An Empire State Of Mind: Catch Rapper Raekwon And Cannabis Industry Executives At This Cool Event

As the cannabis industry hits the East Coast, boundless opportunities are there for the taking. But as Sinatra warned, not everyone will make it here. The illicit market has thrived and is well-entrenched, supply chains are daunting, the number of licenses is limited...

Why It Matters

East Coast markets are influential and will have a major impact on the industry here in the U.S. and beyond. Despite being half the size of the legal cannabis market in California, New York is poised to impact the larger industry and culture: The area has significant lobbying power and, as Wall Street watches how the market develops on its own block, it will push for financial reform around the industry.

There’s a lot to dive into as Trailblazers brings together the most influential changemakers in the space for this special one-day event in New York City.

Featured speakers include:

• Tahir Johnson, USCC
• Jake Wall, Maison Bloom
• Jen Lujan, Momentum
• Kristina Adduci, House of Puff
• Ron Silver, Bubby’s
• Michele Cheowtirakul, Weedmaps
• Jake Bullock, Cann 
• Rob Sechrist, Pelorus Equity Group 
• Ethan Nadelmann, Drug Policy Alliance
• Toi Hutchinson, Marijuana Policy Project  
• Chris Wilson, The Master Plan

• Vladimir Bautista, Happy Munkey
• Sky Cohen, Medley
• Saki Fenderson, Tainted Love
• Jessica Gonzalez, Moyeno Gonzalez & Associates PC
• Khari Edwards, Ayr Wellness
• Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman, New York State Assembly (56th District)
• Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre, New York State Assembly (11th District)
• Rep. Chynah Tyler, Massachusetts House of Representatives (7th Suffolk District)
• Sen. James Sanders Jr., New York State Senate (10th District)
• Ngiste Abebe, Columbia Care
• Shanita Penny, Budding Solutions
• Ryan Dominguez, Mass CultivatED
• Kim Rivers, Trulieve
• Jen Drake, Ayr Wellness
• Matt Darin, Curaleaf
• Mona Zhang, Politico
• Hadas Alterman, Medicine Law
• Simeon Schnapper, JLS Fund
• Sutton King, Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund
• Phil Wolfson, Ketamine Research Foundation
• Liana Gillooly, MAPS

The day will close with a panel on East Coast culture and cannabis, which will focus on how the cannabis culture will evolve in the East Coast over time, how it differs from California and what does that mean for product development and marketing strategies.

Speakers include: 

• Raekwon, Hashtoria & Common Citizen
• Pierre Serrao, Ghetto Gastro
• Mary Pryor, Cannaclusive