NIAGARA FALLS – More than 90 cannabis experts from around the world will be in Niagara Falls next month for a conference concerning the state of the industry in Canada.

The Scotiabank Convention Centre will host the Grow Up Cannabis Conference & Expo on Oct. 6 and 7. The summit comes on the heels of the Ontario government’s announcement regarding a framework to manage the sale and use of marijuana across the province.

The Grow Up event will focus on the education, collaboration, and development of the cannabis-growing industry and will gather licensed producers, licensed producer applicants, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, investors, lawyers, government officials, and growing enthusiasts.

Speakers confirmed for the conference include:

• Ed Rosenthal, often referred to as the “Guru of Ganja”. Rosenthal has written or edited more than a dozen books about marijuana cultivation and social policy that have cumulatively sold more than one million copies, and is also the founder of High Times Magazine.

• Jesse Stanley, who, along with his brothers, founded CW HEMP, a leading family-owned social enterprise company that creates life-changing, plant-based health and wellness solutions.

• Jodie Emery, is a well-known cannabis advocate and political activist. Emery is regularly featured in mainstream media stories about cannabis and legalization. Emery is the owner and operator of Cannabis Culture headshops, vapour lounges, and social-use cannabis retail stores as well as media websites Cannabis Culture and Pot TV.

• Mandy McKnight: McKnight has become a vocal advocate for safe access to medical marijuana after witnessing the incredible progress that her son, Liam, has made since starting cannabis as a treatment for his seizures as a result of Dravet Syndrome, a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy for which there is currently no cure and treatment options are extremely limited.

• Rory Johnathan, who entered the commercial cannabis industry at the age of 16, currently heads up the Grower Support department at Advanced Nutrients. Johnathan provides full service support to cannabis growers across the globe, from the smallest hobbyist to the largest growers on the planet, helping with every facet of the growing process.

• John Prentice: President and CEO at Ample Organics, the most widely-adopted seed-to-sale solution among Canada’s licensed marijuana producers.