Aaron Varney is the co-founder of Dockside Cannabis in Seattle. Since entering the cannabis industry, he has successfully co-launched multiple state-licensed retail stores under the Dockside design and architectural brand. This vast wealth of experience makes him uniquely qualified to speak on the challenges that people will face when attempting to open a cannabis dispensary.

A widely respected cannabis legal expert and defense attorney, Omar Figueroa is a Stanford Law graduate with over two decades of experience in the field. Author of Cannabis Codes of California – the first comprehensive book on the state’s cannabis laws – Omar appears frequently in the media and at conferences as a cannabis industry advocate.

Mel Frank is a legendary cultivator, botanist, and author. Mel literally wrote the book on cannabis cultivation with his seminal bestseller The Marijuana Grower’s Insider’s Guide, and he was inducted into the Cannabis Breeders Hall of Fame in 2019. Mel’s award-winning photos, publications, and cultivation techniques span several decades and have become the cornerstone of knowledge for any solid cannabis education.

Originally a journalist for The San Francisco Chronicle and KRON-TV, Nikki Lastreto left to travel the world. Nikki ultimately settled back in Mendocino California, where she and Swami Chaitanya founded their iconic Swami Select cannabis brand. As a proponent of living soil, regenerative cultivation methods, and sustainable practices to produce organic craft cannabis, Nikki’s discerning eye and palate have made her a well-known judge at the Emerald Cup and other major cannabis competitions.

A biochemist with over a decade of experience in the cannabis industry, Dr. Jeffrey Raber is the Co-Founder and President of The Werc Shop – a lab-testing facility based in Los Angeles. Dr. Raber received his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Southern California and is also an Executive Officer with the Association of Commercial Cannabis Laboratories (ACCL).

Alec Dixon is a Co-Founder of SC Labs. SC Labs was responsible for developing the cannabis industry’s first testing standards – guidelines that have been widely adopted by the cannabis community, regulators, governments, and a host of other top organizations. As Director of Client Relations, he relies on his many years of experience as a successful sales consultant in the hydroponic industry.

An internationally recognized cannabis expert and public health researcher, Amanda Reiman has taught courses on drug policy at UC Berkeley for 10 years and has consulted for various cities and states on the development of medical marijuana policy. Dr. Reiman has also conducted numerous studies on medical marijuana dispensaries and the use of marijuana as a treatment for addiction.

With his hands deep in the soil since childhood, Patrick King (aka “The Soil King”) has been unearthing the secrets and complexities of organic gardening for decades. A colorful and larger-than-life presence in the cannabis space, he has been applying his unique insights and expertise around nutrients to cannabis cultivation since 2005.