Sponsored by:

Complimentary Virtual Event

March 31, 2020
12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM EDT

3rd Annual Infused Products Virtual Conference

This complimentary virtual conference consists of 4 back-to-back webinars, all on the same day.

In a number of states across the country, edibles, topicals, beverages and other infused products are taking up a larger percentage of the market share. They come in all shapes and sizes- from granola bars to lotions, lubricant and scented candles; manufacturers are infusing a wide variety of products with cannabis, creating a market that meets a larger consumer demographic.

Different states have different rules when it comes to product safety. Some states require ServSafe training and local health inspections, while others have more stringent lab testing rules, require documented GMPs and even a form of certification demonstrating proper food safety protocols.

State regulations shouldn’t be the reason why infused products manufacturers have robust safety and quality standards, consumer safety is. Getting ahead of regulations with proactive safety and quality planning can improve a business’s bottom line tremendously. There are a number of tools and tricks cannabis companies can learn from the food industry to streamline their businesses and gain a bigger chunk of the market share.

Who Should Attend:

Infused products and edibles manufacturers-owners, managers, directors of operations, compliance and quality.
Investors or stakeholders of infused products companies.
Dispensary owners, managers and staff.
Extractors, processors and distributors.

Agenda

12:00 PM - Welcome & Introductions
Aaron Biros, Editor, CannabisIndustryJournal.com - Host and Moderator

12:05 PM - Applying Food Science Principles to Cannabis Edibles
Marina Mincheva, Director, Manufacturing Quality Assurance, Cresco Labs
Stephanie Gorecki, Director, Food Sciences, Cresco Labs

What does the R&D process look like for creating cannabis-infused edibles?
Product commercialization
Developing CPG products with Marketing and Quality input

12:50 PM - Testing Infused & Edible Cannabis Products for Pesticide Residues and Trace Heavy Metals - PerkinElmer Technology Spotlight
Toby Astill, Ph.D., Global Food Market Manager - Cannabis & Hemp, PerkinElmer

1:05 PM - Food Safety Culture in the Cannabis Industry
Ellice Ogle, CEO & Founder, Tandem Food, LLC

What is food safety culture-qualitative
What is food safety culture-quantitative
How to achieve a food safety culture

1:50 PM - The Importance of Implementing a Lab Information Management System - CGM LABDAQ Technology Spotlight
Sandra Laughlin, Sales Enablement Manager, CGM US, Lab Division

2:05 PM - GMPs & HACCP for Cannabis Companies
Kathy Knutson, Principal, Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting, LLC

Before HACCP, implement GMPs
HACCP made simple
Beyond HACCP, apply preventive controls

2:50 PM - Train & Reinforce Product Safety with the Right Learning Technology - ImEPIK Technology Spotlight
Kathryn Birmingham, Chief Operation Officer, ImEPIK

3:05 PM - The New Canadian Edibles Market
Steven Burton, Founder & CEO
Icicle Technologies

Canadian edibles regulation: current state of affairs
The link between food and cannabis industry
What US edibles companies can expect when it comes to regulations

3:50 PM - Technology Spotlight

4:05 PM - Adjournment

SPEAKERS

Marina Mincheva
Director, Manufacturing Quality Assurance
Cresco Labs

Marina Mincheva is responsible for the development and implementation of food safety and quality programs for the manufacturing process of cannabis-infused edible products across multiple facilities. Marina has a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a certified BRCGS auditor and PCQI (FSMA) certified. With 18 years of food industry experience within multiple product categories, Marina is on a mission to bring continuous improvement and best practices into the growing categories of cannabis-infused edibles.

Stephanie Gorecki
Director of Food Science
Cresco Labs

Stephanie Gorecki oversees R&D in the Food and Beverage department at Cresco Labs. She manages the commercialization of new products in collaboration with the Operations team. Stephanie has a Master of Science degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northern Illinois University. She has 14 years of product development and manufacturing experience in various capacities within the food industry. Stephanie is passionate about applying her knowledge and experience into the cannabis space.

Ellice Ogle
CEO & Founder
Tandem Food, LLC

Ellice Ogle is a food technologist with experience in food safety and product development. Ellice founded Tandem Food LLC, a company for food safety auditing, consulting, and training for start-ups. Ellice has had industry experience with SCS Global Services, Sun Basket, and Nestle Ice Cream Research & Development. Overall, Ellice believes food safety can be relevant, simple, and engaging. Ellice graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin and then earned her Master’s in Agriculture with a specialization Dairy Products Technology from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Ellice is Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certified.

Kathy Knutson
Principal
Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting, LLC

Dr. Kathy Knutson consults internationally with food and cannabis manufacturers on recall investigations, problem-solving, training, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance. With 35+ years in microbiology and 15 years of full-time teaching, Dr. Knutson is passionate about training and is an active communicator at all levels of an organization. She has taught and consulted with companies on laboratory methods, interpretation of lab results, quality assurance, sanitation, environmental monitoring, SOPs, GMPs, HACCP and the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). After being trained in 2016 as a Lead Instructor with the FDA-recognized curriculum for Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals, she has personally trained nearly 400 PCQIs and writes preventive controls online curriculum. As a life-long learner, Dr. Knutson is trained in the prevention of intentional adulteration, i.e. food defense, and allergen management. Dr. Knutson is a contributing author at CannabisIndustryJournal.com and ConnectFood.com. Her first book will be available in May 2020, Food Safety Lessons for Cannabis-infused Edibles. When Dr. Knutson is not traveling, she works from home in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and two grandsons. Learn more on her LinkedIn profile.

Toby Astill, Ph.D.
Global Food Market Manager - Cannabis & Hemp
PerkinElmer

Dr. Toby Astill is PerkinElmer’s Global Market Manager for Cannabis & Hemp. Dr. Astill has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and has spent the last 10 years working in Science, Technology and Business Roles for leading technology companies. For the last 9 years he has worked for PerkinElmer, based in locations across the West Coast of Canada & US. Dr. Astill is now focused on driving PerkinElmer's global cannabis and hemp initiatives; including but not limited to new product development, market & industry research, collaboration agreements with customers, application content development and field marketing initiatives.

Steven Burton
Founder & CEO
Icicle Technologies

Steven Burton is an innovative entrepreneur and the creator of the award-winning ERP for food and cannabis manufacturers, Icicle. Through the development of advanced food safety technology based on over 25 years of sophisticated software development expertise, Burton has taken Icicle beyond document management and food safety to offer a complete solution for smart automation, improving quality standards, production efficiency and expanding growth opportunities for all types of food and cannabis businesses.

Dr. Kathryn Birmingham
Chief Operating Officer
ImEPIK, LLC

As Chief Operating Officer of ImEPIK, LLC, Dr. Birmingham ensures product and service standards for research-based interactive online training. She leads teams that research and design training solutions while tracking impact. Kathryn’s expertise is melding business and academic training to bring learning to scale.

A business owner, former University of Florida professor and Dean of Arts & Sciences for Florida State College, Dr. Birmingham blends business acumen and curriculum talent to create innovative training. With experience overseeing a Biotechnology Degree Program with a food testing analytical lab, she is FSPCA/ASDO certified as a Lead Instructor for the FDA regulated standard curriculum for the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.

Sandra Laughlin
Sales Enablement Manager
CGM US, Laboratory Division

With more than 30 years of laboratory experience including bench and lab management, research and development for an analyzer manufacturer, and product management, Sandy Laughlin offers a unique customer-focused insight into laboratory workflows and quality. Sandy's experience with Compugroup Medical includes leading the future development of CGM LABDAQ LIS driven by feedback from current users and sales support. Sandy is currently the Sales Enablement Manager for CGM Laboratory Division. She supports the sale team to ensure they have the required tools and product knowledge to be successful. Sandy enjoys sharing laboratory best practices with customers and the industry.

Aaron Biros
Editor-in-Chief
Cannabis Industry Journal

Aaron Biros is the Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis Industry Journal.com (CIJ), an online business-to-business trade journal focused on the legal cannabis industry. Biros started CIJ in 2015 when he officially joined Innovative Publishing full time. Through editorial coverage of the cannabis markets, Biros has developed a familiarity with regulatory compliance, quality and safety issues as they relate to the burgeoning cannabis industry. Biros covers science and technology updates, breaking news, regulations and emerging markets from his office based in Portland, Oregon.

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