Speakers for the 2024 Conference - NMU Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference

Cannabis Regulatory Agency Executive Director Hanna will provide an update on current regulatory statistics and issues, as well as provide a glimpse into the future of regulations in Michigan.

Executive Director Brian Hanna was designated by Governor Whitmer to lead Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) in December 2022. The CRA oversees the medical and adult-use marijuana industries, regulates hemp-derived products, and runs the state’s medical marijuana registry card program. CRA’s mission is to establish Michigan as the national model for a regulatory program that stimulates business growth while preserving safe consumer access to cannabis. 

Brian previously spent 5 years with the CRA as the manager of field operations, inspections, and investigations. He has a law enforcement and military background, having previously worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with MSP and as a Deputy Sheriff for Kalamazoo County. He also served as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve with a combat deployment to Afghanistan from 2010-2011. 

In this presentation we address where spectra and intensity of LED light matters most, from propagation to flowering phase.

We showcase positive effects of supplemental light, inter canopy light on yield and address what we believe is the challenge ahead: chemistry of cannabis plants. Where do we stand and why does it matter.

Martin is a plant specialist in the cannabis segment at Signify, a multinational lighting corporation and a global leader in lighting solutions. In his current role, Martin collaborates with a research team to advise growers on optimizing cannabis cultivation using Philips LED lighting technology. With over 35 years of experience, Martin has served as a cannabis crop consultant, focusing on indoor city farming and pioneering advanced techniques such as high-tech automated indoor aeroponics in stacked containers. His expertise extends to various aspects of cultivation, including bumblebee pollination in outdoor crops, climate control strategies, and root zone management. Martin has also worked as a freelance crop consultant, contributing to the development of innovative growing media and concepts. He has conducted trials for growers and agricultural companies to explore new methods and technologies in cultivation practices. Martin was born in the Netherlands and his early experience was with growing cut flowers, potted and tropical plants.  

Observing the daily cultural growing practices and experiences while utilizing supplemental LED lighting in cannabis production.

Daniel (Dan) McMahon is a Signify Key Account Manager who has been a part of the Philips Horti LED Solutions team since 2019.  He has spent his professional career in the horticultural sector while gaining experience in greenhouse production, technical crop advisory, and business ownership.  Dan’s technical, business background and a B.S. in Horticulture Science from the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University has led him to live in multiple midwestern states over a 40-year greenhouse production career with a focus in propagation.

Executive Director Brian Hanna was designated by Governor Whitmer to lead Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) in December 2022. The CRA oversees the medical and adult-use marijuana industries, regulates hemp-derived products, and runs the state’s medical marijuana registry card program. CRA’s mission is to establish Michigan as the national model for a regulatory program that stimulates business growth while preserving safe consumer access to cannabis. 

Brian previously spent 5 years with the CRA as the manager of field operations, inspections, and investigations. He has a law enforcement and military background, having previously worked as a criminal intelligence manager and analyst with MSP and as a Deputy Sheriff for Kalamazoo County. He also served as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve with a combat deployment to Afghanistan from 2010-2011. 

Hilary Bricken is a partner at Husch Blackwell, LLP in its Los Angeles office. Licensed in California, Washington, and Florida, she is one of the premier cannabis business and regulatory attorneys in the United States. Hilary helps cannabis and cannabis ancillary companies of all sizes with their legal issues. Every year since 2014, Hilary has been named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine, and in 2022 Hilary was named as a Top 50 Up and Coming Woman Rising Star for Southern California. In 2015, the Puget Sound Business Journal selected Hilary for its Top 40 Under 40 list for business and leadership, and in 2017 the American Bar Association named her a Top 40 Under 40 “On the Rise” attorney in the United States. In 2018, Hilary was honored by National Law Journal as a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer.” In 2022, Hilary was named by Chambers as a Band 1 cannabis business attorney in California. In addition, Hilary was a columnist for Above the Law from 2015 until 2019 where she featured content on cannabis policy and regulation. Hilary is also regular contributor to and editor of her firm’s Cannabis Law Now blog.

James A. Martone is a member with Dickinson Wright, where he has been an integral part of the firm’s commercial legal practice. James’ practice focuses on guiding businesses and entrepreneurial clients in the legal cannabis industry on complex litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters, as well as providing outside general counsel services. James has significant experience advising and assisting clients with day-to-day business and operational needs, such as contract drafting and negotiation, corporate formation, employment issues, real estate issues, intellectual property, and liability deterrence issues. James coordinates companies’ national litigation and operational needs, working with local counsel throughout the United States and internationally to successfully prosecute, defend, and resolve a wide array of legal matters. 

James’ practice also involves a broad range of commercial litigation services and he has been annually recognized for the quality of that practice as a Michigan Top Lawyer as well as a Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Star.” James has successfully represented business and individuals alike in trade secret and IP and trade-secret litigation, cannabis litigation, business tort disputes, commercial and residential foreclosures, shareholder and closed corporate disputes, landlord/tenant matters, education law litigation, domestic and international arbitrations, commercial and residential construction disputes and municipal/governmental litigation. James routinely handles both trial and appellate matters, requiring him to appear in courts throughout the entire state of Michigan, at both the State and Federal level.
 

Jeremy Johnson is a digital marketing professional that has fully transitioned into the cannabis space after a wide range of projects, from leading mobile and web development teams to managing tech installations for music festivals and large-scale events. Cannabis has always been a part of his journey, as a 2nd generation advocate and medical cardholder at an early age. From 2020 to 2022, Jeremy helped lead the e-commerce and digital strategies for two of Michigan's highest-volume dispensaries. Jeremy is now helping to educate cannabis retailers on how to use e-commerce and digital marketing tools to increase brand awareness, grow web traffic, and increase sales in the fastest-growing channel for the cannabis industry.

Mitchell Rusch, originally from Powers, Michigan, began cultivating cannabis as a
medical caregiver in 2013. He graduated from Northern Michigan University with a
bachelor’s degree in business management in 2018. In 2020, Mitchell established his
own cannabis cultivation company (Frosty Trees), for the Michigan recreational market,
which has been thriving ever since. Join him at the conference to extract insights from
his journey in the cannabis industry.

Marketing Director, Taylor Busch Anderson joined Higher Love Cannabis Co. in the spring of 2023. New to the cannabis industry, Taylor has jumped into the regulatory challenges and creative opportunities that this budding trade provides. Higher Love has left their mark in the Michigan Cannabis scene, recently being the first dispensary in the Upper Peninsula to receive the accredited, organically grown, “Clean Green Certification” along with titles, Best Brand in Michigan, Best Farm to Table Cannabis, Best Sativa Flower and more.

Taylor previously spent three years with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce in Lansing, MI as their creative director. She has a decade of experience in design, public relations, marketing and collaborating with non-profit organizations. A proud NMU Alumni, Taylor graduated in 2015 with a communications degree. While at NMU, she spent a considerable amount of her time performing on the Forest Roberts Theatre stage.

After graduating from NMU in 2009 with a degree in Marketing, Kieran moved to Oregon where he worked as a medical cannabis grower and business consultant, engaging with county and state officials to shape Oregon’s emerging recreational cannabis rules and policies.  His experience creating state policy led to careers in Oregon's recreational cannabis industry including: dispensary management, cannabis processing, extraction, and edible production.  In 2019, he transitioned into Cannabis Tech and took an early position managing eCommerce product content at Dutchie, where he continues to help cannabis brands take control of their online presence.

As the Lead LC/DAD Chemist for Cambium Analytica, I lead a team performing several different quantitative analyses of active ingredients in cannabis products as well as an array of organic, nutraceutical, and dietary products. Cambium Analytica is a bioanalytical laboratory in Traverse City, Michigan specializing in product development and analytical testing for natural products such as natural foods, dietary supplements, botanical products, and natural pharmaceuticals, including cannabis. 

I graduated with an Associate of Science in 2016 from Schoolcraft College where I played for the Women's Soccer Team. Upon graduation, I moved to Germany to continue pursuing soccer while also studying the German language. After 3 years in Germany, I received my C1 Certification of Fluency from the Goethe Institut, and made the decision to move back to the states to continue my education in Chemistry. I graduated from Northern Michigan University in May 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Medicinal Plant Chemistry. I began working for Cambium Analytica in May of 2022 where I found my passion for instrumentation and separation chemistry especially as it applies to natural products. I learn something new every single day in my position and enjoy getting to be at the forefront of an evolutionary industry from a scientific perspective.

Thomas Dillard, III, has been with the State of Michigan and Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) since July of 2019. Thomas was involved in the early stages of the Social Equity Program and contributed to its formation and subsequent changes all with the aim of positively impacting communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. Thomas is currently the Lead Analyst with the CRA’s Public Relations Section, overseeing the Marijuana Operation and Oversight Grant and Social Equity Grant Program, amongst his other responsibilities and initiatives. 

He was born, raised, and currently resides in Kalamazoo, MI. Thomas attained his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. He earned his MBA and is currently working towards a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics. Thomas is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. Thomas looks forward to attending and taking part in the 2024 Great Lakes Cannabis Education Conference.

Jess Jackson is an influential speaker and writer dedicated to intersectional equity and learning content strategy. As an award-winning host and author of "Sis, You're Copper," Jess has crafted a holistic self-help wellness framework inspired by her life as a Big, bi-racial Black Queer woman from Detroit navigating a major depressive disorder diagnosis. 

Jess is not only the insightful host of the Art of Impact Podcast, where she empowers leaders through mindful discussions and actionable insights but is also the founder of Copper House Detroit, a cannabis-themed, community-centered short-term rental in Detroit's Northwest side.  

Her remarkable journey and expertise have gained recognition on platforms such as Mic, Thrillest, Association for Talent Development, TedX, Michigan Advance, Learning Solutions Magazine, and ACPA. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a concentration in Sociology and a sub-concentration in Economy, Business, and Society, Jess holds both an M.ED and MBA, graduating Summa Cum Laude in each discipline. 

Jess's dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion has earned international acclaim, with a focus on impact-driven strategies in education and DEI. She authored TorranceLearning's groundbreaking curriculum, Cultivating Racial Equity in the Workplace (CREW), a comprehensive micro-learning training program rooted in evidence-informed best practices derived from social psychology research. Her dynamic facilitation and training skills have made a lasting impact on large education-focused organizations.  

Beyond her contributions to education, Jess is a trailblazer in the cannabis industry, advocating for the visibility and inclusion of marginalized communities. As the former Director of External Affairs and Social Equity at Common Citizen, Michigan's largest vertically integrated cannabis producer, Jess strategically directed external affairs initiatives related to social responsibility and community benefit partnerships. Managing a 1.1 million-dollar reinvestment portfolio, she led philanthropic efforts, earning recognition from state regulators for her Gold-Star program design. 

As a vocal community advocate, Jess has served on multiple non-profit boards, including Michigan NORML, the Redemption Foundation, and Pink Sesh, solidifying her position as an influential leader in both education and the cannabis sector. For inquiries, reach Jess at iamjesshuman@gmail.com, and join her on the journey towards a more inclusive and empowered future by connecting to her on social media @IamJessHuman.

Martin is a plant specialist in the cannabis segment at Signify, a multinational lighting corporation and a global leader in lighting solutions. In his current role, Martin collaborates with a research team to advise growers on optimizing cannabis cultivation using Philips LED lighting technology. With over 35 years of experience, Martin has served as a cannabis crop consultant, focusing on indoor city farming and pioneering advanced techniques such as high-tech automated indoor aeroponics in stacked containers. His expertise extends to various aspects of cultivation, including bumblebee pollination in outdoor crops, climate control strategies, and root zone management. Martin has also worked as a freelance crop consultant, contributing to the development of innovative growing media and concepts. He has conducted trials for growers and agricultural companies to explore new methods and technologies in cultivation practices. Martin was born in the Netherlands and his early experience was with growing cut flowers, potted and tropical plants.  

Daniel (Dan) McMahon is a Signify Key Account Manager who has been a part of the Philips Horti LED Solutions team since 2019.  He has spent his professional career in the horticultural sector while gaining experience in greenhouse production, technical crop advisory, and business ownership.  Dan’s technical, business background and a B.S. in Horticulture Science from the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University has led him to live in multiple midwestern states over a 40-year greenhouse production career with a focus in propagation.

Sarah Lee is a versatile scientist and educator with a keen interest in plant biology and biotechnology. She holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Utah in Environmental and Organismal Biology, as well as Biology with a Chemistry focus. Sarah furthered her studies at Michigan State University, earning a Master of Science degree in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology. Her research at MSU focused on CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in diploid potatoes. Her research has resulted in academic publications and valuable potato lines for MSU's breeding program. Transitioning to the cannabis industry, she served as Cultivation Captain, overseeing large-scale cultivation operations and implementing scientific methodologies to optimize plant care and production processes. Currently, Sarah serves as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Northern Michigan University, where she plays a pivotal role in developing the Cannabis Operations and Plant-Based Wellness program while fostering student learning and career development.