2024 Cannabis Industry Power Players

Jason is a seasoned professional with 13 years of experience in finance and human resources leadership roles. A SHRM-CP certified expert, he joined CBD Kratom in January 2020, playing a crucial role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring compliance. An awardee of the 2022 St. Louis Business Journal HR Award, Jason excels in implementing processes, and developing leaders, and currently oversees the wholesale, marketing, and operations functions at CBD Kratom.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The fumbled start to recreational marijuana has left a gap/oversight and uninformed policy around hemp and how it fits into the NY cannabis industry. We are always advocates for the growth and advancement of our industry at large, but marijuana businesses see us as a threat, regulators don’t understand us, and we’re just trying to find space and grow our business.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
Find what differentiates you and how you want to position yourself within the market. I think the industry is so young that there is so much opportunity to get in it and explore, and yet, it is going to take professionalism, resilience, and some nimbleness. If you’re willing to put those three into practice regularly I think you’ll have a strong chance at rising to the top.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
There needs to be reasonable regulation and space for marijuana and hemp cannabis. This is a huge market with an appetite for both products.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
I think it has shown the public readiness for cannabis as a whole. Also, thriving business is just a good economic lift overall. We employ 66 people in NYC, we have 12 storefronts in NYC.

Gale A. Brewer represents the 6th council district and chairs the committee on oversight and investigations. Under her leadership, the committee held oversight hearings on costs of the migrant crisis, proliferation of unlicensed cannabis shops, operational challenges in family court, and more. Council Member Brewer is a member of the budget negotiation team as well as the committees on finance, higher education, immigration, consumer and worker protection, governmental operations, and rules, privileges, and elections.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
Protecting the cannabis law’s intent to develop the market around strong, independent operators instead of the centralization and consolidation that has created barriers to entry in other legal markets for small and medium sized entrepreneurs, legacy operators, and other individuals and communities lacking access to capital.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
Get a license.

Cristina Buccola is an attorney who’s been at the forefront of the cannabis industry since 2015. Her decades worth of experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, intellectual property, and human resources makes her unique among lawyers in the space. In addition to representing all types of cannabis licensees, Cristina designed and managed several application clinics, assisting hundreds of folks win cannabis licenses (CAURD, general adult-use) and spots in mentorship training programs.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
To deliver on the policies/promises of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, the legislation passed in New York State in 2021 to legalize cannabis and establish a cannabis marketplace.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
Understand what your skill set is and how you can best apply it to/within the cannabis industry. One can very much be “in the industry” and not have a cannabis license from the state; ancillary (non-plant touching) businesses are extremely important to New York’s cannabis ecosystem.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
New York State dedicates 40% of tax revenue from cannabis sales to communities that have been most harmed by the War on Drugs. I hope these coffers overflow and the money benefits the folks who need it most.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
Senseless arrest rates for minor possession of cannabis have plummeted.

Chenae Bullock, LPIM, a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation, is renowned for her work in cultural preservation and sustainable business practices. She has been in esteemed platforms such as SXSW, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and TEDx. As founder and CEO of Moskehtu Consulting, she spearheaded a cannabis venture for her tribe by blending Indigenous cultural knowledge with modern approaches. Chenae advocates for cultural, environmental rights, and the empowerment of Indigenous perspectives on a global scale.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The former governor of New York’s focus on social equity in the cannabis sector attracted private equity funds’ attention. However, partnerships between social equity groups and investors have encountered difficulties in New York over cultural disparities and financial obstacles. Bridging the wealth disparity remains a prevalent issue for social equity groups across the country, demanding immediate attention in New York’s fast-growing cannabis market.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
To succeed in the cannabis industry, focus on core strengths beyond the product itself. Ancillary services, supply chain efficiency, and strong business administration are crucial. Collaboration and partnerships are key to scaling businesses and fostering innovation. Building a diverse, passionate team is essential for authenticity and long-term success in plant medicine, reflecting a tone of leadership.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
I like to envision cannabis education expanding beyond the industry, aiming to destigmatize it. Legalization presents a chance for innovation in diverse cannabis products, offering consumers more options. As an Indigenopathic practitioner, I advocate for Indigenous involvement in health care, seeing New York’s legalization as a potential catalyst for groundbreaking research in cannabis’s medicinal properties and improved healthcare choices.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
Since cannabis legalization in New York, people have become more open to learning about cannabis, fostering cannabis-friendly environments statewide. This shift has sparked discussions on cannabis benefits, leading to increased medical research on its therapeutic potential. Researchers and institutions are exploring cannabis’s medical applications, deepening our understanding and potentially unlocking new treatments.

Aleece Burgio has eight years of experience advising companies and other organizations in the medical and adult-use cannabis industry. She currently serves as Of Counsel to Colligan Law to act as their cannabis team leader. She began her career as an attorney in Portland, Ore., assisting businesses entering the recreational and medical cannabis markets. Aleece is an executive leader in New York State Bar Association’s Cannabis Section and has held university advisory positions relating to cannabis.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The most urgent issue I’m dealing with for clients is property protection for retail locations. Many potential dispensaries are in limbo regarding their locations and the Property Protection Map is not a current depiction of the landscape. Most clients have been waiting months for answers to their location questions.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
Get involved and take initiative. There are a lot of opportunities to show passion in this space.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
I’d love for the supply chain to even out. We started out with too many growers/processors and not enough dispensaries. After the news that the entire November queue will be reviewed, the pendulum will swing the other way, and we will have too many dispensaries and not enough suppliers. Let’s hope we can adapt quickly.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
New York is making history with its equity and inclusion efforts, hopefully we don’t have too much red tape prohibiting the state from moving forward with that vision.

Joseph Calderone has ten years consulting experience in cultivation, processing and dispensary operations. He supported both medical and recreational applications in 11 states. Joseph is inspired by the ethnobotanical and biochemical characteristics of cannabis. He is chief operating officer of Grateful Valley Farm and president of Cannabis Farmers Alliance. His work with indigenous groups in the Amazon shaped his interest in joining this interesting yet exasperating industry.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The New York cannabis program needs to be reformed. The supply chain is broken and the program intended to help business owners has harmed too many industry participants. Many changes are needed in the adult recreational and medical programs in New York to protect and promote small to medium-sized businesses, including small farms and microbusinesses through activism, legislation and education. 

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
Find a mentor. Always be suspicious of people who claim they know everything. This industry is a constant learning process. Share as much knowledge as you learn. Be nimble and ready to adjust to constant change. An interest in compliance, quality, and botany. Science and economics are just as important as culture. Talk to traditional (legacy) operators who have been doing it for years. Hands-on experience is important. Better not to be too baked while working.  

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
A fully functioning supply chain and a compeftent regulatory body that helps realize the objectives of social and economic equity, fairness, and destigmatizing of the cannabis plant.  A thriving, New York cannabis culture supported by a robust agricultural sector. A hope that the 7.4 billion in black market sales finally find their way into the legal industry 

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
Economic multiplier effects: for every one cannabis job created, 2.4 more are created in the greater economy. New York has focused on social and economic equity. It’s refreshing to see upstate farmers, women, minorities, disabled veterans, and those disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs participate in the industry. The pioneers who were sprayed with pesticides, lived with aliases, were incarcerated, and lived with lifelong PTSD are slowly being made whole.

Jesse Campoamor is an advocate and strategist who played a crucial role in passing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in New York State. Working under Governor Andrew Cuomo, Jesse’s efforts were pivotal in legalizing adult-use cannabis and addressing social justice issues related to its prohibition. Since leaving government, Jesse founded Campoamor & Sons, a full-service consulting firm with a mission to create results for its clients looking to make a difference in NYS.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The State made a commitment to use the legalization and commercialization of this industry to heal the harm created by the criminalization of cannabis, which predominantly impacted Black and brown communities. Social equity is at a pivotal moment in New York State. Will the state keep its commitment or abandon it? We need to see a clear plan for the path forward. Who will be the next executive director and CEO of the Office of Cannabis Management?

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
This is a business, in a highly regulated market. You are not really in the cannabis business, you are in the compliance business. The biggest winners will be the ones that can navigate the regulatory forest that is NYS cannabis. Also, this is a unique industry because we’re not just selling widgets, there is a culture/lifestyle associated with the product. Find a way to fuse the culture with sound business practices. Have a business plan.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
To be the biggest market in the world.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
NYS is the first state in the country where the first sales of legal cannabis were done by a non-profit organization and someone formally convicted for cannabis. 57% of the licensees in the adult use market are SEE applicants. NYS is well above the national average when it comes to social equity goals. We have a long way to go but we have achieved more than anyone else in that space.

Brittany Carbone has operated in NY’s cannabis space since 2017 as a brand leader, cultivator and manufacturer. She’s the founder and CEO of TONIC, a craft consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand with distinct hemp CBD and adult use product lines. Brittany is also the co-founder of Tricolla Farms, a family-owned, organic and regenerative farm that has fueled TONIC products since 2018. Carbone is also known for her advocacy work and commitment to creating an equitable, sustainable cannabis ecosystem.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
Capital (or lack thereof). Equity goals will fall short without financial support from the state. The failures of DASNY and Fund are substantial. Licensing marginalized populations and putting them in a ridiculously over regulated industry with tight margins, lack of institutional capital, and true party of interest (TPI) rules that restrict the flow of capital without providing support like zero interest loans or grants (which are required under the MRTA) is a recipe for disaster.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
This advice is really for anybody wanting to be licensed and “plant touching”. If you are depleting your life savings to get into cannabis, DON’T! This is not a bootstrap kind of business. The operating costs are astronomical and you need cash reserves to front load production, inventory, etc. Compliance alone can be a full time job. Small businesses need to lean into horizontal partnerships and collective/co-op models to be able to compete long term.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
I hope that this actually becomes a market that is small business friendly. There is incredible dissonance between the state’s narrative and the regulatory realities of operating a legal cannabis business in NY. I hope that the regulations governing microbusinesses and cooperatives are amended so that those license types can actually create a thriving ecosystem of cannabis commerce that is rooted in quality, sustainability, and community.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
The biggest positive impact is that people are no longer being put in jail for cannabis.

Brandon Carter is the co-founder and chief of operations at Trends Dispensaries, a premium cannabis store nestled in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Fueled by a deep understanding of the therapeutic potential of cannabis, he embarked on a mission to destigmatize its usage and promote responsible consumption. Navigating the complexities of regulations and compliance, Trends Dispensaries emerged to curate high-quality cannabis products that prioritize sustainability and consumer wellness.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
The most urgent issues facing the New York cannabis industry in my opinion are the many extreme restrictions we have to adhere to such as the advertising and marketing rules. For others, lack of funding for new operators is huge and the nonchalant enforcement of illicit stores.

Do you have any cannabis industry-specific advice for people looking to break into the field?
The cannabis industry is like the gold rush right now in my opinion. Come get immersed into the industry, learn as much as possible, mix and mingle at the events, work at one of the retail stores, brands or farms because opportunities are endless and growth is accelerated if you are ambitious.

What are your hopes for the future of the cannabis industry in New York?
New York will be the cannabis capital of the world soon. I just hope it is the official New Yorkers who are the main beneficiaries of the success coming soon. The out of state MSO’s and RO’s are already trying to take over so we need to stick together and support local business.

What are some of the positive impacts you’ve seen from legalizing cannabis in New York?
Some of the positive impacts is all the people who were incarcerated for crazy marijuana laws are slowly being released now. Also more and more people are starting to come around and want to know more about cannabis and the benefits of the plant. It’s able to come out from the shadows now and people can enjoy it in peace and engage with cannabis socially like they do with alcohol, wines and spirits.

Kaelan Castetter has been in the New York cannabis industry since 2015 as an operator, advisor, and advocate. He leads the Castetter Cannabis Group – a firm dedicated to providing fractional compliance, expert regulatory advisement, and government relations to operators in the New York industry. He is the lobbyist for the Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Alliance – a trade group representing the state’s largest processors.

What do you feel is the most urgent issue facing the New York-Cannabis industry?
Normalization and destigmatization. In order to ensure that our operators can fully benefit from the global cultural and economic hub that is New York City – we need bold policy that meets the consumer where they’re at. This means physically, through access to innovative products in both stores and within the hospitality industry, and culturally through marketing and public engagement.