CanEx Jamaica Business Conference and Expo, an annual business-to-business (B2B) event, begins this Thursday in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The weekend-long event serves as an opportunity to bring together the top five percent of cannabis industry figures from the United States, Canada, South and Central America, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean to provide insight into the global direction of the industry. Presented by the medicinal cannabis and hemp-based health and wellness company Zimmer & Co., CanEx is a world class, global conference. Representatives from over 35 countries around the world will be in attendance to discuss opportunities for investment, medical advances and uses, as well as the business. The conference will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, presentations and exhibitions by industry advocates, policy makers, farmers, cultivators, and more.
Jamaica has played an important role in the history of cannabis, and hosting a great cannabis conference in the country is significant because of the cultural and religious importance the plant has there. CanEx Jamaica has played an essential role in elevating the discussion from a business and industry perspective in the nation. Founded in 2016 by Zimmer & Co.’s chairman, visionary entrepreneur Douglas K. Gordon, CanEx is “a conference with a soul” – one which continues to expand to provide a platform for an increasingly global conversation.
Gordon says, “We have a real obligation to do something on a global scale that pays homage to Jamaica. We want to stay true to the business conference… [with the] networking power, opportunities, connectivity of the best trade shows… This industry is not like other industries. We must pursue commerce with a conscience. That has to be a core part of the programming. You come and the energy is right… We are true to the energy of the plant, but this is also a conference that ultimately recognizes those unique elements of the industry.”
Here are the top five things not to miss at CanEx Jamaica 2019:
1.The Speakers
CanEx Jamaica will feature high-profile expert speakers to share their knowledge with the 2000+ delegates expected to attend this year’s conference. More than 70 speakers and panelists will deliver keynote addresses, panel discussions and presentations on a variety of topics. Keynote speakers will include figures from the worlds of politics, business, health and advocacy such as Steve DeAngelo, “Father of the Legal Cannabis Industry” (and most recently co-founder of The Last Prisoner Project); Bruce Linton, founder of Canopy Growth Corp; Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico; and Cam Battley, Chief Corporate Officer of Aurora Cannabis. Of special note is an appearance by Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP (member of parliament) for Reigate (United Kingdom) and chairman of the British Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group.
Other notable speakers at CanEx Jamaica will include John Salley, NBA icon turned cannabis investor; Roz McCarthy, founder of Minorities for Medical Marijuana; Shanita Penny, founder and CEO of Budding Solutions; Tom Zuber, managing partner of Zuber Lawler & Del Duca; Preston Whitfield, Director of Hemp Operations for FlexMOD and Program Director of NoCo Hemp Expo; and Elizabeth Cramer Ernst, founder of Hamptons Medi Spa and one of the most extensively influential cannabis medicine specialists in the Eastern United States.
Key themes of the presentations throughout the weekend will be advocacy, cultivation, science and medicine to investment, banking and finance, and the business of cannabis, including women entrepreneurship.
2. The Expo
The 2019 CanEx exposition will mark the fourth anniversary of the event. The exposition’s international speakers and panelists will discuss the changing medicinal, health and wellness, legal, regulatory, business and investment landscapes. Over 200 exhibitors and sponsors, from cultivators and providers to investment firms and media, will showcase various aspects of the dynamic cannabis space. Needless to say, this exhibition will be a rare opportunity to bring together high-powered world experts to create new strategic partnerships with real-life application in the industry.
3. The Exhibitors
CanEx 2019 will be a rare and special occasion to house exhibitors from around the world under the same roof. This will create a great educational platform for leaders of the cannabis industry around the globe. Exhibitors include: Green Stripe Naturals Ltd., one of the first companies in Jamaica with all necessary licenses for cultivation, extraction and research of medicinal and recreational cannabis; Harborside, one of the oldest, largest, and most respected cannabis retailers in the world; High Times, a Los Angeles based magazine and one of the world’s leading sources for daily cannabis news, weed information, and marijuana culture; Jacana, the pioneering Jamaica-based cannabis brand; and the Colorado Hemp Project, an organic hemp farm consulting agency that works with local farmers and municipalities across the globe to bring hemp cultivars and resources to the communities that need it most (Colorado Hemp Project’s co-founder, Dani Billings, will be a speaker at this year’s CanEx and was the first person to facilitate legal hemp trade between the United States and Jamaica). Other exhibitors include Marijuana Business Daily, Abacus Health Products, Hemp & Heal, and more.
4. The Networking
As CanEx 2019 will provide a unique opportunity with cannabis experts from around the globe, the event will be an immense networking opportunity for those in the cannabis industry to connect and build lasting, strategic relationships with high-powered global, regional and local cannabis experts, researchers, business professionals and policymakers.
According to event founder Gordon, “[CanEx is a] great opportunity to showcase… a melting pot of cultural relevance, a crucible… with ecosystems of venture capitalists, people building co-ops, and culture.”
5. The Parties
Apart from the business, networking, and presentations that will be going on, another thing to look out for at CanEx 2019 will be the parties! Over this three day event, the convention will host several soirées where attendees can enjoy drinks, dancing, and live music. On Thursday, September 26, CanEx will kickoff the weekend with an “Herbtails” networking event at Kaya Falmouth, a 250-year-old historic herbouse in the heart of Falmouth. The following evening, on Friday the 27, CanEx will host a “Welcome to the Catamaran Cruise” followed by “Eyes Wide Shut – All White Party.” This all-night party will feature drinks, DJs, and live performances. Finally, on Saturday, September 28, CanEx will close out the weekend with their closing party at CannaLabs‘ cannabis farm in Westgate, Montego Bay.
With so much to look forward to, this year’s CanEx Jamaica is sure to be a conference for the ages. We can’t wait to see history in the making!
—
For more information about CanEx Jamaica 2019, visit https://canexjamaica.com/ or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Stay tuned for further updates and speaker profiles from the conference.
