On the eve of California ushering in the largest marijuana market in the world, the Milken Institute will host a panel discussion on cannabis with industry and policy leaders at its 2017 California Summit on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles.
Titled, "Green Gold; California's New Cash Crop," the panel will look at the policy ramifications of the largest state in the country legalizing adult-use marijuana and the economic impact of what could potentially be a $7 billion-a-year industry. California is among eight states to legalize adult use; 29 states have legalized medical marijuana.
Among the panelists is Adam Bierman, co-founder and chief executive of MedMen, a Los Angeles-based cannabis management and investment firm that has been increasing its footprint in the cannabis space over the years. The company currently manages 11 cannabis facilities in three states, including four dispensaries in the Los Angeles region. With two more retail stores planned in the LA area, MedMen is the largest retailer of legal marijuana in Southern California. The company is also building a 45,000-square-foot cultivation and manufacturing facility in Desert Hot Springs that will produce up to 10,000 pounds of marijuana annually.
The other panelists include,
- Cat Packer, Executive Director of the newly created Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation
- Hezekiah Allen, Executive Director, California Growers Association
- Matthew Dababneh, California Assembly member, 45th District
- Karan Wadhera, Managing Partner, Casa Verde Capital
"This is a defining moment for California and the country," said Bierman. "California will be the tipping point in the country's march toward the end of Prohibition."