The Cannabis Learn Conference and Expo, cultivated by Greenhouse Ventures, is coming to Philadelphia April 30th through May 2nd. The event seeks to fill the voids between academic research and the realm of cannabis technology. Scientists, regulators, and university professors will gather to network and share their knowledge, research, and overall passions for enhancing cannabis science.
Lezli Engelking, the founder and CEO of the Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards, or FOCUS, will be speaking at the symposium. Engelking discussed the mission behind FOCUS during an interview with Terpenes and Testing Magazine: “FOCUS exists to protect public health, consumer safety, and safeguard the environment by promoting integrity within the cannabis industry. We are established as a federal, 501c3 Health and Safety Organization for the cannabis industry. Our unbiased, third party status separates FOCUS from other organizations that have direct financial ties to the industry. This independence allows FOCUS to serve as the much-needed bridge between regulators and industry.”
Recently, FOCUS and ASTM International joined forces to more effectively generate industry standards. “FOCUS aligned with ASTM to assist in achieving our vision of a safe, legal, and sustainable, global cannabis industry more quickly. A well-established company like ASTM becoming involved in the cannabis industry brings some desperately needed legitimacy and credibility to the cannabis industry”, Engelking explained.
When asked why she chose to attend the symposium, Engelking honed in on the fact that this conference, and specifically the topic she was asked to speak on, encompassed International Markets and Standards, rather than just focusing on the US market. She went on to say “Many countries throughout the world have legalized cannabis for medical or adult use. Because they have federal regulations in place, R&D happens more often and efficiently, and cannabis products can be imported and exported.”
ProVerde Labs, operating in both Massachusetts and Maine, also will be represented at Cannabis Learn. Christopher Hudalla, Ph.D., founder and CSO of ProVerde Labs will be a panelist for a discussion revolving around cannabis lab testing, quality control, and standardization. ProVerde Labs has been proactive in the cannabis industry from a regulatory standpoint. When Massachusetts required that all labs must have ISO17025 accreditation, Pro Verde Labs not only embraced this mandate, but Hudalla feels it made them a much better lab in the long run. In addition to the required analytical testing their clients need to dispense cannabis products, ProVerde Labs additional analytical services include chemical evaluations of industrial hemp, as well as being a research gun for hire, not only for clinicians, but also for companies seeking to beta test instrumentation geared towards the cannabis industry.
Hudalla wanted to attend Cannabis Learn to continue his efforts to get the message out regarding why it is important to test cannabis. While Massachusetts only requires that nine pesticides be quantified, they do require the labs measure down to ten parts per billion, the lowest level in the industry. Hudalla thinks it is paramount that members of the cannabis community understand the state-to-state differences when it comes to regulatory code and concomitant lab testing. “Ultimately, I feel the success of the cannabis industry hinges on sensible regulations, a part of which requires quality data analytics to ensure patient/consumer safety”, Hudalla said during an interview with Terpenes and Testing Magazine. “Safeguarding consumers, based on rigorous scientific methodologies, is ProVerde’s number one mission.”
These are just two examples of the caliber of speakers attending Cannabis Learn. Through continued discussions at this conference, and others seeking to provide a foundation to better advance cannabis science and technology, the cannabis industry can continue to shake off yesterday’s doldrums of being a nascent and unguided community. Harnessing the energies of those passionately helping the cannabis and hemp industries evolve, like Engelking and Hudalla, will only further provide the masonry needed to ensure that the resulting foundation that these industries were built upon was erected with pride, integrity, and strong analytical science.
The Cannabis Learn Conference and Expo is taking place April 30th – May 2nd at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia. The conference will include over 35 panel discussions and presentations from more than 75 international researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, politicians, athletes, and industry experts. In addition, over 80 brands, product manufacturers, and ancillary firms within a wide range of industry verticals will demo their products or services on the expo floor, open May 1st and 2nd from 9AM to 5PM. For registration and ticket information for the Cannabis Learn Conference and Expo, please visit CannabisLearn.com and use promo code GHVTerps for a special Terpenes and Testing Magazine VIP discount!
Greenhouse Ventures (GHV) is the first innovation accelerator for cannabis and hemp companies in the world. Through a strategic partnership with parent company CoFund360, GHV services medical technology, agricultural technology, plant science, compliance, and ancillary technology companies. GHV operates ten-week curriculum-based boot camps for early-stage and growth-stage ventures that are seeking investment capital, university partnerships, staff solutions (advisors, sales, management), and a scalable customer acquisition strategy. To learn more, please visit www.greenhouse.ventures.
