the professional trade association in Maryland representing dispensaries and has been appointed by the Governor to the state’s Advisory Board for Medical and Adult Use Cannabis. Born and raised in Parkville, Maryland, she has been working in the cannabis industry for 15 years, gaining her initial experience in Colorado with licensee operations and compliance before founding Peake ReLeaf in her home state with her two business partners in 2015. She joined the Board of Directors of the MDDA during its founding year (2017) and has served as President for over 4 years.
Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson, Founder and CEO of ForesTree, was previously a candidate for Pontiac City Council and State Representative (29th District). Excited to explore entrepreneurial endeavors in a new & emerging market, Chris has operating experience with brands that are rapidly expanding in Michigan. He is formerly the company’s leader of Government & Legislative Affairs, Social Equity, and served as its Community Benefits Liaison and Social Equity Lead. His efforts were recognized recently when he was selected as a member of Oakland County’s 40 under 40.
Chris witnessed how cannabis prohibition directly impacted urban America and is dedicated to reversing the negative damage caused. He is a member of various state and local boards that contribute to economic power and initiatives to drive diversity and inclusion. Aside from serving as Chair for the Board of Directors, Chris serves on the State Regulations Committee for the National Cannabis Industry Association and co-chairs its Diversity and Inclusion sub-committee. His knowledge spans the complex intertwining of governmental and business cannabis issues, while also remaining at the forefront of the pressing interstate commerce issues in cannabis.
Chris serves in a number of capacities within organizations that have a direct impact on small businesses and the inclusion of people of color economically including: Cannabis Regulatory Agency – Michigan (DEI Workgroup, Racial Task Force Workgroup), Small Business Association of Michigan (Leadership Council, Legislative Workgroup), AQUME Foundation (Board Chair), Main Street Pontiac (Past President).
John Pennington
Mitch Meyers
Truman Bradley
Truman Bradley is the Executive Director of the Marijuana Industry Group. Truman brought with him 10+ years experience in the Colorado licensed cannabis industry. He brings a reputation for working collaboratively with all stakeholders including neighborhood associations, community members, government regulators, medical patients, and the business community. Truman got his start in the cannabis industry after acquiring a small dispensary in Denver. While growing the company by day, he earned an MBA at night from the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. In school he focused on corporate strategy and supply chain management. Truman then co-founded another new vertically integrated flower and infused products company. Being a member of MIG as a co-owner of his two companies, Truman quickly saw the value in membership and the opportunities that emerged from the relationships formed in MIG. Years later, when Truman would accept the Executive Director position at MIG, he immediately got to work on his mission of of an ever-improving Colorado cannabis industry and carrying out the legacy of the oldest and largest Colorado cannabis trade association.
Chuck Smith
Charles “Chuck” Smith is a current Board member and immediate past Chief Executive Officer of BellRock Brands, a brand and IP focused CPG multi-state operator that possesses one of the industry’s broadest branded product portfolios. BellRock’s portfolio consists of two iconic cannabis brands with deep history, Mary’s Brands and Dixie, as well as two growing, California-based brands, Rebel Coast and Défoncé.
Prior to his role as CEO of BellRock, Chuck was President and Chief Executive Officer of Dixie Brands, as well as Therabis, and Aceso Wellness, two industry-leading hemp supplement brands. As one of two original founders of the company, Chuck helped Dixie grow from a “garage operation” to a 27,000 square foot state-of-the-art, vertically integrated manufacturing facility that was the first-of-its-kind for the marijuana industry. Since 2010, Dixie Brands grew its portfolio to over 100 product offerings, opened 5 new states of operation in addition to Colorado, built significant and lasting distribution partnerships and developed strong platforms for execution in manufacturing, marketing and sales.
As a pioneer of the industry, Chuck has served on numerous industry associations and policy-minded organizations. He is a Founding Board Member of the Cannabis Trade Federation, a Founding Board Member of the US Cannabis Council, a Founding Board Member of the New Federalism Fund and is currently Board President of Colorado Leads, a coalition of Colorado cannabis business leaders, as well as a Founding Member of the ATACH Cannabis Beverage Council.
Dominique Mendiola
Dominique Mendiola serves as the Senior Director of the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, responsible for licensing and regulating Colorado’s medical and adult-use cannabis industries. Mendiola began her work at the Marijuana Enforcement Division in 2014, where she previously served as the Division’s Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy Director. In July 2018, former Governor John Hickenlooper announced Mendiola as Colorado’s Director of Marijuana Coordination, where she provided cross- agency coordination and advised the Governor and regulators on Colorado’s cannabis framework. Prior to joining the Marijuana Enforcement Division, she practiced law in Texas and Colorado with a focus in family law and medical and legal malpractice.
Bia Campbell
Bia Campbell is an associate at VS Strategies, where she works with businesses, trade associations, policymakers, and regulators on a wide range of cannabis policy issues.
Bia joined VSS from the Denver Office of Marijuana Policy, where she researched and evaluated policy, coordinated industry and community outreach, and assisted with media relations. Bia played a key role in Denver’s cannabis equity policy, as well as the city’s development and implementation of a marijuana industry outreach program. She also coordinated the annual Denver Marijuana Management Symposium, a first-of-its-kind conference that focuses solely on the public sector and addressing the challenges associated with implementing and regulating a legal cannabis market.
Previously, Bia served as a lawyer for a political party in her home country of Brazil, where she advised congressmen from Rio de Janeiro on human rights and environmental issues, among others; drafted parliamentary questions and motions; and assisted with speeches. In 2014, she co-managed a Rio de Janeiro gubernatorial campaign.
Jordan Wellington
Jordan Wellington is a partner at VS Strategies, where he regularly advises government officials, businesses, trade associations, and other organizations around the U.S. and across the globe on the responsible regulation of cannabis. He is also host of VSS’s Weed Wonks podcast, which features conversations about timely cannabis policy issues with state cannabis regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Jordan has played a key role in drafting cannabis legislation and regulations in Colorado and other states, and he has served on several public and private sector advisory boards and working groups dedicated to developing sensible cannabis policies. He has co-authored white papers on behalf of cannabis industry organizations regarding cannabis packaging, labeling, and testing policies, and he often appears in the media discussing cannabis policy and business matters. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he taught a class titled, “Regulating Cannabis.”
Prior to arriving at VSS, Jordan joined Vicente Sederberg LLP as compliance director in 2014 and helped launch the firm’s regulatory compliance practice. He also co-founded Simplifya, a cannabis regulatory compliance software company.
Previously, Jordan was a legislative staffer in the Colorado House of Representatives, where he shepherded legislation through the General Assembly to implement the state’s voter-approved legalization law, Amendment 64. He was then hired as a senior regulatory analyst for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in the state Department of Revenue, where he organized the division’s stakeholder engagement process and drafted many of the state regulations governing retail and medical cannabis.
Will Tilburg
Will Tilburg was appointed as the inaugural Director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration in May 2023. Prior to this appointment Tilburg spent five years at the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, where he served first as the Director of Policy and then as the Executive Director of the State’s medical cannabis program. Before joining the Commission, Tilburg managed multiple non-profit organizations providing legal and policy support to federal, state, and local governments and health departments on a wide range of public health issues, including environmental health, tobacco control, food safety, and drug policy. Tilburg also teaches graduate level courses on health law and ethics at the University of Maryland. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College, and a Master of Public Health and Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland.
Amy Moore
Amy Moore is the Director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She joined the program at its inception in December 2018 as Deputy Director and Counsel and accepted the Director position in February 2023. Before joining DHSS, Amy worked in public utility regulation at the Missouri Public Service Commission, serving in both legal counsel and policy advisor roles. Amy graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2009 and holds undergraduate degrees in Business and Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Kara Hunt
Michael Cooper
A lawyer by training and Cofounder of MadisonJay Solutions, Michael makes it MadisonJay’s mission to provide practical, actionable information and advice to its clients, leaders in the state-regulated cannabis and hemp cannabinoid industries. He draws on his prior regulatory and securities law practices, as well as his work in the beverage alcohol industry, to help MadisonJay’s clients navigate the regulatory thicket.
Michael publishes and speaks frequently on cannabis regulation, and is the Co-Chair of Policy for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Michael previously Chaired the National Cannabis Industry Association’s State Regulations Committee.
After graduating Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Michael began his career serving as a law clerk to a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
After his clerkship, Michael spent more than five years litigating at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, frequently named one of the nation’s best law firms. At Cravath, Michael counseled numerous Fortune 500 companies on their compliance programs and defended them before a myriad of regulatory agencies. He also frequently provided regulatory risk assessments for mergers and financing deals. Though his broad practice spanned the gamut of industries, Michael advised companies that operate in a variety of highly regulated spaces including pharmaceuticals, banking, and gaming.
After Cravath, Michael joined MHW, Ltd., the leading provider of solutions for alcohol producers. As General Counsel of MHW, Michael brought the same creative problem-solving ethos to bear.
John Payne
In 2018, John Payne served as campaign manager for New Approach Missouri, which successfully legalized medical cannabis across the state by passing Amendment 2. He is also an experienced cannabis policy consultant with 10 years spent advising Missouri regulatory agencies and legislative bodies on effective policy making concerning the legalization, regulatory framing, and taxation of Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Program. Being a longstanding advocate for cannabis policy reform, John is a co-author Amendment 2, a board member of the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, and led the formation of a state medical cannabis operator cooperative—MIMCA . In addition to directing cannabis business development, he also leads drug-war reform, having coordinated witnesses for hearings on the hemp oil bill, industrial hemp, and collaborated on successful expungement efforts for marijuana offenders. As Missouri’s medical cannabis market develops, John leads A2C’s government affairs, public relations, and business development operations and remains engaged with policy reform at the state and national levels.
Rep. Barbara Lee
(D-Oakland)
Nicole Elliott
Nicole Elliott is the Director of the California Department of Cannabis Control. Prior to becoming Director of the California Department of Cannabis Control upon its creation in 2021, Elliott was Governor Gavin Newsom’s Senior Advisor on Cannabis at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Previously, she was Director of the Office of Cannabis for the City and County of San Francisco from 2017 to 2019. Before that, Elliott held multiple positions in the Office of San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee from 2011 to 2017, including Director of Legislative and Government Affairs, Board Liaison, Director of Appointments, and Commission Liaison.
She held multiple positions in the Office of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom from 2009 to 2010, including Budget Office Policy Assistant, Director of Scheduling, and Deputy Board Liaison.
Michelle Rutter Friberg
Michelle Rutter Friberg is director of government relations for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Prior to working for NCIA, Michelle was a research analyst at a government affairs firm in Washington, D.C., where she analyzed and tracked legislation on numerous issues. Michelle graduated from James Madison University in 2012, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in History. During her studies, she held a year-long internship with Virginia House of Delegates member Tony Wilt (R). There, she communicated with constituents, businesses, and government officials alike, facilitating meaningful conversations. Michelle was also a member of a pre-law fraternity where she planned events and hosted social functions that sought to encourage long-lasting professional and personal relationships with members. A native Virginian, Michelle currently resides in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Capitol Hill.