LAS VEGAS, Nev. / Aug. 5, 2022– Cannabis Conference and award-winning media brand Cannabis Business Times are excited to announce the recipients of the 2022 Cannabis Leadership Awards. The awards, now in their second year, recognize cannabis industry professionals who demonstrate the leadership qualities needed to inspire and empower those around them, and who aim to better the industry and their communities.

The 2022 Cannabis Leadership Awards winners are:

Wendy Bronfein - Co-founder, Chief Brand Officer, and Director of Public Policy, Curio WellnessDrew Duval - Senior Vice President, Cultivation, Cresco LabsIan Hackett - President, Napa Valley FuméKema Ogden - Co-owner, Top Notch The Health Center (THC)Lindsey Renner - Owner, Native Humboldt Farms

Award recipients were selected from hundreds of nominations of cannabis industry professionals from cultivation and/or vertically integrated companies (with cultivation and retail operations) in North America. Winners of the Cannabis Leadership Awards—made possible with the generous support of FOHSE - Future of Horticultural Science + Engineering—will be recognized at a special awards reception at Cannabis Conference 2022 and are featured in a special supplement of Cannabis Business Times magazine.

“We are proud to recognize these amazing individuals who have harnessed their passion for cannabis and stood out as true leaders making a positive impact on the world around them—through building employee culture, giving back to their communities, working to further cannabis legalization and regulations, prioritizing social equity and/or sustainability, and more,” said Noelle Skodzinski, editorial director of Cannabis Conference and Cannabis Business Times.

“At Fohse, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of advancing the cannabis industry,” said Brett Stevens, co-founder and CEO of Fohse. “We know what it takes to truly be innovative and invest in a brighter future for our industry, and there's no better way to celebrate the future than by honoring the leaders who are helping to shape this industry and the communities around them for the better.”

Tommy Chong to Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award

Tommy Chong, famed actor, comedian, musician and one of cannabis culture’s most prominent faces, will also be presented at the reception with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for his many contributions to the industry. Chong has been a trailblazer in the cannabis world, using his fame to advocate for legalization and normalize and destigmatize cannabis use for many years. He also has taken an active role in the legal cannabis industry; his latest venture, Cheech & Chong’s Takeout, is a California delivery service that keeps one foot in the lore of tradition while meeting the legal market where it is today. He also has pioneered his well-known Tommy Chong’s Cannabis brand featuring a robust line of THC and CBD cannabis products. Chong will also be featured in the October issue of Cannabis Business Times.

About Cannabis Conference

Cannabis Conference 2022, produced by the award-winning Cannabis Business Times media brand, is the leading educational provider for plant-touching businesses in the legal cannabis and hemp markets. The three-day event will take place at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Aug. 23-25, 2022, and features more than 90 expert speakers and 40 educational sessions. The Cannabis Conference exhibition hall will feature 85,000 square feet of industry-leading technologies, solutions and services that help cannabis cultivators, retailers and processors take their businesses to the next level. For more information, visit www.CannabisConference.com.

About GIE Media

GIE Media was founded in 1980 and has grown over 42 years into a leading marketing and communications business-to-business media company serving 17 industries, including the horticulture industry through its Horticulture Group (Greenhouse Management, Produce Grower, Nursery Management, Garden Center and Cannabis Business Times). The company employs nearly 100 editors, publishers, sales representatives, marketers and other professionals. For more information, visit www.GIEMedia.com.

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