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Complimentary Virtual Conference

January 20, 2021
12:00 Noon - 5:00 PM EDT

Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference

The Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference is back! For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into cannabis and hemp testing, R&D testing, laboratory accreditation, regulatory compliance, and more. Take a look at the presentations and speakers below for more information.

Attendees registering for this complimentary series of webinars will get access to seven veterans of the cannabis lab testing industry, who are all available for Q&A after each presentation. In addition to getting the opportunity to chat with these subject matter experts on January 20^th, a recording of the presentations will be made available to all who register.

Practical and educational information from experts in the cannabis lab testing industry, all on the same day and all from the comfort of your lab, home or office. Want real inside knowledge on the cannabis testing industry? Sign up today!

Who Should Attend:

Cannabis laboratory personnel
Lab managers, Chemists, Microbiologists
Investors of cannabis labs, those looking to start a lab
Clients of laboratories including: growers, processors, dispensary managers and stakeholders in the cannabis lab testing market

Agenda

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

12:05 PM - Cannabis Laboratory Accreditation Panel
Tracy Szerszen, President & Operations Manager, Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA)
Mohan Sabaratnam, Vice President, IAS
Jason Stine, Sr. Director of Accreditation, ANAB
Anna Williams, Accreditation Supervisor, A2LA

This panel, moderated by Cannabis Industry Journal editor Aaron Biros, will go in-depth into the new ISO/IEC 17025:2017 version, changes from the 2005 version and the new transition timeline mandated by ILAC.
Learn some of the common challenges labs face when seeking accreditation.
Learn about sampling protocols, security issues, statements of conformance, calibration and much more.

12:55 PM - New Analyzed Cannabinoids Plus Analysis of Pesticides, Residual Solvents & Heavy Metals - SHIMADZU TechTalk
Dr. Bob Clifford, General Manager, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments

1:10 PM - Lab Testing in the Supply Chain: Compliance Crossroads for Operators
Mark Slaugh, Owner & CEO, iComply

Learn why communication in the supply chain matters between operators and labs.
Explore common areas of compliance challenges for operators and how they impact relationships with labs and consumers.
Discover how to improve service and differentiate labs to benefit operators and their compliance.

2:00 PM - Top 7 Things to Consider when Comparing Cannabis Testing Equipment - Agilent Tech Talk
Greg Kozadjian, MBA, Emerging Markets Business Development - Cannabis Testing, Agilent

2:15 PM - Break

2:25 PM - R&D Lab Testing: Ensuring Success with Results
Christian Sweeney, President, Sonoma Lab Works

New Product Launches
- Shelf life, stability & brand identity metrics
Quality Control
- Trend data
Preparing for Compliance Batches
- Types of analyses for product types, critical sampling practices & developing opportunities for corrective action
Environmental Testing
- Microbial Swabbing, equipment and facility contaminations, soil & grow contaminations and scouting new locations for cultivation

3:15 PM - Potency Testing: Options and New Developments - MilliporeSigma Tech Talk
Dr. Hiller Brandes, Analytical Technology Specialist, MilliporeSigma

3:30 PM - Pesticide Testing: Methods, Strategies & Sampling
Mikhail Gadomski, Corporate Senior Chemist, Deibel Bioscience of California

This presentation will provide an overview of pesticide testing and current regulations, with a special focus on California.
Learn about standard operating procedures and instrumentation used for pesticide testing.
Learn about method development and sample preparation for pesticide testing.

4:20 pm - Tech Talk

4:35 PM - Wrap Up

SPEAKERS

Mohan Sabaratnam
Vice President
IAS

Mohan Sabaratnam is currently a Vice President with IAS and is responsible for the management of IAS’s quality system and global recognitions. As VP he is also responsible for ensuring the operational success of a number of accreditation schemes operated by IAS

Jason Stine
Senior Director of Accreditation
ANAB

Jason Stine works directly for ANAB as a Senior Director of accreditation in charge of accreditation activities relating to testing laboratories and supporting programs accredited by ANAB.

Tracy Szerszen
President & Operations Manager
Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA)

Tracy Szerszen is the President and Operations Manager of Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA), a private third- party accreditation body for the past 11 years and formerly the Audit Logistics Manager for Perry Johnson Registrars a Quality and Environmental ISO Certification Body for 6 years. Her primary responsibilities include the direct oversight of the operation, accreditation and sales activities for PJLA.

Anna Williams
Accreditation Supervisor
A2LA

Anna Williams is an Accreditation Supervisor with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and has worked with the Association since September 2015. She supports the day-to-day operations of accreditation by assisting clients in obtaining and maintaining accreditation in the chemical and biological fields of testing. Anna serves as the primary staff.

Mark Slaugh
Owner & CEO
iComply

Mark works in the specialist sector of compliance for the medical, retail, and hemp industries and has over 12 years’ experience in cannabis industry development, consulting, and operational compliance and over 21 years’ experience in regulations and risk management. Due to his extensive background and education, Mark knows what it takes to move markets forward at political, policy, and operational levels. He has developed small and large startups, improved existing operations, and has protected some of the top companies in the field. iComply provides operational compliance services and validation of over 200 cultivation, manufacturing and processing, and dispensing facilities since 2011 and iComply consults for a variety of communities, organizations, and governments.

Christian Sweeney
President
Sonoma Lab Works

With a background in Chemistry and Food Science from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University, Christian has focused his career on the analysis, extraction, and utilization of natural ingredients for both their bioactive and organoleptic properties. From researching anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables, to developing cutting-edge processes for natural extraction of coffee, tea, and hops, his driving focus has been to maintain the nutritive and sensorial attributes of horticultural products while converting them into usable ingredients. For the last five years, he brought his experience to the cannabis industry first as VP of Science & Technology at Cannabistry, one of the leading cannabis research & development organizations in the nation. In 2020, he joined Sonoma Lab Works as President where his focus is on guiding their phenomenal clients towards sustainable and consistent success while ensuring the safety of products in the California market. His greatest passion is fostering talent and advocating for the many enthusiastic scientists he has been lucky enough to work with. Additionally, Christian has strived to improve the Cannabis industry at large through his involvement in the AOAC Expert Review Panel, ASTM D37 Subcommittee, and the Colorado Dept. of Revenue Science & Policy Working Group on Cannabis.

Mikhail Gadomski
Corporate Senior Chemist
Deibel Bioscience of California

He is a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with focus on Environmental Toxicology. He has an intrinsic passion for plant diversity and herbal efficacy that was entrenched during a 4-month study abroad program in Cusco, Peru. He has worked in the Quality Control setting of Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements for over 5 years prior to entering the California Cannabis Compliance Industry in 2018. During the time worked in the Dietary Supplement industry he developed close relations with the American Herbal Pharmacopeia and apprehended a further understanding and dedication for consumer safety. Since then, he has worked to successfully set up a compliant Cannabis testing facility under the regulatory requirements of the Bureau of Cannabis Control California. Deibel Bioscience of California LLC. has recently successfully completed full ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation. He is a member of the “Emerald Test” advisory panel, a Proficiency Test/ Inter-laboratory Comparison program for cannabis and cannabis related matrices. Current projects are collaborating with other Deibel Bioscience Labs and lead vendors to optimize methods for inter-laboratory robustness and efficiencies.

Dr. Bob Clifford
General Manager
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments

Dr. Bob Clifford received his Bachelor’s degree from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University in New Jersey, his Master’s degree from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has published and presented over 125 papers in the fields of food, pharmaceutical, environmental, energy, geology, material science, photonics, and cannabis. He has written chapters in multiple books related to cannabis and is currently working on a couple more book chapters. Bob has worked for companies such as Campbell Soup Company and the FDA. Two organization with concern for the beneficial and harmful products being consumed. Bob started Shimadzu Scientific Instruments as a product specialist 29 years ago and has been promoted through the ranks to General Manager of Marketing.

Greg Kozadjian
Emerging Markets Business Development - Cannabis Testing
Agilent

Originally a biochemist, Greg Kozadjian has been responsible for emerging market opportunities, within Agilent North America, focusing on the cannabis testing industry. Greg guides Agilent and their customers to establish the best cannabis testing practices to help businesses achieve quality and consistency. In touch with the industry’s trends, Greg has attended almost all the major cannabis tradeshows and is currently working with licensed producers and testing labs in Canada, the US and Latin America. His experience with cannabis material and other drugs began during his time working at the Montreal Forensics lab to develop an “Express” method analyzing 300 drugs, in urine and blood, by LC-MS. He has been exposed to the drug-development world through his experiences in the pre-clinical pharmaceutical industry.

Hillel Brandes, Ph.D.
Analytical Technology Specialist
MilliporeSigma

Hillel Brandes holds a PhD in biochemistry and is an Analytical Technology Specialist supporting analytical customers within the Applied Solutions Group of MilliporeSigma in North America. His territory is the western United States, where he currently spends most of his time supporting the Cannabis market. Hillel is also a member of working groups within the AOAC’s Cannabis Analytical Science Program (CASP). Prior to his current role, he was a Principal R&D Scientist, focusing on HPLC product development and application support.

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 Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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