Watch ASA Conferences

May 22-24, 2018

Welcome from Senator Elizabeth Warren

Learn more about our speakers or Unity 2018 in our Program Guide.

Unity 2018 Keynote  Hon. Richard Ojeda  

How Government Can Save Lives   

With 100 lives lost a day to the opioid crisis, government’s responsibility couldn’t be clearer. Hear how  some government officials are working to break down barriers to access and create the safety  protocols we need to end this epidemic.

• Moderator: David Mangone, JD, Legislative Counsel, Americans for Safe Access
• Hon. Daniel O'Donnell, New York State Assembly Member, 69th District
• Kendra Fershee, 2018 Democratic Nominee for Representative, 1st District
• Daylin Leach, Pennsylvania State Senator, 17th District
• Chanda Macias, MBA, PhD, Owner and General Manager, National Holistic Healing Center Medical Marijuana

Preventing Poison: Consumers’ Role in Quality Assurance   

As the cannabis industry grows exponentially in both access and demand for product. With a  fast-growing market, the disparity between medical-grade, quality cannabis and alternatives only  widens. ASA’s leading the effort to ensure that product quality isn’t an afterthought and empowering  you to ensure that across the country medicine is truly accessible.

• Moderator: Jahan Marcu, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Patient Focused Certification Director (PFC), Americans for Safe Access
• Ezra Pryor, Heidolph North America Applied Market Specialist, Past-Chair and Founding Member of the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision of the ACS
• Trish Flaster, Executive Director, Botanical Liaisons
• Jeff Raber, PhD, Founder, The Werc Shop
• Nic Easley, CEO, 3C Cannabis

Connect Four: Educating Patients, Physicians, Providers, and Policy Makers 

The ecosystem of cannabis is growing as more and more people learn and utilize it for its many  benefits. With more people come more questions, and it takes an entire team of people to educate  and advocate on behalf of the facts. Hear from leading experts from the various facets of the  cannabis ecosystem about what they are doing to make sure people know the truth.

• Moderator: Debbie Churgai, Associate Director, Americans for Safe Access
• Meredith Fisher-Corn, MD, Editor-in-Chief, TheAnswerPage.com
• Deb Kimless, MD, Medical Director, ForwardGro
• Sarah Laucks, Director Education and Events, Abilities Expo
• Debby Miran, Former Commissioner, Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission

Addiction to Global Pain:  How the World Is Treating Pain with Medical Cannabis  

As advocates and decision makers in the United States learn of yet another reason why cannabis is a  valuable medicine, the global community is quickly gaining knowledge and expertise as well. The  global cannabis movement is alive and well, and lessons from it can inform efforts here in the USA. 

• Moderator: Steph Sherer, Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access
• Ethan Russo, MD, Director of Research and Development, International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI)
• Pavel Kubů, MD, Chief Executive Officer, International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI)
• Tomas Sadilek, Director of Government Affairs, International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI)

People over Process: Making Lives a Priority in Public Policy  

No one fighting to stay alive or for relief from extreme pain needs to be told how important this fight  is for themselves and the American People. Yet still many obstacles stand in the way to success.  How can you as individuals and members of your community keep the momentum going? Learn  from some of the best as they tell you their stories and their hope for the future.

• Moderator: Don Duncan, Board of Directors, Americans for Safe Access
• Video from Ellen Lenox Smith, Board Member and Co-Director for Cannabis Advocacy, U.S. Pain Foundation
• Christine Stenquist, President, Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE)
• Julie Prom, Director & Veterans Outreach Coordinator, Illinois Women in Cannabis
• Diana Dodson, Florida Advocate