Zahra Abbas is a 35 year old Arab American Muslim activist who became politically involved through cannabis legalization after starting cannabis as a medicine for her epilepsy when nothing else worked. Doing so turned her into a political activist and currently serves as a DNC Delegate, Chair of the MDP Cannabis Caucus, Secretary of Young Democrats of Michigan, Secretary of Michigan NORML and Vice President of Motor City NORML. She is also a volunteer and speaker with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan and the project coordinator for Dearborn PIPERS and hopes to go back to college for a degree in public health and policy.

Eric Anderson is a field crops educator with Michigan State University located in the southwest region of the state. Although the majority of his time is devoted to supporting traditional row crop production in southwest and south central Michigan, he has been learning about hemp and supporting the developing hemp industry since 2019 with statewide outreach and applied research.

Rachel Berry is the Director of Regional Leaders for the U.S. Hemp Building Association and the Founder and CEO of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association.

She is a first-generation regenerative farmer raising poultry, growing heirloom vegetables, native medicinal plants, and industrial hemp with her family on their 13 acre farm. As a community organizer and dedicated volunteer, she works to educate farmers, business owners, law makers, and families about the potential of hemp as a “community crop”. She is also experienced in hemp-lime construction.

Illinois Hemp Growers Association

Marguerite Bolt is the Hemp Extension Specialist at Purdue University in the Department of Agronomy. Marguerite received her M.S. in Entomology from Purdue University, and her B.S in Entomology from Michigan State University. Her research has focused on hemp-insect interactions and plant chemistry. She is interested in the secondary compounds that hemp produces and how they affect insect pests, although she has had to shift her focus to agronomic production questions surrounding hemp. Her position is new to Indiana and she is serving as a catalyst to link growers to production facilities and the research community through online resources, field days, and workshops.

Andrew was appointed by Governor Whitmer to lead Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) in April 2019. The CRA oversees the medical and adult-use marijuana industries, regulates hemp-derived products, and runs the state’s medical marijuana registry card program. CRA’s mission is to establish Michigan as the national model for a regulatory program that stimulates business growth while preserving safe consumer access to cannabis. Andrew has worked in licensing and regulation with the State of Michigan since 2004, including with the Michigan Gaming Control Board, Department of State, and occupational and health professional licensing.

Andrew is also active in the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), a national organization of more than 40 US state and territorial regulatory agencies that provides policy makers and regulatory agencies with the resources to make informed decisions when considering how to approach the legalization and regulation of cannabis. He currently serves as CANNRA’s president, having been elected to the role in 2021.

Jamie has been advocating for industrial hemp since 2012. Jamie is the co-founder and Executive Director of Midwest Hemp Council. Recently, Jamie was named Vice President of Government and Industry Relations with Whitefield Global Holdings, and also holds a Board Seat with Hemp Brand Builders, with whom she also does consulting work as needed. It is Jamie’s goal to contribute to the normalization of hemp as a crop option throughout the United States, from seed to shelf, providing a fluid and trustworthy supply chain that also provides a regenerative option for incorporation into the production of food, fuel and fiber.

Heather Carter is a media personality, model, community architect, co-founder of the community engagement agency LOUD.social, and publicist and brand ambassador for Copper House.

She is a communications professional with a decade of experience in public relations and marketing focusing her work mostly within the cannabis industry. Her experience as a community architect started in 2017 when she served as the Director of Communications for the New York community-focused cannabis events company, REVEL. During her time at REVEL, she built a name for herself within the industry that ultimately landed her the opportunity to build and connect communities with one of Michigan’s leading cannabis operators, Gage Cannabis Co. At Gage, Heather designed the company’s community program and co-created their social equity program with the company’s founders. She also serves on the board of the Michigan Chapter for Americans for Safe Access as the Director of Community Engagement.

Outside of building communities within cannabis, Heather is the lead female host for the internet platform, Take Detroit, where she hosts various short-form videos highlighting different culinary and entertainment attractions around the city of Detroit.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University in Public Relations, and has worked with organizations such as National Expungement Works, American Heart Association, Detroit Narrative Agency and Americans for Safe Access.

Additionally, Heather is a 200hr RYT yoga instructor and is currently studying to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a master herbalist.

Mr. Dean has been involved in the plastics industry since 1998 and has held global executive roles in business development, operations, and supply chains as a global leader in rigid plastic consumer packaging. He has contributed to expansion in sales from $400M to $3.5B, and was instrumental in the creation of new greenfield operations in California, Iowa and Florida. He has a great professional working relationship with many CPG and FMCG organizations, ranging from tier-one global organizations to smaller regional or local companies. He has worked significantly on alternative material and process developments and commercialization in conjunction with end users. Prior to entering the rigid plastic space, Greg spent ten years in the metal can business as Director of International Sales.

Samantha Dubiel is an associate attorney at The Law Offices of Craig A. Aronoff, a boutique law firm in Royal Oak, Michigan, which specializes in the business of cannabis. Samantha counsels and advises clients on all aspects of the cannabis establishment cycle, including business formation, applications, licensure, and compliance.

Alex is the Director of Hemp Fiber Applications at Escher Design, Regional Leader of the US Hemp Building Association (USHBA), Founder of Hemp Hollow Processing, and member of ASTM D37.07.

An entrepreneur with a keen eye for disruptive industries, he joined the Vermont-based architecture firm, Escher Design, to help develop cost-effective applications using hemp bio-composites.

In 2017, the firm went on to build the first permitted hempcrete structure in Denver, Colorado. Currently, the firm has numerous hemp-based projects in several states including Vermont, Colorado, Missouri and New York. With the USHBA, Alex serves on the supply chain, certification, and education committees.

Anton Harb Jr. is a former Army Officer and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The trauma of war has left Anton with severe PTSD. As a survivor of combat, cancer and suicide, Anton struggled to find relief from the myriad of prescribed pharmaceutical medications. Anton eventually discovered the therapeutic effect of medical cannabis. Recognizing veterans still encounter daily barriers to medical cannabis access, Anton helped establish Hero Project USA. Hero Project USA is a 501c3 non-profit aimed at helping veterans gain access and awareness to medical cannabis resources.

Chase is a senior Hemp Analyst at The Jacobsen and has been reporting on the hemp markets. His insight will help growers and those involved in the hemp market understand where hemp products will go in the future.

Jess Jackson, MBA, M.ED is a serial entrepreneur and centers her work on the visibility and inclusion of marginalized bodies. She is COO and Co-Founder of LOUD.Social, a content marketing agency that combines community organizing strategy with social media marketing.

LOUD.Social focuses their work on justice-oriented, cannabis, sustainability and wellness-focused brands.

She is also co-founder of Copper House Detroit, Detroit’s first Cannabis-positive AirBnB. Since opening their doors, Jess & her wife, Cara, have hosted 300+ individuals and brands in their home, and Copper House Detroit has become a pillar and springboard within the cannabis
community.

As a social equity qualified Legacy Detroiter, Jess is pursuing licensure for Detroit’s first worker-owned cannabis cooperative to ensure that cannabis equity in Detroit stays in the community, a community that has been disproportionately impacted by prohibition.
In 2021, Jess served as the Director of Operations with National Expungement Works, which coordinates resources to liberate justice-impacted communities which have been exploited by systemic inequities.

As the Racial Equity Learning Strategist at TorranceLearning, she authored the curriculum Cultivating Racial Equity in the Workplace (CREW), a holistic  microlearning training program that addresses barriers to equity in the workplace using evidence-informed practices.

Jess also holds an M.ED and MBA and graduated Summa Cum Laude in each. She lives in Detroit, Michigan, and can be reached at Jess@LOUD.Social.

Tanya Kaye became a medical marijuana patient in 2014. Since then, she has been on a fast-track learning curve throughout all of the rapid changes and progression of marijuana laws in Michigan. Tanya quickly began building connections with those already well established in both cannabis businesses and cannabis activism. Tanya started at Hemphill Wellness in Burton, Michigan as a budtender for the caregiver system, transitioning into the MMFLA-licensed market working for such companies as Light N Up Provisioning Center, Narvona and T-Rex. Tanya also crossed over into the cannabis testing industry working for Act Labs in Lansing, Michigan. Tanya is currently the grandmother of Michigan’s youngest Medical Marijuana patient who is only sixteen months old. This passion has driven her to earn multiple certificates in cannabis consulting, growing and extracting. All this experience has shown Tanya that the Medical Marijuana Law of 2008 is vitally important to Michigan patients and that her true passion is to help protect them and the MMMA.

Jeff of Verve Seed Solutions is known for his ‘real life’ experience in the field as a pedigreed hemp seed grower and has a strong applied research background providing benchmarks in the hemp industry. Jeff has assisted in the success of producers, industry and colleagues in the burgeoning hemp industry over the last 23 years.

Jeff studied Agriculture at the University of Manitoba and in 2012 obtained a BGS from Athabasca University where he graduated with distinction. He is a Certified Crop Advisor and is a member of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. Jeff is the Chair for the National Hemp Variety Testing Committee with the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, and also the Chair of the Seed and Grain Committee, with the Hemp Industries Association in America.

Biyyiah Lee, MSN, RN, Co-Founder of Midwest CannaNurses™ is a Chicago, Illinois native and a current registered nurse in Detroit, Michigan. With over 10 years of nursing experience, she has worked in settings which include ambulatory care, home health, and care coordination, and is well versed in Public Health Nursing. As a 2021 Ambrose Scholar and 2021 NBNA under 40 award recipient, she practices where nursing, cannabis, and public health overlap to ensure safe and informed consumption and access for patients using cannabinoid therapeutics. She also focuses on academia and policy to address gaps in cannabis education among healthcare providers.

Brett McMillen is the Cannabis and Hemp Division Manager for the Perry Johnson Companies. Brett has assisted in developing their State and Industry Accredited programs for current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), Good Agriculture and Collection practices (GAcP), USDA Organic, and other ISO-based programs in and out of the cannabis space. He has worked with numerous growers, extractors, and manufacturers from start up to MSO expansion.

Joel is an Instructional Systems Designer and Technology Consultant offering leadership for media development of instructional materials and performance improvement programs. Creative management involving oversight of team members methodologies applied to workflow process. Belongs to the Michigan STEM Partnership’s advancement of workforce development ecosystems national initiatives, a Board Member of the ASA Michigan Chapter and Educational Programs Coordinator with iHemp Michigan. An advocate to integrate instructional technologies into the mainstream employee usage within corporate, industrial and educational institutions.

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Molly has been with MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management (PPPM) Division for over 20 years, working in many important roles including Pesticide Inspector, Nursery Inspector, Emerald Ash Borer Regulatory Lead, Pesticide Lead Inspector, and Pesticide Enforcement Specialist. Molly has developed a wealth of knowledge and experience in program management, procedure writing, law interpretation, compliance assistance, and enforcement.

Jen Nelson serves on the Board of Directors of iHemp Michigan and operates her own CBD brand, ModRütz Botanical Company. Jen is also a certified motivational speaker and life coach.

Jen has done it all in Hemp over the years, from seed to sale. She brings her expertise and passion for healing to her work.

Robbin Pott, J.D., M.P.P. is the creator and co-founder of Pott Farms L3C, a regenerative hemp company in Willis, Michigan. What does it mean to be regenerative? It means that our systems are designed to restore and sustain rather than deplete our resources, and that they are rooted in justice. For the past four years, Robbin has been practicing regenerative farming and learning about living soil while cultivating hemp naturally. She comes from a 20-year academic career as a child advocate and has designed the farm to also provide job opportunities for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Gus Rosania, PhD is a pro-education, pro-science, pro-research, pro-nature, pro-freedom and pro-American pharmaceutical scientist, teacher and Cannabis legalization activist. As a federally-funded investigator and faculty member at the University of Michigan, he organized the first medicinal cannabis course ever taught at an accredited school of Pharmacy in the USA, aimed at introducing undergraduate and graduate students from all fields to the history, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology as well as the overarching potential of the Cannabis plant as an engine for economic development and as the foundation of American self-sufficiency and self-determination.

Mitzi Ruddock was born and raised in the city of Detroit. Her passion for seeing Detroit-based businesses, families and individuals flourish in her hometown is evident in every endeavor she has undertaken for the past twenty years. In 1995, she lost her father, a successful Detroit business owner, to cancer at the age of 43. Little did she know this unexpected and tragic loss would fuel her interest in the healing properties of cannabis. Mitzi went on to complete her undergraduate degree in Graphic Design at Eastern Michigan University, but she shared the same entrepreneurial spirit she inherited from her father. Unfortunately, the housing crisis made it difficult for her to sustain her real estate business. She learned the struggles of being a self-made black businesswoman but rather than give in when things got difficult, she opted to stay the course and continued to utilize her keen business acumen and a network of entrepreneurs to continue investing in her community.

Through Black Cannabis Access, Mitzi is meeting the community where they are and providing access to opportunities, access to resources, and access to support systems. Through her experience as a grower, delivery service provider, advocate and promoter, Mitzi is committed to empowering and engaging as many black and brown people in this cannabis movement as she can reach. Thus, her 2022 priority is creating 100 Detroit Millionaires.

Josey Scoggin serves as the Program Director for the Redemption Foundation, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization dedicated to improving the lives of current and former cannabis prisoners. Josey is currently the Policy Director for the Disabled Youth Alliance of America, President of Sons and Daughters United, and Intake Manager for the Great Lakes Expungement Network.

Josey was Michigan’s first pediatric cannabis patient and spearheaded a crisis relief campaign for expecting mothers who used cannabis, servicing over 100 women in the Midwest from 2017-2020. Josey is passionate about her love for the Great Lakes State, its cannabis industry and the community that makes Michigan great.

Hey, I’m Anthony! I know that human resources, compliance, and insurance are some of the last but most important things that you want to think about when it comes to running your cannabis microbusiness. Instead of hiring internally full-time for a hefty salary, you can look to outsource these functions for pennies on the dollar – for real.

I can help you get set up from the start with time-intensive activities like employee recruitment, time and attendance systems, HR policies and handbook creation, payroll and tax management, and much more.

If the idea of managing payroll and being compliant with federal, state and local taxing entities make you want to re-think your dream of being an entrepreneur, don’t worry. THC123 and America’s Back Office has been doing this line of work for two decades. By making HR less of a burden, you can focus on your marijuana microbusiness and your bottom line.

Licenses held: Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Employment Agency Type A, Employment Agent, Life Insurance Producer, Accident & Health Insurance Producer, Property Insurance Producer, Casualty Insurance Producer.

Bryan Sherman is a Thermo-Economist with more than four decades in the HVAC industry. He has proven success guiding sizeable, cross-functional teams in the implementation of construction design, build, operations & maintenance, and engineering processes required for institutional, commercial, and industrial facilities.

His focus is on delivering optimal Life Cycle Cost and Net Present Value, especially in the emerging area of energy efficiency for indoor agriculture. Sherman helps growers eliminate fungus, mold, spores and the need for excessive pesticides for indoor plant growth. He helps them maintain climate control while reducing energy use.

Michael Thue is a Certified Medical Assistant and Member of the American Association of Medical Assistants. Michael is the Founder & CEO of Great Lakes Hemp Supplements, LLC and the Center for Compassion, LLC. Michael has gained valuable experience in the Cannabis Industry by founding the 1st 501(3)c Non-Profit Compassion Center in Traverse City Michigan, formerly the Grand Traverse Compassionate Connection, in 2009.

Michael has over 20 years of experience with using cannabis as medicine in a vast variety of alternative forms including GI Tube, Suppositories, Vaporization, Topical use and other forms of administration. Michael is the Leading Midwest CBD Authority. Michael has had the honor of educating in the vast areas of medical cannabis, the Endo-Cannabinoid System, Hemp and CBD at several conferences across the country over the past 10 years of specializing in High CBD Medicinal strains.

Michael has not only had the Honor of presenting at large cannabis trade shows such as Pittsburgh’s 1st World Medical Cannabis Conference & Expo, but Michael has also had the honor of doing in-service education and training, teaching physicians and their staff interested in the Medical Cannabis programs for their own patients on how to establish appropriate dosing and treatment options.

My husband and I own The Grassy Knoll in Grand Rapids and have been selling CBD for over five years. We started our business to help people and furry children in a safe and natural way. We collaborated with one of our suppliers to create a CBD oil just for our store. The Grassy Knoll tincture is very popular for humans so we created Bruno Drops in order to help all pets with separation anxiety. Bruno drops have a calming effect on him and he is able to stay at the house without destroying things or hurting himself. We have also given our other pets (dogs and cat) CBD and hoped it would help them. Our Bruno drops currently have 500 mg of CBD and can easily be put on food or in treats.

Jacob Waddell is the Executive Director and was the President of the US Hemp Building Association from October 2020 to January 2022. He oversaw the growth of the organization and is currently leading USHBA and USHBF initiatives including the creation of ASTM standards, defending a submission to the International Residential Code, and the establishment of the Workforce Development Program. His mission in life is to make a positive impact on the world around him. A natural leader who believes that teams make the difference and that carefully analyzes situations to achieve success.

Brad Wurfel brings a wealth of wide-ranging communications experience to any conversation. Over more than 25 years, Wurfel has worked as a journalist, legislative staffer, state agency spokesman, lobbyist, campaign manager, non-profit communications director and more.
He founded BJW Strategies in 2018, with the simple idea that his experience and contacts can provide connection, perspective, solutions and success to a wide range of clients in the public and private sectors. Wurfel is a trusted counselor to leaders engaged in large and small business, association management, and executive leadership in fields ranging from public health to education to manufacturing.

As a nationally recognized public speaker and communications trainer, Wurfel works with individual clients and state and national associations, leading the conversation about how to meet the challenges of communicating effectively in an instant age.

He lives near Lansing with his wife and two children.