PAST OCHBS SPEAKERS
2018-2021 OCHBS SPEAKERS
Wick & Mortar
Since 2009 Jared Mirsky and his award-winning cannabis-focused branding and marketing agency, Wick & Mortar, have been featured in dozens of magazines including Entrepreneur Media, Forbes, National Geographic, Wired, Cheddar, Huff Post, and CNN Money. 2018 was the most explosive growth year yet, and Wick & Mortar continues to rack up awards and honors such as Top 40 under 40 in Marijuana Venture Magazine, 2x Dope Industry Award Winners, and most recently ranked #193 by Entrepreneur 360. Not content with simply winning awards, Jared continues to shape an industry and is now a regular contributor to Forbes, High Times, Entrepreneur, and The Fresh Toast. Despite the successes, for Jared, the greatest achievement in his life is his son. Rebranding Cannabis is his mission, and he aims to accomplish this by helping to educate the industry on the power of successful branding in the cannabis space and the impact it has on the world.
CSC Events, LLC
Joshua Crossney is the CEO & Founder of CSC Events, LLC., which hosts the world’s largest, semi-annual Cannabis Science Conference (www.CannabisScienceConference.com). Joshua Crossney is also the President & Founder of jCanna, Inc., (www.jCanna.com) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of cannabis science, analytical testing, and personalized (precision) medicine.
Joshua is an Advisory Board member of CannaKids, a California Cooperative that supplies mold, pesticide, and solvent-free Honey Gold cannabis oil to children and adults who are suffering from cancer, autism, epilepsy, PTSD, Crohn’s disease, severe pain disorders, and so much more. Joshua has a motto of collaboration, not competition in this emerging medical industry where so much still needs to be accomplished. He is doing his best to bridge the gap between analytical sciences and the medical cannabis industry to help improve the quality of medicinal cannabis products being used by patients.
Joshua recently received the Vanguard Award at the 2019 Strides in Science Awards Gala for his global advocacy in advancing cannabis science, was named as one of the “Top 25 Innovators in 2020” by Cannabis & Tech Today, was featured in Marijuana Venture’s “40 Under 40: Rising Stars in the Cannabis Industry” issue, was recognized two years in a row at the Cannabis Business Awards as 2016 & 2017 MVP of the Year and was the featured cover story for 1000 Watts Magazine’s 2017 4/20 issue. Joshua has also been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, CTV News, and many other leading media outlets. Joshua is an internationally recognized public speaker in the cannabis industry. Some of his recent international speaking engagements include Colombia, Israel, and Canada.
Partner Fisher Phillips
Jazmyn Stover is a partner at the Fisher Phillips law firm’s Cleveland office. She advises clients on critical workplace issues that develop at the intersection of business and employment law. She routinely advises public and private employers on a variety of employment issues, related to the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, employment discrimination, protecting trade secrets and confidential corporate information, and the drafting and enforcement of non-compete/non-disclosure agreements. She also has experience representing employers in mergers, acquisitions, plant closures and relocations, and reductions in force. Jazmyn has represented employers in Ohio state and federal courts as well as regulatory agencies. Jazmyn has dedicated much of her practice to representing employers in the health care, hospitality, real estate, retail, and service industries.
GIE Media, Inc.
Andrea Sparr-Jaswa is the science editor for the Cannabis Group at GIE Media, Inc., whose publications include the award-winning Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary, and the newest addition to the group, Hemp Grower. Prior to joining the GIE team in August 2019, she headed up education efforts at the renowned science-focused dispensary Farma in Portland, Oregon. As the Director of Education, she helped to build out in-depth educational content that trained new employees on endocannabinology and cannabis science and curated weekly staff educational sessions with local researchers, cultivators, and processors. Her role at Farma also included community outreach development, one-on-one consultations, and phytochemical data review to improve consumer experiences and consumption predictability through the navigation of compound variables. Her time in Oregon working with some of the cannabis industry’s top educators and researchers instilled a deep appreciation for developing a language of trust and transparency through science to improve consumer engagement and outcomes which she has carried over into her science-focused work at GIE Media. With the return to her Midwestern roots, Sparr-Jaswa is passionate about sharing all that she learned during her time at Farma and committed to standardizing cannabis education across communities.
Associate Fisher Phillips
Brittany Brantley is an associate at Fisher Phillips law firm. She represents employers in various labor and employment legal matters, including representing employers in a wide variety of employment litigation in state and federal courts and before various administrative agencies. Before joining Fisher Phillips, Brittany worked as an associate at a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a judicial extern for the Honorable Nora Barry Fischer of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Chief Executive Officer – CCV Research
Dr. Jonathan Cachat, PhD has a doctorate degree in Neuroscience, focusing on Psychopharmacology (drugs, brain behavior). He has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 2 books on the use of adult zebrafish in behavioral pharmacology research. Cannabis Now journalist Jimi Devine referred to Dr. Cachat as “One of the brightest minds in cannabis…”.
Lakewood Medical Clinic
Dr. Dvora Nelson is a Board-Certified General Surgeon with specialty certification in Phlebology. Dr. Nelson has been published in medical journals, has been an invited lecturer at medical conferences, and was a featured physician on Lifetime Cable network’s series “Women Docs”. Dr. Nelson’s background in medical marijuana comes after completing coursework on Clinical Cannabinoid Medicine offered by The Medical Cannabis Institute. She completed a fellowship with the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine. Dr. Nelson is proficient in the history of cannabis as medicine, the endocannabinoid system, basic cannabis ethnobotany, the pharmacology of cannabis and the physiological effects of phytocannabinoids, the delivery, and dosage of medical cannabis, and clinical case study reviews. She is also the co-owner of Lakewood Medical Clinic, a successful medical cannabis recommendation facility.
Dev Cann
Joel is DevCann’s Vice-President & Legal Director. Joel has broad experience in business planning, corporate governance, litigation, & employment law. Joel has operated side-by-side with Jim in establishing DevCann’s network & in developing the Greece project. He has worked closely with DevCann’s strategic partners in Greece on the legal elements of licensure, including land acquisition, corporate structure, & the specifics of the application. Joel is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), with an extensive knowledge of U.S. cybersecurity laws. Joel is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Graff & McGovern, LPA
John Izzo received his JD from The University of Akron School of Law and a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois. John is one of eight specialists in administrative agency law as certified by the Ohio State Bar Association. He concentrates his practice in administrative law, medical cannabis law, and equine law. He has represented clients before many state agencies, including the Ohio Department of Commerce, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the State Medical Board of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Insurance, and the Ohio State Racing Commission. John is also a hearing examiner for several state agencies. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and several of its committees, including the Administrative Law Committee and Gaming and Liquor Law Committee. For more information about John, go to www.GraffMcGovern.com/john-izzo.
Dev Cann
Jim is DevCann’s President and Director of Global Development. He is focused on developing personal relationships within the cannabis industry. Jim air-dropped into Greece in 2017 and quickly earned a good reputation and the ear of the Greek government. Jim has met with Greece’s Minister of Agriculture and the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, and at the request of the Greek government, Jim & Joel provided a recommended legal framework for Greece’s medical cannabis law. Several of DevCann’s recommendations are included in Greece’s current law. At home, Jim has established himself as a presence in the Ohio cannabis industry. He has established an extensive and connected network of politicians, industry insiders, and license holders. Jim is a Healthcare Information Security & Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) with extensive experience in HIPAA compliance.