Catalyst Conversations | 06.06.23 | It Takes an Educational Ecosystem to Empower a Community
NCIA’s #IndustryEssentials webinar series is our premier digital educational platform featuring a variety of interactive programs allowing us to provide you timely, engaging and essential education when you need it most. NCIA’s Catalyst Conversations series is an advanced webinar series curated to give enrollees in our Social Equity Scholarship program the opportunity to network and gain access to valuable knowledge that will help them excel in the cannabis industry.
Looking for ways to empower your community? Trying to figure out a way to build an impactful business in cannabis? It’s going to take dynamic and intentional ecosystems to get the most out of the generational opportunities cannabis is opening up.
In this edition of our Catalyst Conversations series originally aired on Wednesday, June 6, members of NCIA’s Education Committee and Health Equity Working Group were joined by San Francisco’s Office of Cannabis, City College of San Francisco, and Green Enterprise’s HBCU College to Careers Tour.
The institutions shared their experiences, lessons learned, best practices, and perhaps most importantly demonstrated the importance of collaboration to create truly holistic educational ecosystems that will create both long and short term impact, particularly in communities harmed by the War on Drugs.
Learning Objectives
• Gain insights into how educational institutions, government agencies, the business community, and the private sector are collaborating to foster Equity in cannabis and the community at large
• Understand the obstacles and how to navigate them when creating a college to careers pipeline for greater DEI in cannabis
• Learn about what types of educational programming exists for people interested in entering the cannabis industry
Panelists:
Toni MSN, RN, CYT
Founder
Toni – Consulting and Wellness
Cherron Perry-Thomas
Director of Social Impact | Founder
Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO) | Black Cannabis Week
Jeremy Schwartz
Deputy Director
Office of Cannabis for the City and County of San Francisco
J Dawgert Carlin (they/them)
Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Ethnic Studies, and Social Justice
City College of San Francisco
Kevin Greene
Vice President
Cleveland School of Cannabis
Mike Lomuto (Moderator)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager
NCIA
Claybourne Co. Takes Home the NCIA’s Best of 420 Award Live at the Clio Cannabis Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas
Just two short weeks ago, the NCIA’s Marketing & Advertising committee proudly announced Claybourne Co. as the winner of the second annual Best of 420 Award for the brand’s “Rolling with Claybourne Road to 420” campaign live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during MJ Unpacked.
During a wonderful evening hosted by Michael Kauffman, MAC member and Executive Director of the Clio Music and Clio Cannabis programs,Kary Radestock, MAC committee chair, presented the Claybourne Co. team with a Clio trophy recognizing the brand’s creativity, community impact, and the overall success of their “Stash and Grab” merch drops spread throughout California highlighting the launch of the brand’s statewide delivery program.
Claybourne Co. celebrated California locations which have very few dispensaries, also known as “Pot Deserts,” and gave the cannabis community an opportunity to come together.
Photo by David Becker/Invision for Clio Cannabis Awards/AP Images)
The MAC committee had many in attendance including Vice Chair Eric Becker of MadisonJay Solutions, Chair Kary Radestock of Hippo Premium Packaging, committee member and Clio Cannabis Executive Director Michael Kauffman, Committee Organizer Allison Disney of Receptor Brands, Best of 420 subcommittee lead Tara Coomans of Avaans PR and member Vanessa Valdovinos of HUSH.
Congratulations to all the nominees and we look forward to celebrating the “Best of 4/20” again in 2023! Stay tuned for more details to be announced in the coming months as we’re excited to continue providing this platform to elevate the industry’s most successful, creative, and community-focused campaigns next year.
If you’re interested in contributing to these efforts (and other special projects like it) then we invite you to join the association and apply to participate on one of our 14 member-led committees this coming term. Complete details will be released later month and applications to apply for the 2022-2023 term will open up in early December for all annual NCIA members in good standing.
Don’t forget! Blooming and Evergreen members are automatically guaranteed a seat (single or multiple) on one of our 14 sector committees. If you want to take your industry involvement to the next level, now is the time. Don’t pass up this opportunity to enhance your team’s leadership skills and expand their professional networks all while providing the opportunity to effect change and develop best practices to shape the future of our industry.
Photo by David Becker/Invision for Clio Cannabis Awards/AP Images)
What happens in Vegas certainly stays in Vegas but if you’re really looking to relive the magic then you can view the full album of 2022 Clio Cannabis Award winners here. Plus learn more about the other 2022 Speciality Award recipients honored at the event including NCIA’s Best of 4/20 marketing campaign contest here.
Committee Blog: Announcing The NCIA Best of 420 Clio Cannabis Award
The Clio Cannabis Awards, September 29, 2022 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand
During the winter of 2021, when vaccines were not yet widely available, and many people were still in lockdown, the NCIA Marketing and Advertising Committee was determined to shine a light on those in our community who were fueling opportunity and growth during a difficult time for many businesses.
MAC Chair Kary Radestock of Hippo Packaging assembled a subcommittee tasked to amplify top member marketing efforts and thus the Best of 420 Award program was born. The 2021 event received dozens of submissions from all over the U.S. across all business sectors and budget sizes and was conducted and presented virtually. See last year’s winners here.
For 2022, NCIA and the Marketing and Advertising Committee are bringing it back and this year, it’s going to hit differently.
Through the guidance of our subcommittee co-chaired by Melinda Adamec of Gabriel Marketing and myself, Tara Coomans of Avaans Media, we’ve also enlisted Michael Kauffman of the Clio Awards, Angela Wong of The People’s Ecosystem, and Vanessa Valdovinos of Hush Chicago to provide support to this year’s process and expand this award.
The winning honoree will be presented live at the 2022 Clio Cannabis Awards to be held on September 29th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
What’s Staying The Same:
NCIA invites all cannabis companies and brands, both B2B and B2C to submit their 420 campaigns—NCIA membership is not required. Budgets of all sizes and companies of all types, B2B and B2C, are encouraged to apply.
It’s still FREE
A jury of NCIA members and peers who will evaluate submissions and recognize the top entry.
What’s Changing:
Winners: There will be one winner and this winner will be chosen based on three criteria.
Judging Criteria
Criteria: Judges will evaluate entrants in three ways: Community Impact, Creativity, and Results.
Community Impact: How did your campaign bring your community together? How did it highlight the best of the cannabis community to others? Did it support an advocacy campaign such as DEI, sustainability?
The cannabis industry is showing the world how an industry-aligned can create positive change. How does your campaign positively impact either the cannabis industry, your customers, the environment, underserved or unrecognized cannabis users, or businesses?
Creativity: How creative was your overall 420 campaign? How creative are you in getting out your message and implementing the campaign?
Results: Was it an effective campaign by your own goals and KPIs?
This category is one of the most important because our judges will judge the results based on your goals. Regardless of budget size or market size, show us your results. Results are those KPIs that are important to YOU. Make sure you grab those baselines so we can see your progress!
Judges:
Selected from a diverse slate of NCIA members, including past winners and NCIA committee members from a cross-section of perspectives, including the Sustainability Committee, the Diversity and Equity Committee and the Marketing and Advertising Committee.
Submission Process and Deadline
Submit your company’s campaign today by following the link below! Act fast as entries will be collected over the following six weeks, with a deadline to submit by Friday, Jul 22, 2022.
Good luck to everyone and have a fantastic 420! Submissions are being accepted now! We look forward to seeing your exceptional campaigns!
About Clio Clio is the premier international awards competition for the creative business. Founded in 1959 to celebrate creative excellence in advertising, Clio today honors the work and talent at the forefront of the industry in a variety of specialized fields, including: sports, fashion, music, entertainment, cannabis, and health. As a leading authority on the diverse and ever-changing creative landscape, Clio celebrates creativity 365-days-a-year via its global ad database Ads of The World and its content platform Muse by Clio. https://clios.com/ https://musebycl.io/ https://www.adsoftheworld.com/
About Clio Cannabis Expanding on Clio’s enduring reputation for establishing best-in-class programs honoring creative ideas in a variety of specialized verticals, Clio Cannabis celebrates the creators at the forefront of cannabis marketing and communications. Launched in 2019, Clio Cannabis sets the bar for creative work in a rapidly growing industry, builds a greater understanding of a developing category, and elevates creative contributions from top talent and agencies. https://www.cliocannabisawards.com/
Media Partner
For hints and tips on winning award programs, with hints and tips from the entire Marketing and Advertising Committee, listen to the replay of our recent webinar:
NCIA Committee Insights: 10 Tips in 20 Minutes – A Guide to Building Winning Campaigns
In this edition of our NCIA Committee Insights series originally aired on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 we were joined by members of our Marketing & Advertising Committee for a virtual edition of their recent “Lightning Lesson” hosted inside the Elevation Lounge at NCIA’s 7th annual Cannabis Business Summit & Expo in San Francisco, CA last December!
Their talk covered everything your business needs to know to properly design a marketing campaign that will engage your community and ensure success at any budget. With a focus on campaigns surrounding 4/20, they’ll highlight the lessons learned from last year’s “Best of 4/20 Marketing Campaign Contest” to help set your company up to make a splash this Spring!
Additionally, we announced initial details surrounding the 2022 edition of the “Best of 4/20 Marketing Campaign Contest” which will include community-sourced judges, expanded entry categories as well as an in-person element being implemented into Cannabis Business Summit & Expo taking place from July 20th – 22nd once again at the Moscone Center in the heart of the Bay Area.
Missed last year’s virtual event or just want to refresh yourself prior to the program? Check out the recap blog here: https://bit.ly/3ntAV21
Sit back and relax while learning the tips you’ll need to both build and execute a successful marketing campaign surrounding our industry’s highest of holidays.
NCIA’s Safe Vaping Task Force Submits Testimony
Last week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) identified a probable proximate cause of recent vaping injuries and deaths. Simultaneously, the United States Senate (HELP Committee) noticed a hearing for tomorrow (Wednesday) on the vaping crisis, where CDC officials will testify.
NCIA Policy Council’s Safe Vaping Task Force has submitted testimony for the record, which can be found here.
For weeks, NCIA’s Policy Council has been calling for de-scheduling and regulation at the federal level to displace the illegal, untested, unregulated illicit market. It’s time for Congress to act. We can no longer sit by and watch as people are sickened by unregulated, untested, and dangerous products from the illicit market.
by Brooke Gilbert, Director of Events and Education
NCIA’s inaugural Seed To Sale Show was a smashing success! Take a look at some of the highlights below, which made this a must-attend event for those in the cannabis industry:
More than 2,200 attendees.
The first ever Cannavation and Cannatech Awards, which recognized trailblazing individuals and companies driving the growth and elevation of the cannabis industry. You can see a full list of the winners here in our official press release.
An in-depth informational keynote from Mowgli Holmes, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Phylos Bioscience, on the evolving genetic understanding of the cannabis plant and what that means for further transparency within the cannabis supply chain.
Eight hours and 15 minutes of educational content over two days, featuring breakout sessions, committee-guided roundtables, and open Q&A sessions led by more than 40 industry experts.
More than 50 media personnel from more than 30 media companies joined us throughout the two days, generating more than 4.5 million impressions worldwide.
Brand loyalty is a major topic in any industry today and particularly in the cannabis industry. However, brand loyalty can be a tricky concept. What exactly does it mean? How is it achieved or measured? And what are the tangible effects of strong brand loyalty? I’d like to offer some insight into this last question because of how large the potential revenue is for brands with loyal followings.
My firm, Brightfield Group, researches the top brands in the cannabis industry and why consumers select them. What we found in our recent survey of medical cardholders was that brand loyalty is a significant driver in purchasing decisions.
Using the edibles market as an example, we found that 73% of consumers have a favorite brand. Once they find it, they’re extremely loyal, with 60% of these consumers choosing that brand at least 75% of the time.
“Brand loyalty is as important to the cannabis industry as any other and perhaps more because there are no long-established, dominant brands.”
That’s tremendously powerful when you break down the numbers. Take California’s edibles market for example. It is worth about $250 million right now and is projected to grow to $1.2 billion by 2019. If 60% of consumers buy their favorite brand 75% of the time, that’s $112 million that’s won by the power of brand loyalty in 2015. It would be $530 million in 2019, assuming the percentages remain the same. Now this is a very simplified example, but using it one can see the magnitude of the revenue involved when brands build a loyal following.
Then consider how fragmented this market currently is. Going back to our example, the top 10 edibles brands in California combined make up less than 25% of the total market. While this is typical of an industry at this stage in its lifecycle, what it means is that there is a lot of market share still to be captured. That’s about $187 million available for capture this year and almost $1 billion in 2019, again using the numbers above. And that’s just in California. This same story is being played out across other states and other categories such as concentrates or topicals, which are even more fragmented.
The implication for existing brands is that they should exploit their first mover advantage, expand their footprint and increase market share as fast as possible, because the next stage in the industry lifecycle is consolidation, where scale becomes essential. However, in this industry, expanding that footprint isn’t so easy with the current regulatory challenges. That said, some brands are starting to do it, such as Cheeba Chews and Bhang, which are both top 10 edibles brands in multiple states. But there’s a long way to go.
Brand loyalty is as important to the cannabis industry as any other and perhaps more because there are no long-established, dominant brands. The field is wide open, and although there are challenges to building that loyalty, the revenue potential is huge.
Patrick Hayden is the President of Brightfield Group, LLC. Patrick has worked in both market research and investment management for 15 years, most recently as Director of Investment Analysis for a large, private pharmacy benefits manager. Previously he was a consultant with a global research firm helping hedge funds leverage emerging markets data to boost investment returns. Prior to that, Patrick worked in an alternative investment firm where he was involved in numerous private placements raising over $100 million.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Iowa and his MBA from City University of New York.
Submit Your Speaker Proposal for the 2016 Cannabis Business Summit!
By Brooke Gilbert, Director of Events and Education
As the director of events and education for the National Cannabis Industry Association, there are many joys that come along with managing our speaker bureau.
Putting together the agenda for our annual national conference, the Cannabis Business Summit, is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable and important responsibilities I manage. Time and time again we hear from attendees how valuable the information presented at our events was to them. We are always striving for the highest quality of speakers and most relevant session topics to help your cannabis business be successful in the long run.
This is where you, as a valued member of NCIA, come in.
“The organization and overall experience at [NCIA] events is always extremely professional. The Cannabis Business Summit was no exception. As someone who attends over 30 industry events a year, I believe this makes for an environment which is conducive to teach and learn.”
-Nick Tanem, Owner, Essential Extracts
Becoming a speaker at our Cannabis Business Summit establishes you as a thought leader in the cannabis industry. It presents you with the opportunity to address and educate a national audience of business owners and operators. It also gives you the direct opportunity to continue creating and contributing to the advancement of a responsible industry. By working together and sharing knowledge, we will continue to raise the bar collectively and propel us into a new era.
So what are you waiting for? Submit your proposal today! Have questions or suggestions about how you can contribute to NCIA’s educational programs? Connect with me at brooke@thecannabisindustry.org to discuss potential opportunities.
The link above will take you to our speaker proposal form, hosted by MemberClicks.
Cannabis Industry Teaches and Learns in Nevada
NCIA’s 2nd Annual Southwest CannaBusiness Symposium Brings Together Cannabis Industry Leaders in Las Vegas
On Saturday, August 23, NCIA hosted cannabis industry professionals for a day of information-packed sessions at its second annual Southwest CannaBusiness Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Opening remarks featured Aaron Smith, executive director of NCIA, Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Las Vegas) and Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas). Comments from the panelists focused on the local political atmosphere, touching on how Nevada, having passed legislation last year to set up a statewide medical program, is currently reviewing applications for licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation centers. Additionally the Nevada legislature will consider a full legalization initiative during the 2015 session, although passage would require a 2/3 vote in both chambers. If the measure fails in the legislature, Nevada voters will have a chance to directly vote on legalization as a ballot initiative in 2016. Both Rep. Titus and Sen. Segerblom encouraged attendees to reach out to them and keep an open dialogue so that they can best represent the industry by understanding its needs.
The second panel, titled “Infused Products & Edibles Discussion,” featured experts in the fields of extraction, analytical testing, edible manufacturing, and retailing of infused products. Discussed on this panel were the importance of analytical lab testing to ensure quality products, the basics of different types of extraction methods, how to find your edible niche and establishing a brand, and the importance of educating your customers on the effects of infused products. Featured on this panel were Andy Joseph of Apeks Supercritical, Adam Mintz of Steep Hill Halent Labs, Julianna Carella of Auntie Dolores and Étienne Fontan of Berkeley Patients Group.
After these first two panels, attendees broke for a networking lunch where they could talk one-on-one and meet others already involved or looking to get into the industry. Walking around the conference floor you could hear conversations such as “What are current marketing regulations surrounding the sale of cannabis and infused products like in CO or WA?” and “How are you involved or wanting to be involved in the industry?” as well as lengthy discussions on attendees’ experiences regarding the Nevada application process which ended earlier in the week. Attendees also had the chance to visit sponsor booths to find out more about their products and services. The symposium’s sponsors this year included Eden Labs, MJ Freeway, Steep Hill Halent Labs of Nevada, Apeks Supercritical, HempMeds PX, and the ArcView Group.
Following lunch, the panel “Maintaining Responsible Business Practices” featured several distinct topics regarding establishing a culture of responsible practices within your business. The first topic highlighted the importance of setting standards of practice and self-regulation, especially regarding implementing programs that encourage customers to keep marijuana out of the hands of youth. Other topics included information on managing employees and effective human resource strategies, trademarking and protecting your brand, and an array of sustainable business practices that aid in lowering waste and increasing profits while contributing to a cleaner environment overall. Featured on this panel was Leslie Bocskor of Electrum Partners LLC, Carole Richter of CRichter ~ HR Consulting, LLC, Amanda Conley of Cobalt LLP, and Alex Cooley of Solstice Co-op.
Michael Correia, director of government relations for NCIA, followed to provide a federal update about what’s been happening in Congress. We’ve seen some positive movement within the House of Representatives recently. This past May, for the first time in history, a chamber of Congress passed pro-marijuana legislation. Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA) introduced an amendment to the appropriations bill covering the Department of Justice that limited the Department of Justice and DEA from interfering with states moving forward on medical marijuana. It passed 219-189, with an astonishing 49 Republicans supporting. Currently, the legislation is in the Senate and has Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) as co-sponsors. In addition, on July 16th, the House passed a similar amendment that would prohibit the Department of Treasury from penalizing banks that do business with state-compliant marijuana businesses. It passed 231-192, with 45 Republicans supporting it.
Rounding out the update was the mention of a potential upcoming issue that may have large implications for any marijuana cultivators using federal water reserves to grow. The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages water for the federal government, has stated that federal water should not be used for state-legal marijuana cultivation, since marijuana remains federally illegal. Although it is not yet a large issue, and so far the Bureau has only said that they will refer such cases to the Department of Justice, it looms as a potential trouble spot in Colorado and Washington State, and because Nevada gets most of its water from federal sources, it will likely become an issue in that state as well. Currently the Bureau of Reclamation is moving cautiously, and a group of senators have asked the Justice Department to give further legal guidance on this. NCIA will be providing updates on this issue as they are available.
The panel “Effective Messaging for Cannabis Professionals” rounded out the day and focused on tactics to use when talking with the media to communicate your message most effectively. Taylor West, deputy director of NCIA, provided advice focused on talking about a medical use program. She touched on the story of the development of the medical cannabis program in Nevada and the importance of emphasizing passion and compassion for patients. That story includes the quality of your product, your dedicated service, and your compassionate care in providing medicine to patients to improve their lives. Joe Brezny, executive director of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association, provided advice on speaking with the media about the upcoming Nevada full-legalization measure. He touched on the Nevada Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol campaign messaging, which emphasizes that regulated marijuana is no worse than alcohol, that the marijuana market in Nevada is already present but in a black market run by cartels and drug dealers, and that legalizing and regulating marijuana is proving to work in states that have done so already. His key takeaways were that state-specific messaging is important to make it relevant to the political landscape of that state.
Thanks to everyone who joined us in Las Vegas for another successful event. Make sure you don’t miss any other great educational and networking events we have coming up!
t year to set up a statewide medical program, is currently reviewing applications for licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation centers. Additionally the Nevada legislature will consider a full legalization initiative during the 2015 session, although passage would require a 2/3 vote in both chambers. If the measure fails in the legislature, Nevada voters will have a chance to directly vote on legalization as a ballot initiative in 2016. Both Rep. Titus and Sen. Segerblom encouraged attendees to reach out to them and keep an open dialogue so that they can best represent the industry by understanding its needs.
regarding the Nevada application process which ended earlier in the week. Attendees also had the chance to visit sponsor booths to find out more about their products and services. The symposium’s sponsors this year included 
moving cautiously, and a group of senators have asked the Justice Department to give further legal guidance on this. NCIA will be providing updates on this issue as they are available.
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