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/.
To stay up to date on the latest information and to view photos and video from the conference, follow on social media: https://www.facebook.com/CannaScienceConference, https://www.instagram.com/cannabisscienceconference/?hl=en, https://twitter.com/cannascicon, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/cannabis-science-conference.
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Khan
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
German Medical Cannabis Market Has Yet to Reach Its Full Potential
December 25th 2024Germany’s Cannabis Act (CanG) is beginning to transform the country's medical cannabis market, with potential opportunities to expand telemedicine, improve physician training, and enhancing accessibility in this rapidly growing industry.