The Next Decade of Cannabis: Springboarding forward from initial state regulatory systems

Jordan Wellington Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Strategies 64 LLC

Jordan Wellington is a partner at Strategies 64, where he regularly advises government officials, businesses, trade associations, and other organizations around the U.S. and across the globe on the responsible regulation of cannabis. He is also host of S64’s Weed Wonks podcast, which features conversations about timely cannabis policy issues with state cannabis regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders.

?Jordan has played a key role in drafting cannabis legislation and regulations in Colorado and other states, and he has served on several public and private sector advisory boards and working groups dedicated to developing sensible cannabis policies. He has co-authored white papers on behalf of cannabis industry organizations regarding cannabis packaging, labeling, and testing policies, and he often appears in the media discussing cannabis policy and business matters. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where he taught a class titled, “Regulating Cannabis.”

?Prior to arriving at S64, Jordan joined Vicente Sederberg LLP as compliance director in 2014 and helped launch the firm’s regulatory compliance practice. He also co-founded Simplifya, a cannabis regulatory compliance software company.

?Previously, Jordan was a legislative staffer in the Colorado House of Representatives, where he shepherded legislation through the General Assembly to implement the state’s voter-approved legalization law, Amendment 64. He was then hired as a senior regulatory analyst for the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division in the state Department of Revenue, where he organized the division’s stakeholder engagement process and drafted many of the state regulations governing retail and medical cannabis.

Riana Durrett Related Seminars and Products

Director

UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute

Riana Durrett earned her B.A. in political science from UNLV and attended law school at UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law, earning her J.D. in 2008. While attending UNLV, Durrett participated in several internship and externship programs, including a judicial internship for the Suquamish Tribe, where she is an enrolled tribal member.  She recently completed her LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation from the William S. Boyd School of Law, where she also teaches cannabis law and regulation.

Durrett was appointed as director of the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute in August 2023. In addition, the Governor appointed her to serve as the first vice chair of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Prior to her work with the Cannabis Compliance Board, Durrett served as the executive director of the Nevada Dispensary Association, where she established the association as the primary resource on best practices in Nevada's cannabis industry -- developing the Nevada Dispensary Association into the primary regulatory and government affairs voice for Nevada's cannabis industry. In addition to her work at UNLV, Durrett currently serves on the Boards of the Nevada Taxpayer Association and the Nevada Conservation League.

Jason Adelstone Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Harris Sliwoski LLP

Jason Adelstone is a seasoned business lawyer, international policy advisor, and problem solver. Based in Denver, Colorado, he provides domestic and international legal counsel to a diverse clientele, including entrepreneurs, corporations, religious organizations, and federal and international cannabis operators. His practice spans corporate law, international policy, and cannabis regulatory compliance, helping clients navigate the complexities of the global cannabis industry and beyond.

A recognized authority in the U.S. on international drug treaties, Jason has collaborated with legal and policy experts worldwide to address evolving cannabis laws, U.S. and EU regulatory challenges, and treaty obligations. His expertise includes corporate governance, business formation, contract negotiation and drafting, restaurant and franchise law, and state and federal conflicts of law.

Jason’s professional journey is as unique as it is diverse. Before becoming a lawyer, he served as a logistics supervisor for the U.S. Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and spent 18 years in the restaurant industry, managing both front- and back-of-house operations. These experiences instilled in him a practical, results-driven approach to solving complex legal and regulatory challenges.

David Culver Related Seminars and Products

Senior Vice President of Public Affairs

US Cannabis Roundtable

David Culver is the SVP of Public Affairs at the US Cannabis Roundtable. With over 25 years of experience spanning the globe, David has crafted winning strategies on behalf of trade associations and global corporations with a specialty in beverage alcohol, cannabis, and other highly regulated industries.

Prior to his role at USCC, David served as Vice President of Global Government & Stakeholder Relations for Canopy Growth Corporation, the world’s leading cannabis company. In this role, David built and managed the company's global government relations efforts including their entry into the US as a CBD company. He founded the company’s employee PAC, and was a founding board member of USCC.

David served as Vice President of Government Affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) for 16 years prior.  Among many accolades during his tenure, most notably, he was instrumental in the passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization & Tax Reform Act in December 2017 - the first industry-wide tax reduction since the Civil War.  David helped launched the Craft Distiller Membership Program in 2010, recruiting nearly 150 new members for the organization and he jointly oversaw the organization’s USDA Market Access Program, which promoted American made spirits overseas. 

David served in a variety of campaign and legislative positions for Senator(s) Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), Tom Daschle (D-SD), J. Robert Kerrey (D-NE), and Ben Nelson (D-NE).

David Vaillencourt Related Seminars and Products

Chief Executive Officer

The GMP Collective

Industry Architect -- Bridging Safety, Science, and Standards for the Cannabinoid Industry. Contact me for strategic advising, consulting, and to learn more about how to be part of crafting the future marketplace.

With a team of experts that are versed in food, pharma, and cannabis - I empower business leaders to build profitable operations rooted in a culture of quality and proven best practices. I have worked with clients in several countries, built partnerships with complementary businesses and pride myself on delivering lasting value.