by Grow Up Conference | Aug 20, 2018
Rod Elliot is a Senior Vice President in Global Public Affairs’ Toronto office, where he provides senior public affairs counsel to a diverse range of clients, including both private and not-for-profit organizations. Rod is also the Founder of Global’s Cannabis Connect practice, where he has developed the ability to operate deftly at the intersection of cannabis policy and industry.
Before joining Global, Rod gained significant political experience in a number of roles at Queen’s Park. As Chief of Staff to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Rod was instrumental in the Ontario government’s response to the auto sector crisis. Before that, Rod was Chief of Staff to the Ontario Government House Leader and advised the Minister, the Premier’s Office and Cabinet on the government’s legislative agenda.
Previously, Rod served as a Senior Advisor of Issues Management to the Ontario Attorney General.and spent seven years at TD Bank Financial Group executing government relations programs on behalf of the bank. Rod holds a Certificate in Corporate Community Involvement from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Mass Communications and Political Science from Carleton University
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 20, 2018
David Marcus has extensive experience in the Canadian Hemp industry. He founded Natural Emphasis in 1995, which, in partnership with PhystoGene Resources, has undertaken a long term hemp breeding project which has resulted in the registration of three Health Canada registered hemp cultivars. His latest enterprise Abide Inc. is focused on whole plant hemp based CBD products.
In 1995 Dave Marcus cofounded Natural Hemphasis. As its product line evolved to include other natural products, the company name changed to Natural Emphasis but Natural Hemphasis continued as its research arm. Natural Hemphasis has been involved in hemp agricultural research and development since 1999 when together with Dr. Ernest Small of Agriculture Canada it undertook a three year hemp germplasm trial.
Commencing in 2000, and in partnership with PhystoGene Resources, Natural Hemphasis has undertaken a long term hemp breeding project which has resulted in the registration of three Health Canada approved hemp cultivars: ESTA-1, CanMa and GranMa.
Most recently, Dave is the founder of Abide Inc. Abide is currently licensed under the Narcotics Control Regulations for analytical testing of cannabis and under the Whole Hemp brand is developing a line of whole plant hemp based CBD products.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
Benjamin Adams studied biology and regenerative agriculture at the University of Oregon and the University of California Santa Cruz. He has spent over a decade in the cannabis industry from cultivation, systems management, and IPM strategies. His diverse background has landed him at Phylos Bioscience, a company leading the charge into the future of cannabis genomics and data driven breeding.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
Dr. Sharbel’s research group investigates apomixis (asexual plant reproduction via seeds) in natural populations, using evolutionary theory, population genetics and advanced “omics” methods, with the goal of identifying apomixis factors for agricultural improvement. Dr. Sharbel worked as a technician in an amphibian genetics laboratory at McGill University from 1987 until 1995 and simultaneously completed his BSc and MSc in evolution and biology at McGill.
In 1995, he moved to the Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology (Seewiesen, Germany), where he completed his PhD in Biology, studying the evolution of sex in flatworms from the Italian Alps. In 1999, Dr. Sharbel moved to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Jena, Germany) to work on apomixis as a post-doc.
In 2005, he began as head of the apomixis research group at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK Gatersleben, Germany). On September 1, 2015, he began as the GIFS Research Chair in Seed Biology at the newly formed Global Institute for Food Security in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
-Cohost of the nationally syndicated radio show Wisequacks.
-Cohosted the Oprah Winfrey Network show Buyologic
-Author of “The Doctor Is In(sane)” which was nominated for several book awards.
-Syndicated columnist to more than 100 newspapers across the United States and Canada.
-Entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest scoring defenceman in the longest hockey game in history.
Canadian naval surgeon in the Persian Gulf War
-Doctor to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
-In 1995 he lived in the remote Pacific island of Tanna in the country of Vanuatu where, for most of a year he was the sole doctor and bush surgeon to 30,000 Tannese, many of whom had never seen a white man.
-Former team doctor to the national rugby team as well as junior and professional hockey teams.
-Has lead two African safaris
-One of Canada’s foremost medical cannabis educator of physicians and the scientific and lay communities. He is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines (IACM),The International Cannabis Research Society (ICRS), Physicians for Medical Cannabis (PMC) and the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine (AACM).
-He serves as a medical director of Plena Global. (Logo at https://www.plena-global.com/)
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
Alexzander Samuelsson has developed a career over the last three years in the medical cannabis industry through his company DevCat Consulting working with dispensaries, licensed producers, industry stakeholders, and various media outlets on contracts ranging from technical SOPs and industry advising, to writing on the science of cannabis under the moniker “Alex The Chemist”. Alexzander holds a BSc. in Chemistry from Ryerson University and has focused his background toward innovation, research, and education in the medical cannabis industry after discovering first-hand the medical benefits of cannabis. His passion for cannabis education has brought him across the country discussing the science of cannabis in podcasts, media interviews, and presenting both private and public to audiences from the canna-curious, technical researchers, and C-level executives to everyone in between.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 17, 2018
Megan Henderson is the Director of Marketing and Business Development for HelloMD in Canada. Previously Megan helped to create and launch TheGrowthOp.com, Postmedia’s editorial brand on cannabis and acted as the Executive Producer for the brand. Megan lead TheGrowthOp’s editorial strategy as well as contributing content. In addition to her sales, marketing and content experience Megan worked to develop the cannabis advertising guidelines used at Postmedia and acted as the main compliance lead for all cannabis advertising. With over a decade of experience in marketing, advertising and custom content, Megan brings this experience as well as her cannabis promotions skill set into her new role with HelloMD. Megan works with HelloMD’s Canadian partners such as Shoppers Drug Mart, TGOD and Terracend.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 16, 2018
Dr. Hatcher received her MD in 1982 from Memorial University of Newfoundland and was certified with the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1984 and awarded a fellowship in 2001. She is an Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario.
In 1998, she received the Canadian Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Awareness Award. In 2016 she became a Diplomate of the Canadian Academy of Pain Management.
She was an expert panel member for the 2017 Canadian Opioid Guideline update. She is involved in designing a medical cannabis public education program for McMaster University Pain Clinic. She is on the Editorial Board of the journal “Using Medical Cannabis” and writes regularly for this journal. She is also assisting with the DataCann cannabis research network at McMaster University and is involved in clinical research with cannabis.
She regularly lectures to physicians and the public on Medical Cannabis and Chronic Pain nationally and internationally. She has given over 200 lectures.
by Grow Up Conference | Aug 15, 2018
Blaine Favel is the founder and CEO of Kanata Earth; an indigenous owned cannabis company focused on genetics, nursery growing and organic cultivation. Blaine hails from the Poundmaker Cree Nation, where he served as Chief and Grand Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. Blaine is credited with starting the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority and the First Nations Bank, two national firsts of Indigenous People entering new industries. He was more recently CEO and founder of One Earth Farms and One Earth Oil and Gas, and served as Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan until 2016. Blaine has a law degree from Queens and a MBA from Harvard Business School and has over 25 years experience in leadership in politics, business and academia.
