by Grow Up Conference | Jul 24, 2019
Panel Discussion
The pioneers of cannabis legalization may have been mavericks by nature because they had a fight to win. But in its next phase of growth, the cannabis industry needs to prove it is as accountable and reliable as any reputable business sector. Companies moving quickly on the path to profitability, a lengthy license amendment process and a regulator increasingly dealing with LPs “at arms length” are among the factors driving some license holders into non-compliance. This session will discuss the mistakes some LPs are making, hurdles legislators have put in the way of LPs, and what the best practices are to stay compliant in an era of increasing accountability.
Moderated By: David Hyde
by Grow Up Conference | Jul 22, 2019
Presentation
We are soon approaching one year since the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada and it has been an eventful journey so far.
The industry will not be slowing down any time soon as we are quickly coming up on the next phase of cannabis legalization: edibles. Companies and consumers alike are preparing for the legalization of edibles, concentrates and topicals, with a number of major licensed producers having already forged partnerships with major companies in the food and beverage industries. The patent filings for edible cannabis products also continue to increase and there is one US law suit pending on a liquid cannabinoid formulation.
Join us to discuss the upcoming changes to the regulatory and patent landscape for edible cannabis products.
by Grow Up Conference | Jul 19, 2019
Panel Discussion
The most popular grow techniques come with tongue-twisting names like hyper-spectral imaging, micronization and ultrasonic extraction. But what do they even mean? This session will dive right in, while also explaining the imperatives of data and tech-driven agri-business in an exploding market. You’ll understand the difference between old-school ROI and the enhanced profitability and efficiency innovation provides. In a sink-or-swim future, the best tech wins.
Moderated By: Megan Henderson
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Panel Discussion
Advanced scientific techniques and technologies hold great promise for improving competitiveness and productivity for the cannabis industry, but how best to apply them? The fields of genomics and metabolomics are delivering a bonanza of useful information that can help cannabis breeders develop key traits, manage pests or disease, fine tune plant chemical profiles for specific use cases, and identify cannabis strains and providence within complex and regulated supply chains. Come and listen to pioneering scientists and industry figures on the state of the art, learn how the suite of tools they are building can be used to solve problems and drive efficiencies for cannabis producers, and get your questions answered on what “Omics” means for you.
Moderated By: Kahlil Lawless
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Presentation
The global wave of cannabis legalization for medical and/or recreational use has created – and is still creating – a rare, if not inimitable, opportunity. Entrepreneurs, investors, and executives in the cannabis industry need to realize the unique dynamics of this early stage industry and how the competitive landscape is unlike other industries – and in some forms non-existent – in the short-term. Different parts of the supply and service chain have not developed and grown at the same rate, which make the relationship between the players in the market more complicated. The collaboration and support between cannabis laboratories in California, Oregon, and Canada could be a good example of how this unusual market can work. Those who understand how to take advantage of collaboration and coopetition in the next few years, will be the long-term leaders of the market.
Brought to you by: Sigma Analytical Services Inc.
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Panel Discussion
When Ontario finally allowed the opening of its first bricks-and-mortar cannabis retail stores, the public (and the media) flocked to the joints, temporarily at least. Others remained at home, waiting for delivery – a private transaction between the buyer and their mail carrier. In many ways, cannabis retail mirrors the convulsive evolution of retail in general. The mall-killer Amazon is not in the game yet, but the mere option of home-delivery (offset against the remaining stigma of being seen walking into a “weed shop”) hangs over any predictions of the future of cannabis stores. On the other hand, the stores offer personalized service, and a hand-to-hand transaction without shipping fees. We weigh the arguments for both, and consider how retail is most likely to evolve.
Moderated By: Sonny Brar
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Presentation
Terpenoids and flavonoids are fragrant (not necessarily aromatic) oils that give cannabis its flavour profile and are often the subtle yet defining characteristic of the strains of the plant. The relative ratios of these compounds along with the most canonical cannabis natural products, such as CBD and THC, contribute to a defining phenomenon called the “Entourage Effect” (first proposed by S. Ben-Shabat, and by Raphael Mechoulam), which suggests that the effects of these non-psychoactive compounds are more significant to the psychoactive experience than the sum of their parts. The novel concept has led to new areas of research in medicine (such as pain management) of how changing these ratios can customize the user’s experience. Here, the effects of terpenes, flavonoids and phytocannabinoids on the human body are explored, and that an inevitable business model that the cannabis industry will move towards will reflect an online consumer experience of creating your own cultivar.
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Panel Discussion
From a consumer standpoint, the response to legalized marijuana was mixed. The product could be fresh, or sit in transit long enough to crumble into powder. THC levels in the product description had variances from 12% to 25% (well, which IS it?). The industry needed guidelines, and the government would be the first to enforce them when it came to new regs for edibles and oils (10 mg of THC per edibles package, 1000 mg per package for extracts). But there’s plenty left for the industry to self-regulate, and plenty of money on the line. Sales to Europe demands Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, which does not yet exist in Canada. It’s an all-encompassing, thoroughly documented record of all aspects of production, and its implementation could be a deal-breaker for Canadian cannabis. In this session, we talk standards.
Moderated By: Megan Henderson
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 19, 2019
Panel Discussion
There probably wouldn’t even be a massive indoor grow-op industry without prohibition. Out of sight, a surreptitious science grew up around a controlled year-round environment, high in CO2, where strains could be managed around-the-clock. But now that growers are free to operate in the open, a segment of the industry and the consumer has expressed a preference for the “natural” product. An outdoor grower can get by with a few workers until harvest, whereas a grow-op needs a contingent of fulltime staff to prune, water and measure CO2 and nutrients. And yet, it’s hard to argue with indoor success. But argue we will, or at least heatedly debate both sides.
Moderated By: Brian Coutts
by Grow Up Conference | Jun 18, 2019
Presentation
Genomics research and proper plant breeding practices for nascent industries like cannabis, including hemp, are critical for the efficient and predictable development of plant varieties with commercially valuable traits. These varieties support the large-scale production of consistent, stable, and profitable crops.
Modern-day large-scale agronomic crops have benefited from decades of professional breeding programs to streamline production systems. The success of cannabis and hemp cultivation hinges on similar systems to provide efficient mechanical harvesting and target desirable characteristics like disease- and pest-resistance, yield, and performance across different growing environments. This ensures a stable supply chain for ingredients derived from these crops and growers’ compliance with federal and state regulations.
Dr. Vaught will discuss how embracing genomics-driven breeding technologies will allow growers in the cannabis industry and beyond to produce reliable, consistent, and profitable crops at scale. He will draw on knowledge gained from his company’s industry-leading breeding platform, FRB’s support and collaboration of hemp genome research at UC Davis, and its recently opened breeding program branch at CRAG-IRTA.
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