WORKGROUP OBJECTIVES
The Federal Regulatory Framework Workgroup was formed to provide guidance to Congress and US Federal Regulatory Agencies that details an approach for the regulation of cannabis at the federal level that: prioritizes public health and safety; is based upon scientific practices; considers the myriad uses of the cannabis plant; adopts best practices from regulation of other well established industries; gains broad support and consensus; strengthens the US position in the global cannabis marketplace; and allows for industry participation from all interested stakeholders.
The objectives of the Workgroup are as follows:
- Establish an unbiased, open forum to prioritize public health and safety related to the regulation of cannabis in the United States
- Utilize operational knowledge and experience by engaging a broad group of stakeholders that is not feasible through existing trade groups, standards organizations, and paid participation forums
- Ensure a sustainable model by prioritizing technical merit, completeness, durability, and appropriateness
- Gather broad consensus representative of a large number of stakeholders
- Educate on the risks to public health and safety that occur today due to a lack of federal involvement
- Allow for appropriate state specific regulation
- Considers downstream effects of state and federal legalization such as impairment and risk to public safety
ALBERTO DE LA SERNA | SICPA NORTH AMERICA
Alberto De La Serna has 25+ years of diverse professional experience for development and deployment of business solutions and technologies applicable to government and the commercial enterprise. In his position of business solutions and business development manager at SICPA, he actively contributes with his expertise in the field of supply chain security and the deployment if PaaS/SaaS models that support supply chain visibility for high value assets that are subject to strict government oversight and regulatory compliance control. He is a subject matter expert in track and trace for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and fuels and his contributions are recognized by government clients and industry alike. One example is his active participation in the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA) for tobacco section where he has shared his first-hand industry experience on the benefits of the deployment of cutting-edge programs for tobacco track and trace solutions in the US and abroad. Alberto, in his capacity of technical expert, provides consultative advice to its clients for mission-critical systems, asset marking and secure serialization for the tracking and tracing of government assets throughout the supply chain including deployment of dedicated inspection systems for audit and verification in the field.
Alberto has contributed to several prestigious companies recognized as leaders and pioneers in their respective fields for deployment of secure technologies for the supply chain. Some examples are his current company SICPA, and past ones such as Zebra Technologies, Symbol Technologies, Lucent Technologies, and others where he grew professionally and gain extensive experience hands-on in the field by contributing to the innovation, development and field deployment of robust solutions for the supply chain.
Alberto is a technical expert and published author in the application of passive and active UHF RFID and he is a co-author of the book "RFID Certification Textbook ISBN-13978-0-9794285-0-5"
Alberto's academic credentials include a Master of Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
ANNA OSTERLIND | GROUNDSWELL STRATEGY
Anna Osterlind is a government affairs consultant in the food and agriculture space, who works with a variety of clients, including diagnostics company BioMerieux, a leader in the cannabis testing space. Anna brings over a decade of experience in federal policy across the agriculture and biotechnology sectors through roles that span Capitol Hill, Silicon Valley, and trade and regulatory agencies at USDA. Before joining Groundswell Strategy, Anna was Head of Government Affairs for publicly-traded biomanufacturing company where she led the company's engagement with the Administration and Congress. She previously held multiple roles within the United States Department of Agriculture, including as Chief of Staff to the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service when the Agency was tasked with launching the domestic hemp industry following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Anna started her career on Capitol Hill working for a Member of Congress from her home state of Missouri. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Missouri.
BLAKE SMITH | ZION PHARMA CEUTICALS
Blake Smith is one of the nation's leading biochemists focused on the cultivation, processing and productizing of cannabis and cannabis medicines. As the Chief Scientific Officer at Zion Medicinal, Blake has moved to the forefront of the industry in knowledge of extraction techniques, isolation of specific cannabinoids and their various therapeutic purposes. As a father of a daughter with a predilection for seizures he is an active advocate of the healing medical benefits and is constantly researching for the best prescriptive uses of the plant. In his free time, Blake enjoys spending time with his family and playing board games.
BRETT GOLDMAN | O'CAN GROUP
Brett Goldman has more than a decade of public/private experience working in economic development, international trade, public affairs, politics and government relations, operations and business strategy.
Upon joining GenCanna in 2015, Brett's federal/state lobbying experience drove some of the most important contributions to the nascent hemp industry's federal legislative and regulatory developments. As the first significant federally legal participant in the emerging cannabinoid space, the combined company and industry stewardship benefited from Brett's strategic initiatives with leadership at USDA's AMS and RMA. This direct public and discreet private engagement with federal policymakers resulted in significant regulations and normalization of hemp as an agricultural commodity.
The dramatic changes stemming from the 2014 Farm Bill provided the backdrop for an extensive and positive relationship between operational teams and regulators that caused legislators to have confidence in beginning the convergence of cannabis and the mainstream. Brett's ability to blend his communications from all points of the emerging hemp production chain--especially growers--with mainstream supply chain quality needs resulted in the formation of the world's first hemp Self Regulatory Organization: the US Hemp Authority. Brett presently contributes as a member of the USHA Technical Committee.
OCan Group now benefits from Brett's vision and mission to create global access to cannabinoids. Brett is a firm believer of inclusivity in the cannabis industry through commerce and cooperation between rural and urban stakeholders. As federally legal cannabis evolves, the benefits will accrue at each part of the supply chain as gains in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices are felt. OCan Group's holistic long view marries the existing CPG infrastructure through food, beverage, cosmetic, and supplement product supply chain growth. Ultimately, Brett and the team at OCan Group believe that domestic and international standards will demarcate the raw material and product flows according to regulatory and consumer acceptance as scaled, quality assured products begin to dominate the market.
Education: Fairleigh Dickinson University (BA, MA), IDC Herzliya (MA, Government and Strategy)
Work History: American Israel Business Lab (AIBL), Rally.org, TAMID Group, Duane Morris Government Strategies, GenCanna Global
Industry Groups: US Hemp Roundtable, US Hemp Authority, Friends of Hemp, Hemp Feed Coalition, PA Hemp Steering Committee, NJ Cannabusiness Association
DR. CHRISTOPHER HUDALLA | PROVERDE LABORATORIES
Dr. Hudalla is a Ph.D. analytical chemist with more than 35 years of research experience in analytical chemistry. He is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ProVerde Laboratories, Inc., a premier analytical research and testing facility for the regulated cannabis and hemp industries, as well as other natural products. Dr. Hudalla received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and has delivered presentations all over the world in his areas of expertise, including analytical testing, extraction and research specific to cannabis and derivative products. He is active in numerous scientific organizations, contributing to efforts for the development and standardization of cannabis testing methodologies aimed at ensuring consumer safety.
CORI MUSE | MUSE FOOD SAFETY SOLUTIONS
Cori Muse is the owner and principal food safety & regulatory scientist for Muse Food Safety Solutions, LLC., a consulting firm that specializes in providing food safety, quality, and regulatory services. She graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and holds many accredited, professional certifications in food safety and quality. She is extremely passionate about food safety and a vocal activist in both the food and cannabis industries.
Cori is a thought leader in her field and has over 15 years of extensive, hands-on experience working in the food industry across a broad range of companies, from Fortune 100 companies like PepsiCo to small to medium sized processors, distributors, and start-up companies. She began her career and tenured role at Frito-Lay, winning the PepsiCo Creativity Award in 2011 for her outstanding achievements and work in ingredient quality. She is an active independent auditor, auditing third- and second party against a range of globally and internationally recognized standards, including the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) as well as supplier assurance audits for Fortune 100 companies.
Cori is a servant leader in the field of consumer health and safety donating her time and expertise to several organizations and initiatives. She serves as a panel expert for the Global Harmonized Initiative, an international non-profit network of individual scientists and scientific organizations working together to promote harmonization of global food safety regulations and legislation. In her role, she supports food safety whistleblower cases across the globe. In addition, she lends her time to an international think tank of food safety professionals working to promote efficacy of safety programs.
CREE CRAWFORD | GREEN OCEAN SCIENCES
Cree Crawford is a seasoned multi-decade business executive and start-up entrepreneur. His focus' have been on industry disruptive solutions and products. Most recently he Founded Green Ocean Sciences, Inc. and holds title of President / CBDO Their solution, Chem-ID is a unique data management platform focused on chemical, bio and other unique analytical data sets to support test track trace with data protection and verification to support chain of custody, commerce and regulatory initiatives on a domestic and international scale. He is the Co-Chair of the National Hemp Assocation's - Standing Committee of International Hemp Organizations and has done extensive work with foreign governments and private sector leadership, supporting international economic development in countries based APAC and LATAM regions. He also holds title of H. Wing Commander of 149th TANG / USAF and maintains senior brass relationships with all branches of our US Armed Forces / US Dept. of Defense. His passion is in supporting and empowering emerging markets through the education of natural materials like hemp as an economic base.
KAREN GARDNER | SICPA NORTH AMERICA
Karen Gardner has nearly 30 years of expertise in developing and executing market-driven business strategies, product portfolios and engagement programs for technology companies providing B2B and B2G solutions for both local and international markets. This experience includes modernization of legacy systems, process optimization, cyber security, supply chain integrity and compliance solutions. Ms. Gardner currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for SICPA North America, a trusted global provider of authentication, traceability, and verification solutions, protecting the majority of the world's banknotes and identity credentials and billions of regulated products from counterfeiting and fraud. In this role she leads SICPA's strategy and solutions to enable a viable, secure and safe cannabis market that will lead to the long-term economic vitality of the legal market.
KYLE BAKER | ECOBUDS/CLEANTHEORY
Kyle R.L Baker - Kyle is the cofounder and CSO of EcoBuds and CleanTheory. He founded the company based upon a deep understanding and experience in socio-technical design and econometric modeling and their application to disease mitigation. He has applied this expertise to 16 core markets for chlorine dioxide (ClO2) use, including early adaptation of ClO2 for disinfection and sterilization in brewery and winery operations, the application of ClO2 under the Minor Use/Minor Species Act, as well as supporting wastewater treatment patents in the automotive and secondary manufacturer markets. As a cannabis entrepreneur, Kyle focuses his attention on scientific verification methods and weighted decision-making to ensure the end-to-end delivery of clean and compliant cannabis to consumers, most notably medical patients. Kyle currently serves as an advisory board member for Southern Illinois University's Cannabis Science programs.
LEZLI ENGELKING | FOCUS: THE CANNABIS HEALTH & SAFETY ORGANIZATION
FOCUS: The International Cannabis Health & Safety Organization
Lezli Engelking is the Founder and President of Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS), located in Scottsdale, Arizona. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Communication and Statistics from Arizona State University, Lezli spent two decades in the healthcare and non-profit sectors. Her keen understanding around the importance of quality and safety gained during her 12-year tenure with Eli Lilly prompted her to pivot and apply her expertise to the burgeoning cannabis industry. In 2011, Lezli opened the first chain of vertically integrated cannabis companies in Arizona, where she gained first-hand experience around the challenges with running a cannabis business.
DR. MARIELLE WEINTRAUB | EUROFINS FOOD CHEMISTRY TESTING
Dr. Marielle Weintraub is an Analytical Services Manager (ASM) for Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing in Madison WI. In this role Marielle supports the GMP, OTC, and contaminants testing by being a resource and subject matter expert for both customers and Eurofins employees. Prior to joining Eurofins, Marielle was the Director of Research and Development for a Texas-based consumer products company, where she developed plant-derived supplements, cosmetics, and RTD products. Marielle is very active in many dietary supplement and natural product industry trade associations. She volunteers as the President of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Hemp Authority (USHA) Certification Program, an active member on Expert Review Panels and Working Groups for AOAC International's-Cannabis Analytic Science Programs, and a member of the American Herbal Products Association- Cannabis and Sustainability Committees.
Dr. Marielle Weintraub earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience focusing her research on inflammation and Alzheimer's disease pathology.
MARNE COIT | COIT CONSULTING LLC
Marne Coit is Founder & Principal of Coit Consulting LLC, which provides strategic consulting services for cannabis-sector businesses. She previously was a faculty member at NC State University where she developed and ran a statewide hemp law program for NC State Extension.
SABRA JONES | FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
Sabra Jones is a Forensic Toxicologist and board-certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology. Sabra has worked in transportation safety at the Federal Aviation Administration and driving impairment, in addition to other areas of forensic toxicology, at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office. For the past seven years, she has served as an Assistant Professor and graduate student mentor at Boston University School of Medicine's Biomedical Forensic Sciences program. She conducts research in the areas of forensic toxicology, analytical chemistry, and impairment. Sabra earned her Master of Science degrees in Drug Chemistry and Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Oklahoma. Sabra is currently working on her PhD at Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Science in Forensic Science.
She serves as Chair and on the Executive Board of the National Safety Council's Alcohol, Drugs, and Impairment Division. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Academy Standards Board's Toxicology Consensus Body. Sabra is active in a number of professional organizations such as the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists, and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences where she currently serves as Chair of the toxicology section. Sabra was appointed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts's Governor Charles Baker to serve on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Forensic Oversight Board and the Special Commission on Operating Under the Influence and Impaired Driving.
STEVE BEVAN | O'CAN GROUP
Steve Bevan is a world-renowned ambassador for legal outdoor cannabis – hemp in most US states.
Steve founded GenCanna Global, a vertically integrated producer of high-quality cannabinoids and finished goods, in partnership with a certified farming network, to further the mission of providing access to cannabinoids to all people.
Decades of leadership experience in the investment world led him to co-found the US Hemp Roundtable, for the specific purpose of developing useful quality standards for the cannabis supply chain.
Among other business interests, Steve is a Partner at OCan Group, bringing his unique perspective of the evolution of cannabis legality, compliance, and quality towards the inevitable scaling of global CPG products.
STEVEN MANDERNACH | AFDO
Steven Mandernach (Mawn-dur-knock) is the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, Mandernach was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections. Mandernach is a past president of AFDO and current co-chair of the Association’s Laws and Regulations committee. He has served as the chair and co-chair for the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance (MFRPA). He is a past president of the Mid-Continental Association of Food and Drug Officials (MCAFDO).
Mandernach has a J.D. from Drake University Law School. He has completed graduate work in Food Safety at Michigan State University.
STEVE MERRITT | SOUTHERN SKY BRANDS
20+ years in FDA/USDA compliant construction experience aligning systems with business requirements, policies and regulatory requirements. Passionate about applying excellent organization and communication skills to manage and lead teams. Results-oriented individual well-versed in interfacing and consulting on business processes to drive results based on sound overall business judgment. With 10+ years in building cannabis facilities around the US, uniquely qualified to speak on all facets of cannabis businesses from build out to compliance to cultivation to customers.
STUART WILCOX | ORA PHARM
Stuart A. Wilcox has over 30 years of global supply chain and operations experience and has served on numerous cannabis and biotech innovators boards. He currently is Chairman of the Board for Ora Pharm, an international cannabis company based in New Zealand; managing director on partner of Agrify (NASDAQ: AGFY) largest equipment supplier into cannabis industry and owner of Precision and Cascade systems; and managing partner/founder of Chou2 Pharma Pets.
In his career Mr. Wilcox held the position of Chief Operating Officer for 3+ years building Curaleaf (OTCMKTS: CURLF) from a small cannabis company to one of the largest Cannabis Companies. He has been instrumental in leading efforts to legitimize and professionalize the medical cannabis industry including passing legislation to require SQF (Product Safety) certified programs, standard product testing and pharmaceutical and product standard operating procedures. Curaleaf has fill prescriptions for over 400,000 patients in 23 medical cannabis states.
Prior to Curaleaf, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Hostess Brands, Inc., Senior Vice President-Operations for Chiquita - Fresh Express, Inc., Senior Vice President-Operations for The Original Cakerie Ltd. and ConAgra.
He received an undergraduate degree in Engineering from the University of Toledo (Ohio) and a graduate degree from Central Michigan University. He has conducted training sessions on medical cannabis in a number of settings including Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Medical Association, Alabama Medical Association, International Cannabis Business Conference.
TWANA AIKEN | NATIONAL PROPANE GAS ASSOCIATION
Twana Aiken is the Manager of Industry Affairs at the National Propane Gas Association. In her two years at NPGA, she has created a portfolio focusing on agricultural affairs, funding opportunities, renewable fuels, FMCSA's new Entry-Level Driver Training regulations, and advocating for safe extraction and drying processes utilizing propane at cannabis processing facilities. She is a Tennessee native with a bachelor's in Agriculture from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN and a master's in Environmental Science from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL
CHRISTINE STENQUIST | FOUNDER & PRESIDENT TRUCE
Christine Stenquist is a dedicated medical cannabis advocate from Utah with over a decade of experience. As a mother of four, a brain tumor patient, and the daughter of a former narcotics officer, Christine brings a unique perspective to the medical cannabis advocacy movement. Her firsthand experience as a chronic pain and migraine sufferer, coupled with her deep understanding of government policy, and extensive experience in community building have been instrumental to her successes around improving access to medical cannabis for patients.
Christine is the Founder and President of TRUCE (Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education), a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the medicinal properties of cannabis and reducing the stigma around its use. Through her citizen lobbying efforts, Christine’s message has also been impactful in other states, including Montana, Wyoming, and Washington D.C., as well as influencing ballot initiatives for medical cannabis in Utah and Wyoming. Christine continues to advocate for medical cannabis access and education on a state, national, and international level, with a focus on promoting evidence-based health and safety regulations for the industry.