2026 SUNY Cannabis Conference

Reena has been advocating for social justice causes most of her life with much of her work focused on the inequities and racism in the Cannabis industry. In an effort to promote healthier and more approachable ways of consuming cannabis, Reena pairs her culinary skills and knowledge of ganja to create a unique culinary experience for her audience. As a young girl, Reena witnessed her grandmother using Cannabis in the making of various salves and remedies while her father battled the law and society for his choice to partake.

Many of her family members were victims to the War on Drugs so her participation in the industry is both personal and political and she sees it as one of the greatest and most ignored civil rights violations of all time. Reena is the recipient of Now Magazine’s 2019 Readers Choice awards for Best Edible Maker, has been featured on the CBC’s The Current, Episode “Cooking With Cannabis”, Zoomer Media’s ONE Network, alongside most major Canadian publications including The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, The Canadian Press, Chatelaine, Flare, Liisbeth, Now Magazine and various other major and independent media sources on a variety of cannabis-related content.

She is currently the owner/operator of The Limin Coconut, a Caribbean Catering Company, and The High Society Supper Club, a Cannabis Catering and Event Group. Reena is also a founding member of The Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty.

Chef Nathan Koscielski, CCE, is an Associate Professor of Culinary Arts at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (NFCI) / SUNY Niagara, where he has been teaching for the past nine years. With over 18 years of experience in culinary education, Chef Koscielski previously served as a high school culinary arts instructor, earning the 2015 CAFÉ & Kendall College Green Runner-Up Award for establishing an authentic Farm-to-Table program. His professional background also includes working under Executive Chef Dan King at The Buffalo Club and Chef Norman Hart, CEC, CCE, AAC, at The Niagara Club.

Chef Koscielski holds an Associate of Specialized Technology in Culinary Arts from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, as well as a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Career and Technical Education from SUNY College at Buffalo.

He is recognized for creating SUNY’s first credit-bearing culinary cannabis lecture and lab courses, CUL 250: Culinary Cannabis and Edibles and CUL 255: Culinary Cannabis Extracts, Concentrates, and Isolates. Since launching in 2021, more than 100 students have earned American Culinary Federation certifications through his program. In 2024, he presented on culinary cannabis at the American Culinary Federation’s National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Thomas O’Neill is the managing partner of Aggressive Organics Inc., a founding member of the board for the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance, and a board member for the Cannabis Trades Association. As a long-standing advocate for cannabis legalization, he has continued to work and grow within the cannabis space beyond legalization, lobbying for legislation that will support cannabis hospitality and tourism models around the world.

With a career as a commercial broadcast director behind him, Thomas brings a unique perspective and approach to his work within the cannabis industry leading Aggressive Organics, or Agrow, in its work as an agricultural technology company; focused on ideation, research, development and implementation in the agriculture, cannabis, forestry, and tourism sectors.

Megan is the revolutionary force behind Trusted Canna Nurse.

Recognizing a gap in the healthcare system, Megan set out to bridge the divide between patients and the world of cannabis and CBD. With over 10 years of nursing experience in diverse fields like oncology, labor delivery, and hospice care, she brings a unique perspective to her practice.

Megan holds national certifications in three nursing specialties and holds a Master of Science degree in Medical Cannabis Therapeutics.

Beyond her qualifications, Megan is a respected voice in the field, having spoken at numerous events and has earned various accolades. She’s also an active member of notable organizations such as the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and Cannabis Nurses Network and serves on advisory boards of Pacific College of Health & Science and CannMed.

https://www.trustedcannanurse.com/

Carey S. (Clark) Cadieux, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN has been a nurse for 32 years, with a wide practice background including acute care, pediatrics, hospice care, and parish nursing. Dr. Cadieux is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, an Associate Professor at Binghamton University, and Past President of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA).

Dr. Cadieux is the editor of and author in the textbook Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses (2021, Wolters-Kluwer). She currently works with doctoral students and teaches an interprofessional medical cannabis course. Dr. Cadieux looks forward to sharing knowledge about the incorporation of cannabinoid science, caring theory, and holistic modalities into the role of the holistic cannabis care nurse coach.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Matthew Gates is the founder and principal consultant of Zenthanol Consulting, established in 2010. He has supported growers across the USA, China, India, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and beyond, providing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) expertise for a wide range of crops, including Gerbera, Rose, Citrus, Tea, Tomato, and Cannabis.

Matthew focuses on a holistic multidomain approach to IPM with strong emphasis on operational, evolutionary, and ecological pest awareness recognized as the “everswarm concept” tailoring preventative and curative strategies to each cultivation context with consideration for the speed and expansion of regional and global pest adaptation and diverse countervailing options. He is an active science communicator, sharing empirical strategies and thorough pest analysis through the Zenthanol Consulting YouTube channel and other media platforms. His educational outreach is grounded in academic research and practical experience, fostering a robust and informed grower community.

Recent publications include contributing author to the 2024 New York State Cannabis sativa L. Guide Book for Cornell University’s agricultural extension, several academic publications on cannabis pest ecology, and a systematic review of neem chemistry’s interactions with cannabis and its pests.

Matthew is known for his expertise in common, rare and emerging crop pests, strategic pest analyses in his pest primer series, and comprehensive science-based IPM procedure. His work continues to shape best practices in the cannabis, pest management, and broader agricultural domains via accessible information, operational vigilance, and ecological stewardship.

BIO:

“Dr. Daniela Vergara is an evolutionary biologist, data analyst, educator, scientific writer, and public speaker. In addition to her multiple publications, she founded and directs a non-profit organization, the Agricultural Genomics Foundation (AGF; AgriculturalGenomics.org). AGF aims to make hemp and cannabinoid science available to a broad public. Vergara has been part of e scientific teams at private companies including Steep Hill, Inc. who are a global leader in agricultural testing, and the biotech company Front Range Biosciences.

Dr. Vergara  joined the Harvest New York Extension Team from Cornell University as an ‘Emerging Crop Specialist’ to help  farmers with their crop in late 2021.

Dr. Vergara’s scientific publications include the comparison of the cannabinoids by the federally produced Cannabis to that produced by the private market. These results were featured in news platforms such as The Atlantic, Science, and FiveThirtyEight. Some of her other scientific publications are a compilation of the existing genomic tools available for Cannabis research that was featured in Science, and the maternally inherited genomes (chloroplast and mitochondria). Vergara has authored these publications along with collaborators from the private sector in the Cannabis industry as well as academics from several institutions worldwide.Vergara is also an international consultant and policy advisor and has advised companies in the US and Latin America. Additionally, she has worked as an expert witness for multiple legal cases in the US and abroad. http://vergarascience.com

Dr. Jose Leme graduated with his bachelor’s in Agronomic Engineering from Universidade Estadual de Londrina. For his master’s degree, he studied Precision Agriculture at Auburn University, followed by his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech with a focus on Plant Sciences. He started at SIU in Fall 2021, bringing his expertise in cannabis science and cultivation systems. He has a joint appointment in the School of Forestry and Horticulture and the School of Biological Sciences.

The Cannabis Biology and Cultivation Systems lab focuses on areas of controlled environment agriculture, plant secondary metabolites, nutraceutical/pharmaceutical biology, phenomics, plant physiology, and growing practices. His team aims to determine how to leverage environmental controls (light intensity, duration, quality, temperature, and CO2), plant nutrition, biostimulants, and hormones to improve plant yield and quality. More specifically, the research group is developing techniques to optimize plant yields and quality based on key crop steering traits that increase sustainability and efficiency via plant physiological, biochemical, and agricultural approaches.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-leme-ph-d-b94809138/Website: https://www.drleme.com/

Rob Mejia is an award-winning adjunct cannabis professor at Stockton University where he teaches the Introduction to Medical Cannabis, Social Justice and Cannabis, and Cannabis Internship Preparation courses. He also helped launch CHRIS – the Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton – as a hemp and non-medical research hub and cannabis education center. In addition, he is President of Our Community Harvest: A Cannabis Education Company, which creates cannabis educational materials including online courses. He is also one of New Jersey’s most sought-after cannabis and hemp speakers and presenters.

His cannabis authorship includes The Essential Cannabis Book: A Field Guide for the Curious, The Essential Cannabis Journal: Personal Notes from the Field, and Cannabis Careers: The Insider’s Guide to a Budding Industry (April 2025). Rob is currently launching several cannabis brands and regularly teaches medical patients and their families how to cook with cannabis.

In recognition of his cannabis advocacy and education efforts, he is the recipient of the Inaugural Excellence in Cannabis Education Award for the state of New Jersey. https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2022/05/nj-cannabis-business-awards-2022-excellence-in-education-winner-revealed.html

Dr. Kimberly D. Gwinn is a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee who investigates the influence of natural products in One Health systems. The overall goal of her research is to uncover the origins, functions, and ecological roles of natural compounds that mediate interactions both within and between organisms. Her research focuses on creating biopesticides from agricultural waste, particularly those from medicinal plant extraction processes, as well as exploring the impact of microbial toxins in plant-based products.

She has published on disease of hemp and is currently focusing on inflorescence diseases caused by species of Fusarium. Dr. Gwinn teaches courses on the use of plant and microbial products as medicines and on their use as biopesticides. She is an avid proponent of undergraduate research and is nationally recognized for research investigating the role of undergraduate research in STEM development. Her most recent undergraduate research projects include hemp seed pathology and transcriptomics of HLVd-infected cannabis.

Dr. Nina Hicks is currently a practicing family medicine physician at Delmont Medical Care in Franklin Square, New York. She is a clinical assistant professor at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She not only provides medical cannabis care with her patients at Delmont Medical Care but also she provides medical cannabis recommendations and consulting through her company, Hicks Medical Consulting. She was inspired to help patients improve their quality of life with medical cannabis after seeing the benefits it offered her late husband, who had brain cancer.

Dr Hicks earned her M.D. from University of Kansas School of Medicine, an M.B.A. from Quinnipac University and a B.S. from UCLA. She completed residency training in Family Medicine at Bronx Lebanon Hospital

Ed Wells is a leading industry expert on cannabis post-harvest environmental control, and he takes great pride in helping cultivators dial in their processes to create superior cannabis products. A veteran of the HVAC industry, Ed’s knowledge of facility operations and systems guides his work at Cannatrol and is a critical aspect of the company’s high degree of customer satisfaction and retention.

His understanding of the key factors that affect saleable yield and product safety—and the need for stable and controlled environments—are core factors in Cannatrol’s ongoing development and success. A native of Vermont, Ed still calls the Green Mountain State home and enjoys golfing and being outdoors when time permits.

Russ Hudson is an internationally recognized cannabis researcher, author, and consultant with more than three decades of experience in the field. His career spans regulatory affairs, scientific research, and global consulting, with a focus on advancing evidence-based understanding of cannabis and its complex chemistry. Through his Cannabis Chemistry Collection – hosted at CannabisChemistry.org – Russ publishes rigorous, citation-driven works that explore the roles of terpenes, flavonoids, esters, and other compounds in shaping cannabis pharmacology and consumer experience. His publications, including The Big Book of Terps and The Formidable Book of Flavonoids, are regarded as foundational texts within cannabis science and are used by researchers, educators, universities and colleges, and professionals worldwide.

As founder and director of regulatory affairs at Cannabis Consultants Group, Russ advises clients across North America and Europe on licensing, compliance, product development, and testing standards. His work has influenced both industry practices and regulatory frameworks by translating complex scientific insights into practical strategies for operators, policymakers, and educators. Russ also serves as CEO of Little Dragon, an AI-powered cannabis recommendation platform that applies the same science described in his research to match consumers with products based on their unique chemical profiles.

Lance has spent years cultivating brands and telling stories, formerly in the mainstream digital media and marketing space with companies like Scripps and AutoTrader prior to making the jump to the legal cannabis industry. Since a shift in late 2013, Lance has helped build big name industry brands like Weedmaps, The Cannabist, and GreenBroz. He has had a strong focus on marketing and business development, taking these brands global. Along the way he has established a substantial network around the world, a huge help when writing a monthly column on international legalization.

Lance more recently brought his varied knowledge and passion-first attitude to Grove Bags in 2022, where he’s been tasked with growing the company’s footprint with an eye toward moving into emerging markets around the globe. As a cancer survivor, and having grown up in Northern California, he has seen firsthand and embraced the benefits of cannabis, and how it can be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Having spent the past several years speaking at expos and conventions, he enjoys connecting with other advocates who are interested in the different facets this blossoming industry has to offer.

Seth Brophy is a chemist specializing in emulsions and product formulations, who has worked in a variety of spaces including fabric coatings, composite materials, household cleaners, detergents, and beverages prior to entering the cannabis space. Now he is the Chief Science Officer of Nowave LLC, and has been formulating their products for more than five years, including during their time as the CBD products company, Bad Days.

Now, Nowave is responsible for a host of brands, with Off Hours, Luci, and Weed Water featured as their in-house brands. Seth’s work for Nowave has run the gamut from matrix optimization, process development, equipment training, flavor work, effect studies, and a host of compliance tasks.