Sponsored by:

Complimentary Virtual Conference

December 9, 2021
12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM ET

Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference

The Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference continues! For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into cannabis testing, laboratory accreditation, R&D testing, hemp testing panels, hemp testing regulations and more. Take a look at the presentations and speakers below for more information.

Attendees registering for this complimentary series of webinars will get access to seven veterans of the cannabis lab testing industry, who are all available for Q&A after each presentation. In addition to getting the opportunity to chat with these subject matter experts on December 9th, a recording of the presentations will be made available to all who register.

Practical and educational information from experts in the cannabis lab testing industry, all on the same day and all from the comfort of your lab, home or office. Want real inside knowledge on the cannabis testing industry? Sign up today!

Who Should Attend:

Cannabis laboratory personnel
Lab managers, Chemists, Microbiologists
Investors of Cannabis Labs and those looking to start a lab
Clients of laboratories including: growers, processors, dispensary managers and stakeholders in the cannabis lab testing market

Agenda

12:00 PM - Welcome & Introductions
Aaron Biros, Editor, CannabisIndustryJournal.com - Host and Moderator

12:05 PM - Cannabis Laboratory Accreditation Panel
Tracy Szerszen, President & Operations Manager, PJLA
Mohan Sabaratnam, Vice President, IAS
Kathy Nucifora, COO, COLA
Jason Stine, Sr. Director of Accreditation, ANAB
Chris Gunning, General Manager for Accreditation Services, A2LA
Aaron Biros, Editor, CannabisIndustryJournal.com

This panel, moderated by Cannabis Industry Journal editor Aaron Biros, will go in-depth into the new ISO/IEC 17025:2017 version, changes from the 2005 version and the new transition timeline mandated by ILAC.
Learn some of the common challenges labs face when seeking accreditation.
Learn about sampling protocols, security issues, statements of conformance, calibration and much more.

12:55 PM - Accreditation and Certification Supports Quality in the Cannabis Supply Chain - Sponsored TechTalk
Melanie Ross, Technical Products Developer, ANSI National Accreditation Board

The quality of cannabis products is impacted by many different factors. From seed to sale, positive and negative influences can affect the quality, as well as safety of the final product. Like in any industry, various risks exist along the supply chain. Independent oversight through 3rd party accredited services across the supply chain can assist in mitigating those risks. Third party accreditation ensures quality and safety of products through ongoing periodic verification of technical competence specific to that step in the supply chain. In this tech talk, ANAB will discuss the types of accreditations and certifications that can be implemented throughout the supply chain to ensure quality of cannabis products from seed to final packaging.

1:10 PM - R & D Lab Testing: Ensuring Success with Results
Chris Sweeney, President, Sonoma Lab Works

How R&D lab testing can help you
Prepare for compliance batches
Successfully launch new products
Amp up your quality control

2:00 pm - MilliporeSigma Sponsored Tech Talk
TBA

2:15 PM - USDA's Hemp Testing Rules Have Changed: Accelerate Your Lab's Preparedness
Arun Apte, CEO, CloudLIMS

An overview of the USDA's new hemp testing rules.
The operational changes hemp testing laboratories need to make to comply with the new hemp testing rules.
The regulatory compliance framework and quality standards the testing labs need to meet.

3:00 PM - Hardy Diagnostics Sponsored TechTalk
Jessa Youngblood, Food & Beverage Market Coordinator, Hardy Diagnostics

3:15 PM - Bringing a National Hemp Testing Panel to Market
Josh Wurzer, Co-Founder & President, SC Laboratories

Without clear direction from the FDA, states are filling the void by developing their own quality standards and testing requirements for hemp derived CBD products. Unlike their THC based counterparts, hemp derived CBD products are being sold across state lines raising the demand for a single testing panel that will be compliant in every state. Attendees will learn:

The current state of regulations nationally
The issues that hemp product manufacturers need to be educated on to ensure compliance,
The challenges labs face in offering customers a truly comprehensive panel.

4:00 pm - Wrap up

SPEAKERS

Tracy Szerszen
President & Operations Manager
PJLA

Tracy Szerszen is the President and Operations Manager of Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation (PJLA), a private third- party accreditation body for the past 11 years and formerly the Audit Logistics Manager for Perry Johnson Registrars a Quality and Environmental ISO Certification Body for 6 years. Her primary responsibilities include the direct oversight of the operation, accreditation and sales activities for PJLA.

Mohan Sabaratnam
Vice President
IAS

Mohan Sabaratnam is currently a Vice President with IAS and is responsible for the management of IAS’s quality system and global recognitions. As VP he is also responsible for ensuring the operational success of a number of accreditation schemes operated by IAS.

Kathy Nucifora
COO
COLA

Kathy Nucifora, MPH, MT (ASCP), joined COLA Inc. as the Accreditation Division Manager in November 2009 and in 2019 became COLA Inc.’s Chief Operating Officer. Kathy comes to us from Maryland General Hospital where she held the position of Laboratory Administrator. Kathy was recruited from a COLA Inc. accredited lab, Hutchinson Clinic, to join Maryland General where she was responsible for creating and implementing new quality

Jason Stine
Senior Director of Accreditation
ANAB

Jason Stine works directly for ANAB as a Senior Director of accreditation in charge of accreditation activities relating to testing laboratories and supporting programs accredited by ANAB.

Chris Gunning
General Manager for Accreditation Services
A2LA

Christopher Gunning a General Manger of Accreditation Services focusing on the Life Sciences group with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) where he has been employed since 2009. He also has 10 years of laboratory experience in the biological field working in variety of regulatory environments from research through cGMP compliant vaccine production. This experience allows Mr. Gunning to appreciate the important role of a quality management system and technical competence both from a data defensibility standpoint and in generating customer confidence.

Christian Sweeney
President
Sonoma Lab Works

With a background in Chemistry and Food Science from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University, Christian has focused his career on the analysis, extraction, and utilization of natural ingredients for both their bioactive and organoleptic properties. From researching anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables, to developing cutting-edge processes for natural extraction of coffee, tea, and hops, his driving focus has been to maintain the nutritive and sensorial attributes of horticultural products while converting them into usable ingredients. For the last five years, he brought his experience to the cannabis industry first as VP of Science & Technology at Cannabistry, one of the leading cannabis research & development organizations in the nation. In 2020, he joined Sonoma Lab Works as President where his focus is on guiding their phenomenal clients towards sustainable and consistent success while ensuring the safety of products in the California market.

Josh Wurzer
Co-Founder & President
SC Laboratories

Josh Wurzer is Co-Founder and President of SC Laboratories, an analytical laboratory specializing in regulatory compliance and quality control testing for the Cannabis industry. With facilities in California and Oregon, SC Labs was founded in 2010 and is a market leader in servicing the Cannabis industry. He also serves on the board of directors of Envirocann, an organization that provides compliance and quality certifications for Cannabis producers and manufacturers of Cannabis products. He serves on the USP council of experts for cannabis, the AOAC working group on cannabis, ACIL cannabis committee, as well as multiple cannabis trade association committees. Josh received his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

Arun Apte
CEO
CloudLIMS

Arun Apte is a serial entrepreneur and laboratory research scientist specializing in bioinformatics. He founded CloudLIMS in 2014 bringing the benefits of a SaaS LIMS to the cannabis testing laboratory market. This has enabled hundreds of cannabis testing and extraction laboratories to manage data, automate testing workflows, and follow regulatory compliance, such as ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Melanie Ross
Technical Products Developer
ANAB

Melanie has over 20 years of experience in quality assurance, quality control, and quality management. She has worked in several different industries, including chemical, biological, oil and gas, and aerospace. Her main role in each of these industries was the development of management systems, including internal audit programs, vendor qualification procedures, and implementation of lean six sigma. Currently, Melanie is a Technical Products Developer for ANAB designing and delivering training courses and supporting client outreach through business development activities. Her role serves as a technical resource to customers, assessors, and other interested parties.

Jessa Youngblood
Food & Beverage Market Coordinator
Hardy Diagnostics

Jessa Youngblood is the Food, Beverage and Cannabis Market Coordinator for Hardy Diagnostics. A specialist in the field of cannabis microbiology for regulatory compliance, she is seated with the AOAC CASP committee working on standard methods for microbiological testing in cannabis and hemp.

Aaron Biros
Editor-in-Chief
Cannabis Industry Journal

Aaron Biros is the Editor-in-Chief of Cannabis Industry Journal.com (CIJ), an online business-to-business trade journal focused on the legal cannabis industry. Biros started CIJ in 2015 when he officially joined Innovative Publishing full time. Through editorial coverage of the cannabis markets, Biros has developed a familiarity with regulatory compliance, quality and safety issues as they relate to the burgeoning cannabis industry. Biros covers science and technology updates, breaking news, regulations and emerging markets from his office based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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