Tentative schedule subject to change
Saturday, January 24
Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, Rocketts Landing Room
9:00AM - 5:00PM Conference registration & badge pick up
Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, Capitol Room
9:00AM Virginia Cannabis Conference Networking Breakfast
12:00PM Lunch
2:45PM Afternoon break
Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, Kanahwa Ballroom
9:00AM - 6:00PM Expo Hall
2:00PM Book Signing
Meet Tamara Netzel, author of Humans of Cannabis: A Renaissance of Hope
Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, James River Ballroom
10:00AM Opening Remarks
JM Pedini, NORML
10:30AM The Landscape of Federal Cannabis Policy
NORML's Morgan Fox and JM Pedini unpack the potential impacts and implications of federal marijuana rescheduling and shines a light on the latest threat to cannabis freedom - big monied attempts in multiple states to repeal legalization entirely. What roadblocks and what progress can we expect in 2026?
Morgan Fox, NORML
JM Pedini, NORML
1:00PM Cannabis: A Gateway to Healing
Cannabis: A Gateway to Healing explores how cannabis can open the door to deeper wellness, creativity, emotional balance, and spiritual connection. Tamara Netzel shares powerful stories from her book Humans of Cannabis: A Renaissance of Hope, along with reflections on where Virginia stands today and the next phase of advocacy—moving from passing bills to shaping how cannabis is understood, accessed, and integrated into wellness and community life. The session concludes with a grounding experiential practice led by Selina Bragg-Pastian of BraggIn Wellness and Shannon Somogyi of Mobile OM Yoga & Wellness, combining sound healing and yoga.
Selina Bragg-Pastian, BraggIn Wellness
Tamara Netzel, Cruel Consequences: Portraits of Misguided Law
Shannon Somogyi, Mobile OM Yoga & Wellness
2:00PM Building a Winning Cannabis Team: Strategy from Start to Scale
Successful cannabis businesses start with the right team. This session explores strategies for assembling and managing a high-performing team from the earliest planning stages through post-launch operations. Panelists will share best practices for defining roles, aligning goals, and building systems that support sustainable growth. Whether you’re preparing your license application, entering the regulated market, or scaling an existing operation, this discussion offers practical guidance to ensure your team is positioned to succeed.
Ngiste Abebe, KND Group
Colton Farris, Hilb Groupp
Paul McLean, Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition
Ashwin Raj, LeafLink
3:00PM License Applications, New Licensees and Raising Capital – Lessons Learned from Other States
This panel examines how fundraising strategies affect licensing processes, drawing lessons from other states on how to put forth the strongest possible application. It also covers the fundamentals of raising capital for new licensees, including why traditional debt is rarely available at early stages and the key regulatory considerations governing equity and debt financings. The presentation will address the current macro environment for cannabis financings and how evolving federal policy considerations intersect with investor sentiment.
Charles Alovisetti, Vicente
4:00PM Real-World Challenges for Virginia Ancillary Cannabis Businesses
Join Peter from HomeGrown VA, Mark from Rooting VA, and Tristan from The Hyena Club, for an honest conversation about what it’s really like to run a cannabis-adjacent small business in Virginia. They’ll talk through the day-to-day challenges, the regulatory hurdles, and what they’ve learned along the way. The session will wrap up with an open Q&A, giving attendees a chance to ask questions and hear directly from business owners navigating this space in real time.
Tristan Craig, The Hyena Club
Peter Hilleary, HomeGrown VA
Mark Tavares, Rooting VA
4:45PM Closing Remarks
JM Pedini, NORML
Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown, James River Ballroom
7:00 - 10:00PM Commonwealth Green Gala
