Cannabis Science Conference East 2022: Connecting Cannabis Scientists, Researchers, Healthcare Professionals, Patients, and Industry Insiders for Education
Cannabis Science Conference East was held in Baltimore, Maryland from September 14-16, 2022. Here we provide a few highlights from the event.
In Baltimore, Maryland more than 80 presenters gathered from across the nation and globe to share the latest developments, trends, research, and best practices in the cannabis industry with more than 600 attendees at Cannabis Science Conference East. The event was kicked off with a full-day interactive workshop—the Canna Boot Camp—held at Evermore Cannabis Company, which gave attendees an inside look into cultivation, pre-processing, sample prep, analytical testing, extraction, and more.
The first full day of the conference program began on Thursday, September 15th. The conference featured analytical science, medical cannabis, cultivation, and hemp tracks as well as the new addition of a psychedelics track.
Plenary speaker Dr. David “Dedi” Meiri, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Biology at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, gave an incredible in-depth presentation on the remarkable research his laboratory has done with cannabinoids as a successful treatment for a variety of conditions including cancer, sleep, and autism. Dr. Meiri stressed the need to understand why certain cannabinoids work for specific conditions and went into detail on some of the research his team has undertaken to address that question. Learn more about his work in this recent interview with Cannabis Science and Technology.
At the end of day one, a networking mixer held in the exhibit hall provided the opportunity to make connections and exchange knowledge in-person with speakers, attendees, and more than two dozen exhibitors from all facets of the cannabis industry.
The two-day analytical track featured more than 23 presentations, including two panel discussions, focusing on topics such as testing, extraction, contaminants, microbiology, and quality control. One keynote address in this track was given by Dr. Susan Audino, Principal of S. Audino & Associates, LLC titled “Lessons Learned – Or Not – In Cannabis Testing.” Dr. Audino explained laboratory progress toward meeting regulatory requirements and how to balance business decisions that could compromise scientific integrity, plus the efforts and challenges to establishing standard testing methods. Learn more about Dr. Audino’s work in this recent interview with Cannabis Science and Technology.
The two-day medical track featured 22 presentations, including four panel discussions, covering topics such as nurses, veterans, research and education, and pediatrics. Dr. Dustin Sulak, founder of Integr8 Health and co-founder of Healer.com, gave a fascinating keynote presentation explaining the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids, reviewing the preclinical and clinical literature, clinical cases, and practical strategies for clinicians and patients. Learn more about Dr. Sulak’s presentation in this recent interview live from the conference.
The newly launched two-day psychedelics track featured 11 presentations, including two panel discussions, and covered a variety of topics including mental health treatments and therapy, quantitation, patents, plus veteran and pediatric perspectives. In their keynote address, Dr. Andrew Coop, Dr. Chad Johnson, and Dr. Leah Sera of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy presented “There’S Room for Everyone: The Emerging Field of Psychedelic Therapeutics.” The presenters provided an overview of the history and science behind the use of psychedelics, how they function in the human body, and clinical evidence evaluating their use in treating medical conditions. Learn more about this talk here.
In the one-day cultivation track on Thursday September 15th, the presentations covered important topics such as climate control, disease, grow lights, and nutrients. This track was chaired by Dr. Zacariah Hildenbrand of the University of Texas at El Paso, who kicked things off with the first talk of the day on phytochemicals found in cannabis. Learn more about Dr. Hildenbrand’s talk and research in this recent interview. In the keynote address, Mike Finley of Cultivo, Inc. and STACS drew upon his more than 20 years’ experience in cultivation facilities to give his presentation titled “Indoor Cultivation Climate Importance and Control.” Finley explained how to best understand thermal load calculations and equipment selection based on the relationships between atmospheric properties and the cannabis plant, plus how each decision affects the success of a facility.
In the one-day hemp track on Friday, September 16th, the presentations covered important topics such as cannabinoids, disease, hemp-containing products, and industry challenges. This track was chaired by Dr. Heather Darby of the University of Vermont, who started the day off with her talk on hemp production. Learn more about Dr. Darby’s research and talk in this recent interview. In the keynote address, Benbruno Nkapbela, CEO of Fiction Formulations & Services, gave a presentation titled “Isolation of and Conversion of Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol into Cannabichromene acid and Cannbigerol.” Nkapbela explained his company’s research on methods of isolating illicit compounds found in hemp, how to convert them into non-illicit compounds, the successes and challenges encountered, plus the next steps in this research. He opened the floor for open discussion with audience that led to very interesting discussions of how to continue his research and what it might mean for the industry in the future. Learn more about Nkapbela’s research in this recent interview.
To view the full conference program, click here: https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/join-us-at-cannabis-science-conference-east-2022.
Join us for the next Cannabis Science Conference as the industry continues to move forward! For more information, please visit https://www.cannabisscienceconference.com/.
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Ep 24, Part I: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
November 21st 2024Evan Friedmann interviews Yasha Khan, co-founder of MCR Labs, about his journey into the cannabis industry and his efforts to promote transparency and integrity in laboratory practices. Yasha discusses the origins of MCR Labs, which began in Massachusetts to meet the needs of the soon-to-be legal medical cannabis market. He explains the challenges faced, including result manipulation by labs and the impact on public health. Yasha's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) project aimed to gather testing data from 37 states, revealed significant discrepancies in potency and mold results. Despite some states' reluctance to share data, Yasha has made much of this data public, leading to collaborative research and publications on various aspects of cannabis testing.
Assessing Cannabis as a Harm Reduction Strategy: Insights from a Large-Scale Study
November 19th 2024A New Zealand study aimed to assess cannabis use as a harm reduction tool. Findings highlight lifestyle factors, and suggest cannabis-focused harm reduction strategies in reducing other substance use such as alcohol.
Ep 23, Part III: Accreditation in the Cannabis Industry with Susan Audino
October 24th 2024In Part III of this episode, host Evan Friedmann is joined by Susan Audino, PhD, founder of S.A. Audino & Associates, LLC, and co-founder of Saturn Scientific, LLC, to examine the complexities of sampling in the cannabis industry, emphasizing the need for proper sampling plans, and methods.
