Cannabis Entrepreneurship Academy

Co-sponsored by the Leeds School of Business of the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ18

Fridays, June 4-25, 2021

Online only, via Zoom

Entrepreneurship in cannabis presents unique legal, practical, and business challenges—both here in Colorado and, increasingly, around the country. Colorado Law Executive Education, in concert with the Leeds School of Business at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ18, presents the Cannabis Entrepreneurship Academy: a four-day, continuing education program that will tackle some of the latest legal and business issues cannabis entrepreneurs face. Topics include:

  • Leadership
  • State regulation and enforcement
  • Federal regulation and enforcement
  • Regulatory regimes
  • Market research, data analytics, and marketing strategies
  • Comparative perspectives from other states and countries
  • Social and ethical issues related to cannabis

Students receive startup and advanced business advice from experienced cannabis entrepreneurs and other industry experts.

Individuals who complete the four-day program will not only receive advanced legal and business training, but will also receive a Certificate in Cannabis Entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado Law School and the Leeds School of Business.Ìý

Who Is This Program For?

  • Executives and management of companies in or working with the cannabis industry
  • Entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry
  • In house and outside general counsel working with companies in or with the cannabis industry
  • Attorneys who work withÌýcannabis companies
  • Attorneys looking to start a cannabis law practice
  • Government regulators

Cost

$500 for either the law-focused (June 4 & 11) or business-focused (June 18 & 25) days, or $750 for the full Academy.Ìý Discounts will beÌýavailable for multiple/group registrations. Please contact executive@colorado.edu for more information.

CLE Credit

8 general (7 in Georgia) CLE creditsÌýfor the law-focused days.Ìý

Schedule

Note:Ìý All times are Mountain Time

Friday, June 4, 2021

9:00-10:00 a.m.

Federal Regulatory Frameworks and Cannabis


  • Partner, Hinman & Carmichael LLP

  • Founding President, International Cannabis Bar Association and partner, Brand & Branch LLP

Drawing from a variety of federally-regulated industries, this panel will help lawyers working in the cannabis space toÌýlearn from other federal regulatory frameworks about federally-compliant branding, marketing, trade, and other practices.

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Encroachment of the FDA in Cannabis


  • Partner, Vicente Sederberg LLP

  • Partner, Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker LLPÌý

Cannabis companies face increased federal regulatory uncertainty with the FDA, whichÌýis posing new and significant risks for the cannabis industry.Ìý This panel will help educate attorneys about those risks and train them to help advise their clients appropriately.

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The States' Perspectives

  • , former Director of Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division
  • Danielle Perry, Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer, State of Illinois
  • Steven Marks, Executive Director,ÌýOregon Liquor Control Commission
  • Rick Garza, Agency Director, Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board
  • Gillian Schauer, PhD, MPH, Senior Advisor to the Cannabis Regulators Association

A panel of state and local regulators from around the country, led by Jim Burack, former Director of Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division, will provide their perspective on the latest regulatory challenges facing the industry and how attorneys can help advise their clients.

9:00-10:00 a.m.

The Shifting Federal Landscape


  • Founding Partner, Vicente Sederberg LLP

  • Greenbridge Corporate Counsel

The Federal landscape is consistently changing in the cannabis industry as we shift toward national legalization. Join Christian SederbergÌýand Khurshid KhojaÌýfor a discussion of the changes we have seen and the changes we anticipate seeing in 2021Ìýand the future.

10:00-11:00 a.m.

The Many Roles and Value of General Counsel

  • Hon. Dan Pabon
    General Counsel and Chief Government Affairs Officer, Schwazze

  • Founding Attorney, McAllister Garfield P.C.
  • CJ Chapman
    Executive Vice President and General Counsel, BellRock Brands Inc.Ìý

Cannabis companies of all sizes face unique challenges that requireÌýa legal team with diverse skills and backgrounds.ÌýÌýJoin Dan Pabon, Sean McAllister, and CJ Chapman as they explore the costs and benefits of using inside general counsel, outside counsel, and a mix of the two, including lessons for lawyers on how to most efficiently and effectively work together in both roles.

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Social Justice Issues


  • Professor of Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
  • Carol Conzelman
    Senior Instructor, Global Studies Academic Program and International Affairs Program, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ18

  • Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence, Drug Enforcement and Policy Center,ÌýThe Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

  • Founder and CEO,ÌýSimply Pure Dispensary

As states and municipalities across the U.S. are rapidly transforming theirÌýpolicies, business regulations, and social norms around cannabis, it is critical to avoid replicating the racial injustices of prohibition and explore how new laws and practices can advance equity.ÌýIn this panel you will learn from academics, regulators, and entrepreneurs about the social equity and economic justice issues inherent in domestic and international drug policies, how some groups are designing and implementing innovative paths toward reform, and what the future holds for the cannabis industry and lawyers working in it.

8:30-10:30 a.m.

The Psychology of Branding/Behavioral Economics

Brand equity resides in consumer memory, so understanding the psychology of attention, perception, learning, and memory can inform successful brand management.Ìý Prof. Reinholtz will present a basic model of consumer memory and, through this framework, discuss the challenges associated with establishing your brand in a privileged positing in your consumer’s minds.

10:30-12:30 p.m.

Marketing and Brand Development

As the cannabis industry continues to grow and more and more competitors enter the space, branding becomes a critical element in consumer choice.Ìý Customers are much more likely to choose a brand that they recognize and trust when faced with a multitude of options.Ìý In this session, Prof. Kennedy will provide a brand story-telling framework that will enable you to reach your consumer in an age of overwhelming messaging and information.Ìý You will leave with practical tools to identify and communicate your unique story in a memorable and compelling way that allows your brand to rise above the fray by creating a relationship with your target consumer.

8:30-10:30 a.m.

Competitive Strategy

  • Jeff Reuer
    Professor, Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations, Leeds School of Business

The core aim of strategy is to develop a sustainable competitive advantage.Ìý In the cannabis industry, significant opportunities exist for profitable growth alongside many challenges to obtaining sustainable advantages (e.g., a plethora of new products coming online, entry by giant diversifying firms, M&A, etc.).Ìý We will consider the elements that go into a sound strategy and the ways that firms can create value that is durable.Ìý We will use a set of short video cases from other industries for inspiration on ways to appeal to noncustomers and develop innovative business models.

10:30-12:30 p.m.

Data in Action

  • Tony Cookson
    Associate Professor of Finance, Leeds School of Business

Business decisions can be improved if they are based on insights from data. ÌýAt the same time, datasets do not come well organized, nor pre-packaged with insights. ÌýIn this session, we’ll discuss some fundamentals of extracting insight from data — visualizations and through simple tabulation statistics. ÌýThe session will focus on data examples that employ cannabis industry data.