Justin O’Connor
President
Native Nation Events, LLC

Sandra Gogal
Partner
Miller Thomson LLP

Update on what the current legal and regulatory framework for medical marijuana is looking like in Canada:

• What is the status of the Medical Marijuana Purpose Regulations in the wake of the Allard decision?
• Will ACMPR or something similar be required for recreational providers as it has for medical marijuana producers to help keep it away from minors & ensure quality of products?
• Status of Authorization to Possess and Designated Production Licenses.
• Update on Charter cases.
• Legal status of Compassion Care Centres and Dispensaries.
• Whose jurisdiction is it anyway?
• Examination of the roles of federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions.
• What steps are being considered to ensure the medical marijuana market does not become overly regulated & taxed making sure medical marijuana is still affordable & avoiding a black market oligopoly.
• If the Federal Government makes recreational marijuana strictly regulated & restrictive, many people will look at it as being prohibition with a different dealer.
• An update on the new Task Force mandates and their priorities for a new regulatory framework.
• What will the new world look like? An exploration of possible new legal regimes.
• If legalized Federally, what role with the provincial and municipal governments play?
• Will medical marijuana and recreational marijuana be treated differently?
• Will there still be room to grow at home for personal use in a commercialized billion dollar industry?
• Will edibles hit the market soon?

Sandra Gogal
Partner
Miller Thompson LLP

• Market conditions and size.
• The right application.
• Unique nature of the building design.
• Available grants and funds from the Federal and Provincial Governments.
• Harm reduction strategies.
• Coordinating and communicating with the various Federal departments and agencies.
• Structuring general partnerships with joint venture partners.
• Creating economic zones within the First Nations Land.
• Leveraging expertise outside of the First Nations resources.

George Robinson
President & Lead Consultant
CL2G Consulting

Jason Calla
Consultant
CL2G Consulting

Dr. Lyle Oberg
Independent Chairman
Siksika Herbz

Lorna Dumaresq
President, Managing Director
Siksika Herbz

• What Indigenous peoples bring to the table.
• What to consider if you are investing in the marijuana business – financing and security considerations when dealing with indigenous lands.
• How Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982, which requires governments to consult with Indigenous peoples with respect to decisions which may affect their rights, has evolved to encourage partnerships with Indigenous peoples in project development and how this may serve as a guide to partnership opportunities in the marijuana business.
• What does the notification requirement to Indian Bands under the ACMPR mean? What information will bands require? Will there be opportunities to partner?
• What to consider when entering into a partnership to grow marijuana: what the regulations require from an operational standpoint.
• Learn from those who have partnered with Indigenous bands in Canada and what have been lessons learned.

Jacob Taylor
Managing Director
The Pontiac Group

Jonathon Araujo
Managing Partner
The Pontiac Group

• By establishing a sales tax, a new source of revenue can be created to help offset the shortage from the crown. What could it mean for your people when it comes to basic services?
• The government will be looking at effective taxation that will leave flexibility in creating the final price of consumers. Examine how that can affect sales and consumption.
• What are the best ways to have cultural understanding, build trust and gain respect to do business that outsiders need to understand?
• How do you start to orchestrate a successful collaborative relationship with an industry partner and how do you prepare for it?
• It’s no secret that Indigenous people all over have a legacy of substance abuse, and band leaders are trying to outweigh the good vs. the bad of entering into the marijuana industry and the long-term effects it can have on their people.
• This panel of leaders will provide their insight and thought processes when asked the question—“Do you see your band getting involved in the marijuana business?” And if so what might be the social ramifications?

Jamie Filipuzzi
Owner
Way2Grow

Shawn O’Connor
Economic Development Director
Homalco First Nations

Chief Ernest Wesley
Chief
Wesley First Nation

Terry Roycroft
President & CEO
Medicinal Cannabis Resource Centre

• There are many synergies between the Native American Tribes in the U.S. and the Indigenous Bands in Canada, and the interest in the marijuana industry is one of them as legalization in both Canada and the U.S. grows.
• While some bands and tribes will elect not to get involved with the marijuana industry, several tribes in the U.S. have taken a wait and see approach and stay current on the industry in case an opportunity presents itself and the leadership and their people decide to change course. It is important that communities as a whole are well-informed and aware of the possible benefits and consequences associated with this process of entering into the industry.
• As more bands and tribes announce their entrance into the Cannabis Industry, the media impact is just one of many obstacles to overcome. The first few tribes to do so in both the U.S. and Canada have been faced with increased amounts of scrutiny not only by the media and various levels of government but in some cases their own members as well.
• What legal hurdles did they have to battle? How did they go about creating a solid business plan and deciding which industry professionals to work with, and how did they decide on the proper funding mechanism?
• Looking back what would they have changed and to date what has this venture meant to their people and what does the future look like going forward for them in the industry?

David Chelette
Vice Chairman
Santa Ysabel Tribal Business Development Corporation
President
Tribal Business Advisors

Dave Vialpando
Executive Director
Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency- Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel

Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

Growing pre-clinical evidence attests to the therapeutic potential of cannabis in the treatment of PTSD, and an increasing number of Canadians affected by PTSD report using this substance for symptom relief, and to reduce the use of prescription medications, alcohol, and other drugs. However, to date, no clinical trials have tested the safety and efficacy of cannabis for treating PTSD symptoms. This presentation will provide an overview of the state of knowledge regarding medical Cannabis, PTSD, and addiction, as well as an update on the first Canadian Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of vaporized cannabis in the treatment of PTSD, which is being conducted at the University of British Columbia in partnership with Tilray, a federally authorized Licensed Producer of medical cannabis. It is anticipated that the results of this research will add to the state of knowledge regarding the potential risks and benefits of cannabis as a treatment for PTSD, and allow physicians and patients to make more informed treatment decisions.

Philippe Lucas
Vice President, Patient Research & Advocacy
Tilray

• Advancing the business side of medical marijuana and the effect, if any, the legalization of recreational marijuana will have on the medicinal side of the industry.
• By separating the medical and recreational market, will Health Canada be creating conflicting standards?
• In the U.S. a few tribes have decided to enter into the medical marijuana business and several more are looking into it. Does it make a difference to First Nations in Canada when choosing whether or not to get involved in the industry?
• How has marijuana been shown to have a positive effect and even reduce damage from different medical conditions such as Cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Pain?
• It is also widely reported to have a positive effect on conditions such as Epilepsy and Autism because of the stimulus to the brain, therefore causing increased brain cell activity.
• Medical Marijuana is proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and positively impact your overall mental health.
• With the ACMPR in effect, Health Canada is  now allowing safety testing of medical marijuana at  federal laboratories for registered patients. This will allow patients to test their own homegrown medical marijuana for potency, as well as any contaminants.
• Explore the opportunities and challenges associated with cannabis research and how it can affect a medical marijuana business.

Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

Dr. Barry Kurzer
President & Chief Executive Officer
DelShen Therapeutics

Kathleen Thompson, PhD
Founder & Principal Researcher
TomKat Communications

Zach Walsh, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology
The University of British Columbia

Dr. Natasha Ryz
Co-Founder, Entrepreneur, & Researcher
Functional Blends Ltd.
Ryz Remi Vancouver

• It is important prior to entering into the marijuana industry that you understand the terminology, tools, and technology needed depending on the type of enterprise you choose to invest in.
• This panel will feature some of the most successful growers in Canada. We will hear firsthand how they got started in the business and the mistakes they made in route to becoming a leader in the industry today and learn about the various types of new and existing technologies. What are the different methods and philosophies for growing various grades of marijuana? What are the benefits of growing in greenhouses vs. not? Once you have grown it what do you do with it?
• What resources does it take and what effect will it have on your land? In California alone, Cannabis cultivation is already responsible for at least 3% of the state’s total energy and 1% of the entire U.S. consumption. What about the water implications?
• Understand which business model best fits your band’s needs and goals. Discover how each step in the growing process can help create jobs and how revenue can stream in when all of these processes come together.
• Some believe that cannabis concentrated products are the way of the future and can eventually replace smoking of cannabis. Economists expect sales of cannabis-infused products to soar further than the sales of the traditional marijuana plant.
• From oils to creams to cannabis-infused food we will hear from the experts of what sells and the latest trends in the market.

Cheryl Shuman
CEO & Founder
Cheryl Shuman, Inc.

Georges Routhier
Chief Development Officer
DelShen Therapeutics

Sarah Bradshaw
Herbalist, Seed Saver, Ethnobotanist
Flower of Life