Defining Access: Medical, Adult, OTC, or Something Else?

David Mangone Related Seminars and Products

Director of Policy

The Liason Group

David serves as the Director of Policy for the Liaison Group representing clients including the National Cannabis Roundtable, the California Cannabis Industry Association, and the Oregon Cannabis Association. Using a pragmatic and evidence based approach, David has influenced cannabis policy on the international, federal, and state level. He has worked to advance cannabis reform on the Federal level with a particular focus on getting cannabis businesses access to financial services. David has authored a book chapter in Cannabis Capital: How to Get Your Business Funded in the Cannabis Economy about federal regulation and banking policy and regularly is quoted in Politico, Marijuana Business Daily, Marijuana Moment and other publications.

Prior to joining The Liaison Group, David served as the Director of Government Affairs & Counsel for Americans for Safe Access, the nation’s largest nonprofit representing medical cannabis patients. In this role he authored several publications including 2019 State of the States Report: An Analysis of Medical Cannabis Access in the United States and acted as a policy resource for lawmakers around the country. David has also worked as a Legislative Fellow for a senior Democratic member of  Congress on the House Ways & Means Committee, and as an attorney in private practice

Rob Bonta Related Seminars and Products

Assembly Member

State of California

Assembly member Rob Bonta was elected to the California State Assembly's 18th District in 2012, where he represents the cities of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He became the first Filipino American legislator in California’s then 165-year history. Rob’s passion for justice and equality was instilled in him at a very young age by his parents, who taught him to understand injustice and the importance of joining the struggle to empower vulnerable communities. His father was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and stood with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Deep South---marching for equality and justice in Selma. His mother was and continues to be a long-time leader in the Filipino social justice movement. Growing up in a trailer just a few hundred yards from César Chávez’s home, Bonta watched closely as his parents organized Filipino and Mexican American farm workers, infusing his formative years with first-hand experience of one of the greatest peaceful social, racial, and economic justice movements of all time. This had a huge impact on Rob’s life choices and pursuits, inspiring his life’s commitment to helping people. Rob believed legal training was one of the most powerful ways to effect positive and profound change in the lives of those who needed it most. He worked his way through college cleaning laundry rooms and, with the help of financial aid, was able to achieve his dream of attending some of the best universities in the world, obtaining his Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School after attending Yale College and Oxford University in England. Earning honors in college, Rob was also a scholar athlete, captaining the Yale Soccer team. He also paved the way for the advancement of students of color as a mentor and volunteered in support of local children struggling with poverty. His legal career included work as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees, and as a private attorney, where he fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling. Rob was undefeated at trial, never losing a jury verdict for his clients. Prior to being elected to the Alameda City Council, Rob served as the Chair of the City of Alameda’s Economic Development Commission, where he focused on business attraction and retention efforts, and as board president for the Social Service Human Relations Board, where he fought to protect safety net services for the most vulnerable members of the community. As Vice Mayor of the City of Alameda, Bonta strongly supported public safety, fostered economic development, and exercised fiscal responsibility. In the State Assembly, Bonta currently serves as the Assistant Majority Leader. He serves on the Appropriations, Communications and Conveyance, Governmental Organization, and Health Committees. Rob and his wife Mialisa live in Alameda with their three children

Constantin Von der Groeben, Managing Director Related Seminars and Products

Demecan

Dr. Constantin von der Groeben is a co-founder and managing director of DEMECAN. He leads the company’s legal and regulatory affairs department. Under his direction, DEMECAN won Germany’s tender process on cannabis cultivation licenses. Dr. von der Groeben’s expertise lies in the regulatory framework of medicinal cannabis including EU-GMP, narcotics, and pharmaceutical law. He believes that smart regulation of medicinal cannabis will allow for the development of a genuine pharmaceutical product that will be widely accepted by doctors, patients, and society as a whole.

Profile of current company

DEMECAN is the only German vertically integrated medicinal cannabis company. As a pharmaceutical producer and wholesaler DEMECAN covers the full supply and value chain of medicinal cannabis - from cultivation, processing and storage to distribution to pharmacies. As a company DEMECAN is committed to sufficiently supply patients in Germany with high-quality pharma-grade medicinal cannabis.
The company was founded in 2017 by Dr. Adrian Fischer (physician), Dr. Cornelius Maurer (economist) and Dr. Constantin von der Groeben.  DEMECAN is one of only three companies to be awarded a cultivation license in Germany.
DEMECAN is headquartered in Berlin and owns the largest cannabis indoor cultivation facility in Europe, which is located in eastern Germany.

Career info and accomplishments prior to the cannabis industry

Prior to committing his career to DEMECAN Dr. Constantin von der Groeben worked for several years as a corporate lawyer for top-tier law firms in Berlin, London and New York. He combines outstanding expertise in the public sector with in-depth knowledge of the cannabis industry and its specific requirements. In his previous roles, he served as a legal advisor to the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany where he oversaw the management of government holdings. He also served as the personal assistant to Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current President of Germany. Dr. von der Groeben holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cologne, and an LLM from New York University.

Deepak Anand Related Seminars and Products

CEO

Materia Ventures

Mr. Anand has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the global cannabis industry. He is a public speaker and is regularly engaged with Canadian and International media on all subjects related to the Cannabis industry. Mr. Anand holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and Management from Vancouver Island University. He is a recognized thought leader and brings 15 years of leadership experience in the health, charitable/non-profit, and private sectors in Canada. Within the global cannabis sector, Mr. Anand has worked with senior government officials, politicians, policy makers, health professional organizations, clinical practitioners, educators, investor, patients as well as producers. He has also served on the boards of various pharmaceutical associations across Canada, the United States and Europe. Currently, Mr. Anand serves on a variety of boards within the international cannabis space which include not for profit, advocacy and patient driven organizations.