SUNY Adirondack to host cannabis expo

QUEENSBURY, New York (Sept. 23, 2024) — SUNY Adirondack is proud to host Growing Potential: SUNY Cannabis Career and Education Expo at the college’s Queensbury campus.

The Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 event is offered in collaboration with C4 Cannabis Consortium, which includes SUNY Adirondack, SUNY Columbia-Greene, SUNY Fulton-Montgomery and SUNY Schenectady — a joint partnership dedicated to creating cannabis-based workforce development, funded by a $1 million grant from the state of New York.

The expo kicks off the evening of Monday, Sept. 30, in Northwest Bay Conference Center with keynote speaker Daniela Vergara, Ph.D., Emerging Crops specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, a tour of SUNY Adirondack’s farm and a networking event.

The next day, Tuesday, Oct. 1, features notable industry speakers addressing issues within the burgeoning cannabis field.

“We are thrilled to have our second annual Growing Potential conference at SUNY Adirondack," said Kim Feeney London, assistant professor of Business and chair of the Business division at SUNY Adirondack, who oversees the grant at the college. "We have such a depth of industry leaders and experts in our area who are willing to share their knowledge with the community and our students."

Growing Potential includes the following sessions:
•    Brendan McKee of Silver Therapeutics; 
•    Leighton Murdock of Aroma Culinary presenting “Incredible Edibles: Infusing Food with Cannabinoids”; 
•    “Businesses that Support the Industry,” an ancillary business panel facilitated by London and featuring Peter Su (banking), Brianna Rascoe (labeling and packaging), Bill Nichols (lab testing) and Jesse Tyree (marketing); 
•    Beatrice Stein, owner of Hospitality Pathways, discussing the value of empowering people with essential job skills for growth within the industry; 
•    Owen Rego of Rebel Grown VT presenting “Using Biology to Combat Biology: Regenerative Cannabis Cultivation in the Northeast”;
•    Brianna Rascoe presenting “Teratology: The Medicine Within Cannabis’ Aroma & Flavor”;
•    Felicia Reed, deputy director and acting executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, presenting “Budding Opportunities: Building the NYS Cannabis Industry Executive”;
•    Maya Greene, who will speak on “100 Year of Cannabis Culture”; 
•    Keeley Peckham, chief horticulturist and founder of Etain; and
•    “Turning Education into Real-World Experience,” a panel discussion including Quine Liddel and Daisy Mae of SUNY Columbia-Greene, Chris Brownell of SUNY Fulton-Montgomery and Matthew Langford of SUNY Adirondack, led by Patricia Morrison from the state Department of Labor’s Cannabis Employment and Education Development (CEED)

The day wraps up with a tour of the SUNY Adirondack Farm.

"This is a great opportunity to learn about the various aspects of this industry and to network with professionals in the cannabis industry," London said.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at https://CBEHubExpo24.eventbrite.com