Wednesday, October 17, 2018

11 AM - 11:45 - Herscher Hall - Guerin B

The California Cannabis Industry: Year One of Legalization - From LA to Sacramento - The Rules & Regulations - The Supply Chain and Demand Curve and how it Serves the Consumer

Bruce Margolin, Director, Los Angeles Chapter, NORML, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Amanda Ostrowitz, Esq., Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CannaRegs

Dennis O’Malley, President, Caliva

Lori Glauser, Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer, and Director, EVIO Labs

Peter Gigante, Head of Policy Research, Eaze

Jocelyn Kane, Legislative Director, CVCAN Coachella Valley Cannabis Alliance Network, Moderator

Dennis O’Malley, President, Caliva: Dennis leads all go to market strategy, including product development and management, wholesale and retail sales, as well as all technology, marketing and customer support initiatives.  Most recently he was Co-Founder and CEO of ReadyPulse, the leader in social influencer marketing, working with clients like Nike, Red Bull, GoPro, Adidas, The North Face. ReadyPulse was acquired by Experticity in 2016 for a 10x revenue multiple. Caliva is the #1 ranked retail dispensary in the nation and the leading consumer brand in cannabis, providing products that are grown, tested and sold in house as well as a variety of products from vetted and trusted

partner brands that cater to all customers’ needs. All cannabis Caliva grows and sells has been vigorously tested to verify potency and purity. Caliva guarantees no harsh additives or contaminants, providing customers with the cleanest cannabis experience from the best dispensary. Caliva is a holistic company in the digital age.  From seed to sale, our garden, lab, and dispensary are enhanced with best in class technology, testing and automation to provide the best possible products and experiences. We pride ourselves on being the cannabis authority in California. Whether in-store or online, our dispensary staff is available to answer your questions, ease your concerns, and help educate you to make the best decisions to enhance your wellness.

Amanda Ostrowitz, Esq., CEO & Founder, CannaRegs: Amanda Ostrowitz is a regulatory attorney and entrepreneur specializing in Cannabis regulations and banking law. Prior to conceiving, developing and founding CannaRegs, Amanda worked as a bank examiner in the Denver branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Amanda is an east coast native who moved to Colorado in 2004 to attend Colorado College where she earned a B.A. in Economics. Amanda received her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2013. Amanda serves as Chief Executive Officer and Founder of CannaRegs.

Peter Gigante is Head of Policy Research at Eaze, a technology platform that connects adult consumers with local licensed retailers for on-demand delivery of legal cannabis products. Eaze innovative software solutions give local cannabis businesses the tools they need to build a legal and sustainable industry, while Eaze’s robust compliance team helps retail and brand partners ensure every product and sale meets local and state regulations. As head of policy research, Peter leads research initiatives that inform public policy stakeholders on an array of topics including economics, social impact, and public health. The Eaze insights quarterly publications address current topics in the ever-changing cannabis industry and regulatory landscape.  Recent insights reports address topics like trends in social openness in light of adult-use legalization and consumer sensitivity and response to cannabis taxation.  Prior to Eaze, Peter spent five years leading the public policy research team at Lyft, which sparked his interest in disruptive startup technology and data-driven public policy.

Lori Glauser: Co-Founder, Chief Operations Officer, and Director, EVIO Labs: Lori Glauser is responsible for the strategic growth and day to day operations of EVIO Labs. Along with CEO Will Waldrop, Signal Bay and EVIO Labs grew from a startup advisory firm in 2014 to 5 labs during the first two years of operation and are on track to open 18 labs by the end of 2018. Lori also leads the Advisory Services division which has provided services for dozens of startup companies that are now licensed to operate in the cannabis industry. Lori is also the founding chair of Women Grow – Las Vegas, served on FOCUS standards committee, co-author of Medical Marijuana Desk Reference, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Lori founded Signal Bay and EVIO Labs on a foundation of 25 years’ experience in engineering, management consulting, and startups. Her expertise lies in business planning and operations, business process design, financial forecasting, risk, customer experience, and regulatory and policy. Previously, Ms. Glauser was a management consultant focusing on the energy industry with leading firms including Ernst & Young, IBM, Financial Times Group, and SNL Financial. She also launched two bay-area tech startups. Lori has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire and an MBA from University of Alabama.

Bruce M. Margolin — Leading California Criminal Defense Attorney: His firm, The Law Offices of Bruce M. Margolin, Esq., began in 1967. Initially, Margolin dedicated his practice constitutional law by helping individuals fight marijuana charges, which were quite serious at the time, even for minor offenses. He supports the legalization of marijuana and is actively involved in the fight for legislative reform regarding marijuana laws. He continues to participate in organizations that work toward progression of drug laws. Over the years, Margolin’s practice continued to expand to what it is now — a highly effective and successful defense firm offering a comprehensive list of criminal defense services. He handles all criminal cases, including drug charges, DUI/DWI, murder, other violent crimes, sex crimes, theft offenses and Internet crimes. From marijuana to murder, Bruce M. Margolin is a criminal defense attorney well known for his ability to successfully defend people charged with all criminal offenses. Mr. Margolin has served as Chairman for the Ethics Committee for the N.A.C.D.L. (National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers). He was awarded the certificate of appreciation form the A.C.L.U. (American Civil Liberties Union) as well as received honors for his work on behalf of the Constitution rights Foundation. Since 1973 he has been Director of Los Angeles National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana (LA NORML), and was also an advisor for Proposition 215 (Californians For Compassionate Use) and served as legal counsel for The California Hem Initiative.   As a candidate for Governor of California in 2003, and US Congress in 2012 he has helped establish the credibility of Marijuana legalization policies.

Jocelyn Kane is the former Executive Director of San Francisco's Entertainment Commission, and was charged with ensuring the health and vitality of indoor and outdoor entertainment venues and outdoor events in San Francisco. She also served on San Francisco’s Cannabis Legalization Task Force to bring fair and sensible policy to cannabis regulations. Jocelyn is now working as a consultant to the Cannabis Industry through her company, 24 Palm Trees LLC, assisting companies in every part of the supply chain with understanding California’s rules on compliance, licensing, and permits on both the local and state level.  Located in Palm Springs, she also serves as the Legislative Director of the Coachella Valley Cannabis Alliance Network (CVCAN), the Valley’s only Cannabis trade association.