Dr. Markus Roggen is President and Chief Scientific Officer of Delic Labs, a licensed cannabis and psilocybin research laboratory focused on extraction optimization, analytical testing, and process development. Delic Labs is one of a handful of research labs licensed for both cannabis and psilocybin in Canada. Delic Labs was initially founded as Complex Biotech Discovery Ventures by Dr. Roggen and Prof. Dr. Glenn Sammis in 2018, and rebranded after the sale to Delic Corp. Dr. Roggen received his M/Sci degree from Imperial College, London, UK in 2008. He then pursued his graduate degree in organic chemistry at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ), where he received his PhD in 2012. Dr. Roggen was awarded an DAAD postdoctoral fellowship to pursue further training in physical organic chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla in 2013-2014. He then entered the cannabis industry in 2014 and since has held executive positions in analytical and production companies. His research into process optimization and analytical methods has been recognized with a number of awards, ElSohley Award of the ACS, Cannabis Scientist Power List 2020 & 2021, 40 under 40 by Marijuana Venture Magazine among others. Dr. Roggen is also a trusted advisor and mentor to multiple startups, startup accelerators and organizations.
AD LUCEM LAW CORPORATION was founded in 2013 by Robert W.E. Laurie, an international lawyer qualified in England and called to the British Columbia Bar. Robert’s legal practice focuses on commercial business, government, regulatory issues, and charter and constitutional legalities surrounding cannabis and psychedelic plant medicines. Robert has many years of policy development, legal practice in corporate, commercial, and administrative law, and licensing, regulatory, and constitutional charter experience concerning medical access to cannabis and psilocybin. As a lawyer in Canada, Robert works to reform drug laws. As a consultant, he devises regulatory, government policy, and business solutions for global companies in the regulated food, cannabis, and psychedelic industries. Robert is a board advisor to the Psychedelic Association of Canada, the Last Prisoner Project, and formerly with MAPS (Canada). In addition, Robert is an advisor to the Heroic Hearts Project, a founder of the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, and an Ecuador Amazon Restoration Project director.
Robert has been working and advocating tirelessly as a lawyer to improve medical patient access to cannabis, psychedelics, and sacred plant medicines and facilitate drug laws to better society. Robert advised Dr. Bruce Tobin and the TheraPsil Alliance litigation team (first Section 56 CDSA medical exemption for psilocybin in Canada). He was one of the Decriminalize Nature Canada Petition drafters, part of a national campaign to decriminalize restricted plant medicines and fungi in Canada. His goal is to help provide more options for doctors and treatments for anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD. Robert is an acclaimed international speaker, presenting at conferences and events on the laws surrounding cannabis, psychedelic, and entheogenic medicines in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
* Co-founder and managing partner at Vine Ventures, the largest venture capital fund focusing on psychedelic medicine.
* Invested in over 25 startups in the psychedelics space
* Previously founded 1protocol, a blockchain startup worth over $100M.
* Prior to that, he studied and taught Mathematics at Stanford University.
* Former Zen Buddhist monk
Kirk Tousaw is an entreprenuer, barrister and cannabis advocate. He is now the CEO of Great Gardener Farms, Ltd., a micro-cultivator on Vancouver Island that specializes in the development of unique legacy genetics.
Kirk’s legal career centered around defending people charged with growing, selling and possessing cannabis and now includes advocating for persons charged with other drug offences, including psilocybin. His notable cases include R v. Beren, where he successfully challenged the constitutionality of the Medical Marijuana Access Regulations on behalf of Mat Beren (currently his partner in GGF) and the Vancouver Island Compassion Society. He built on the success in Beren on behalf of Owen Smith and the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club of Canada in the case of R v Smith, which resulted in a unanimous decision in the Supreme Court of Canada finding that medical cannabis patients had a Charter right to access cannabis in all of its forms. Smith laid the foundation for the successful challenge in Allard v Canada, where Kirk was part of a legal team that won medical patients the Charter right to cultivate cannabis for their own personal use.
Kirk’s legal career includes successfully defending thousands of growers, patients and providers, with most of those clients receiving no criminal records.
Kirk has written and spoken extensively on issues related to drug policy, privacy, religious freedom and criminal justice policy. Since 2002, he has been one of the key advocates for cannabis legalization in Canada. His advocacy included testifying several times before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights of the House of Commons, the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the Task Force on Legalization and Regulations and at various British Columbia provincial consultations.
In recognition of his work and advocacy on behalf of medical cannabis patients and providers, Kirk was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal / Médaille du jubilé de dia in January 24, 2013 by the Government of Canada. The medal honours significant achievements and contributions to their fellow countrymen, their community, or to Canada.
Kirk, along with Mat Beren, also owns and operates Great Gardener Farms, a craft micro-cultivator that currently offers flower, hash, rosin, live rosin vape carts and seeds of GGF’s unique award-winning genetics. GGF, along with its international sister company, House of the Great Gardener, has won more than sixty cannabis awards on four continents.
Albert Eppinga is the founder, master grower and RPIC of BC Cannabis Inc in Sooke BC. He is Haida from the community of Old Masset on the Haida Gwaii. BC Cannabis is Indigenous-owned. His Sooke location currently has one licensed cannabis cultivation facility. And has confirmation of readiness for a cannabis license on two other adjacent facilities pending site evidence package. His group also has plans for an indigenous owned farm to gate facility in Chilliwack, BC.
Cy Williams is a respected figure in the Canadian cannabis industry, known for his expertise in journalism and advocacy. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of High Canada Magazine, a publication that has been a staple in the industry for years and continues to be a reliable source of information for cannabis enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Throughout his career, Cy has been committed to promoting responsible cannabis consumption, supporting legalization efforts, and challenging stereotypes around the plant. He has been a vocal advocate for medical cannabis patients and has worked tirelessly to educate the public about the benefits of cannabis for both health and wellness.
In recognition of his contributions to the industry, Cy was awarded Advocate/Activist of the Year at the 2022 Growup Awards, cementing his place as a leader in the Canadian cannabis community. With his passion for the plant and dedication to his craft, Cy remains an important figure in the evolution of cannabis in Canada and beyond.
High! Canada Magazine is a cultural icon. From its origins as a print publication to its recognition as one of the top cannabis magazines online, High! Canada has firmly established itself as a leading voice in the Canadian cannabis community. It’s no wonder that it was awarded the Online Cannabis Cultivation News Source at the 2022 Growup Awards, and listed among the top Canadian and cannabis magazines online.
Since its inception, High! Canada has been committed to educating and informing its readers on all things cannabis. Not only is it a trusted source of news and information, but it also features in-depth articles on cannabis culture, history, and science – offering readers a well-rounded and nuanced perspective on the plant.
As the magazine prepares to celebrate its 100th issue in January 2024, it’s clear that High! Canada’s impact on the Canadian cannabis community is immeasurable. Its powerful and inspiring content has helped to shape the conversation around cannabis, breaking down stigmas and promoting responsible use.
In an increasingly crowded media landscape, High! Canada has stood the test of time, evolving and adapting to the changing needs of its readers. It’s a testament to the unwavering dedication and commitment of its publishers, writers, and staff.
As a plant medicine advocate for over 15 years, I am passionate about supporting the Canadian Psychedelic Association in its efforts to advance widespread access to psychedelics across the country. As the Executive Director it is my role to expand alliances with local, national and international partners with the intention to unite the psychedelic community nationwide and to nurture a foundation for safe, ethical and responsible use of plant medicines in Canada. I have committed my career to a vision of the future where mental health and disease are viewed as holistic, collective experiences and the shame and stigmatization of our communities are replaced with compassion and connection. A future where Canada inspires the world with its ability to accept, support and provide opportunity for all of its people to reunite with our innate abilities to heal, overcome and actualize our full potential.
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.
Av Singh is one of the leading proponents of regenerative organic cannabis production being engaged in cannabis projects across six continents. Dr. Singh has authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and extension articles and has been an invited speaker to over 600 workshops, conferences, symposia as well as guest-lecturing at over 30 universities in Canada, the US, the UK, and India. Av has had the privilege of visiting over 2500 farms across five continents which has shaped his extension of holistic, system-based design solutions. Emphasizing a union of traditional knowledge with science, Av works with growers to cultivate an appreciation of plant:soil interrelationships.
Currently, Av is the Executive Director of the Scotian Cannabis Alliance; the Chief Scientific Officer at Adonis Living Soils; Scientific Advisory Chair with Cannaray (UK) and also serves as a Cultivation Advisor within the cannabis industry with Flemming & Singh Cannabis and Lav & Kush Consulting having clients in over 20 countries. Av also works as the Chief Science Officer at BoomBrains; Chief Agricultural Scientist with Green Gorilla (US); the Chief Agronomist at BetraLif, the Chief Soil Scientist at CaliCann (Colombia); and the Cultivation Advisor at WildLeaf (Zimbabwe). Av has had his hand in developing several award-winning (High Times Stash Award) living soil recipes for container and living soil bed systems worldwide.
Lastly, Av is a long-time member of the Canadian Organic Growers and the National Farmers’ Union, as well as the Vice-President of Régénération Canada. Av is also a faculty member at Earth University (www.navdanya.org) in India where he delivers courses on agroecology and organic farming and has recently completed delivering a course on cannabis cultivation at the Nova Scotia Community College. Most importantly, Av and his wife, Ren Shepard have two amazing daughters (and grand-daughter, Mira), who all are kind enough to tolerate his obsessions with Bob Dylan, whisk(e)y, and rugby union.
Av is proud and privileged to be a settler in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people, and constantly seeks to better understand his roles and responsibilities in adhering to the Peace and Friendship Treaties signed by the respective governments.
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