More than 40 vendors, 29 speakers set to appear at N.J.’s biggest cannabis business conference

March 3, 2023 · NJ.com

On March 8, the state’s largest and most comprehensive cannabis business conference will feature more than 40 vendors and 29 speakers, offering just about everything a Garden State legal weed operator needs to know and the people they need to meet to succeed.

Doors open at 9 a.m. with the keynote speaker, the state’s top cannabis regulator Dianna Houenou, opening the all-day event at 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel at the Newark Airport. Tickets are on sale now for the conference. A select number of discounted tickets also are available for social equity applicants.

Here’s the full line up, presentation topics, sponsors, vendors, a speed-networking session and special discovery areas:

Keynote

CannaTalks & Presentations

Government Services

How State Agencies Want to Help You Succeed

Applications

I Have A Conditional or An Annual License, Now What?

Legacy to licensed: How I Got Here

Compliance

Operational Readiness: Developing Strategies to Prevent Fines and Production Delays

  • Warren Harasz, VP of Regulatory Compliance at Cannaspire

Government Services and Social Equity

Understanding How The CRC Application Process Works

  • Welsey McWhite III, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the CRC

Contract Agreements

Ins and Outs of Management Service, Vendor and Financial Source Agreements

  • Mollie Hartman Lustig, an attorney, is the chair of McLaughlin and Stern’s Cannabis Practice Group

Here’s How We Negotiated Lease Agreements

  • Nathan Yanovitch, partner and CEO at Puffin Store NJ
  • Gabriel Eustache, partner and VP of Legal and Operations at Puffin Store NJ

Next Steps

It’s Never Too Early To Think of Scale: How to Build and Grow Your Operation

  • Julie Winter, VP of Retail Operations at AYR Wellness
  • Charles Penn, co-owner of The Library NJ
  • Corey Dishmen, co-owner from The Library
  • Tenisha Victor, director Emerging Markets at AYR Wellness

Lunch & Learn Panel hosted by the New Jersey CannaBusiness Assn

Local and federal policy: What’s Next For N.J.’s Cannabis Marketplace?

  • Edmund DeVeaux, president of the NJCBA
  • Marianne Bays, the vice president of the NJCBA
  • Scott Rudder, founder of the NJCBA, and owner of Township Green Dispensary
  • Mike Turner, strategic advisor for the NJCBA

Municipalities

Everything You Need To Know About Municipal Approval

Raising Capital

How To Set Up Your Small Business For Investors

Pivoting

We Changed Our Business Plan, Then We Won Investment

  • Tiyahnn Bryant, co-founder and CEO of Roll Up Life
  • Precious Osagie-Erese, co-founder and COO of Roll Up Life

Why I Gave Back $10M in Investment Money

Raising Capital

How To Be Profitable Without Breaking The Rules

  • Todd Polyniak, partner at SAX, cannabis accounting

The Top 4 Mistakes Made in Raising Capital and How to Avoid Them

  • David Cunic, founder of UCS Advisors, an investor relations specialist

Real Estate and Building

It’s Not A Buyer’s Market. Plan Your Build Now. Know The Costs and Timetables

Compliance

I’m Opening A Consumption Lounge, This Is How

A Checklist of Everything You Need Before You Open Your Doors

The Speed Networking Session presented by Puffin Store NJ

NJ Cannabis Insider has partnered with The New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA) to moderate the 40-minute, intense speed-networking session designed to help license-holders meet other license-holders and all the other businesses they need to build and grow their operations.

Sponsors and exhibitors

  • Hance Construction, NJ Cannabis Insider Founding Sponsor, was selected to build one of the first cannabis grow facilities in New Jersey, and has since worked on other cannabis projects big and small, offering consulting and site-location services.
  • Longview Strategic provides advisory services and industry insights to public, private and not-for-profit entities throughout the country. With years of active experience, Longview has been able to provide top quality counsel, secure hallmark resources and connections, and contribute writing services for client projects and developments. Longview is sponsor of The Women’s Discovery Area.
  • AYR Dispensaries in Eatontown, Woodbridge and Union are a proud sponsor of The Social Equity Discovery Area — and dedicated to all medical patients and adult-use customers in the New Jersey communities it serves.
  • Puffin Store NJ, a certified woman- and minority-owned company with a dispensary opening in downtown New Brunswick in 2023. Puffin is committed to transparency, safety and customer satisfaction every day. Puffin is sponsor of The Speed Networking Session.
  • Cannaspire, NJ Cannabis Insider Spotlight Sponsor, is a certified woman-owned business, providing end-to-end services, products and consulting. Focus includes cannabis licensing, consulting, security solutions, technology solutions, and compliance services, which have helped clients secure over 22 winning licenses and achieve growth goals for established cannabis businesses. A proud member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), Cannaspire contributes part of its profits to cannabis social equity applicants and projects.
  • Trichome Analytical, headquartered in Mount Laurel Township, offers the highest standard in accurate, compliant and comprehensive cannabis and industrial hemp testing and consulting services for cultivators, processors, retailers and regulatory agencies.
  • Zenco, secure and cashless payment solutions for cannabis, offering a customizable transaction fee that allows merchants to decide what they want to charge their customers.
  • Cova builds innovative retail software solutions specifically for dispensaries. Its POS & Inventory Management platform is designed to simplify compliance, streamline complex dispensary operations, and empower dispensaries to deliver the best possible shopping experience. Based in Denver, Cova is powering more than 1,800 retail locations across North America.
  • Stender is a family owned, promotional products supplier to the cannabis industry. While Stender is a new company, its parent company SHC Holdings recently celebrated its 50th year in business. Stender’s global sourcing, along with its fun and creative SWAG aims to leave an impression on anyone who receives a branded product.
  • Township Green, a dispensary opening in 2023 in Riverside Township in Burlington County, is built on a passion for sharing expertise and creating a positive impact in the community it serves.
  • Valley Wellness, a woman-owned medical dispensary in Raritan, providing the highest quality service to our medical patients, is in the process of applying to convert to adult use sales.
  • New Jersey Business Action Center, which was founded 40 years ago, has helped a range of businesses, from wineries, apparel manufacturers and medical device suppliers. With its new Cannabis Technical Assistance Program, it will now work on helping entrepreneurs in the space.
  • Dutchie powers the world’s best cannabis retailers from multi-state operators to locally owned dispensaries.
  • UFCW 360, the Cannabis Workers’ Union, for more than a decade, the union has been proud to help lead the development and stabilization of the emerging cannabis industry through our innovative Cannabis Workers Rising campaign.
  • TRC — NJ Clean Energy, a leading, global consulting, engineering and construction management firm that provides environmentally focused and digitally powered solutions.
  • All Space, thoughtful space design meets full-service fabrication and installation with over 30 years of experience. Our design and project management team work to understand everything about your needs and vision for your space. Quality and efficiency mean everything to us.

The Women’s Discovery Area presented by Longview Strategic

A spotlight on women-founded and owned by women:

The Social Equity Discovery Area presented by AYR Dispensaries

A spotlight on state-certified, social equity and minority-owned companies:

Higher Education Discovery Area facilitated by Stockton University

  • Stockton University Cannabis Studies Program — The interdisciplinary minor in Cannabis Studies offers students a foundation for understanding the burgeoning cannabis industry. Stockton recently opened The Cannabis & Hemp Research Institute, which will research hemp cultivation and develop lab testing.
  • Rutgers University Law School — Certificate in Cannabis Law and Business is a six-month program for entrepreneurs and license holders. It provides you with in-depth knowledge of key issues relating to the rules and regulations of New Jersey’s legal cannabis industry so that you can run a fully compliant cannabis business.
  • NJ Cannabis Certified — provides training for all entry level plant-touching jobs in the cannabis industry, including entry level cultivation, manufacturing, testing lab technician, and dispensary attendant jobs. But you do not need to work in the industry to take this class – it is open to the public
  • Hudson County Community College — This 60-credit degree is suitable for individuals who have work experience, or an educational background, in a non-cannabis business field and would like to transition to a career in cannabis business. It is also suitable for individuals who are entering college and make the decision to pursue a career in cannabis business.
  • Rowan University — School of Professional Studies (SPS) is offering two Certificate Programs for learners wishing to gain a better understanding of the socio-behavioral, legal impact and enforcement of medical and recreational cannabis.  The certificates are in both undergraduate and graduate programs and they serve learners seeking careers in the Cannabis industry, cultivation, customer services, education/guidance, compliance, legal and social regulations.

Our strategic partners

  • New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, the Garden State’s largest trade group, operating as the state’s cannabis chamber of commerce.
  • Women Grow the global leader in connecting, educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of women leaders in the cannabis and hemp industry.
  • Cannabis Insider Jobs, in collaboration with NJ Cannabis Insider, is dedicated to helping individuals find a career in the cannabis industry, leveraging its digital presence through NJ.com’s parent company Advance Local.

To purchase tickets, visit NJ Cannabis Insider Live. A select number of discounted tickets also are available for social equity applicants. (Full Story)

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