Defining Access: Medical, Adult, OTC, or Something Else?

David Mangone Related Seminars and Products

Director of Policy

The Liason Group

David serves as the Director of Policy for the Liaison Group representing clients including the National Cannabis Roundtable, the California Cannabis Industry Association, and the Oregon Cannabis Association. Using a pragmatic and evidence based approach, David has influenced cannabis policy on the international, federal, and state level. He has worked to advance cannabis reform on the Federal level with a particular focus on getting cannabis businesses access to financial services. David has authored a book chapter in Cannabis Capital: How to Get Your Business Funded in the Cannabis Economy about federal regulation and banking policy and regularly is quoted in Politico, Marijuana Business Daily, Marijuana Moment and other publications.

Prior to joining The Liaison Group, David served as the Director of Government Affairs & Counsel for Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest nonprofit representing medical cannabis patients. In this role he authored several publications including 2019 State of the States Report: An Analysis of Medical Cannabis Access in the United States and acted as a policy resource for lawmakers around the country. David has also worked as a Legislative Fellow for a senior Democratic member of  Congress on the House Ways & Means Committee, and as an attorney in private practice

Rob Bonta Related Seminars and Products

Assembly Member

State of California

Assembly member Rob Bonta was elected to the California State Assembly's 18th District in 2012, where he represents the cities of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He became the first Filipino American legislator in California’s then 165-year history. Rob’s passion for justice and equality was instilled in him at a very young age by his parents, who taught him to understand injustice and the importance of joining the struggle to empower vulnerable communities. His father was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and stood with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Deep South---marching for equality and justice in Selma. His mother was and continues to be a long-time leader in the Filipino social justice movement. Growing up in a trailer just a few hundred yards from César Chávez’s home, Bonta watched closely as his parents organized Filipino and Mexican American farm workers, infusing his formative years with first-hand experience of one of the greatest peaceful social, racial, and economic justice movements of all time. This had a huge impact on Rob’s life choices and pursuits, inspiring his life’s commitment to helping people. Rob believed legal training was one of the most powerful ways to effect positive and profound change in the lives of those who needed it most. He worked his way through college cleaning laundry rooms and, with the help of financial aid, was able to achieve his dream of attending some of the best universities in the world, obtaining his Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School after attending Yale College and Oxford University in England. Earning honors in college, Rob was also a scholar athlete, captaining the Yale Soccer team. He also paved the way for the advancement of students of color as a mentor and volunteered in support of local children struggling with poverty. His legal career included work as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees, and as a private attorney, where he fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling. Rob was undefeated at trial, never losing a jury verdict for his clients. Prior to being elected to the Alameda City Council, Rob served as the Chair of the City of Alameda’s Economic Development Commission, where he focused on business attraction and retention efforts, and as board president for the Social Service Human Relations Board, where he fought to protect safety net services for the most vulnerable members of the community. As Vice Mayor of the City of Alameda, Bonta strongly supported public safety, fostered economic development, and exercised fiscal responsibility. In the State Assembly, Bonta currently serves as the Assistant Majority Leader. He serves on the Appropriations, Communications and Conveyance, Governmental Organization, and Health Committees. Rob and his wife Mialisa live in Alameda with their three children

Constantin von der Groeben Related Seminars and Products

Co-Founder | Managing Director

Demecan

After studying law, Dr. Constantin von der Groeben worked as a lawyer in Berlin and New York, and then as an officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. When the “Cannabis as Medicine Act” was passed in 2017, the native of Bonn saw the opportunity to help shape a unique development in Germany from the very beginning. Together with his study friends Dr. Cornelius Maurer (economist) and Dr. Adrian Fischer (physician) he decided to found DEMECAN. Today, DEMECAN operates as the only independent German producer of medical cannabis on behalf of the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

The fact that legalization, which first took place in medicine, is now imminent in the consumer segment with „the traffic light coalition“, confirms his decision to build the largest European cannabis production facility. As one of the managing directors, Dr. Constantin von der Groeben is responsible for the legal department as well as regulatory affairs, strategic projects, communications and human resources.

With DEMECAN, Von der Groeben is pursuing the goal of guaranteeing patients in Germany access to medical cannabis of the highest pharmaceutical quality “Made in Germany”. For the legal expert, it was clear from the beginning that despite the written law, it remains a challenge for patients to obtain this drug, which is still fraught with prejudice and hardly available in Germany. Since fall 2021, the first cannabis plants have been cultivated in specially designed and secured rooms for narcotics in Ebersbach near Dresden in Saxony, and the first deliveries to Germany’s pharmacies will take place in early 2022.

But the healthcare market has long since ceased to be the sole focus for DEMECAN. The company now wants to use its expertise in cannabis production at the pharmaceutical and thus the very highest level to produce for the consumer market. The company could then grow from the current 70 to up to 250 employees and, as a future-proof employer in a structurally weak region, make an important contribution to economic strength.

Deepak Anand Related Seminars and Products

CEO

Materia Ventures

Mr. Anand has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the global cannabis industry. He is a public speaker and is regularly engaged with Canadian and International media on all subjects related to the Cannabis industry. Mr. Anand holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Management from Vancouver Island University. He is a recognized thought leader and brings 15 years of leadership experience in the health, charitable/non-profit, and private sectors in Canada. Within the global cannabis sector, Mr. Anand has worked with senior government officials, politicians, policy makers, health professional organizations, clinical practitioners, educators, investor, patients as well as producers. He has also served on the boards of various pharmaceutical associations across Canada, the United States and Europe. Currently, Mr. Anand serves on a variety of boards within the international cannabis space which include not for profit, advocacy and patient driven organizations.