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Registration now open

3rd Annual Medical Cannabis Conference

Friday, October 24 - Saturday, October 25, 2024
Auraria Campus (Denver, Colorado)

Speaker Lineup

Bonni Goldstein, MD

Cannabis Keynote

Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD

Psychedelic Keynote

Dustin Sulak, DO

Suzanne Sisley, MD

Deborah Malka MD, PhD

Tanya Scott Cannady, DNP

Daniel P. Stein, MD

Paulette Simone Smith, DSW

Ariane Williams, BSN

Joseph Zamaria, PsyD

Susan Audino, PhD

Mary A. Celeste, JD

Sang Park, PhD

Maysa Alavi, MD

Amanda Reiman, PhD

Harold Han, PhD

Kirsten Shepard, DC

Katherine Golden, RN

Emily Lindley, PhD

Rachel Rzasa Lynn, MD

Jacquelyn L. Bainbridge, PharmD

Nichelle Santos, BS

Ryan Zaklin, MD

Marty Otañez, PhD

Emily Fisher

Gaetano Lardieri

Bonni Goldstein, MD

Keynote Speaker

Bonni Goldstein, MD is a leading physician, educator, and advocate in the field of cannabinoid
medicine. She is the CEO and co-founder of GoldsteinWellness.com, a free medical cannabis
educational platform for healthcare professionals, and the Medical Director of Canna-Centers, a
medical practice dedicated to the therapeutic use of cannabis for serious and chronic conditions.

Dr. Goldstein completed her residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she also served as chief resident. After years in pediatric emergency medicine, she transitioned to cannabinoid medicine upon witnessing its profound benefits in an ill friend. Over the past 17 years, she has evaluated thousands of patients and is recognized as an expert in cannabis therapeutics, with a special focus on children with intractable epilepsy, autism, cancer, and other complex conditions.

Dr. Goldstein has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles investigating the effects of medical cannabis through pharmacometabolomics, including its impact on autism. She is currently expanding this research to explore cannabis applications in dementia, PTSD and chronic pain.

Dr. Goldstein is the author of Cannabis Revealed, a semi-finalist for the American Botanical
Council’s 2017 Book of the Year, and Cannabis Is Medicine. She serves on the board of the
International Alliance for Cannabinoid Medicines and is a medical advisor to Weedmaps.

Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD

Keynote Speaker

Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, is an esteemed neuropharmacologist, psychologist, and became the Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor in Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco in 2021.With a PhD in psychopharmacology from the University of Bristol, Dr. Carhart-Harris and his colleagues have completed multimodal human functional neuroimaging studies with LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and DMT, and clinical trials of psilocybin therapy for various disorders. His current research program at UCSF is focused on the mechanisms of action of psychedelics and psychedelic-therapy. Dr. Carhart-Harris has published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Nature Medicine, Cell, Lancet Psychiatry, and more. He was named among the top 31 medical scientists by The Times newspaper in 2020, listed in TIME magazine’s “100 Next” in 2021, voted psychedelic researcher of the year in 2021, and listed in Vox Magazine’s “Future 50” in 2023. His website is carhartharrislab.com.

Dustin Sulak, DO

Dr. Dustin Sulak is a traditional osteopathic physician and expert in integrative medicine with over 15 years of clinical experience treating refractory conditions in adults and children. Dr. Sulak is an internationally-renowned expert in medical cannabis, the author of Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians: Principles and Practice, and co-founder of Healer, a medical cannabis education resource and products company. He serves on the board of directors of The Society of Cannabis Clinicians and is a passionate educator and leader in the medical cannabis field.

Suzanne Sisley, MD

Dr. Sue Sisley MD is a Montana/Arizona-based physician practicing Internal Medicine & Psychiatry. Sue serves as Principal Investigator of nonprofit Scottsdale Research Institute for myriad FDA-approved randomized controlled trials examining safety/efficacy of LSD, psilocybin mushrooms & intact cannabis flower.

Sue holds 7 different DEA schedule 1 licenses as researcher & manufacturer. Five years ago, SRI secured the only DEA schedule 1 manufacturer license in the US for farming whole cannabis flower & natural psilocybin mushrooms instead of synthetic molecule.

Her current Cannabis research is an FDA phase 2b trial examining safety & efficacy of inhaled cannabis flower in 320 military veterans with pain and PTSD. SRI recently received greenlight from FDA to perform the first ever controlled trial on the planet with intact, natural P. Cubensis mushrooms.

With the first IND ever approved for whole natural “magic” mushrooms, this positions SRI to qualify for compassionate distribution of their investigational drug Jedi Mind Fuck to patients with life-threatening illness under federal Right to Try law.

Deborah Malka MD, PhD

Deborah Malka MD, PhD is a holistic physician with certification in Integrative Holistic Medicine. Prior to clinical practice, Dr. Malka completed her PhD in Human Genetics from Columbia University. While specializing in cannabis medical consulting she has served over 30,000 patients. She is committed to educating the public and professionals about medicinal cannabis, teaching at conferences nationally and internationally. She developed and served as faculty director for the first on-line CME accredited curriculum in Clinical Cannabinoid Medicine sponsored by the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. Her definitive textbook for professionals was published in 2022, Medicinal Cannabis: Pearls for Clinical Practice, published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis. She is now semi-retired in New Mexico, where she teaches 4th year medical students about Cannabis as a Medicine and does private cannabis health consulting.

Tanya Scott Cannady, DNP

Dr. Tanya Scott Cannady, DNP, MHR, RN, NEA-BC, CPHIMS is a registered nurse and nationally recognized healthcare leader with a diverse background in clinical and educational knowledge. She is celebrated for her innovative approaches to patient care and leadership, functioning over the past 30 years as a transformational leader and disruptor. She holds a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing from East Carolina University, a Master of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, and in 2023, she obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from the University of San Francisco, alongside a Certificate in Medical Cannabis from Pacific College. Dr. Scott-Cannady currently serves as the Patient Care Operations Director in a large integrated healthcare system in Oakland, California. She has previously co-led the equity, inclusion, and diversity program in the East Bay organization, reflecting her unwavering commitment to creating a healthcare environment that champions social equity and inclusivity. As a former executive board member and treasurer for the American Cannabis Nurses Association, she is at the forefront of integrating cannabis medicine and therapeutics into patient care, advocating for human-centered approaches that prioritize
patient well-being and social equity in cannabis-centered care. When not working, Dr. Scott-Cannady spends time riding her horses with husband, Social Media Influencer Cowboy Raymond Cannady and their family.

Daniel P. Stein, MD

Neurology of Cannabis studies began in 1978 at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, and continue presently.

Experiences include: BS, Neuroscience; MD, Albany Medical College; Internal Medicine internship (Mt Sinai, Cleveland) and Neurology residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Fellowship in neuromuscular diseases at NIH, Bethesda, MD, and general adult Neurology practice, Sarasota, FL 1993-present. The Neurology of Cannabis clinic was established in 2017. Cannabis inspired me to study the brain and now here we are.

Click to view CV.

Paulette Simone Smith, DSW

Dr. Paulette Simone Smith, MS, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker, educator, and
mental health advocate specializing in cannabis science, integrative wellness, and patient-centered care. She is the Founder and CEO of Canna Heals, a consulting firm that bridges the cannabis education gap by offering training, consultation, and resources for patients,
professionals, and curious learners. She is also the founder of Paulette Simone & Associates, a
private mental health practice providing individual therapy and holistic support to adults seeking
healing and balance.

Dr. Smith develops and delivers courses that promote informed, equitable, and wellness-centered cannabis use. She teaches in the Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and has served as a patient advisor in a medical cannabis dispensary. Her work educates clinicians, patients, and industry professionals on therapeutic cannabis use, always centering health equity and social justice.

She holds a master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, a master’s in Social Work from Morgan State University, and a Doctor of Social Work from Simmons University. Dr. Smith’s work focuses on integrating cannabis into healthcare, addressing health disparities, and advancing equity within both clinical practice and the cannabis industry.

Ariane Williams, BSN

Ariane Williams, BSN, is a nationally recognized nurse educator, speaker, and holistic health expert with over 17 years of experience in critical care, hospice, and integrative healing. Based in Texas, she bridges clinical expertise with ancient plant wisdom—specializing in cannabis education, mindfulness, and psychedelic facilitation and integration.

As an endocannabinoid specialist and trusted guide in the plant medicine space, Ariane supports individuals navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, chronic pain, and addiction. She is particularly passionate about helping people take intentional tolerance breaks, explore microdosing as a tool for transformation, and build healthier, more conscious relationships with themselves, cannabis, and other sacred plant medicines.

Joseph Zamaria, PsyD

Joseph Zamaria, PsyD, ABPP, is a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist and a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. At UCSF, he is the director of psychotherapy training for the psychiatry residency and has served as a therapist and researcher in clinical trials examining the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to treat a range of conditions. He also teaches courses about psychedelic medicine to psychiatry residents, medical students, and pharmacy students. In addition to his work at UCSF, Dr. Zamaria has a faculty appointment at UC Berkeley, teaching for the Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program within the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. In this role, he serves as the director of the psychotherapy curriculum and the lead psychotherapy trainer.

Susan Audino, PhD

Dr. Susan Audino is a chemist and independent consultant to chemical and biological laboratories. As a laboratory scientist she worked in physical chemistry (gas phase kinetics) and analytical chemistry (polymers and mass spectrometry). She is a contractor for Accreditation Bodies to audit and assess laboratories and to provide classroom instruction on ISO/IEC standards including ISO/IEC 17025. Dr. Audino is on the Board of Trustees for Hood College in Frederick, MD, serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Research on Environmental Medicine in MD and serves as Advisor and Board Member to several private and non-profit laboratories. Dr. Audino’s passion is directed toward the development of consensus test methods, method development, method validation, and overall scientific excellence. She has been a member of technical expert review and advisory panels, was a founding member of ASTM D37 and advises and mentors cannabis testing laboratories. Dr. Audino has chaired analytical cannabis working groups, was a member of the NCIA Guide for Laboratory Testing, Purity IQ standards, served on the Emerald Scientific Advisory Panel and Editorial Board Member of Analytical Cannabis. and has been an invited speaker at numerous domestic and international scientific conferences. Dr. Audino is principal of multiple independent companies, has several personal/independent patents. Was a contributing author to Cannabis Laboratory Fundamentals, and is principal of S.Audino & Associates, LLC and Saturn Scientific, LLC.

Mary A. Celeste, JD

Judge Mary A. Celeste (ret.) sat on the Denver County Court bench 2000-2015. She was the Presiding Judge 2009-10 and the co-founder of the Denver County Court Sobriety Court. She is currently a law school professor teaching Cannabis and the Law at California Western School of Law and is considered a national content expert on the topic of cannabis. She is also the Director for the annual National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium.

She is a former member of the Judicial Advisory Board for the Foundation for the Advancement of Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR); former Faculty for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Judicial College (NJC). She has also served as the past chair of ABA National Conference of Specialized Court Judges; the President of the American Judge’s Association and the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation, and, as a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Judicial Outreach Liaison for Region 8. She has written many articles and is a national speaker on the topics of marijuana, marijuana and drug impaired driving, drugged driving, and specialty courts.

Sang Park, PhD

Dr. Sang Park received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral research appointment with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). In 2017, he joined the Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR), where he currently serves as Associate Director of Research and leads multifaceted research initiatives focused on cannabis physiology, genetics, and genomics.
Since 2022, Dr. Park has chaired the Cannabis Plant Science and Cultivation Webinar Series, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among academic institutions, industry partners, and international researchers. His research emphasizes innovation in cannabis science through global and cross-sector partnerships. Most recently, he has also assumed the role of CEO at PinkBioLab, a company specializing in cannabis genetics.

Maysa Alavi, MD

Dr. Maysa Alavi, MD is a physician-leader in cannabinoid and psychedelic medicine. She earned her MD at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, finished residencies at Harbor-UCLA and USC-California Hospital, and completed the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine in Residency Program. Dr. Alavi served as an investigator and study therapist in the MAPS/Lykos Phase 3 MDMA trials and COMPASS Pathways’ Phase 2b psilocybin study and holds a certificate in MDMA Assisted Therapy from MAPS.

She has prescribed medical cannabis since 2012 and sits on the board of the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Health Alternatives, supporting cannabis education and access for veterans. As Medical Director of Usona Institute, she directs clinical methodology and safety for the 5-MeO-DMT and psilocybin drug development programs and as Founder & CMO of The Center for Functional-Psychedelic Medicine: New Orleans, oversees an integrative practice that unites ketamine therapy and group work, functional medicine, and clinician education—championing ethical, evidence-based pathways to transformative care. Dr. Alavi is dedicated to advancing ethical, emotionally intelligent care and methodological innovation in mental health and consciousness medicine.
Learn more about her work at www.thecenternola.com and www.usonainstitute.org

Amanda Reiman, PhD

Amanda Reiman, PhD is the Director of Student Experience for Greenflower Media, overseeing their 60 cannabis certificate programs available at universities around the country. She is also the founder of Personal Plants, an education platform focused on helping people develop healthy, balanced relationships with cannabis. Personal Plants includes a collection of articles relating to cannabis use, harm reduction and public health and a weekly web series that uses science to answer questions about the risks and benefits of cannabis use. In development is a 10-week online program called Cannabis in Balance which helps people identify and change unhealthy behaviors around cannabis use.

Dr. Reiman earned her PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley and conducted one of the first research studies on medical cannabis patients and the use of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs. She then taught courses on substance abuse, drug policy and sexuality at Berkeley for 11 years. She is in the process of publishing a textbook on harm reduction approaches to working with adolescents who use substances.

Dr. Reiman is an internationally recognized cannabis expert and public health researcher. Formerly the in-house cannabis expert for the Drug Policy Alliance, she has written for/been quoted in numerous national and international publications as well as peer reviewed academic journals and several textbooks. She was the first Chairwoman for the Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission and a commissioner for the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Dr. Reiman currently lives just outside of Tacoma, Washington with her partner Sean and their two cats and two dogs.

Harold Han, PhD

Dr. Harold Han is the Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Vertosa, a leading provider of water-compatible cannabinoid ingredients for infused products. He earned his Ph.D. in Surface Chemistry from New York University and holds multiple patents in emulsion chemistry.
Throughout his career, Dr. Han has leveraged emulsion technology in both medical and food innovations to create stable, scalable and palatable cannabis-infused products. Before founding Vertosa, he served as a Senior Scientist at Bio-Rad Laboratories, where he led a team in developing emulsification oil for the Digital Droplet PCR system, a revolutionary tool for early cancer detection and personalized medicine.
Dr. Han is also known as “The Happy Chemist” and regularly shares insights on cannabis science for product makers.

Kirsten Shepard, DC

Dr. Kirsten Shepard (DC, LMT) is the Founder and CEO of TrueStopper, a holistic health
company that leverages professionally-formulated and regenerative hemp-based products to
better manage chronic pain and promote whole body wellness. For more than 20 years, she has
established integrated practices that combine medical, chiropractic, acupuncture and physical
therapy approaches to whole body care, including the opening of clinics across Texas and in
Los Angeles. Dr. K’s holistic approach to pain relief has led to recognition, by way of awards and
teaching opportunities, from Texas legislators and leaders from top hospitals. She is a Cannabis
advocate and an active member of Texas NORML, the Minority Cannabis Business Association,
the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and a Niel Asher Natural Alternative Therapies (NAT) faculty.

Katherine Golden, RN

Katherine Golden, a Registered Nurse with over 28 years of service in the medical
community, has been a pioneer in the field of cannabis nursing for the past 9 years. As
the CEO, Executive Director & Founder of Leaf411.org, a nonprofit organization, she has
been instrumental in shaping the industry. Katherine has obtained several cannabis
nursing certificates from The Medical Cannabis Institute Global, Radicle Health
Cannabis Therapeutics for Medical Professionals, and is Healer Certified. Additionally,
she is the CEO and Founder of the Leaf Nurse Network, she serves as a cannabis
Clinical Director for the state of Maryland, a cannabis Nurse Consultant, and a cannabis
Nurse Care Coordinator for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. To
stay up-to-date with the latest science and current issues, Katherine is an active member
of the Cannabis Nurse Network, Society of Cannabis Clinicians, and numerous other
cannabis-related patient and professional advocacy groups. Her extensive experience
and leadership in the field make her an invaluable resource for those seeking guidance
on cannabis medicine.

Emily Lindley, PhD

Dr. Lindley attended the University of California Irvine where she completed her PhD in Neurobiology in 2006. She did her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the Department of Orthopedics, where her research focused on chronic spine pain and improving treatment outcomes. She stayed at CU after her fellowship and now holds a faculty appointment in Orthopedics. Her research focuses on the use of cannabinoids as alternatives to opioids for chronic pain.

Rachel Rzasa Lynn, MD

Rachael Rzasa Lynn is an Associate Professor in the University of Colorado Department of Anesthesiology, where she practices pain medicine at University of Colorado Hospital. She acquired her medical education and training in anesthesiology through the University of Colorado School of Medicine, including a fellowship in Pain Medicine. Her research interests include cannabis pharmacology and cannabis as a non-opioid treatment for chronic pain.

Jacquelyn L. Bainbridge, PharmD

Jacquelyn L. Bainbridge, BSPharm, PharmD, FCCP, MSCS, FAES, is a Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she holds joint appointments in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, and the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine. Dr Bainbridge received her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Colorado in Denver, where she subsequently completed a specialty residency in neurology.

Dr. Bainbridge is involved in four psilocybin trials, one involving cancer patients, one involving the fear of recurrence of ovarian or breast cancer, one involving postpartum depression, and one involving severe depression. Additionally, Dr. Bainbridge is reporting on post-surgical cancer patients and their endocannabinol response whether they are a cannabis user or not. Dr Bainbridge continues to study the safety and efficacy of antiseizure medications (ASMs) and disease modifying treatments (DMTs) in older adults. She was previously an investigator for several National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded trials researching drugs that may be neuroprotective in PD. Dr. Bainbridge has completed two clinical trials using a synthetic CBD product in patients with scleroderma and autism. She has published several articles in professional journals, including Epilepsia, Pharmacotherapy, The International Journal of Multiple Sclerosis Care, and the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. She has reviewed and written several book chapters on MS, epilepsy, migraine, chronic pain, women’s issues, pharmacokinetics, and the practice of pharmacy. Dr Bainbridge is a frequent lecturer on topics of neurologic and pharmacologic interest, including MS, chronic pain disorders, epilepsy, migraine, movement disorders, neuroprotection, RLS, Huntington’s disease and the administration of cannabis for therapeutic intent.

Dr. Bainbridge is a member of numerous professional organizations, including The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the American Epilepsy Society(AES), Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), Colorado Pharmacists Society (CPS), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). She is the past president of the board of directors for The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLSF) and The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado (EFC). Dr. Bainbridge is currently on the Board of Governors for The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) PharMS, and on the Board of Directors for The Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming Professional Advisory Board. Dr. Bainbridge has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP), Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society (FAES) and has won several student preceptor and teaching class awards. In 2024 Dr. Bainbridge was awarded “Giants of Multiple Sclerosis” by CMSC and Neurology Live. Dr. Bainbridge has been asked to address the United Nations in Vienna on the safe practice of cannabis use in March of 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Nichelle Santos, BS

Nichelle Santos is an entrepreneur, business development executive in the insurance industry, practicing risk mitigation from the CannaBusiness industry. She has practiced as a Safety Engineer & Risk Manager in the chemical/pharmaceutical industry, protecting employees and the surrounding community through Process Safety Management, and regulatory compliance.

Nichelle brings her insurance and regulatory expertise to the cannabis industry to create customized risk management & compliance consulting with insurance solutions, designed to protect businesses from failure. CannaCoverage leads in innovation to bring medical cannabis & psychedelics to group health benefits, scaling patient access & affordability to transform healthcare with improved health outcomes and cost savings strategy.

Nichelle is the Minorities 4 Medical Marijuana State Director in New Jersey. She’s a member of the NJ CannaBusiness Association; National Cannabis Industry Association; and Board Member (BM) on the Coalition of Medical Marijuana of NJ; Greater Raritan Valley Workforce Development Board; the National Forum for Black Public Administrators; and National African American Insurance Association; and Founding BM of Elect Women NJ and Emerge NJ, to increase women as elected officials. She was named as an influencer on the 2022 -2025 Insider NJ’s Cannabis Power List and NJ Cannabis Insider’s 2022 “Minority Business of the Year”; NY Cannabis Power Player 2023 & 2024; and the “Responsible 100” by City & State New York 2023; Cannabis Insurance Brokerage Firm of the Year 2024-2025.

Nichelle earned her B.S. at Rutgers University, Environmental Health and Occupational Safety, and has recently continued studies at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and at the Harvard Kennedy School, in Healthcare, Evidence, Leadership and Public Policy. Insurance Licenses in Property & Casualty and Life and Health in multiple states.

Ryan Zaklin, MD

Dr. Ryan Zaklin is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and a Harvard-trained expert in Integrative Medicine. Following medical school at The University of Virginia, Dr. Zaklin, known as Dr.Z to his patients, trained at Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard Medical studying with Dr. Herbert Benson, solidifying his interest in pursuing further training in the fields of mind-body medicine, herbal medicine, cannabis therapeutics, and nutrition.

Dr.Z founded ECS Wellness in 2017, which became an MGB community affiliate and Cancer Center support service in 2021. Through helping thousands of patients utilize mind-body medicine and medical marijuana to safely and effectively balance their ECS, Dr.Z has developed his model of Cannabinoid Care: optimizing one’s ECS through cannabinoid production and supplementation.

Marty Otañez, PhD

Dr. Otañez is an Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department, University of Colorado Denver. In 2025, he is analyzing data obtained from 100 recorded interviews with BIPOC and low-income individuals about psilocybin use patterns, tension between indigenous and western scientific approaches, and concerns about medicalization of psilocybin in Colorado. Dr. Otañez and co-author Aaraon Diaz (Mexico City) published the four-volume book series Breaking Stigmas: Art and Cannabis in North America (Center for Research on North America of the National Autonomous University of Mexico) in 2024. To reach broader audiences and promote arts-based research and creative work, Dr. Otañez produces the community access television program called Getting High on Anthropology at Denver Community Media. He completed a master’s degree in political science in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, a master’s degree in labor and Employment Studies in the Institute for Social Studies in The Netherlands, and PhD in Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine.

Emily Fisher

Emily Fisher is a breast cancer survivor and medical cannabis patient who is reshaping the
future of cannabis healthcare. Her personal journey—finding life-changing relief through
cannabis during cancer treatment—revealed both the plant’s powerful therapeutic potential and
the urgent need for evidence-based guidance and broader patient access.

Motivated by this insight, Emily founded Leafwell, a pioneering healthtech and data company
transforming how people access and understand medical cannabis. Under her leadership,
Leafwell has served over 500,000 patients across 38 states and attracts more than 1 million
monthly visitors to its education platform.

Emily has built one of the most trusted ecosystems in the industry—connecting licensed
providers, dispensaries, and patients through personalized education, real-world outcomes
data, and scalable, tech-enabled care. She is also advancing efforts to establish cannabis as a
reimbursable, mainstream therapy grounded in science, safety, and compassion.

With a mission rooted in access, education, and research, Emily is shifting public perception,
informing policy, and driving meaningful change in healthcare—proving that cannabis is not just
a plant, but a vital tool for healing when treated with the rigor of modern medicine.

Gaetano Lardieri

Senior Executive Advisor, Future Entheogenic Medicines (F.E.M.);
Co-founder, Managing Director, Quantum WellCare (QWC)
Mr. Lardieri has worked in the medical field since 1978. He has held several roles and worked with thousands of cancer patients in the fields of genetics and cancer research. His foundational work has led to many research papers being published in these fields and has also contributed as a co-author.

His career expanded over 26+ years in cancer clinical research into the pharmaceutical space where he obtained certifications in Project Management (MPM) and Lean Six-sigma. As a Project Manager Mr. Lardieri led a team which obtained FDA approval for a breast cancer drug.
In 2013 Gaetano transitioned his project management skills and clinical research background into the consulting space and advocated for legalization of cannabis and psychedelics as well as addressing the stigma associated with the war-on-drugs. Gaetano sits on several prestigious boards moving the needle forward for advocacy and clinical research for plant-based medicines. He is the New Jersey State co-Director for Minorities-for-Medical Marijuana (M4MM) and a Board Member at Coalition-for-Medical-Marijuana-NJ (CMMNJ). He serves as Senior Executive Advisor at Future Entheogenic Medicines (F.E.M.) as well as a co-founder and Managing Director at Quantum WellCare (QWC).

These companies/organizations all have at their core to move the needle forward on plant-based medicine advocacy, research, and policy to address mental illness, the opioid crisis, and increase better health outcomes through medical health benefits. F.E.M. also has an Aerospace science division which was part of a team that launched a CBD nano-emulsion to the International Space Station (ISS) on Elon Musk’s SPX-27 rocket.
Gaetano has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1999.
Gaetano was born, raised and currently resides in Newark, New Jersey.

Stay tuned for our full speaker lineup announcement coming soon

Call for Speakers

We are accepting abstracts for individual speaking sessions and panels with 3+ speakers that address topics from research to patient care. Submissions should discuss advancing health professionals’ knowledge in integrating medical cannabis and psychedelic therapies in clinical practice. We welcome presentations that highlight emerging research and real-world applications in fields including but not limited to mental health, pain management, and chronic disease treatment.
Round I Applications DUE: May 5th

Reimagining Patient Care with Cannabis and Psychedelic Medicine

This year’s conference offers a rare opportunity for clinicians to dive deep into the clinical realities and therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and psychedelics. Designed with healthcare providers in mind, our sessions focus on case-based learning, emerging protocols, and real-world challenges—offering practical insights that can be immediately applied in your practice.

From cutting-edge research on psilocybin for life-threatening illness to nuanced discussions around cannabis for PTSD, neurodegenerative conditions, and treatment-resistant psychiatric diagnoses, the program emphasizes evidence-informed care with a human-centered approach. You’ll explore the neurobiology of psychedelics, understand pharmacologic mechanisms of cannabis and 5HT2A-targeting compounds, and gain access to clinical pearls from experienced providers in the field.

Special attention is given to health equity, counselor and provider preparedness, and integrating cannabinoid care into insurance-based and institutional systems. Whether you’re new to the space or refining your current protocols, this conference equips you with the research, tools, and peer dialogue needed to navigate this fast-evolving field.

The MedCannCon25 Social Circuit

Tickets

Click here to view all and register.

Member

Early bird: $295 $249

Non-member

Early bird: $395 $349

Student/Veterans

Early bird: $99 $89

Virtual

$99

Plan Your Stay

Check the hotel information here.

Poster Session

The Advances in Cannabis & Psychedelic Therapy Research & Practice poster session will showcase work by participants who are:

  • Implementing patient-centered clinical models for cannabis and psychedelic-assisted therapies
  • Investigating neurobiological, psychological, and physiological effects using advanced research methods
  • Developing innovative data collection strategies in clinical and real-world settings, including digital health tools

Plan Your Visit

Click here to access hotel block information and explore activities in the surrounding area.

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What Past Attendees Say

“So appreciate the passion, dedication, and scientific integrity of SCC and these speakers, specifically the clinicians, as they so generously shared their research utilization and case studies.”

Roslyn2023 Conference Attendee

“Absolutely amazing and learned an enormous amount of knowledge for me and family. Great connecting with clinicians that I will be contacting for my own personal health. Thank you so much!”

Janet2023 Conference Attendee

“I could listen to the clinical presenters all day long: Enormously valuable. They provided tons of real scientific support for their opinions and they were all great speakers. I took 10 pages of notes during this conference.”

Neal 2023 Conference Attendee

“Interesting and engaging speakers; we enjoyed and appreciated being an exhibitor and making connections with others who are working to utilize cannabis for improving people’s lives.”

Carrie2023 Conference Attendee

Our goal is to equip clinicians with the tools they need to offer the best patient care, and to encourage policymakers to prioritize patient health and safety during regulation development.

This fall, join us for an exclusive medical conference covering the comprehensive world of clinical cannabis. Tickets are limited, so…

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