WHERE CANNABIS MEETS BEAUTY
Ridgewood, Queens was host to Cannaware Society’s Winter Cannamarket where shoppers could find everything from CBD (cannabidiol) beauty and edibles, to cannabis-themed gift items. The mostly female customer base were curious and delighted at the range of mostly homemade items in a friendly, easy-going shopping experience.
The vendors were predominantly small businesses owned by women.
Visit CANNAWARE SOCIETY to learn more!
THE SETTING
The Union League Club of New York City is one of the few private clubs in America with a history of unwavering commitment to our nation through deep civic involvement, charitable contributions, and military support. Hosting many outstanding speakers from policy makers to notable authors, the Club will elevate your ideals of American citizenship through art, culture, and discourse.
HISTORY & TRADITION
Founded in 1863 by a group of concerned citizens to help preserve the Union, The Union League Club has built, over ensuing years, a record of distinguished service to our country. Many prominent civic, state, and national leaders have enjoyed the fellowship of the Club, including fifteen Presidents, seven Senators, many Congressmen, diplomats, cabinet members, and scores of chief executive officers of major corporations. These members include Theodore Roosevelt, who managed his early political career from the Club’s chambers, as well as J. Pierpont Morgan, John Jay, William Cullen Bryant, Chester A. Arthur, and Thomas Nast.
THE CONFERENCE
by Cheryl Green
A diverse group of men and women in business, C-suite executives, international dignitaries and political representatives had the opportunity to co-mingle after each round table session, getting questions answered and forming alliances during the all day fact-gathering event.
The conference began at 8:00 am with a 4-topic round table discussion, starting with “The Marketing and Branding Challenges Facing the Cannabis Industry” with Ryan Kocot, Director of Compliance and in-house legal counsel at ikänik Farms and Derek DuChesne, Chief Growth Officer, EcoGen Laboratories, followed by “The Role and Use of Technology in Production of Hemp” with George Likourezos, Partner, Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, Jay Yonamine, Head of Data Science, Ops and Quality, Global Patents at Google, “CBD Everyday Secrets: A Lifestyle Guide to Hemp-Derived Health and Wellness” with Shira Adler, CEO/Synergy by Shira Adler and author of “The ABCs of CBD” and wrapping up with “From Clothing to Cars: The Commercial Evolution of Hemp” with Geoff Whaling, Chairman, National Hemp Association.
At 8:50 am Anthony Pepe, Founder & CEO of Erba Verde Group and Ransel Potter, Founder & Managing Partner of the C3 Summit International, gave their welcoming remarks to a packed room of those anticipating the day to come. The Keynote Address, “A Conversation with Mark Zekulin, CEO of Canopy Growth an Kevin Murphy, Chairman and CEO of Acreage Holdings” was moderated by Robert Carp, Esq. and author of “Marijuana Business Operations Guide”. Shortly after, was “Opening Plenary: Introduction to Hemp and Cannabis: Facts vs. Fiction” with Axel Bernabe, Assistant for Health to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, followed by “Pharmaceutical Industry’s Role In Sustaining CBD as a Natural Medicinal Alternative” moderated by Tom Zuber, Managing Partner, Zuber Lawler speaking to Dr. Jayashree Mitra, Managing Parnter, Zuber Lawler. Other topics of discussion were “Hemp vs. CBD vs. Marijuana: The Differences Explained” with Hilary Black, Chief Advocacy Officer, Canopy Growth and Axel Bernabe, Asst. for Health to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During the sit down luncheon, Dr. Armando R. Lampe, Minister of Education, Science and Sustainable Development of Aruba addressed “Hemp and Medical Marijuana – The New Economic Pillars in Global Innovation“, explaining how cannabis as a commodity can save the slumped economy in Aruba and how its climate has the perfect conditions for growth of healthy plants. Aruba plans on being a global provider of cannabis and recommended that we invest in them.
There were traditional physicians present and interested in what Dr. Andre Ragnauth, CEO Unifi Biotechnologises, Dr. Kamal Kalsi, Lt. Colonel/US Army, Laura Lagano, MS. RDN, CDN Clinical Nutritionist and Sonia Gomez, Founder, Hemp Revolution Podcast and Medicalsecrets.com had to say about the “Benefits of Using CBD for Treatment of Depression and Disabilities”. The day ended with a talk that those in finance benefitted from by Richard Carleton, CEO of the Canadian Securities Exchange called “CBD: Hemp In Capital Markets” where he discussed what it means to producers, investors and how it affects business practices.
The Networking Reception that followed, gave everyone an informal opportunity to create business alliances, converse and exchange information after a day of education about health, legalities, the business of cannabis and where we will go from here.
On Saturday, September 7th at Pier 59 in Manhattan, CannabisnessOfBeauty.com and hundreds of fashionistas anticipated the groundbreaking collaboration between Project Runway All-Star, Korto Momolu and Women Grow.
Among the attendees were fashion and street-style influencers, clients, business associates, family and friends along with the illustrious Audrey Smaltz and actress, Lynn Whitfield.
Momolu’s collection was eco-friendly using sustainable fabrics like hemp, linen, jute, and cork which ranged from athleisure to eveningwear in diverse sizes, flattering to all body types. Genifer M, a founding member of Women Grow provided cannabis leaf fine jewelry and bold, artfully crafted pieces were designed by Darrell Roach.
It is Women Grow’s mission not to cultivate cannabis, but to intentionally cultivate female leadership within the cannabis industry as well. “While the intersection of fashion and cannabis industries may not seem obvious at first, the collaboration was created to amplify the message of Women Grow – Empowerment, Inspiration, and Education,” states Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of Women Grow. “Through Korto’s innovative and elegant collection, our goal is to break through the stigma of cannabis culture and bring to light the health benefits of the plant, and the value of women leaders in the industry.”
On Saturday, September 7th at Pier 59 in Manhattan, CannabisnessOfBeauty.com and hundreds of fashionistas anticipated the groundbreaking collaboration between Project Runway All-Star, Korto Momolu and Women Grow.
Among the attendees were fashion and street-style influencers, clients, business associates, family and friends along with the illustrious Audrey Smaltz and actress, Lynn Whitfield.
Momolu’s collection was eco-friendly using sustainable fabrics like hemp, linen, jute, and cork which ranged from athleisure to eveningwear in diverse sizes, flattering to all body types. Genifer M, a founding member of Women Grow provided cannabis leaf fine jewelry and bold, artfully crafted pieces were designed by Darrell Roach.
It is Women Grow’s mission not to cultivate cannabis, but to intentionally cultivate female leadership within the cannabis industry as well. “While the intersection of fashion and cannabis industries may not seem obvious at first, the collaboration was created to amplify the message of Women Grow – Empowerment, Inspiration, and Education,” states Dr. Chanda Macias, CEO of Women Grow. “Through Korto’s innovative and elegant collection, our goal is to break through the stigma of cannabis culture and bring to light the health benefits of the plant, and the value of women leaders in the industry.”
The event was held at The Clubhouse in Easthampton.
It was an opportunity for investing, branding, and networking among the new marijuana industry trendsetters, leaders and presumably those interested in entrepreneurship coming to New York State.
With a ticket purchase they provided dinner, an open bar, exhibitors, and a panel discussion.
Inside the Pretty Sober, Extra Bro-y Cannabis World Congress
At the Cannabis World Congress in NYC, lifelong stoners rubbed shoulders with straight-edged venture capitalists, and CBD dog treats were on display alongside cannabis DNA testing.
by Alaina Demopoulos
If you were looking to smoke some pot in New York this week, the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition was the last place you would want to be.
Located in a downstairs corner of the Javits Center (a book convention took up the main pavilion), the sixth annual CWCBE promised attendees a host of seminars and exhibitions. For a $50 entry fee, one could peruse booths of vendors selling CBD dog treats, appetite-suppressing hemp, or “bliss”-inducing gummies.
One thing not welcome, as made clear on the trade show’s website and program: the mind-altering ingredient in cannabis, THC, was “strictly prohibited at the event.” To that end, a “Cannabis Vending Machine” on display spat out only empty shot glasses.
One half-joke among guests included a sophomoric inquiry best saved for Richard Linklater scripts:
“Hey, do you know where I can find some weed around here?”
The answer: around the corner on 11th Avenue, where a small army of boomers dressed in tie-dye shirts played a game of pickup frisbee, annoying the “book nerds” from the adjacent conference trying to use the sidewalk. Nearby, a publicist whose business card read, “Sex, Drugs, and PR” attempted to woo reporters with a pre-roll.
Inside the center, the crowd skewed decidedly more business casual. Boomers in tie-dye were heartily outnumbered by backpack-toting venture capitalists in Cole Haan loafers and pastel button-ups. Attendees lined up outside of conference rooms to watch PowerPoints about weed.
The $10.4 billion legal cannabis industry has enticed the same kind of Wall Street financier who 30 years ago might have been played by a coke-snorting Michael Douglas.
Though CWCBE hosted a very tiny handful of social justice organizations like WomenGrow and Minorities for Medical Marijuana, the Javits Center embodied more of a backslapping boys’ club. Venture capitalists roamed a site that did not smell of pot smoke, but reeked of Versace Pour Homme.
When this writer asked one yuppie for an interview, he responded, “Only if I get your number first.” (A pickup line one presumably must be very high to appreciate.)
“If all the rock stars die at 27, then at 37 everyone gets into cannabis,” Brian McGrann, a consultant in from Philadelphia, told The Daily Beast. “Maybe they’re all having a mid-career crisis. If you’re going to reinvent yourself, this is the industry you choose.”
Degelis Tufts is the CEO of Tribe Tokes, which sells prettified vapes and CBD cartridges. She has attended similar trade shows for the past three years.
“This year, there are a lot more people who are not traditional smokers,” she said. “That’s the ecosystem now—lawyers, digital marketers. I had someone come into our showroom who was interested in investing who told me, ‘I don’t touch the stuff. I’m just looking to make money.’” (Tufts added that her company would “never take money from someone like that.”)
Splashy, well-attended booths included hemp-infused spaghetti, bourbon, and CBD slushies. Other exhibitors repped less sexy, but still essential, businesses.
The law practice Kaufman & Associates represents cannabis entrepreneurs navigating pesky logistics like securing financing and licenses. Contempo Specialty Packaging touted its new, child-proof storage box. The payment platform Alt Thirty Six, a cashless app for cannabis businesses, also sent representatives. (E-commerce companies that sell THC or CBD products are often turned down by more traditional options like Square, PayPal, or Venmo.)
Dean Crutchfield works as the Chief Business Officer for Omē Wellness, a 23andMe-style DNA test that suggests specific weed strands based on genetic profiles.
Curious potheads with $129 to spare can conduct at-home cheek swabs and send the sample to a lab in California. Within two weeks, they’ll learn whether their genetic tendency for anxiety or family history of Alzheimer’s plays well with a specific indica or sativa. (And hopefully not discover dark family secrets about their true parentage.)
Though a doctor signs off on every Omē report, Crutchfield is quick to clarify that test results are suggestions rather than any concrete diagnosis.
“We’re not saying you’ve got a problem, we’re saying you’ve got a predisposition,” he said. “We’re very confident that you could have these problems, but recommending that you seek medical help would be overstepping the mark in terms of ethics.”
Last year, 23andMe garnered criticism for announcing that it would sell customers’ genetic data to the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. Though Omē reps refuse to go the same route, the company will use reports to conduct internal research—unless customers check an online box requesting the lab destroys their tests.
Bloomberg recently listed Brendan Kennedy, the CEO of Canadian medical marijuana company Tilray, as the second-highest paid CEO after Elon Musk. Some CWCBE guests cited his $256 million salary as a motivation to enter the field.
“I’m here to investigate opportunities,” Jeff Soule, 40, said. “[But] I do see big business as a threat. The know they can strangle the little guy—are alcohol and tobacco companies going to penetrate the industry? Will cotton come for hemp? If they want to, they can.”
Thomas J. Fuccello founded DabbinDoge, a CBD dog biscuit company, out of his home in Morristown, New Jersey three years ago.
“We want to find those individuals who might have been affected by the war on drugs and give them an avenue to enter this industry in a fair way”
“My pitbull, Bally, was suffering from anxiety—I could hear her crying from outside the sliding door,” he said. “I use CBD for my anxiety, so I started giving it to her.” He first used a tincture to apply the liquid on her tongue, but Bally didn’t like the dropper going in her mouth.
Fuccello, an amateur chef, began concocting homemade treats, infusing coconut oil with 1000 or 2000 milligrams of CBD. Now, DabbinDoge sells packs of 30 snacks for $45.
“I used to work for a sewer and drain company—it was literally a crappy job,” Fuccello quipped. “This is a big step up, from snaking sewer lines to having my own business.”
One New Yorker, a boomer who gave his name as “Ricky Ray,” has smoked weed since age 15. After a cancer diagnosis compelled him to quit smoking, Ray began making his own tinctures.
“Now I love that I can just buy all these edibles,” he said. “I can make it just as easy, but an industry has finally been created to satisfy people.”
Vangst, a recruiting company, serves as an employment agency for cannabis companies.
“We want to provide companies with quality candidates, versus someone who doesn’t understand that this is a real job outside of stoner culture,” Daniel Barzottini, the company’s business development manager, said.
He added that Vangst recently hired a a full-time employee dedicated to advancing “social equity” in cannabis. “We want to find those individuals who might have been affected by the war on drugs and give them an avenue to enter this industry in a fair way,” he said.
McGrann, the consultant, shook his head when asked if he thought the expo scene looked homogenous. “It’s definitely a broad cross section of people at this point,” he said. “There are suits and T-shirts.”
Nadir Pearson, a recent Brown graduate and activist who will appear on a Sunday panel at CWCBE about cannabis in academia, spoke passionately about navigating the field as a young black man.
“To be frank, yes, it is tricky,” Pearson said. “The racial history of cannabis is almost double that of any other industry. There are people sitting in jail for smoking weed, and that’s the big looming thing, while people are basking in the sun, smoking in other states.”
He added, “I come from a privileged background of going to an Ivy League university. That is a big way to combat the stigma, too. I just graduated—that’s crazy.”
The recent graduate then put his head in his hands and began to cry, overcome with the enormity of his achievement.
“Goddamn,” he apologized. “This is just because I’m high.
Source: THE DAILY BEAST
The REVEL dream-team posed for pictures and spoke to the media during cocktail hour as guests filed downstairs and mingled before the panel discussion, “Cannabis + Licensing” took place.
Guest speakers included:
Jason Starr, Assistant Counsel to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (NY)
Dr. Chanda Macias, Owner + CEO | National Holistic™ (DC) and Women Grow
Ashley Picollo, Founder | Point Seven Group (CO)
Conrad Martin, Founder | Sky High Ventures (NY) | Network Editor Producer | Enterpreneur Media (NY)
Several hundred attendees both in the business and those aspiring to get into the cannabis sector packed the downtown auditorium to find out from the experts, what the state of licensing is now and will be, once marijuana is legalized in NY State.
Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) and their members, gathered on Feb. 19 at the Hearst building in NYC, to discuss the state of the industry and what the future may hold for growers, manufacturers and consumers of cannabis-infused beauty products.
Cannabisness Of Beauty is published by Cheryl Green
owner of Green Creative Group LLC,
a M/WBE certified company
