canxpo

SOUTHAMPTON NY | AUG 1, 2024

Home        Register        Press        Join

REGISTER
CanXpo 2022 Offered Professional Networking and Diversity in the Cannabis Space

CanXpo 2022 Offered Professional Networking and Diversity in the Cannabis Space

Sep 2, 2022 | News

Source: CanXpo | August 30, 2022

Thank you all for joining us at the 2022 Hampton Cannabis Expo!

We had another incredible season in East Hampton with many returning and new partners, fantastic speakers, and unique activations that made this year’s event a standout. Attendees and exhibitors alike have been praising CanXpo’s focus on professional networking, attention to diversity in the cannabis space, and range of experiences offered to those who came through our doors.

Smile! Were you caught on CanXpo Camera? Check out our photo gallery from the event for pictures of speakers, exhibitors and attendees.

Just as we can’t talk about the program without thanking our beautiful venue The Clubhouse, located in East Hampton, we can’t discuss the impact of the event without praising Chenae Bullock of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, who kicked things off with a traditional land acknowledgement. As the Managing Director of Little Beach Harvest, the Shinnecock’s first cannabis wellness company, Chenae is a community leader helping pioneer Indigenous rights within the growing industry. Her ceremony served as a powerful opener to CanXpo, and an emotional reminder to all that we need to remember the original inhabitants of this region as we build a new legacy, symbolized when Chenae handed the sacred plant offering to our founder Gary Bierfriend from the stage.

The land acknowledgment also honored the Shinnecock’s union with TILT Holdings in developing Little Beach Harvest, which will be a first-of-its-kind cannabis-based economic generator for the Indigenous community and Long Island. Everyone who witnessed Chenae’s masterful ceremony named it as the most emotional moment of the entire event.

New York’s Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright delivered a dynamic keynote address and breaking news about the state’s regulated market. We were privileged to have Chair Wright not only as our breakout speaker, but also a dedicated public official who gives her all toward understanding the communities she’s serving. As many of you know, the portals for the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses just opened, portending a great future for New York’s businesses. This was a subject of intense interest, prompting lengthy discussions. Chair Wright stayed at CanXpo throughout the entire day, answering questions and engaging with attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. From her thoughts on opportunities in hemp to the possibilities of a truly inclusive industry, her passion cannot be denied.

Our sponsors went above and beyond in their commitment to making CanXpo unforgettable this season. An immense thank you to our Gold Sponsors Advanced Flower Capital, GreenWave Advisors, TILT Holdings (in partnership with the Shinnecock Indian Nation and Little Beach Harvest), The Arcview Group and InterInsurance for your enthusiastic support. Special shout-outs to Leonard M. Tannenbaum, founder and CEO of Advanced Flower Capital, and Gary Santo, CEO of TILT Holdings, for helping create spectacular educational and inspirational experiences.

“The Hampton expo was a great insight into the New York and New Jersey markets,” said Len Tannenbaum, Founder and CEO of Advanced Flower Capital (AFCgamma.com), “[in] which New Jersey is already exciting and New York, as the second largest market, is the one to watch.”

Major kudos go to our talented emcee Cedric Haynes, Associate Vice President of Government Relations at Weedmaps, who kept everything flowing with the proper soul and energy. We deeply appreciated the welcome presence of the Weedmaps team around the entire event.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights of our speaker lineup and program:

  • A Fireside Chat on Lending and the Cannabis Landscape took place between Leonard M. Tannenbaum of Advanced Flower Capital, and Matt Karnes of GreenWave Advisors. As the nation gets closer to passing the SAFE Banking Act, how will that impact cannabis businesses? Will creditors be encouraged to do business with our industry? Time will tell. AFCgamma.com is the top institutional lender for collateralized lending to the strongest operators.
  • The Insurance panel sponsored by InterInsurance saw Jodi Green, Esq. of Miller Nash Law, John Fleming of Triton Claims Management and Frank Galvin, CEO of White Eagle Holdings Inc. explain how cannabis businesses can benefit from insurance. From building insurance for facilities to health insurance plans for developing workforces, this is a whole area of ancillary service to cannabis that is rapidly opening as the industry matures and challenges evolve.
  • Investment guru Jeff Finkle, CEO of The Arcview Group, emceed the Investment panel, a chat with Howard Goodwin, co-founder of Intrinsic Capital Partners, and Jack Mascone, Head of Capital Markets at Seaport Global. These pioneers brought their decades of experience in finance to the table in this once-in-a-lifetime gathering, exploring the recent and sometimes volatile trends of investment into the cannabis industry.
  • Gary Santo of TILT Holdings and Chenae Bullock reunited for a Fireside Chat onstage with Her Highness co-founder Laura Eisman, and Women Grow’s Tristate Market Leader Tanya Osbourne. The quartet had an engaging conversation on women and minority leadership in the industry, and how to support emerging entrepreneurs in social equity categories.
  • At the Mergers, Acquisitions and Debt panel, our experts analyzed the results of a year that’s seen more expansive and expensive mergers in the industry than ever before. David Feldman, Esq., co-founder and CEO of Skip Intro Advisors; Neal Kaufman, Managing Director of Kaufman McGowan PLLC; and Joe Camberato, CEO of National Business Capital, discussed their predictions for the next phase of the cannabis space as more states go legal. It also highlighted the recent trend towards industry consolidation and debt given the diminished growth equity available.
  • Matt Karnes also stayed around for the Accounting panel, joining John Pelliterri of Grassi Advisors CPA, Elena Mervine of CohnReznick, and Jill Scher of Marcum CPA. These expert accountants examined the new opportunities and challenges facing CPAs as the cannabis landscape gets more complex.
  • The Advocacy and Government Relations panel, emceed by industry icon Jeanne M. Sullivan of Arcview Ventures, brought new dimensions to the questions of legacy operators, social equity, and equal representation in the legal transition. Scheril Murray Powell, Chief Investment Officer of the JustUs Foundation; Lou Magazzu, Esq., Founding Principal of The Law Offices of Louis N. Magazzu, Esq.; and Matt Leonardo, Esq., Principal of Hinman Straub, each shared their expertise in working to expand pathways for legacy and marginalized communities in the tristate area.
  • Courtney Barnes of Skip Intro Advisors delivered CanXpo’s inaugural psychedelics presentation to wild acclaim. A lead drafter of the nation’s first voter-initiated psilocybin policy reform ordinance, Courtney has unparalleled experience drafting local psychedelics legislation and policy reform measures. This historic talk drew enormous interest, which can only continue to grow.

Scheril Murray Powell represented the JustUs Foundation as CanXpo’s charitable organization partner. Founded by cannabis industry pioneer Steve DeAngelo, the nonprofit is dedicated to ensuring and facilitating the entry of legacy cannabis entrepreneurs into the legal market.

We were also pleased to have Ryan Verneuille, host of the nationally-syndicated radio program The Ryan Show and FOX Sports What’s Going On, present throughout the day to provide running commentary and follow-up interviews with the numerous industry leaders.

Music reigned all during the program. The sweet sounds of SALTY, the electronic tropical group featuring Lee Kalt and DJ Xandra K, gave old favorites new twists. Long Island native Mark MK, known for his collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Jim Jones, brought the fascinating rhythm. And opera singer Massimiliano Cims raised the roof with gorgeous tones designed to call everyone’s attention to the stage.

Inside the Clubhouse everyone’s culinary palate was delighted to the utmost with an infused gourmet buffet from CannaMoji Edibles, Chef For Higher, Desired Desserts LLC / Mrs. Incredible Edible, Ethereal Eats By Lee, I Can’t Believe It’s Pot Butter, Long Island Dankery, Mary Bud Chocolates, and Refined Infusions. Marijinara Pizza, Good Fucking Wine, Viaquavit and Ghost Tequila capped off the evening. Nothing cannabis enthusiasts love more than a good meal!

Again, we absolutely could not have made any of this possible without our generous sponsors. Our thanks to these terrific partners.

And our final thanks? To YOU! Your presence and passion for the cannabis industry make CanXpo what it is. Please tell us how we can continue to make each season bigger, better, and special for you.

Keep an eye out for recap articles from our partners and stay tuned for updates on our next CanXpo in Palm Beach, coming Spring 2023! Until then, wishing you the best of success in these green and golden fields. Happy harvest!

Cannabis Control Board Chair Says New York’s First Adult-Use Stores Will Open by December

Cannabis Control Board Chair Says New York’s First Adult-Use Stores Will Open by December

Aug 22, 2022 | News

Source: CelebStoner | By Steve Bloom | Aug. 22, 2022

Tremaine Wright gets around. If you’ve attended cannabis events in New York over the past year you probably have seen the chair person of the state’s Cannabis Control Board speak. She headed the lineup at the Hampton Cannabis Expo in East Hampton on August 20.

Close to celebrating her first anniversary with the agency, Wright looked back at the year and made some bold predictions for the future. She said retail licenses will start being accepted on August 25 and predicted legal retail sales will begin on the state by the end of 2022.

“When you bring in the New Year, I want you to bring it in with New York cannabis,” she said to applause.

The former state Assembly person and owner of a coffee shop in Brooklyn, Wright laid out her vision for a fair and eqiutable cannabis industry in New York State. Below are excerpts from her talk.

RELATED: New York State Legalizes Marijuana

The Process

We’re working on the minutiae at this point… We want to see this industry blossom and bloom in New York State. Think about it – we’ve only been at this for 11 mionths… And so much has happened since then… Everybody said get it done fast, but we were hesitant and not sure if we were approaching it the right way. New York has had the benefit of watching and learning from other states. The Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board have been making strides. We’re trying to get dispensaries open in New York State by the end of the year.

“There are so many different ways to define the harm that the cannabis prohibition did to our state.”

Medical Update

We’ve expanded access to the state’s medical program. We’re offering flower, we’ve lowered the cost for access and we’ve enabled practitoners to make decisions on which patients should be using medical marijuana products.

Hemp Update

We officially launched our cannabis hemp program. We’ve already issued about 3,500 CBD retail licenses. It’s $250 for a license. It is a registration, not even a license. I expect the number to grow exponentially. Go online to get your CBD registration. We need to see that part of the industry flourish.

We’re using this to restore our farmers across this state. These farmers are committed and dedicated to growing a trememdous product. I had a chance to smell the flowers recently and they were smelling good. They’re using sustainable practices. They’re commited to creating jobs in their communities…. Over 200 of our farmers, mostly family businesses, have licenses to grow cannabis in this state. Their harvest is coming in. They’re producing the products that are going to our newly licensed processors. On August 15, we issued the first 15 processing licenses to existing hemp processors – so they can help us get the raw materials into a form that’s ready to go onto the shelves for our conditional retail dispenary licensees. That’s coming down the pipeline. We expect them to do everything from edibles to tinctures and vape cartridges as well as a host of other products we know consumers will be looking for.

“We don’t want to see the predatory actions we’ve seen in some other places.”

Equity and Inclusion Update

We’re happy to learn from the mistakes – better yet, attempts – by other states to shape our program. That’s why we ended up with a 50% benchmark for all types of licenses. Social equity applicants are women, minorities, service disabled veterans and also applicants who come from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the enforcement of marijuana prohibition….

This is a moment of opportunity. There are no limits on the number of licenses. The only limitation is your ingenuity and your creativity. Get your ideas together. We need you to come forth with your ideas in the request for the license so that you can help us grow this industry. That is going to get us to our 50%. You don’t have to have an equity partner to get your license. You have to have a good idea. You’ve got to have the will to make that idea come to fruition. That’s what we want to see in New York State. We don’t want to see the predatory actions we’ve seen in some other places. We don’t want people to think they have to bring somebody along. You have to come together and creeate an industry in New York State that’s going to wow the rest of the nation. We need you to set the example. Everybody is watching New York State. Everybody wants to see what we’re going to produce next.

Communities have been harmed. You can define the harm in health care, investment, crime and arrests. There are so many different ways to define the harm that the cannabis prohibition did to our state. We’e taking our steps and those of you in this room are helping us build an economic engine. That’s going to be part of the repair. Those revenue dollars will be reinvested through our advisory committee and through our community reinverstment plan, so that they can support inititiatives across the state in terms of education and research as well as community-led events and projects.

“When you bring in the New Year, I want everybody to bring it in with a little New York cannabis.”

The Hampton Cannabis Expo took place at The Clubhouse in East Hampton, NY. (Photo by Sam C. Long for Honeysuckle)

 

 

The Application Window

We’re opening the applications for our retail dispensaries on August 25. Thias is going to link the supply chain together so that we actiually have cannabis operations in New York State before the end of the year. Our retail license fees will be supported by the $200 million loan fund that Gov. Hochul introduced in her budget plan and passed in this year’s budget. That’s going to support hopefully 150-200 retail operations across this state. The first ones to open will be licensees who come from the community, people that have been convicted for marijuana offenses during the prohibition. These are also people who have operated successful businesses and have already committed themselves to community. These are people who come with a skill set to operate successful businesses and are going to be model citizens and model businesses for everyone else in the pipeline. These folks are going to help us get cannabis off the ground. So, when you bring in the New Year, I want everybody to bring it in with a little New York cannabis. That’s what we’re aiming for.

“We want to see this industy blossom annd bloom in New York State.”

In Summary…

We have a lot to do. We’ll be rolling out regulations throughout the rest of this year. We hope to have the complete package before the end of this year, so that when we open up in 2023 we’re ready to go straight to applications and opening businesses. We don’t want people to be discouraged, we want you to stay connected with us.

Go on our website – cannabis.ny.gov – and take a look at our proposed regulations. You are the practitioners, entrepreneurs and innovators. You can see the things that we miss. You have the insight to know how these things are going to operate and we need to hear from you. Your comments are important. They’re incorporated, they are necessary. We definitely want an industry that’s going to be thriving and I want all of you to be a part of it. We also want you to help us shape it. The last thing we want is to be making changes in year two or three. We want to get it right out the gate. We think we’re on the right track. We need you to help us stay the course.

Hundreds Expected at Annual Hampton Cannabis Expo

Hundreds Expected at Annual Hampton Cannabis Expo

Aug 19, 2022 | News

Source: Newsday | By Sarina Trangle | Aug. 19, 2022

The annual Hampton Cannabis Expo is expected to draw a crowd this weekend, in part because Long Islanders can see a state-sanctioned path for getting the recreational industry off the ground by 2023.

Now in its fifth year, the Hampton Cannabis Expo will draw entrepreneurs and investors interested in the marijuana industry, said Neil Kaufman, whose Hauppauge law firm handles corporate cannabis transactions across the nation and is one of the event’s sponsors.

The expo attracted more than 600 people last year, but organizers are planning for a bigger crowd now that COVID-19 is less of a health threat for big gatherings and the state has started rolling out a framework for licensing recreational marijuana firms, Kaufman said.

“We’re expecting attendance to be through the roof. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were over 1,000 people there,” Kaufman said. “This is an ideal time and place to gather together a huge portion of the industry — and people that hope to be in the industry — to try to accelerate the development of the cannabis industry in New York State, and on Long Island in particular.”

Regulators have granted 10 “conditional” or temporary cultivation licenses to farmers based on Long Island, according to the Office of Cannabis Management, which creates policies for medical and recreational marijuana.

So far, 15 firms across the state have been granted conditional processing licenses that will allow them to transform the crop into edibles, tinctures and other products, OCM said. The office will soon issue credentials to firms that pick up samples of cannabis for testing and for labs that analyze products created for recreational consumers, OCM said.

Next Thursday, Aug. 25, the state plans to open applications for conditional retail licenses online, at https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov. The first batch of recreational credentials will be reserved for New York business owners who were charged with a cannabis-related offense, or who had relatives charged with such an offense. Nonprofits focused on workforce development may also be eligible.

The East Hampton expo event will run from 1 to 8 p.m. this Saturday and include panels on lending, accounting, insurance and investment. Tremaine Wright, chair of the state board that approves cannabis policy, will give the keynote address, said Gary Bierfriend, a lawyer and businessman who runs the expo. The Shinnecock Nation will discuss plans for its forthcoming dispensary, Little Beach Harvest, in Southampton.