Chair: Dr. Sherry Boodram, CEO & Co-Founder, CannDelta

Niel Marotta, President & CEO, Director, Co-Founder, Indiva

      Curbing the illicit market and protecting public health were two of the three objectives offered up in support of cannabis legalization. Three and a half years later, the cannabis market has seen consumers purchasing cannabis in all formats from flower, pre-rolls and vapes, to gummies, chocolates and beverages, creating a $4 billion industry in Canada.
      Despite the industry growth and innovation, since legalization the THC limits on edibles have remained capped at 10 mg per package. The unintended consequence of this is that two-thirds of edible customers are going back to the illicit market for unsafe and improperly dosed products. 
      What do we need to do to get 100 mg of THC in a single package? Join Niel Marotta, President and CEO of Indiva and Co-Chair of the Edibles Caucus, as he explores what Indiva is doing to drive regulatory change in the edibles category.

Moderator: David George-Cosh, Business Reporter, BNN Bloomberg

Shane MacGuill, Global Lead Nicotine & Cannabis, Euromonitor International

Deepak Anand, Founder, Materia

Terry Booth, CEO, AUDACIOUS

Allen Benjamin, Managing Director & National Team Lead, Cannabis & Emerging  Industries, BMO Bank of Montreal

Cannabis is now a global commodity. International cannabis market estimates vary widely – ‘USD 16.25 billion in 2021’; ‘US$37.4 in 2021’. Despite the broad projections, one fact is certain: the industry is growing quickly. In this international cannabis markets review, hear from experts – with experience and data – on how the cannabis market is growing and where the next opportunities are for business.

• Canadian context: what are the latest stats for Canada’s cannabis industry (riding a bull or fighting a bear)?
• International forecasts for the growing, investing, and where are the opportunities
• Risks, threats, and obstacles – what are the key challenges for Canadian businesses and in the cannabis industry in general?
• Global cannabis trends, new markets and the competitive landscape for 2022-2023

Jason Lewis, SVP Business Development, RDT Rapid Dose Therapeutics

• How rapid delivery works
• What are the potential applications for patients and consumers, and what are the current roadblocks?
• What is the business potential, and how is this being realized now?
• What is next for rapid delivery cannabis (and what’s next for old slow cannabis)?

Dr. Jenna Valleriani, Founder, Valleriani Consulting

The cannabis industry started as a grassroots movement, and as the cannabis industry continues to evolve and mature, there is increasing desire for businesses to focus on their social impact. This includes reinvesting in communities, righting historical wrongs of cannabis prohibition, and promoting responsible use in ways that educate, inform, and promote safe consumption of cannabis.

• The evolution away from traditional "CSR" to more integrated and business wide social impact initiatives
• How does robust social impact work help cannabis consumers and companies?
• Best practices for collaboration with non-profit and the charity sector, and the importance of being a flexible private sector partner
• How current regulations can provide varying challenges unique to the cannabis sector in their engagement with meaningful social impact work

Omar Khan, SVP Corporate & Public Affairs, High Tide

Marc Kealey, Chief Advocate, Kealey & Associates

Jacqueline Menezes, Advocacy Consultant, Cannabis Council of Canada and Principal, 7^th Wave Consulting

David Hyde, CEO, Hyde Advisory & Investment Inc.

Dr. Cornelius Maurer, Co-Founder & Board Member, DEMECAN

The time has come for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to establish an Industry Panel that includes members of industry and policymakers responsible to oversee the industry’s economic development needs and to address the challenges within the sector. 

• Canadian government's perspective on the economic importance of a Canadian cannabis industry
• Assessing the economic impact of business insolvency within the sector, plus the threats, triggers and how to avoid them
• Sharing authority with Health Canada – what responsibilities should shift, why, and what it will take to achieve
• The consequences if the Canadian cannabis industry if it is not bolstered and supported

Nico Hache, President, Root to Shoot Solutions

Jawad Skieneh, Master Grower, Greenway Greenhouse Cannabis Corp.

Shauna Levy, Founder & CEO, Madge & Mercer

Jordan Rodness, VP Commercial & Product Strategy, Emblem Cannabis, Aleafia Health, Sunday Market

Brianne Tolp, Account Executive, Futurola

The cannabis industry is adjusting to the hard realities of the actual supply Canadian consumers and patients demand for legally produced cannabis. In this session, panelists with a broad spectrum of industry expertise and perspectives will review current realities and offer potential solutions on:

• Why is 75% of cannabis produced not sold? 
• Why is industry accepting of a higher rate of failure compared to like industries? 
• What are the critical data needed to make strategic business decisions, increase yields, improve quality and profitability while meeting actual demand?
• Plus, updates on standardization, automation, technology, predictive growing, KPIs, benchmarking and metrics

Jay Virdi, Chief Sales Officer, Cannabis Practice, HUB International

Emerging businesses commonly focus investment on R&D, operations and sales, while neglecting workplace safety and adequate insurance coverage, despite the risk of catastrophic claims severely impacting their bottom line and possible future viability. 

• Current and emerging trends in the cannabis industry – and how it will impact your company’s risk profile
• Top overlooked risks facing cannabis companies and common mistakes that cannabis companies make when it comes to worker safety
• Factors to consider when developing a risk management plan for your organization
• Essential insurance coverages to keep your business protected as the industry evolves

Allison Gutkowski, Director Global Research, HCD Research         

New functional wellness products containing cannabinoids will continue to enter the market at a greater rate than recreational products – by far. But what should they be? What are they going to address? And how to do get consumers to buy them?

• What are the top drivers for use with both current users and non-users?
• What is the largest unmet need in the functional wellness space?
• How can companies develop product pipelines and innovation through behaviorally driven designs?
• What consumer insights are typically overlooked – that could make or break a brand?

Ivan Ross Vrana, Executive Director, Global Cannabis Partnership

John Prentice, Founder & CEO, PINNRZ

Shannon Torres, CEO, TorrCann Craft Cannabis

Alex Pasternack, EVP & CRO, Binske

Is the future for Canadian cannabis specialty brands and brand development? Craft and premium brands are among consumers’ top favourites. But what is the business case as it relates to growth for micro-producers, and what are the best practices to scale production of craft and premium brands? Learn in this session:

•  What constitutes a craft brand or a premium cannabis product? Marketing? Product reviews?
• The business case for craft and premium brands, and when does craft/premium cease to be ‘craft’ or ‘premium’? What is the oversaturation point?
• Organizational best practices: what are the approaches, processes and timelines to become a great craft or premium brand producer?
• Business solutions, IT, SOPs: how operational considerations and requirements differ for micro-producers

Diane Scott, Chair & CEO, JMCC Group

Canada established a strong leadership position in the cannabis industry over two decades ago when it declared access to medical cannabis a constitutional right, and again in 2013, when it legalized production of medical cannabis -- creating a world-leading infrastructure for growing, processing, and distribution. Today, after the “rush to recreational”, can we still say we’re a leader? There are several reasons why we might not be considered so, as Diane Scott, Chair & CEO of JMCC Group relates in this brief session. But there are also actions Canada’s government and industry can take to reclaim that position, she explains.

George Smitherman, CEO, Cannabis Council of Canada

Trina Fraser, Partner, Brazeau Seller

Canada’s cannabis legislation (Bill C 45) is set to be reviewed, more than 3 years after legalization.  This is a critical time to review the performance of the Legislation against the public health and safety priorities that motivated legalization and a hoped for re- shaping of the regulatory and taxation model to reflect the operational and fiscal realities of the Cannabis sector. 

• Statutory review structure and process - key officials, departments and agencies involved, and how industry can engage to maximum effect
• Key signals on Health Canada's proposed scope for the Review? What about Excise Tax and stamp regime
• Provincial-Municipal and Distributor cooperation  – are all levels of government and related authorities coordinating within the review? Opportunities for alignment?
• Practical timelines: What can we expect for regulatory and legislative change following the review?

Nick Kuzyk, Principal & Owner, Meadowbank Strategic Partners Inc.

Bethany Gomez, CEO, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Brightfield Group

Adam Temple, CEO/CTO, Evolved Extraction Solutions

Adam Taylor, President, Export Action Global

The primary focus of competition in the cannabis industry was for too long on competing for investors, rather than businesses establishing a long-term competitive strategy to meet consumer demand and beat their market competitors. In this session, established business experts will share their views on winning competitive strategies in the cannabis sector.

• Price & profit: techniques to mitigate downward price pressures
• Collaborations & partnerships: how cooperation within the Canadian market can be a bulwark against international competition
• How to create a competitive strategy that is the right fit, how to implement, and how to measure progress and results
• What can government do to boost Canadian competitiveness, i.e. reduce high taxation