Wine & Weed Symposium Central Coast Program

Opening Remarks

The day will kick-off with opening remarks from Wine Industry Network President, George Christie, "The Central Coast of California has become a hub for cannabis cultivation. It is critical that as state laws and regulations are implemented, Central Coast wineries need to be well informed and educated about what's happening around them."

Legal Cannabis 101 Description

Cannabis wasn’t always illegal in California, what happened? What is the history of the fight to legalize the recreational use of cannabis? What’s the latest in Sacramento? How might the current administration in Washington, D.C. impact the cannabis industry?

This session will address all of these questions and more as well as provide a basic overview of the cannabis industry, how regulations have evolved and provide insights as to how legislations is expected to unfold over the next 12 months and beyond.

Description

On January 1st, California finally kicked it off its newly regulated adult use and medical cannabis markets, creating a plethora of business opportunities, some of which will undoubtedly impact the wine industry, both positively and negatively. However, acquiring state licenses and local approval to operate within the confines of the law can be challenging, costly and confusing, as state regulations and tax policies remain a work in progress and local commercial cannabis ordinances are different from one county and city to the next. In addition, with three separate state agencies taking on the comprehensive regulation of all kinds of cannabis businesses, understanding regulations across agencies is of the utmost importance to would-be cannabis entrepreneurs.

This interactive session, featuring leading cannabis legal experts, will address questions regarding what’s permitted and what's not including but not limited to analyzing distribution restrictions, prohibited products, packaging and labeling, quality assurance standards, consumer protections, brand and advertising restrictions, as well as the overall temporary and annual state licensing, taxation, operational and reporting requirements, and the expected costs of and barriers to entry.

Description

The "Business of Cannabis" is in a rapid state of evolution and no one predicts that to end any time soon. There are conflicting perspectives on how the rules and regulations that are unfolding will impact business opportunities and, like the wine industry, small producers find themselves at odds with large, well-funded cannabis companies.

This session will feature experts from the cannabis industry who will provide an overview of the current business landscape, and predictions on how they see the industry unfolding over the next 5 years in California and beyond. Topics will include new products, investment opportunities, cost of entry, profitability of growing operations and more. It will also examine products in or entering the market that could potentially compete for attention with wine consumers.

Description

On November 17, 1991, the wine industry experienced a big lift from an unlikely source. A 60 Minutes segment titled ‘French Paradox’ essentially stated that by drinking red wine daily, in moderation, the risk of heart disease would be greatly reduced. There were skeptics, but wine sales exploded.

Cannabis use for health benefits has been the driving force behind legalization and paved the way for the passing of adult use in California. As with wine, critics still exists, but some of the greatest growth in the cannabis category comes from users that tout the healthy benefits of moderate use. It begs the question, with the legalization of adult use, will wine consumers that have enjoyed wine as a way to reduce stress, or minimize heart disease, switch to cannabis? Understanding this category and the consumers driving it will help to answer these questions.

This session features Pamela Hadfield, co-founder of HelloMD.com, the largest, most active medical cannabis community online today. Pamela will share her knowledge and experience on the evolution of cannabis as a wellness product along with current trends and consumer demographics.

Description

In what ways will the new cannabis industry befriend the wine industry? How will customers react? Will sales be divided or rise synergistically? How can the two work together to take on common issues that impact both industries, like labor and move forward on common goals like the establishment of appellations?

A panel of cannabis industry leaders will share their thoughts on why the passing of Proposition 64 can also be a positive for the wine industry and that a collaborative mindset has the potential to create an “All Ships Rise with the Tide” scenario for wine regions throughout the state. The panel will also address real concerns, such as the competition for consumers, labor, and water and predictions for how those situations may play out in the future.