News & Events

attendees at the 2019 New Jersey Cannabis Career Fair

The initiative’s activities in the area of cannabis and hemp are:

  • Conducting studies on the agricultural aspects of cultivating hemp
  • Partnering with businesses to contribute to the local community
  • Developing a lab to test and study hemp grown on campus or in partnership with other farms
  • Hosting conferences and webinars on cannabis and hemp industry relevant subjects

The vision of the Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton University is to become the premier research site in New Jersey for agricultural cannabis and hemp, and to establish a platform to discuss important topics in the industry with members of the academic and business community.

 

Upcoming Events:

Stockton University’s Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative Presents Our Next Free Quarterly Cannabis Education Panel! This panel will take place on Zoom on March 7th, 2024 at 1:00pm EST/10:00am PST.

 

 

Click to register here!

 

 

Topic: This expert panel will assess the emerging opportunities in the Cannabis and Hemp tourism industry. Find out about topics like consumption lounges, tours, spa treatments, health and wellness activities, entertainment and Cannabis, cooking with Cannabis and more. 

 

 

Rob Mejia, Teaching Specialist, Cannabis Studies at Stockton University will interview esteemed panelists Christina Casile (CEO & Owner, Design 710 and Principal & Owner, CLC Design Studio), Brian Applegarth (Founder, Cannabis Travel Association), and Jon Cohn (CEO & Founder, Agri-Kind Brands).       

robmejia

Professor Rob Mejia

christine

Christina Casile

brian

Brian Applegarth

jon

Jon Cohn

Past Events:

2023 Events 

  • June 1st, 2023 (Zoom) 

    Topic - Examining the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy’s recent New Jersey cannabis poll.

    Free Quarterly Cannabis Education Panel w/ the Hughes Center for Public Policy.

    Register here for the panel (recording made available after the event)

    Find out what consumers are saying about the New Jersey legal adult use cannabis market.

    • Moderator: Rob Mejia, Teaching Specialist in Cannabis Studies at Stockton University

    • Panelist: Alyssa Maurice, Research Associate at the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.

    The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University serves as a catalyst for research, analysis and innovative policy solutions on the economic, social and cultural issues facing New Jersey, and promotes the civic life of New Jersey through engagement, education and research.

  • April 26-27th, 2023: Stockton University Third Cannabis Curriculum Convening 

2022 Events 

On April 21st and 22nd Stockton's Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative was pleased to host our first Cannabis Curriculum Convening. Over 30 professors participated in the event.

  • March 15th 2022 Quarterly education panel focusing on Cannabis Hospitality and Tourism
  • March 16th 2022 Cannabis Higher Education Panel at NJ Cannabis Insider’s Spring Conference
  • April 5th was our second Cannabis Career Fair and Business Expo at Stockton University's Galloway campus
  • April 21st and 22nd, 2022 was Stockton's Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative's second Cannabis Curriculum Convening over zoom.
  • June 1st, 2022 we had another Cannabis and Hemp Research Initiative Quarterly Education Panel on Topic: Real Estate and Compliance; Start Right and Stay on the Right Track With Your Cannabis Business via Zoom.
  • September 9th, 2022 we had another Cannabis and Hemp Research Initiative Quarterly Education Panel on Topic: Analysis of Updated New Jersey Cannabis Rules and Regulations (expected rules and regulations update anticipated on or around August 19th, 2022) via Zoom.

 


Meet the Cannabis Curriculum Convening Panelists

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our esteemed panelists, both past and present - who have contributed their invaluable expertise, contributions and insights to our audience.

Rob Mejia

Rob Mejia

Moderator: The Importance of Social Justice in Cannabis Curriculum: Spotlight on Engaging with and Training a Post-Prison Population
Dr. Ekaterina Sedia

Dr. Ekaterina Sedia

Moderator: Discipline Assemblage and Summary
Marne Coit

Marne Coit

Discussing Law and Cannabis Courses Panel
Dr. Gerry Berkowitz

Dr. Gerry Berkowitz

Cannabis Education with an Undergraduate Focus Panel
Koral Fritz

Koral Fritz

Cannabis Education with an Undergraduate Focus Panel, Moderator; Discussing Cannabis Business Courses Panel, Moderator; Discussing Law and Cannabis Courses Panel
Jennifer Maden

Jennifer Maden

Moderator; Cannabis Education at the Graduate Level Panel
Dan Grodberg

Dan Grodberg

Moderator; Student Voice Panel
Thomas Olah

Thomas Olah

Discussing Medical Cannabis Courses Panel
Benjamin Southwell

Benjamin Southwell

Cannabis Education with an Undergraduate Focus Panel
John Fraser

John Fraser

Discussing Law and Cannabis Courses Panel
Lesley Judd

Lesley Judd

Discussing Cultivation Courses Panel
Samuel Haiden

Samuel Haiden

Discussing Cultivation Courses Panel
Marguerite Bolt

Marguerite Bolt

Hemp Panel 
Jason Wilson

Jason Wilson

Discussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel
Dr. Linda Klumpers

Dr. Linda Klumpers

Discussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel
Val Fiero

Val Fiero

Student Voice Panel
Thomas Crouse PharmD.

Thomas Crouse PharmD.

Discussing Medical Cannabis Courses Panel
Kelly Goldberg 

Kelly Goldberg 

Moderator; Cannabis Education in Community Colleges Panel
Matt Bruce

Matt Bruce

Panelist, Cannabis and Hemp Internships
Patricia Patton

Patricia Patton

Panelist, Cannabis and Hemp Internships
Enrique Lavin

Enrique Lavin

Panelist,  Cannabis and Hemp Internships
Dr. June Chin

Dr. June Chin

Moderator, Medical Cannabis Panel
Dr. Dave Gordon

Dr. Dave Gordon

Panelist,  Medical Cannabis
Matt Elmes

Matt Elmes

 Panelist, Medical Cannabis
Mike McQueeny

Mike McQueeny

 Moderator, Cannabis Law Panel
Jess Gonzalez 

Jess Gonzalez 

Panelist, Cannabis Law
Alejandro Rodriguez 

Alejandro Rodriguez 

Panelist, Cannabis Law
Thomas Gianfagna

Thomas Gianfagna

Panelist, Cannabis and Hemp Cultivation
Stephen Philpott Jr.

Stephen Philpott Jr.

Moderator, Cannabis Science Panel
Dr. Kyle Howard

Dr. Kyle Howard

Panelist, Cannabis Science
Jodi Schwartz

Jodi Schwartz

Panelist, Student Voice in Cannabis
Jackson Rund

Jackson Rund

Panelist, Student Voice in Cannabis
Jim Sayles

Jim Sayles

Panelist, Student Voice in Cannabis
Alexa Lawson

Alexa Lawson

Panelist, Student Voice in Cannabis
Patrick Wurzbacher 

Patrick Wurzbacher 

Panelist, Student Voice in Cannabis
Wesley McWhite III 

Wesley McWhite III 

Panelist, Working with Government and Private Business
Faye Coleman 

Faye Coleman 

Panelist, Working with Government and Private Business
Hugh Giordano

Hugh Giordano

Panelist, Working with Government and Private Business
Michael Zaytsev

Michael Zaytsev

Moderator, Cannabis Business Panel
Paul Seaborn

Paul Seaborn

Panelist, Cannabis Business
Tauhid Chappell 

Tauhid Chappell 

Panelist, Cannabis Business
Bonnie Rabin

Bonnie Rabin

Panelist, Cannabis Business
John Lipford 

John Lipford 

Panelist, Cannabis Business
Ginny Moore 

Ginny Moore 

Moderator, Hemp Curriculum Panel
Dr. Ara Karakashian

Dr. Ara Karakashian

Moderator, Cannabis in Community Colleges Panel
Natalie Cox

Natalie Cox

Panelist, Cannabis in Community Colleges
Matt DeBacco

Matt DeBacco

Panelist, Cannabis Curriculum in the University
Dr. Stephen Johnson

Dr. Stephen Johnson

Panelist, Cannabis Curriculum in the University
Jonathan Jankowski

Jonathan Jankowski

Panelist, Cannabis Curriculum in the University
Magnus Thorsson

Magnus Thorsson

Panelist, Cannabis Curriculum in the University
Laura Pontiggia

Laura Pontiggia

Panelist, Cannabis in Graduate Programs
Dr. Jacci Bainbridge

Dr. Jacci Bainbridge

Panelist, Cannabis in Graduate Programs
Connie Pascal

Connie Pascal

Panelist, Cannabis in Graduate Programs
 

Past Cannabis Curriculum Convening Panelists

Mariah Duffey

Mariah Duffey

“Using your Continuing Education and Adult Ed Depts to Launch Canna Curriculum” 
Mariah earned her Master’s in Instructional Technology in 2020 from Stockton University. She also holds a certificate in Training and Development. Her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and History is from Rider University. Mariah is currently the Assistant Director of the Office of Continuing Studies at Stockton University where her focus is on non-credit Cannabis Studies education.
Anna Schwabe

Anna Schwabe

Discussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel

Dr. Anna Schwabe is a researcher and educator with expertise in Cannabis genetics and biology and has considerable experience in a variety of scientific fields. She holds a BS, an MS and PhD from the University of Northern Colorado her doctoral research involved evaluating genotypic and phenotypic variation in Cannabis. Her research spans several disciplines, including genetics, conservation, and education. She is an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Northern Colorado, and an Associate Lecture Professor at the University of Colorado co-teaching Modern Cannabis Science with Dr. Daniela Vergara.She is currently in New Jersey working with a company growing certified organic Cannabis (CBD) using aquaponic cultivation methods. She is passionate about Cannabis science and facilitating consistency in the cannabis industry.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-schwabe-phd/

https://www.annaschwabe.com/

Susan Dupej

Susan Dupej

Opening Session: "Job Growth in the Cannabis Industry and International Cannabis Education" Panel

Dr. Susan Dupej is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Guelph in the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management. Her research investigates the social and economic impacts of federally legalized cannabis on Canada's tourism industry. Cannabis normalization, social responsibility around consumption, motivations and interests of the 'canna-tourist', the development of farmgate sales, and the opportunities for cannabis agritourism in Canada more broadly are key areas of study. Dr. Dupej is a founding member of and Interim Co-Chair for the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance (CCTA). She also teaches a variety of tourism and geography courses. 

@cannabistourismresearch 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandupej/ 

www.susandupej.com 

Jimmie Sanders

Jimmie Sanders

Cannabis Education in Community Colleges Panel

Jimmie is a tireless advocate for students - with over 18 years of higher education leadership experience and 20 years of teaching at the university level. During that time, Jimmie led programs to enhance student retention and persistence to high school graduation and to strengthen community partnerships. Furthermore, he has collaborated with other external and campus partners to provide direction for underrepresented student populations, offer guidance on campus issues relating to diversity, inclusion, multicultural affairs, as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Currently, Jimmie Sanders is the Director of Student Development for the Department of Urban Agriculture at Olive Harvey College. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Educational Outreach Programs and the Director of the Educational Talent Search Program at Purdue University Northwest. Prior to his work for Purdue Northwest's Educational Opportunity Programs/Student Affairs Office, Jimmie led Chicago State University’s Chicagoland Regional College Program, for eight years, which offered financial assistance, educational outreach, and academic support service programs for first-generation and underserved students. In addition, over the past 20 years, he has served as an adjunct professor at several institutions including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago State University, Purdue University Northwest, and Ivy Tech Community College.

Growing up, during the late 1980s, surrounded by violence, drugs, and gangs in the Miller Housing Projects of Gary, Jimmie changed the direction of his life by studying success, motivation, leadership, and graduating from Northwestern University. Jimmie was the first Black male to graduate high school from the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities at Ball State University. From there, he attended Northwestern University, where he became the President of For Members Only, the Black Student Union. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy with a specialization in Counseling Psychology. Immediately following undergrad, Jimmie attended graduate programs at the University of Illinois, where he graduated with two separate Masters Degrees in Sociology (Race, Class, and Gender) and Human Resources Management (Labor Relations).

Leah Sera

Leah Sera

Cannabis Education at the Graduate Level Panel

Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS (she/her/hers)

Program Co-Director, MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics

Associate Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science

http://www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/

Brandon Nichols

Brandon Nichols

Cannabis Education in Community Colleges Panel
 

Dr. Brandon Nichols serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Olive-Harvey College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. He describes himself as being a mission-driven, students-first educator. Nichols is a servant and transformative leader which underscores the belief in sharing power, putting the needs of others first, and helping stakeholders to develop and perform as highly as possible. Areas of expertise includes, accreditation and compliance, student learning assessment, programmatic review, and professional development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University - Washington, DC.

Amanda Gettes

Amanda Gettes

Moderator: Community College Panel

Amanda Gettes serves as the Executive Director – Strategic Initiatives at Olive-Harvey College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. As a natural connector, Amanda works with internal and external stakeholders to promote programs, grow partnerships and align work with the mission of OHC. In addition to these responsibilities, Amanda oversees the Research & Planning for the College, Marketing, Community Relations, Workforce Development and the Child Development Lab Center. Amanda has a Bachelor’s of Science from Purdue University College of Agriculture and a Master’s of Public Administration from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Akilah Easter

Akilah Easter

Community College Panel

Akilah Siti Easter serves as the Department Chair of Urban Agriculture at Olive Harvey College. She has worked with the City Colleges of Chicago for 11 years. As a tenured Assistant Professor with CCC, Akilah has assisted with the development of the Applied Cannabis Studies curriculum pathway ; authoring courses in Cannabis Sciences, Cannabis Processing, Cannabis Field Practicum, and Entering the Cannabis Industry. She continues to develop curriculum under the Urban Agriculture Department at Olive Harvey College with emerging pathways in Urban Agriculture and Community Advocacy. 


Akilah’s zeal for agriculture began in her childhood years on her family farm, which she now owns as a fourth-generation farm girl. Akilah hopes to bring the history of agriculture back to the Black community and communities of color in the urban setting. With a goal of righting the wrongs and building true equity in the urban agriculture and cannabis space. 


Akilah is also a culture and etiquette expert for over 25 years, she has shared her expertise with The New York Times, NBC networks, Parents Magazine, Fox 32, Crain’s Business and many other media outlets on various cultural topics including cannabis etiquette.

Valerie Battaglia

Valerie Battaglia

Student Voice Panel

Valerie Battaglia is an impassioned cannabis researcher and writer who is eager to begin her Ph.D. in cannabis neuropharmacology in early 2024. Currently, Valerie is pursuing her bachelor’s of Health Sciences degree at Thomas Jefferson University and works as a cannabis research consultant. In addition to being a long-time medical cannabis patient herself, her partner also works in the cannabis industry as a product specialist.

When Valerie graduated high school at just 16-years-old, she began her journey as a freelance writer the summer before starting college. While pursuing her Associate’s degrees in Liberal Arts and Journalism, Valerie began selling a variety of education CBD and cannabis articles to her clients. By her sophomore year of college, she founded a digital magazine, The Burgundy Zine, which featured a variety of art, science, and health & wellness content — including cannabis content. For three years, she regularly featured product reviews, interviews with industry experts, and covered several major cannabis events in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During this time period, she also worked for her local state representative as a Constituent Services Advisor, where she would help veterans and other constituents with state services, including applying for their medical marijuana cards in Pennsylvania.

Since her exit from The Burgundy Zine, Valerie has continued to pursue a career in the cannabis industry as a research consultant while working toward her graduate degree. During her time as a research consultant, Valerie has put together an entire Cannabis 101 that covers the ins-and-outs of the endocannabinoid system, phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and cannabis plant biology. She also currently writes educational blog content and newsletters for the publication Think About Cannabis. 
A portfolio of Valerie’s writing is available here:
https://www.burgundybug.com/portfolio/writing/

Lewis Ball

Lewis Ball

Student Voice Panel

I graduated from City Colleges of Chicago at Kennedy-King College in 2016 with an A.A. in general studies. I’m a U.S. Army veteran, and I returned to school for the Cannabis program which offers much more than I could have imagined.

Sarah Ahrens

Sarah Ahrens

Spotlight on Cannabis and Hemp Internships Panel

Sarah Ahrens is CEO of True Labs for Cannabis, among the first laboratories in New Jersey fully dedicated to cannabis testing. True Labs is the first certified woman-owned cannabis analytical laboratory on the East Coast. Sarah also serves as Chair of the Laboratory Testing Committee for the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA), advocating for best practices in the Garden State's emerging cannabis industry.

Otha Smith III

Otha Smith III

Spotlight on Cannabis and Hemp Internships Panel

Otha Smith III is CEO and Founder of Tetragram based out of Baltimore, MD. Tetragram is a mobile platform that empowers cannabis and CBD consumers with the ability to Track, Rate, and Share their personal experiences with others. Tetragram was recognized by The Cannigma as one of the Best Cannabis Journaling Apps and Otha was selected by Marijuana Venture Magazine as one of The Top 40 under 40 Rising Stars in cannabis.

Mary Buckley

Mary Buckley

Cannabis and Hemp Internships Panel

Mary Buckley is the founder of Buckley Consulting Services, LLC., a boutique consulting firm which specializes in internship program development, recruitment, event coordination and project management. In May 2021, Mary partnered with Lowell Farms, Inc. to oversee Lowell’s university outreach programs and design the inaugural summer internship program with a focus on Cultivation, Extraction, Farm Services and Finance.  Mary’s more than 20 years of higher education experience in experiential education, career services, study abroad programs, and employer relations provides her with a distinct understanding of all three viewpoints: the university, the student and the employer. This perspective allows Mary to develop, recruit and manage Lowell’s university outreach and internship programs. She draws great joy from facilitating these programs and seeing first-hand how they impact students’ lives and solidify their career direction.

Mary holds an MBA in Hospitality Administration from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI.  Mary can be reached via email at Mbuckley@buckleyconsultingservices.com or via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/marybuckley33.

Dr. Paola Cubillos

Dr. Paola Cubillos

Discussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel
Dr. Paola Cubillos is a Colombian-Canadian physician, who specializes in integrative medicine. Dr. Cubillos is a graduate of the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia and holds a postgraduate degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Canada. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Paola has worked in the research field, focusing on broadening the knowledge base in relation to medical cannabis evidence-based applications. She currently offers independent consulting services on research and medical affairs to medical cannabis producers. Dr. Cubillos is a recognized national and international lecturer on issues related to the evidence-based use of medical cannabis and the ethical implications of medical cannabis use and research. She is faculty of several medical cannabis diplomas offered in several universities and independent organizations in South America, such as Universidad del Rosario in Colombia, Universidad de Rosario in Argentina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Perú, Edcannamed in Ecuador, and CAMEDA  in Argentina. Dr. Cubillos is also part of the peer review committee of the Journal of Cannabinoid Medicine. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaolamd/details/experience/
Rebecca Colett

Rebecca Colett

Cannabis Business Panel

Rebecca is an Experienced Entrepreneur, Technology Professional, and Cannabis Advocate She is the CEO of the first African American women-owned and operated Cannabis Cultivation and Processing Brand in the midwest, Calyxeum. She also leads a Cannabis consulting firm, community-based Nonprofit, and Social Equity incubator, The Detroit Cannabis Project. Rebecca has over 7 years of experience in the Legal Medical and Adult-Use Cannabis Industry. She has worked alongside the Bureau of Cannabis Control in California, The Michigan Regulatory Agency, and the City of Detroit during the development of their Social Equity licensing programs.

She has served on the State Board of NORML, National Board for the NCIA, and licensing experience in the Los Angeles, Maryland, and Michigan Cannabis markets. Rebecca is a serial entrepreneur and has launched a successful gym franchise, a thriving technology consulting firm, and an End to End Cannabis Cannabis incubator platform. Rebecca has also been featured at countless National Cannabis Conferences and has lobbied on Capitol Hill in DC, and the State Capitols for Michigan, Georgia, California, and Maryland for Equity in Cannabis as well as Veteran Access to Medical Cannabis. Rebecca holds a B.S in Business from Florida A&M University, an MBA from Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago as well as a Masters in Supply Chain from Georgia Tech.

Cree Robinson

Cree Robinson

Cannabis Business Panel

Cree Robinson is a Detroit-based tech co-founder and social justice advocate within the cannabis industry. A graduate of Spelman College, she co-founded touCanna, a full-scale operations management software for dispensaries and consumption lounges. She is passionate about social equity and ensuring that those harmed by the war on drugs achieve ownership within the industry. She is currently investing her time into building programs around supporting social equity applicants after they have been awarded licenses.  

Kristen Yoder

Kristen Yoder

Cannabis Business Panel

Kristen Yoder, featured in Vanity Fair, Forbes, USA Today and named one of Marijuana Venture Magazine's “40 Under 40 Rising Stars of Cannabis”, is a 16 year Los Angeles industry veteran, strategic advisor, and radio and podcast personality who has managed successful businesses in every sector of the cannabis industry. 

As the cannabis industry becomes inundated with dishonest businesses and misleading information campaigns, Kristen's popularity as an outspoken and trusted authority on a variety of subjects has led her to teaching classes, speaking at events, on podcasts, in print and online media both nationally and internationally. 

When she isn't sharing her fierce wit and
sparkling personality on stage or on the air,
 she is busy creating new designs for her guerilla education campaign disguised as a “clothing brand”, Cynical Stoner.

CONTACT INFO

Website:
soiltotheoil.com

Store:
Cynicalstoner.com

Podcast:
cannabsdetector.com

Email:
Kristen@soiltotheoil.com

Linkedin:
linkedin.com/in/thatkristenyoder

Linktree:
 https://linktr.ee/Cannabsdetector

Vanessa Fishback

Vanessa Fishback

Discussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel

Dr. Vanessa Fishback is an instructor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Colorado at Denver. She specializes in Organic chemistry and started teaching Cannabis Chemistry every spring as an advanced undergraduate/graduate course in the Spring of 2017. The spring 2017 version was the first Cannabis Chemistry academic course offered in the nation.

Noah Yates

Noah Yates

Student Voice Panel

My name is Noah Yates and I'm approaching my last semester required for my Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Chemistry degree. I spent my freshman year at GVSU as a biomed major and decided to pursue cannabis chemistry after the 2018 midterms that legalized recreational use in Michigan. I spent a year at Grand Rapids Community College prior to transferring to LSSU where my passion for chemistry grew. Upon graduation, I will be working at a licensed extraction lab but hope to continue to explore the compliance aspect of this industry.

Shawnee Williams

Shawnee Williams

Cannabis Business Panel

Shawnee Williams is the co-founder at Illinois Equity Staffing, an MBE and WBE firm based in Chicago, that supports the cannabis industry in education, talent acquisition, human resources administration, and consulting. Shawnee and her business partner Lynette Johnson founded Illinois Equity Staffing because they understood the barriers to entry for lower and middle-class people, minorities, and women in the cannabis industry. Both having the “Corporate America” background, Shawnee and Lynette, understand the pain points of this population, as they both grew up in disproportionately impacted areas and are minority women. It's this perspective that has allowed Illinois Equity Staffing to bridge the gap and create a more equitable cannabis industry. Shawnee is a member of IWC, Chicago NORML, MCBA, the Cannabis Equity Coalition, and BIPOCANN. She also serves as the chair of the Human Resources Committee with the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Dr. Daniela Vergara

Dr. Daniela Vergara

Moderator; Discussing Cultivation Courses PanelDiscussing Cannabis Science Courses Panel

Dr. Daniela Vergara is an evolutionary biologist, data analyst, educator, scientific writer, and public speaker with a B.S from the Univesidad de los Andes in microbiology and Ph.D. from Indiana University in Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Minoring in Genetics. In addition to her multiple publications, she founded and directs a non-profit organization, the Agricultural Genomics Foundation (AGF; AgriculturalGenomics.org). AGF aims to make hemp and cannabinoid science available to a broad public. Vergara has been part of scientific teams at private companies including Steep Hill, Inc. who are a global leader in agricultural testing, and the biotech company Front Range Biosciences. She recently joined the Harvest New York Extension Team from Cornell University as an ‘Emerging Crop Specialist’ to help hemp farmers with their crop. Vergara is also an international consultant and policy advisor and has advised companies in the US and Latin America.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/verdaniela/

https://vergarascience.com/

Jason Thomas

Jason Thomas

"Real Estate and Compliance; Start Right and Stay on the Right Track With Your Cannabis Business" Quartely Education Panel

Jason, an established regulatory compliance professional within the Cannabis & Pharmaceutical industries, is on a mission to legitimize and standardize the US cannabis market through the deployment of safe, sustainable, best in class compliance standards and practices.  With over 22 years of regulatory audit, inspection readiness, and quality management experience, he works tirelessly to help his clients establish cannabis operations and maintain a state of 24/7 compliance across the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania markets.  Recognizing the importance, and value, derived from the quality and compliance functions within an organization, Jason often speaks at cannabis educational events and seminars to highlight the career opportunities available to young professionals entering this emerging landscape.  

Over the course of his career, Jason has traveled the world, multiple times over, auditing and consulting for pharmaceutical and cannabis companies, with a focus on safeguarding public health and establishing compliant operations.  From inspecting to facing off with the inspectors, he as been on both sides of the operational fence.   Driven by operational excellence, he strives to ensure that quality management systems and compliance programs are appropriately designed and implemented to meet state/federal regulatory requirements, industry standards, and to produce safe, quality products.  During his tenure at Pfizer, Jason has also led and acted as a key stakeholder in many transformational corporate activities including corporate merger and acquisition integrations, IT strategy design & alignment, quality management governance programs, data center consolidations, blockchain pilots, cloud strategies, and robotic process automation to name a few.  Jason has obtained his CISA and cGMP certifications to ensure that he remains on the forefront of the life science industry and holds an MBA from the Stevens Institute of Technology, as well as a BS in Computer Science from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz.   

In 2019, after pitching his business model to Pfizer’s Venture Center and CFO, Jason left the pharmaceutical world and founded Precision Quality and Compliance.  PQC is a life science advisory group focused on providing an array of GxP, ISO, and IT advisory and audit/inspection services to the cannabis industry. Recognizing the challenges, the industry is facing with the inconsistent state-to-state programs and lack of standardized quality/compliance requirements, Jason and his team are on a mission to ensure that patients and consumers are provided with safe, clean for consumption products.  Rooted in the life science industries, their team of QUALITY, COMPLIANCE, AUDIT, RISK MANAGEMENT, & IT professionals are perfectly positioned to help cannabis operators obtain a license, establish a strong state of internal control, and maintain a state of inspection readiness inspection readiness. 

Jason is also the founder of the Grassroots Collaboration Group (est. 2018), an emerging industry business incubator and mentorship resource center, designed to bring innovative and entrepreneurial minds together to grow and thrive.  Passionate about helping others bring their dreams to life, Jason built the GCG to act as a stepping stone into the technology & cannabis industries, and a resource rich ecosystem for aspiring entrepreneurs.  

Darrin Chandler

Darrin Chandler

"Real Estate and Compliance; Start Right and Stay on the Right Track With Your Cannabis Business" Quartely Education Panel
Darrin is co-founder and president of Premium Genetics, an 100% African American, family-owned and operated cannabis company based in New Jersey. Premium Genetics was recently awarded its Conditional Cultivation License from the state of New Jersey.
 
Darrin Chandler Jr. recently joined RIPCO Real Estate as the Director of Cannabis Real Estate focusing on cannabis operator representation.  Darrin is a 11-year experienced licensed New Jersey real estate agent, having started his career in residential sales working for Coldwell Banker from 2011 – 2017 and with Keller Williams from 2017 – 2022. 
 
Darrin is a former New Jersey Collegiate Division 1 Student-Athlete and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and Management from Montclair State University.