Anewindustry gets it together in Toronto
Thirteen years ago, singe r-songwriter Melissa Etheridge took medical marijuana to combat the side effects of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. Today, she is the owner of her own line of cannabis-inf used wine tinctures and other marijuana products.
“Seventy years ago, marijuana was on pharmacy shelves. Now it’s time to get back to that,” she told Billboard magazine when she launched Etheridge Farms last year. “I just feel really strongly about the medicinal aspects of cannabis.”
Etheridge will be heading to Toronto later this month to attend O’Cannabiz Conference & Expo, a three- day event that will explore the latest regulations, industry standards and best practices for medical and recreational cannabis.
Thousands of attendees, including physicians, licensed producers, industry professionals and the general public, are expected at the event at the Sheraton Centre April 21-23. They see it as an opportunity to learn, network and advocate.
Some of the sessions are specifically geared toward those who have invested in the marijuana industry or are considering doing so. Among those sessions is a pre- conference boot camp, which will provide attendees with an overview of the evolution of the cannabis industry dating back to the 1960s. Attendees will learn about the three cannabis markets and be introduced to the vari- ous businesses, products and technologies in the industry. At the conference itself, prospective cannabis investors will be attending a presentation that looks at the cannabis market, its segmentation, size estimates, growth drivers and investment risks. They will also attend a panel discussion about how and where to access capital to launch and develop a cannabis business.
Thanks to its size and scope, O’Cannabiz Conference & Expo has attracted some of the biggest names in the cannabis space, some of whom will be making presentations or giving talks.
In addition to Etheridge, the roster of keynote speakers includes Bruce Linton, the founder of Canopy Growth, Canada’s biggest publicly traded marijuana company, and Dr. David Meiri, head of the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
CONFERENCE IS ‘ FIRST OF ITS KIND’
MNP, a national account- ing, tax and business consulting firm, is the lead sponsor of O’Cannabiz Conference & Expo.
“We looked into the marijuana industry a while back and realized that as an entrepreneurial firm, it presented a great opportunity for us,” says Glenn Fraser, vice-president, national leader, food and beverage processing at MNP. “We’ve been active in the industry for a couple of years and now offer a full range of services.”
The firm’s head of cybersecurity, Danny Timmins, will be giving a presentation on that subject, looking at how cyber-attacks are evolving and the steps that owners should take to protect their businesses from attackers.
It made good sense to get involved with O’Cannabiz, says Fraser. “This is the big conference of the year. The major licensed producers will be there and people will be coming in from all over the world. If you want to see what the future of the industry looks like in terms of investment and other areas, this is great conference for you.”
“Many conferences focus on just one thing,” adds Danya Dixon, vice- president of programming at O’Cannabiz.
“But this conference is different because of the broad focus and range of activities — from presentations on important industry topics and networking opportunities to entertainment. O’Cannabiz is the first of its kind in Canada.”