[[{“value”:”
A comprehensive cross-section of the world’s most influential policymakers and global regulatory officials are set to meet with a group of the cannabis industry’s leading voices for an unprecedented inaugural global summit.
Taking place in Washington, DC, from March 25 – 27, the Global Cannabis Regulatory Summit (“GCRS” or the “Summit”) aims to lay the foundations for a global, harmonised regulatory framework for legal cannabis.
These lofty ambitions are matched by the event’s guest list, which includes US Congressional members, current and former state cannabis regulators and international representation from countries including Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Among the presenting attendees are such leading industry figures as Gillian Schauer (CANN-RA Executive Director), James Cole (former Deputy Attorney General), Kathleen Sebelius (former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services), and Vicente Fox (former President of Mexico).
The three-day Summit is being hosted by William Muecke and E. Stanton McLean of Artemis Growth Partners (“Artemis”), together with Adrian Clarke and Nick Morland of Tenacious Labs, covering content shaped with Tjalling Erkelens, CEO of Bedrocan, and Saphira Galoob, CEO of The Liaison Group and current executive director of The National Cannabis Roundtable.
The event is supported by sponsors who rank among the most influential cannabis companies in the world, as well as leading non-cannabis industry sectors adjacent to cannabis and from the mainstream Fortune 500. Leading cannabis operators such as Aurora, Bedrocan, Bloomwell, Curaleaf, Four20 Pharma, Jacana, and Village Farms have lined up to sponsor the Summit.
These Summit sponsors are joined by leading industry players from legal, Pierce Atwood LLP, and insurance such as AON, a Fortune 500 giant, and RELM Insurance. The Summit has received further support from network, content and media partners Black Catalyst Consulting, Cutbill Jacoby, The Dales Report, FoxNrth, Mattio Communications, Potash Global Strategy, Prohibition Partners, UIVEC, Vincente LLP and Woodbridge Research.
Muecke, co-founder and chief investment officer of Artemis told Business of Cannabis: “Ultimately, this is about building a unified cannabis industry that transcends borders and fragmented policies. This Summit is constructed to be a forum of collaboration and learning of, by, and for cannabis regulators from the US and overseas. By facilitating these conversations, we hope to set a foundation for sustainable growth, efficient regulation, and better patient outcomes worldwide.”
A rare opportunity for collaboration
The landmark Summit will open on March 25 with a reception in Georgetown, before a full-day medical cannabis symposium on March 26 at the US Capitol Complex.
After a networking dinner that evening, the following half-day session on March 27 will shift focus onto emerging adult-use markets and regulations.
With confirmed appearances from global standards organisation experts such as ASTM International and ISO, the Summit will feature key panel discussions and additional talks throughout that will aim to address the need for a global regulatory framework, economic opportunities from cannabis legalisation, and the industry’s potential role in post-conflict and disaster recovery efforts.
Key to the discussions, which will aim to learn lessons based on real-world data from multiple markets, will be a focus on the standardisation and harmonisation of regulations across international boundaries and the importance of fostering collaboration at such a crucial juncture in the geopolitical landscape.
Years in the making, finally a reality
The need for an internationally harmonised regulatory framework for cannabis has been talked about since the industry’s inception.
However, it required a collective with the right connections, resources, and expertise to transform vision into action. GCRS began life, explains Muecke, during a dinner on the eve of the Prohibition Partners Cannabis Europa event in June.
“We took a moment to reflect on Germany’s cannabis rollout—a process delayed by two years but now showing strong momentum. Seeing early data from Germany validated that it would be a success for patients, with improved access to quality cannabis medicine. This reinforced our belief that a well-functioning supply chain is crucial to ensure patients receive safe and effective medicine,” said Muecke.
“Despite the flourishing European market, there was also a feeling of concern that Europe and other international markets could sleepwalk into replicating the US’ patchwork model which is fraught with fragmented laws and hindering barriers, like cross-border restrictions, thus stifling free trade and innovation while impeding patient access.
“At that dinner, surrounded by CEOs of major cannabis companies, we realised the pressing need for industry collaboration to guide regulators in harmonising policies. Without this, the global cannabis market risked becoming a series of isolated ‘walled gardens.’
Recognising that it would take an independent actor to bring this idea into being, Muecke and McLean, through Artemis, decided to act and committed to wholly underwriting the upcoming Summit with personal funds in order to ensure this crucial gathering of policymakers and industry leaders happened without delay.
A service to cannabis industry, a resource for the future
Recognising the importance of bringing regulators together to share lessons, avoid pitfalls, and establish consistent frameworks, the Summit’s goal is to bring together the regulators who are making policy and designing legal jurisdictional frameworks for legal cannabis in order to get them to recognise their commonality of purpose and to share experience and resources so that we ensure current and future cannabis laws will support patient access, fair trade, and global supply chain efficiency.
Unlike typical conferences, this event is not companies pitching products. Instead, the Summit will focus on graduate-level discussions for regulators and industry leaders and will be attended by seasoned professionals who have decades of experience bridging the gap between regulators, industry, and international bodies like the UN.
“This event will provide a platform for regulators to exchange knowledge, with the aim of creating harmonised global cannabis policies that prioritise patient care, economic opportunity, and safety. Industry voices will have input to highlight supply chain needs and investment frameworks,” Muecke explained.
“This isn’t a profit-driven venture; our primary goal is to drive meaningful change. It is a rare opportunity for collaboration, with curated discussions leading to actionable outcomes. As a follow-on addendum to the Summit, and in conjunction with Prohibition Partners, the leading global information platform for legal cannabis, we will publish white papers summarising key insights and creating a roadmap for future progress.”
For more information on the Summit, please visit: https://cannabisregsummit.com
“}]] A comprehensive cross-section of the world’s most influential policymakers and global regulatory officials are set to meet with a group of the cannabis industry’s leading voices for an unprecedented inaugural Read More
