From Battlefield to Grow Room: The Science, Discipline, and Responsibility of Growing Better Cannabis
How genetics, living soil, terpene science, and modern cultivation create consistent craft-quality cannabis.
“Years later, after military service, injuries, surgeries, chronic pain, PTSD, and watching too many friends struggle…

I started asking a different question.

‘Why are so many people putting things into their bodies without ever questioning how they were produced?’

We scrutinize organic

Ownership structures and cap table decisions can make or break a Virginia cannabis license application, but applicants often overlook these details until it’s too late. Vicente LLP partner Charles Alovisetti draws on lessons from licensing outcomes across multiple markets to break down what regulators look for in equity splits, investor terms and entity formation and how ownership decisions can quickly impact a company’s success in Virginia’s emerging cannabis market.

Virginia’s cannabis lottery won’t be decided by luck — it will be decided before the draw, at the eligibility and completeness review where inconsistent ownership disclosures, unreconciled financials, and overlooked qualification requirements quietly eliminate applicants. Drawing on Cannaspire’s experience securing licenses in Minnesota’s vetted lottery and years of work in the New York market, this session maps the disqualification traps most likely to appear in Virginia’s February lottery.

In this talk learn about how to succeed during Rescheduling with GMP/GACP certification, which will become a necessity for many cultivators, processors, and manufacturers. Paritcipants will learn key strategies to upgrade their facilities and training, and product and stability validations. while finding ways to capitalize on exporting internationally as cannabis laws become less stringent worldwide. For new operators in the Virginia market, starting with GMP in mind is the smartest approach.

Launching a cannabis dispensary in Virginia is an exciting opportunity—but the technology you choose can make or break your success. This session is designed for entrepreneurs preparing to open in Virginia who want to build a reliable, compliant, and scalable tech stack from day one.

Securing capital and licenses does not guarantee that a cultivation operation is prepared to perform. Many funded projects struggle not because the plan was wrong, but because it was never built to survive contact with daily operations. This session examines what true operational readiness looks like in cannabis cultivation and how leaders translate funding into a disciplined, high-performing grow from day one.

Every cannabis operator faces the automation question; usually pitched by a vendor at the worst possible time. Automate too early and you burn capital. Too late and margin compression eats you alive. Drawing on five plus years inside cannabis production, Andrew Wells walks operators through a practical framework: Is your process stable enough to automate? Is the labor math real? What breaks at 2x volume? Built for operators in emerging markets who want to skip mistakes others already paid for.

In the rapidly evolving cannabis market, the relationship between facility operators and fire code officials is often viewed as adversarial—a series of expensive hurdles and red tape. However, safety and profitability are not mutually exclusive. This session, led by a veteran Fire Chief with direct experience approving more than half a dozen cultivation and extraction facilities, shows collaboration with your (AHJ) can prevent costly retrofits and streamline the licensing process.

Cannabis Expo Presentation Guide:
• Property: protect buildings, equipment, inventory
• Product Liability: claims from contaminated/defective products
• General Liability: slip-and-fall, third-party risks
• Beverage Liability: infused drink exposures
• Workers Comp: employee injuries, compliance
• Commercial Auto: delivery and transport risks
• Exclusions: key gaps, endorsements, risk strategies

Compliance in the cannabis industry can be make-or-break to maintaining the value of your license and avoiding regulatory fines and delays. The fractional compliance model allows operators to use a third party to audit their operations, update their SOPs and operations materials to the code and regulations, and ensure that compliance tasks are being performed without the cost of an additional compliance officer’s salary.

As an emerging cannabis market matures beyond initial licensing euphoria, savvy investors are discovering compelling opportunities amid cannabis facility failures and consolidation. This presentation examines distressed cannabis license acquisitions, equipment liquidations, and strategic positioning as over-optimistic operators face margin compression. Discuss how to identify undervalued operations, navigate typical transfer approvals, and capitalize on cash strapped businesses.

Take a deep dive into why stable & exotic genetics are so important!  What is tissue culture and how can I take advantage of it. This will educate & teach growers how to achieve frosty & flavorful buds time after time!  Understand what to look for when choosing the genetics that you will be cultivating under your BRAND.  This session is designed for growers, entrepreneurs, investors, and advocates looking to understand how advancements in genetics and cultivation techniques can shape the future of their brand in the cannabis industry.  Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back!  The cream always rises to the top! 

This session offers a strategic framework for cannabis operators who want to build their business on a solid financial & operational foundation. The presentation lays out the essential systems, controls, and KPIs that need to be in place before scaling, all from the lens of a CPA who understands the unique regulatory and tax environment cannabis businesses face. Attendees will leave with a practical checklist of what a “scalable-ready” business looks like, and how to avoid the disorganization,

Learn the fundamentals and the pitfalls to avoid in developing a premium exotic flower grow facility and operation. Learn about facility development starting with selecting the correct property, the type of facility to build, how to precisely control the environment, and setting up a perpetual rotation and cultivation program.

The session will substantially help in avoiding costly mistakes and make sure growers are on the right path to developing a successful premium flower operation.