Agenda

There are many myths and a lot of misinformation circulating about what can and cannot be registered at the United States patent and Trademark Office. This session focuses on plants, the panel would discuss standards for registration and protection and best practices for laying the groundwork to obtain patent and trademark registrations. Related topics will include licensing intellectual property to monetize intellectual property and expand your geographic territories.

Key Take-aways from this session include:

❖ Brief Overview of Forms of Intellectual Property

• Patents
• Trademarks
• Copyrights
• Trade Secrets

❖ Patents: Utility, Design, and Plant

• Requirements for Registration
• Ownership
• When to File
• Relevancy to the Plant: Alternative: Plant Variety Protection Act
• Rights Conferred
• Best Practices
• Licensing

❖ Trademarks: Word, Logo Trade Dress, and Other 

• Requirements for Registration (OwnershipWhen to File
• Relevancy to the Plant
• Rights Conferred
• Best Practices
• Licensing

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This workshop is designed to address the ongoing growing trend of extracts in the cannabis industry. Attaining efficiency in extraction processes is a tradeoff between quality and quantity. This session will outline the various extraction techniques with a focus on post-processing and refinement techniques that are proven to be beneficial in extraction processing procedures

Participants of this session will discuss: 

❖ Basic knowledge of extraction techniques and equipment

❖ Commonly practiced post-processing techniques

❖ Refinement techniques and technology

❖ Trends that are pushing extraction development

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One of the most capital intensive pieces of operating a cannabis business is the acquisition of real estate and the build out of the facilities. Finding investors, securing the right property, and making thoughtful design choices are essential to your success. In this session, industry real estate experts will provide comprehensive information and first-hand insight into how to raise capital and then capitalize on that investment. The interactive discussion will outline the key steps of the real estate process, from assembling a team and researching state rules and regulations, to emerging design trends and building community support.

Attendees will learn:

❖ How to get investors involved using real estate as platform

❖ How to raise capital and capitalize on your investment

❖ The Pros and Cons of Buying or Renting

❖ Property Hunting: How to Assemble a Real Estate team

❖ Know Before You Commit: State Rules and Regulations

❖ Build it and they will come: How high-end design choices lead to high-end clientele

❖ Go Local: How to gain community support through real estate

❖ What is trending in sustainable design

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CA will begin licensing cannabis businesses in 2018 under the MCRSA. For the last decade, entrepreneurs have been operating in a gray area, with limited guidance under the California Compassionate Use Act, the Medical Marijuana Program Act, and the August 2008 California Attorney General?s Guidelines for the Security and Non-Diversion of Marijuana Grown for Medical Use. You'll find some have been formed and operating as nonprofit mutual benefit corporations, nonprofit public benefit corporations, general business corporations, and some that have not incorporated at all. This is a roadmap for how to the business can position itself to apply for a license under MCRSA (and in compliance with local law under the dual licensing system) and operate on a for-profit basis.

Since passage of MCRSA, the first thing clients ask is how they can be ready for when state license applications are available. Given the wide variety of business organizations we've seen, we hope to lay out the process for these operators to be application-ready (even though we do not yet know the application process itself).

Attendees will be able to walk away with a general roadmap and better understand what type of advice and counsel they should seek over the next year.

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Fundraising is completely new to most cannabis founders. This presentation will walk through a step by step outline of how to structure, prepare for and execute a successful fundraising round.  Sara will address both the tactical and emotional/psychological aspects of fundraising and gives founders both insights and tools to support them in this often unfamiliar and intimidating part of their job as a founder.  The goal is to demystify this critical part of the job and deliver real tactical support, as well as insights that help founders deal with feelings of intimidation or anxiety around talking to investors and asking for money.

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This session will cover developing trends in business regulation, and what we can expect to see in our new, national, landscape. Attendees will learn what trends they can expect to see in relation to compliance as the industry grows.

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As more states regulate marijuana like alcohol, many have asked why they only allow the equivalent of liquor stores, but still prohibit marijuana "bars" where customers can consume on the premises. Regulators in Alaska are working to allow marijuana cafes, the ballot initiatives in Maine and Massachusetts would allow them if passed, and there's even a local ballot initiative in Denver that would allow them only within the city's limits. But how does this look in practice rather than theory? Which states are going down this path, and what are the differences between their approaches? This session will look at various regulations and proposals, discuss how they could alter the retail market, and talk about how business owners can adapt and thrive under these new regulatory models.

Attendees will learn how states are approaching the social consumption of marijuana, and how that could impact their business

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As cannabis companies mature, litigation becomes inevitable. Internal disputes among founders, disgruntled investors, breached contracts, and securities issues are popping up and can't be handled the same way that litigators handle other business disputes. Your state's laws may give you a forum to work out disputes, but Federal law may cause a judge to refuse to hear your case. Hear from an experienced litigation attorney handling cannabis disputes about how our industry is different, how we can best ensure access to justice, and how to avoid disputes in the first place.

In this session, attendees will:

❖ Learn to plan for the most common types of disputes that cannabusinesses face

❖ Get tips on how to ensure that your dispute can be heard

❖ Learn how to choose the right representation for your dispute

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Understanding SOPs and being consistent with cultivation facility cleanliness and sanitation are the first steps toward a successful harvest.  In this session, attendees will discuss tools and technology available to help defend their grow room from unwanted pests and disease. Presenters will identify 10 ways to help manage building cleanliness and sanitation. 

❖ Daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning and maintenance SOPs.

❖ Visitor SOPs

❖ Employee entry/Locker room SOPS

❖ Air Curtains/ filtration

❖ Sanitizing foot bath

❖ Lab coats/disposable jumpsuits

❖ shoe & boot covers, disposable gloves

❖ Hair nets/beard nets

❖ Quarantine incoming cultivars

❖ Follow label instructions on all pesticides.

❖ Bonus- Design Facility for workflow- Separate the manufacturing and finished product side of building from the cultivation side of the facility. Install plenty of sinks to encourage good hygiene.

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The panelists in this session will talk about why edible producers need to be responsible with their packaging and dosing as the industry matures and more consumers are entering the edibles market.

This session will help both established and up and coming edible producers thing about how the package and market their products as the industry grows

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Cannabis business ventures in Indian Country invoke a variety of state, federal, and tribal laws and policies. This quagmire of intersecting legal regimes has been an impediment to tribes seeking to regulate cannabis and launch business ventures. The Wilkinson memorandum of 2014, for example, suggested that the Department of Justice would treat tribes analogously to states vis--vis marijuana enforcement priorities. However, in practice, tribes have not received similar treatment. This panel seeks to apprise attendees of the complex legal and jurisdictional issues that tribes, and cannabis entities working with tribes, must be aware of when launching cannabis business ventures. The panel will also identify successful scenarios for tribal engagement, as well as pathways for making cannabis regulation in Indian Country a reality.

Attendees will learn about the various state law issues (Public Law 280, state law applicability, state law cannabis regulatory regimes, government-to-government compacts), federal law and policy issues (Controlled Substances Act, Controlled Substances Import Export Act, Cole and Wilkinson memoranda) and tribal law issues (tribal sovereignty, tribal ordinances) that intersect and impact Tribal cannabis ventures. Also, attendees will leave with the tools and knowledge necessary to successfully launch Tribal cannabis ventures, including the processes for creating/amending tribal ordinances, as well as the applicable tribal business structures that will be best tailored to fit tribes.

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This panel will be broken into two key topics: building and maintaining business relationships and best practices when entering into a contract. For many people, forming and operating their cannabis business is the first time they are running their own business. It is important that new and seasoned business owners alike understand that it takes a dedicated amount of time and energy to build good, strong, lasting business relationships. They are an integral and necessary part of success.

Attendees will understand the steps to take when engaging in vetting a potential business partner and engaging in due diligence. Once a good business relationship has been developed often times the next step is to enter into business contracts. These contracts make companies run more smoothly and interact with other organizations in their field. It's important for businesses to make sure these agreements are memorialized in writing with all of the relevant legal clauses, terms and conditions.

Attendees will walk away with an overview of:

❖ Fundamental Steps to building a Successful Relationship

❖ Formalizing the Business Relationship: Contract Best Practices: Business Relationship (Importance of working with a MJ Attorney; key types of provisions that should be in ANY contract, importance of all parties being represented by independent counsel, how to engage in open negotiations)

❖ The most common types of contracts a cannabis business owner will enter and specific items to be aware of (leases, licensing agreements, etc.)

❖ What red flags to be on the lookout for

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Cannabis production is one of the most energy intensive industries in the U.S. The industry as a whole has gotten a bad rap for not being sustainable enough, spending big bucks on 24-hour lighting rigs, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems resulting in excessive greenhouse gases. As the industry grows, utility companies are becoming partners in advancing lighting that is both good for cultivators as well as the planet. There are a number of tools and incentives for investing in a sustainable cultivation facility. This panel of experts will weigh in on the many factors to keep in mind when planning a grow or considering updating an operation to meet sustainability standards. Panel experts will focus on how to pick the right tools, use systems effectively, and evaluate ROI and cost difference between different lighting options.

In this session, attendees will learn:

❖ Best practices for maintaining a sustainable grow while reducing carbon footprint

❖ How to determine the most efficient lighting layout for your facility

❖ Evaluating the ROI and cost difference between lighting systems

❖ How to navigate and evaluate the differences between LED, HPS, DE HPS, Ceramic Metal Halide, and Metal Halide.

❖ How to maximize utility rebates and incentives for indoor and greenhouses

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In the fast-moving world of the cannabis industry, fortunes are made and lost on regular basis. Hear panelists discuss how preventable mistakes caused some to lose it all, and learn from these lessons so the same doesn't happen to you. Learn how you can avoid making the same mistakes along each step of the way - from building your company all the way to your exit strategy. This panel discussion will use narratives to emphasize the importance of compliance, transparency, and deliberation as key to maintain those hard won successes.

Attendees will learn:

❖ How to set good foundation for success (Avoid these things! Disastrous handshake deals, poorly planned corporate governance, no business plan, unrealistic expectations.)

❖ Red flags in investor and business relationships (Avoid these things: Rushing the deal, failure to disclose, willingness to skirt the law in the interest of speed and convenience.)

❖ Corporate maintenance and protection (Avoid these things! Noncompliance with all the other laws, occupational health and safety laws, employment laws, wage and hour laws.)

❖ Exit strategy. (Avoid these things! ‘Get rich quick and easy’ mentality, noncompliance with securities laws, failure to disclose the risks inherent in the cannabis business, the restrictions on transfer, inflating profit potential.)

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The IRS has made Section 280E enforcement a priority through audits, trials and an official Compliance Initiative Project – the stakes are higher than ever. Business managers and owners have learned to consider 280E in their day-to-day operations and owners and investors are waking up to the reality of 280E Phantom income. Tax Attorney, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Former IRS Trial Attorney, Nick Richards will lead this breakout session in applying the principals of Section 280E to various business and entity types under several state regulatory regimes.

Participants will discuss:

• Current IRS enforcement efforts and positions
• 280E liability and IRS enforcement
• Managing IRS tax debt after an audit and its impact on owners and investors

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Building a ‘canna-brand’ has quickly become a glossy catch-phrase in our industry. Have you ever read a, ‘Top 5 ways to Build a Successful Cannabis Brand’ article and thought, “Does this even apply to me yet?” or found the article was not at all helpful? So few of these ‘How To’ articles ever give substantive and strategic advice that will allow you to continue growing your idea or business.

This panel will assemble a panel of experts focusing on business strategy, multi- media marketing, and intellectual property. The panel will peel back the clich advice and buzzwords and give attendees tangible and actionable advice on how to build from an idea to a profitable and recognizable company. This sessopm is perfect for those who have an idea and are looking to figure out their next step as well those who have reached a profitable point in their company but are ready to take their business to the next level.

The panel will address the following concepts questions and much much more:

❖ Budget and funding

❖ How to define what separates you from the pack

❖ How to identify and acquire your target customer

❖ When and how to scale your business

❖ How to identify and adapt to competitors as they enter our space

❖ How to value your concept ideas, products and branding

❖ How to identify your limitations

❖ How to Identify when it's time to bring in the lawyers

❖ How to protect what you have created

❖ Best ways and time to expand

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The criminalization of marijuana has had disastrous consequences for communities of color, especially black males. Cannabis criminalization has been identified as a key driver of the mass incarceration epidemic. Marijuana arrests account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States, and black men (and increasingly women) and Latinos are policed, arrested, and convicted of drug-related offenses at over ten times the rate of whites, despite similar rates of drug use across race.

This creates an interesting dynamic for the industry and all who have interest in the sustainability of this movement. Considering the increasing need for legitimacy and effective problem solving in regulatory, patient/consumer and community interactions, having a diverse set of minds to tackle these issues is a logical strategy. Also, because of the history of the war on drugs, many minority communities do not look towards the burgeoning industry to meet their cannabis needs, rather to the illicit market. Colorado and Oregon businesses are in the midst of fighting a strong illegal market, and this is likely a problem other states will face for years to come. Finally, if cannabis is to be a better industry, not just another industry, we have an obligation to include these communities who have statistically been targeted through prohibition of the plant in ways that provide meaningful benefit.

Join us for this relevant and engaging discussion in which participants will discuss different ways to better reach and serve communities of color and how that could be the key factor to business growth and effectively tackling the industry challenges ahead.

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Cannabis businesses such as cultivation sites (indoor/outdoor and greenhouses) impact the environment from water rights and air quality to energy consumption -- the environmental laws (specifically those in California, including but not limited to the California Environmental Quality Act known as "CEQA") and the cannabis industry naturally intersect. This panel will cover a cross-section of Environmental Law and Cannabis Law and Policy in the State of California.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of: 

• The interplay between the CEQA and Water Rights with medical cannabis commercial production.
• The upcoming Environmental Impact Report (""EIR"") from the California Department of Food and Agriculture regarding its medical marijuana cultivation regulations
• Cultivation operations in jurisdictions along the coastal zone (currently, the Coastal Commission is working on this issue in Humboldt County) as well as the role of the Department of Pesticides and the Regional Water Quality Control Board
• Fundamental understanding of the various environmental laws at play i.e. CEQA (specifically its role with State Regulatory Agencies), Water Law and the Coastal Act in CA.

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As more and more states legalize recreational use of marijuana, the industry faces new challenges in controlling odors. The recent ordinance passed by Denver City Council directs the City?s Environmental Health Department to regulate odors from marijuana growing operations. Other communities in Washington and Oregon are racing to pass similar regulations. This presentation begins with a review of the nature of odors associated with cannabis growing operations. Two odor control technologies (vapor and misting systems) are discussed with application to medium and large scale cannabis growing operations. The odor problem is especially difficult to control at outdoor growing operations due to the fugitive nature of such odors. To meet these challenges, advanced models are employed to assess how odors migrate from a cannabis growing area to nearby homes. This information is used to design a site and facility specific odor control system. Impacts on plant growth and public safety to exposure from odor neutralizers are discussed.

Attendees will understand the nature of odors at Cannabis growing operations and how best to minimize impacts to nearby homes and businesses.

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Media interest in cannabis is at an all-time high. Cannabis companies looking to leverage the considerable attention must be able to make their voices heard amid the din. Whether conducting a friendly interview with a reporter to develop interest in your brand or presenting your side of a challenging story, the importance of being at your best under the glare of the media spotlight is paramount. This media training session will provide expert insight, real world examples and successful techniques to engage media before, during and after the interview. We will also help you identify target segments within the larger cannabis audience and determine where they interact with media. You will learn how and why your cannabis industry expertise and experience must be reinforced by the tone and content of your message, and how to present your brand consistently across all relevant media channels.

Attendees will learn how to:

❖ Conduct research to drill deep into your customer base to create distinct audience profiles

❖ Focus on your sweet spot in the market to target your marketing and media relations efforts

❖ Leverage media interest in the cannabis industry to make your voice heard

❖ Equip yourself with successful techniques to get your story covered by reporters in a positive way that reaffirms your key brand messages.

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Cannabis legalization abroad offers opportunities for American cannabis businesses to expand their markets, but the international drug control framework lags behind recent drug policy reforms in countries like Uruguay, Jamaica and Canada, presenting risks and obstacles to building an international cannabis industry. UN drug conventions bind signatories to prohibitionist national policies, impeding reforms and creating obstacles for ordinary businesses transactions and nascent international trade. Courts in the US and abroad could block reform and industry progress on the basis of treaty obligations.

This panel focuses on the business case for reforming multilateral drug treaties to protect existing state industries and facilitate international trade, and discusses recent developments at the UN and upcoming opportunities for advancing international drug policy reform. Existing cannabis businesses could play an increasingly important role in advocating for change during a pro-business presidential administration. 

In this session, participants will discuss: 

❖ Implications of the international drug treaties for further state & national legalization and international trade & commerce in the cannabis industry

❖ Opportunities for cannabis businesses to affect international law and policy through advocacy

❖ Strategies for cannabis businesses to grow market share

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The spectrum of health practitioners including doctors, nurses, nutritionists, acupuncturists, health coaches, and herbalists know little if anything about cannabis, cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system. Allopathically trained, most and have relegated cannabis to the medical/pharma model. It's time to change the paradigm and place cannabis in its rightful place: integrated with other healing modalities to yielding optimal impact. To achieve mainstream acceptance, this is the future of medical marijuana. Find out how clinicians, caregivers, staff, and patients can be trained to insure improved health outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.

In this session, attendees will learn to:

❖ Recognize the current one dimensional approach of medical marijuana recommendations

❖ Understand why cannabis therapeutics is complemented by nutrition and other healing modalities for optimal health and wellness

❖ Create a community networking model to differentiate and legitimize your brand and attract health conscious customers

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