NCIA Cannabis Industry Voice

Insights into National and International Market Trends with Kelly Nielsen today on NCIA's Cannabis Industry Voice only on Cannabis Radio. Kelly is the Vice President of Insights and Analytics with BDSA. She leads the Insights and Analytics team and engages with clients to generate insights from a vast quantity of data to make informed business decisions and drive results. Together with her team, she works with manufacturers, retailers, and investors to deliver unmatched insights and analytics to drive their businesses forward. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, BDSA is the premier global cannabis market research firm helping businesses improve revenues, reduce innovation risk, and prioritize market expansion. We start by talking broadly about the cannabis movement which is beyond national and now global.

Harnessing Terpenes, Sensory Effects + Replacing Opioids with Eybna, Nadav Eyal today on NCIA's Cannabis Industry Voice with Bethany Moore only on Cannabis Radio. Nadav Eyal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Eybna, a pioneering cannabis technology company, and terpene manufacturer headquartered in California and R&D Center in both Colorado and Israel. Nadav's professional background is rooted in the field of data science. Nadav has long been passionate about botanical medicine and how it can offer a more effective medicinal treatment than pharmaceutical products.

The Future of Social Equity and Interstate Commerce with Mark Slaugh from NCIA’s DEI Committee today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice. CEO and owner of iComply, Mark works in the specialist sector of compliance for the medical, retail, and hemp industries and has over 13 years of experience in cannabis industry development, consulting, and operational compliance and over 22 years experience in regulations and risk management. He is a qualified expert witness on cannabis compliance and regulations in Colorado. iComply provides operational compliance services and validation of over 200 cultivation, manufacturing and processing, and dispensing facilities since 2011, and iComply consults for a variety of communities, organizations, and governments.

We dive into the intersection of DEI issues and how interstate commerce plays into that. First, we define what interstate commerce is and why the industry as a whole wants to achieve this. We talk about how social equity licensees and operators going to be impacted when federal legalization finally happens and we have some form of interstate commerce available to the cannabis industry. So currently in our 36 states with legal medical cannabis and 18 with adult use, most if not all have some form of social equity program giving black and brown business owners more equality in our industry. We talk about what’s working so far currently, as well as where it falls short.

Mark Slaugh is a leading niche asset for the dynamic cannabis market worldwide. His innovative work in cannabis compliance, regulatory affairs, policy monitoring, political reform, and social justice reflects an extensive understanding of cannabis, its benefits, and its social transformation from illicit “vice” to a legal substance under licensing and regulation. Mark progressively works to move this new market forward at political, policy, and operational levels. He represents objective knowledge about cannabis and its economic, social, and political implications on society as a trusted resource for the media, marijuana businesses, and governments. He regularly speaks at National and International conferences on topics regarding policy, market development, and operational cannabis compliance. All today on The Future of Social Equity and Interstate Commerce with Mark Slaugh, DEI Committee on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice.

Emerging Markets and Data Compliance with Chad Bronstein of Fyllo today on NCIA's Cannabis Industry Voice with Bethany Moore only on Cannabis Radio. Chad Bronstein is the founder of Fyllo and brings expertise gained during a career leading the sales and marketing teams of some of the largest businesses in advertising, media, and technology. His experience leading large-scale acquisitions, venture fundraising, strategic partnerships, and corporate exits has resulted in the scaling of several startups into national leaders. Under Chad’s leadership, Fyllo has revolutionized marketing technology for highly regulated industries, allowing the most ambitious cannabis, CBD, and consumer brands to overcome the complexities of compliance at scale.

Mr. Black is an accomplished and results-driven analytical chemist, Material Scientist, and Quality Manager/Engineer. With over 35 years of experience practicing quality engineering and management, working in manufacturing, R&D, working as a food safety scientist and Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI), practicing as a cGMP consultant in Cannabis, and Quality/Process Consultant for the sports equipment PPE industry. 

He is the Principal Consultant for CK Black Group providing GMP services to the cannabis and food industries, Sports Equipment PPE regulations/quality systems, and auditing services.

Mr. Black is currently the Chairman of ASTM D37.06, the Personnel Training, Assessment, Credentialing in Cannabis subcommittee. Throughout his 19 years of experience working with ASTM, Mr. Black has been the technical contact and principal author of 9 ASTM standards

Justin M. Brandt is Founding Partner at Bianchi & Brandt. He blends nearly a decade of business litigation experience with business-development savvy, setting the course for Bianchi & Brandt’s top-down, holistic support of licensed cannabis operators. In addition to overseeing the firm’s litigation practice and daily operations, he excels in proactive risk management and business transaction strategy. 

He has been named Top 40 Under 40 Rising Stars by Marijuana Venture and Top 40 Under 40 by the Phoenix Business Journal, receiving notable recognition as a cannabis attorney and business leader.

Bianchi & Brandt was founded in 2019 and is a full-service Arizona-based law firm specializing in the burgeoning cannabis and psychedelic industries. Partners Laura Bianchi and Justin Brandt have a combined 24 years of experience balancing the irregularities of state versus federal legalities largely unknown to other attorneys. 

The firm has served as a strategic partner to more than 500 clients to date and not only assists with legal matters but is also an expert at risk management, compliance, M&A, expansion, real estate, and human resources issues that present unique challenges in highly regulated industries.

Isaac Bock has served as a member management/ executive team of AlphaRoot for the last 2+ years. Prior to helping spin AlphaRoot, Isaac was a leading member of the Customer Success (renewal/client advisory) team of Founder Shield, which is the company AlphaRoot was initially founded. He brings 6+ years of cannabis-specific experience and 8 years of client advisory work. 

Isaac earned his Master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland and graduated with Honors from the University of Pennsylvania. He holds his Associate in Risk Management (ARM) credential, which he earned during his first year as a professional. 

We get into what’s happening at the state level, starting with New York, which has seen criticism for its slow roll-out of adult-use licenses. With that, there’s some frustration around that. We talk about what Isaac sees as an important thing for new dispensary license holders to understand and keep in mind as they launch in New York. 

Melinda Yoo designs innovative, profitable, and award-winning cannabis retail dispensaries across North America. Her work is inspiring, her clients are notable and her vision for the cannabis industry is unparalleled. She leads her team thoughtfully through the creative and technical processes of creating unique retail experiences that are both jaw-dropping and profitable. 

After over a decade at a traditional, residential interior design firm in Chicago, Melinda followed her curiosity to retail interior design and merchandising. She quickly fell in love with dispensary design and all the quirks and challenges that go with it. 

Since then, she has grown and led Sungrown Studio and received press recognition for her magazine-worthy retail environments and thought leadership. Sungrown Studio was named Dispensary Design Master 2022 by mg Magazine. Melinda continues to design amazing retail stores that reflect her client's values and brands. 

On this Cannabis Minority Report with Mike Lomuto: Chris Jackson, NCIA Board of Directors Vice Chair. Each week on the show, we highlight the journeys, successes, and challenges of Global Majority (aka Minority) leaders in our industry. Mike interviews a leader who has had to navigate innovatively and who believes in the potential that cannabis brings to the reshaping of our nation and communities. We also provide our take on select news stories, in particular how these stories impact diverse communities. On this episode, Mike and Chris dive deep on the latest efforts to bring equity to Main Street Cannabis coast-to-coast. They highlight some of the successes in Chris's home state of Michigan while discussing ways that policy efforts have historically fallen short. Chris witnessed how cannabis prohibition directly impacted urban America and is dedicated to reversing the negative damage caused.

He is a member of various state and local boards that contribute to economic power and initiatives to drive diversity and inclusion. Aside from serving as Vice Chair for the Board of Directors, Chris serves on the State Regulations Committee for the National Cannabis Industry Association and co-chairs its Diversity and Inclusion sub-committee. His knowledge spans the complex intertwining of governmental and business cannabis issues, while also remaining at the forefront of the pressing interstate commerce issues in cannabis. Chris serves in a number of capacities within organizations that have a direct impact on small businesses and the inclusion of people of color economically including: Cannabis Regulatory Agency – Michigan (DEI Workgroup, Racial Task Force Workgroup), Small Business Association of Michigan (Leadership Council, Legislative Workgroup), AQUME Foundation (Board Chair), Main Street Pontiac (Past President). We record live every Monday, on NCIA's LinkedIn Live, at 10am PT / 1PM ET. So be sure to tune in, as well as to subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.

Chris Chiari is a driven entrepreneur and award-winning film producer with a wealth of experience in corporate strategy and regional politics. Skilled in marketing and messaging, he has engaged exclusively with the cannabis industry since 2011 and is a tireless advocate for cannabis policy reform and fostering industry growth. 

Chris is a former Deputy Director of Colorado NORML, serving for over eight years. When not working on The 420 Hotels portfolio, Chris likes to stay involved with grassroots advocacy and advancing social reform

Chris owns and operates Denver’s historic Patterson Inn, the keystone of The 420 Hotels portfolio. As CEO, he uses his expertise in hospitality, operations, and community outreach to address the stigmas and ignorance that still exist around cannabis use while creating a unique and upscale environment for cannabis consumption. The 420 Hotels aims to be amongst the nation’s first hotel chains where guests will be able to consume cannabis onsite in legally licensed lounges.