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The Insuring Cannabis Summit
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The Insuring Cannabis Summit Presented by Insurance Journal

2024 Was A Big Success! and 2025 is going to be even better 👀

We've got some big plans you won't want to miss!
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Cannasure Insurance Services Jencap CannGen Insurance Services Blitz Insurance

Opportunities

Build a better and smarter book of business in the specialty.

What We Covered Summit Topics

The Virtual Summit is all about the insurance risks and opportunities in the cannabis marketplace. It's a full day of speakers and presentations you can access from your home or office.

Sales, Data & Consumer Intelligence

Take a deep dive into what the facts and figures tell us.

Compliance

New rules and regulations abound. Make sure your clients don't get bit by stepping over a line.

Risk Management & Supply chain

Navigating inflation, shipping lags, and the unknowns along a multifaceted cannabis supply chain.

Legal Matters and Cannabis Lawsuits

Big lawsuits, product recalls, EPL and more.

Niches

A view of what's happening in foods and beverages, lounges and minor cannabinoids.

Insurance Products

What's in demand, and what's out of hand.

Claims

The cannabis space is now mature enough to inform us with some solid claims data.

Industry Experts Meet the Speakers

Our speakers are the best in the industry and will share their knowledge and insights with you.

Host
Don Jergler

Don Jergler

West Editor

Insurance Journal

Host
Andrea Wells

Andrea Wells

Vice President, Content

Insurance Journal

Host
Allen Laman

Allen Laman

Content Editor

Insurance Journal

Sponsor
Charles V Pyfrom

Charles V Pyfrom

CMO

CannGen Insurance Services

Sponsor
Jim McErlean

Jim McErlean

Business Development Manager

Cannasure

Sponsor
Lee Woodruff

Lee Woodruff

Vice President of Cannabis Practice

Jencap

Sponsor
Ben Sibthorpe

Ben Sibthorpe

Vice President

CannGenPRO

Shauna Blackburn

Shauna Blackburn

Cannabis Team Leader

Blitz Insurance

Norman Ives

Norman Ives

Executive Vice President and Cannabis Practice Leader

Amwins Insurance Brokerage

Morgan Fox

Morgan Fox

Political Director

NORML

TJ Frost

TJ Frost

President

Symphony Grow

Cooper O'Conner

Cooper O'Conner

Senior Broker, Professional & Management Liability Broker

Burns & Wilcox Brokerage

Jesse Parenti

Jesse Parenti

Founder & National Risk Manager

JP Squared Consulting, LLC

Summer Jenkins-Wilson

Summer Jenkins-Wilson

Executive Director

Cannabis Insurance Wholesalers

Mike Kirk

Mike Kirk

Commercial Underwriter

Cannasure Insurance Services

Ed Allen

Ed Allen

National Director of Security and Safety

Story Cannabis

Alan Fiano

Alan Fiano

Manager of the New England and West Coast territories for Cyber and Tech E&O

Crum & Forster

Al Ochosa

Al Ochosa

Director of Insurance, Risk, & Safety (IRS) Compliance

Curaleaf

September 17, 2024 The Agenda

It's a full day of speakers and presentations you can access from your home or office. Here is the agenda for the day.

9am PT
12pm ET
Panelists
Jesse Parenti
Norman Ives
Charles V Pyfrom
Lee Woodruff
Jim McErlean
Hosts
Don Jergler
Andrea Wells

Part One: Doing Better Insuring Cannabis Business

Jesse Parenti, Norman Ives, Charles V Pyfrom, Lee Woodruff, Jim McErlean

How do industry trends change the way you approach your cannabis clients? Rates, availability, new products, regulations—there's a lot to know about, and our panel of experts has the data and experience to draw a map to be a success in this segment.

Trivia Question #1: Unveiled at the start and end of this panel. Engage by leaving comments and answers.
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10am PT
1pm ET
Panelists
Shauna Blackburn
Ed Allen
Mike Kirk
Al Ochosa
Ben Sibthorpe
Hosts
Don Jergler

Part Two: Risk Management in Cannabis

Shauna Blackburn, Ed Allen, Mike Kirk, Al Ochosa, Ben Sibthorpe

Risk management in cannabis has never been more important, with crimes targeting dispensaries, a growing industry, and ever-more sophisticated operators entering the industry seeking more value added from their brokers and insurers. Our panelists cover the who, what, when, where, and why of risk management basics and beyond.

Trivia Question #2: Unveiled at the start and end of this panel. Engage by leaving comments and answers.
Show More Show Less
11am PT
2pm ET
Panelists
Morgan Fox
Lee Woodruff
Hosts
Don Jergler
Allen Laman
Andrea Wells

Part Three: What Do The Elections Mean for Cannabis?

Morgan Fox, Lee Woodruff

With elections on the horizon, an administration amenable to some form of descheduling, and several federal bills in play, we've asked a long-time marijuana policy wonk who's been in on top political conversations to give us a lowdown on the path to federal legalization and a lay of the cannabis landscape in key states.

Trivia Question #3: Unveiled at the start and end of this panel. Engage by leaving comments and answers.
Show More Show Less
12pm PT
3pm ET
Panelists
Cooper O'Conner
Summer Jenkins-Wilson
TJ Frost
Alan Fiano
Hosts
Don Jergler
Andrea Wells

Part Four: Cyber in Cannabis

Cooper O'Conner, Summer Jenkins-Wilson, TJ Frost, Alan Fiano

Big tech is moving into the cannabis space and generating the need for cyber coverage and services. Sales of cyber policies are on the rise in the cannabis space, and your panelists will talk about what's being purchased and what they are doing to keep the cyber policies rolling out the door.

Trivia Question #4: Unveiled at the start and end of this panel. Engage by leaving comments and answers.
Show More Show Less
After the Summit
Panelists
Shauna Blackburn
Mike Kirk
Al Ochosa

Bonus: Coffee Shop Talk

Shauna Blackburn, Mike Kirk, Al Ochosa

Join this behind-the-scenes bonus video with three industry experts. Grab your coffee and learn from Cannasure's Mike Kirk, Blitz's Shauna Blackburn, and Curaleaf's Al Ochosa as they dive into all things insuring cannabis!
Show More Show Less
BONUS

Cannabis-Themed Trivia Game

Join the Buzz: Throughout the summit, put your cannabis knowledge to the test! At the start and end of each presentation, a trivia question will be unveiled. Engage with fellow attendees by leaving comments and providing your answers to the trivia questions for a chance to win some awesome prizes.
Show More Show Less
The Insuring Cannabis Summit Presented by Insurance Journal

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Made Possible By The Summit Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors

Cannasure Insurance Services Cannasure Insurance Services one80.com Jencap Jencap jencapgroup.com CannGen Insurance Services CannGen Insurance Services canngenins.com

Supporting Sponsors

Blitz Insurance Blitz Insurance blitzinsurance.com

Our sponsors make this FREE event possible!

Please check them out, learn what they do, and support them if you can.

© 2025 The Insuring Cannabis Summit. All Rights Reserved

Don Jergler
Host

Don Jergler

West Editor

Insurance Journal

Don Jergler is the West Editor for Insurance Journal online and print magazine and also the Editor of Claims Journal. He is host of the popular Insuring Cannabis podcast found on insurancejournal.tv!
Andrea Wells
Host

Andrea Wells

Vice President, Content

Insurance Journal

Andrea Wells is vice president of content for Wells Media Group Inc., overseeing coverage for its multiple print and digital platforms. She is a veteran insurance journalist with more than 20 years' experience covering the property/casualty industry. She has won several awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), including awards for original research for her work on Insurance Journal's annual salary survey of retail insurance agencies and its annual survey of young insurance agents. Andrea can be reached at awells@wellsmedia.com.
Allen Laman
Host

Allen Laman

Content Editor

Insurance Journal

Allen Laman is Content Editor for Insurance Journal and Wells Media Group. He is an experienced media professional with a demonstrated history of producing award-winning content in fast-paced environments. Allen can be reached at alaman@wellsmedia.com
Charles V Pyfrom
Sponsor

Charles V Pyfrom

CMO

CannGen Insurance Services

Pyfrom is chief marketing officer at CannGen Insurance Services, where he's been a member of the executive team since 2017. He is tasked with oversight of all carrier/broker relations, program development/direction, as well as long-term underwriting strategy. Prior to joining CannGen, he was vice president of program management at a privately held program carrier, and he spent four years with Farmers Insurance Group in management roles.
Jim McErlean
Sponsor

Jim McErlean

Business Development Manager

Cannasure

Jim McErlean has over 30 years of distinguished sales, marketing, and business development management experience in the insurance industry, with most of these in the MGA space, pursuing specialty niche industries & programs.

At Cannasure, a subsidiary of One80, Jim has direct oversight of sales & distribution management to guide the company's development of current & future strategic partnerships. His business acumen and collaborative nature has consistently yielded sustainable growth and profits. Since joining Cannasure, he's been sought out for his thought leadership on podcasts, speaking engagements/panels, solo presentations, and the written word (articles, white papers, etc.).

Jim received his BA in Accounting and Finance and MBA in Business Management and Finance as a graduate of The University of Denver.

Lee Woodruff
Sponsor

Lee Woodruff

Vice President of Cannabis Practice

Jencap

Lee Woodruff is the Vice President of Jencap's cannabis practice. He is a specialized cannabis broker focused on securing industry-leading, one stop shop coverage solutions for cannabis businesses. Lee brings more than a decade of experience in the Excess & Surplus lines insurance industry and has a proven track record of production growth and profitability, which are accomplished through strong retail and carrier relationships. In 2017, Lee joined Special Risks (now Jencap) in a production role and continues to provide niche expertise and broad market access for hemp and cannabis risks. Lee holds Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Associate Underwriter (AU) designations.
Ben Sibthorpe
Sponsor

Ben Sibthorpe

Vice President

CannGenPRO

Ben joined CannGen Insurance Services in 2021 to lead the CannGenPRO Division, focusing exclusively on underwriting Management and Professional Liability for the Cannabis/CBD/Hemp industry.

He joined CannGen after spending almost a decade at a leading Specialty E&S Carrier, where he underwrote and managed portfolios of complex specialty D&O, E&O and EPL business. He has spoken at a number of industry and client panels on topics ranging from insurance market conditions to risk management issues, as well as underwriting and claims trend analysis related to Management and Professional Liability. Ben is a licensed Surplus Lines Producer, member of PLUS and holder of the RPLU designation.

Shauna Blackburn

Shauna Blackburn

Cannabis Team Leader

Blitz Insurance

Shauna Blackburn has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Her primary focus has been protecting cannabis businesses with risk assessment and risk management, and she has worked with large cannabis insurers. She has become a subject matter expert in coverage need, forms language and design, and loss control risk programs for cannabis businesses. She also has experience in field underwriting and spent almost a decade writing hard-to-place adverse risk with Cambridge General Agency.
Norman Ives

Norman Ives

Executive Vice President and Cannabis Practice Leader

Amwins Insurance Brokerage

Norman Ives specializes in custom insurance products and risk management for the cannabis, hemp and nutraceutical industries. As a founding member of the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) and a member of the Board of Directors of The Cannabis Alliance (TCA), Ives is a pioneer and subject matter expert in the nascent cannabis sector.
Morgan Fox

Morgan Fox

Political Director

NORML

Morgan Fox is the political director at NORML, focusing on congressional lobbying and changing federal cannabis laws. Fox has been a professional cannabis policy reform advocate since 2008 and has been directly involved in dozens of successful state ballot initiative campaigns to establish medical and adult use cannabis programs, as well as legislative victories at the local, state, and federal levels. Fox has been featured in hundreds of print, radio, television, and online publications. He was most recently the media relations director and chief spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association.
TJ Frost

TJ Frost

President

Symphony Grow

TJ Frost is the president of Symphony Grow, the specialty business of Symphony Risk Solutions. Symphony is an insurance, risk management, and employee benefits advisory firm inspired. Frost is a risk management advisor to the legal cannabis, hemp, and CBD industries. He has played essential roles in the development of cannabis practices in both the U.S. and Canada.
Cooper O'Conner

Cooper O'Conner

Senior Broker, Professional & Management Liability Broker

Burns & Wilcox Brokerage

Cooper started his career in insurance in 2016. In his time as a wholesale broker Cooper has focused on Directors & Officers, Employment Practices Liability, Technology E&O, Cyber, Financial Institutions, Lawyers Professional, Architects & Engineers, and Misc. E&O. Cooper is adept at placing start-up & financially distressed companies and companies with M&A or claims activity. He focuses on the Cannabis, Fintech, Biotech, and other emerging industries.

Cooper attended Avon Old Farms School, Quinnipiac University, and earned a BA at Hobart College in Economics and History.

Jesse Parenti

Jesse Parenti

Founder & National Risk Manager

JP Squared Consulting, LLC

At JP Squared Consulting, LLC, Jesse blends over 19 years of commercial lines risk management expertise to provide tailored solutions for the cannabis, food delivery, and transportation sectors. His role encompasses crafting custom risk management strategies, ensuring a harmonized balance between safety protocols, consulting and insurance placement to safeguard clients' operations.

  • Crafting bespoke risk management solutions for diverse industries.
  • Establishing safety, consulting and insurance placement protocols.
  • Engaging with a broad spectrum of clients from last-mile delivery to cannabis multi-state vertically integrated operators.
  • Leading business development and client relationship management.
  • Navigating regulatory landscapes to ensure compliance and optimized risk mitigation.
Summer Jenkins-Wilson

Summer Jenkins-Wilson

Executive Director

Cannabis Insurance Wholesalers

Summer Jenkins-Wilson leads the Cannabis & Bond divisions at One General Agency, serving as the executive director of the specialty division Cannabis Insurance Wholesalers. Jenkins-Wilson has grown her core practice area around underwriting, claims, risk management and coverage form development for the cannabis industry. She has authored and influenced much of the cannabis-related insurance policy contract language used by U.S. insurers. Jenkins-Wilson chairs the NCIA's Risk Management & Insurance Committee and as a member of the DISE Committee for the CCIA Diversity Inclusion and Social Equity.
Mike Kirk

Mike Kirk

Commercial Underwriter

Cannasure Insurance Services

Michael is a certified Insurance Counselor with over 25 years experience in the insurance industry. He has worked in many different areas of the insurance industry including a regional carrier, small independent agency, large regional broker, national broker, captive agency owned by Farmers Insurance, Manager in the Customer Service Center for Farmers/Foremost, and as a practice leader for a national wholesaler. He is a licensed agent in Michigan for Property and Casualty, licensed Insurance Counselor (LIC) in the State of Michigan and a former board member and treasurer for the Professional Insurance Agents of Michigan (MIPIA).
Ed Allen

Ed Allen

National Director of Security and Safety

Story Cannabis

Ed retired as a Major after 30 years in law enforcement. He has prior experience as a Certified Emergency Manager and served as an adjunct professor and trainer on such topics as OSHA Safety Personal Protective Equipment, Continuity of Operations, Incident Command, and Risk Management.

Ed holds a BS in Applied Behavioral Science and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy for Executive Leadership.

Ed entered the cannabis space over six years ago and has held national security and safety leadership positions with Harvest, Trulieve, and now Story Cannabis.

His experience lies in the collaborative development of policy, training, and programs that help improve safety and security while meeting operational needs.

Alan Fiano

Alan Fiano

Manager of the New England and West Coast territories for Cyber and Tech E&O

Crum & Forster

Alan Fiano currently manages the New England and West Coast territories for Cyber and Tech E&O at Crum & Forster. Fiano is an experienced insurance professional with a demonstrated history in Cyber & Tech E&O Middle Market and National accounts. He has a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in Finance & Management from the University of Connecticut School of Business.

Al Ochosa

Al Ochosa

Director of Insurance, Risk, & Safety (IRS) Compliance

Curaleaf

Al is a passionate and energetic cannabis professional celebrating the wave of change sweeping across the globe! Al currently serves as the Director of Insurance, Risk, and Safety (IRS) Compliance at Curaleaf. Al created this new position within Curaleaf in 2020. The IRS Director is responsible for managing, administering and optimizing the Company's global insurance portfolio as well as building and administering the Company's risk and safety programs, among numerous other duties. Al reports directly to Curaleaf's Chief Accounting Officer and collaborates closely with the Legal, Compliance, Finance, People & Culture, and Real Estate, and Retail/Operations departments, to name a few.

Curaleaf is a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis with a mission to enhance lives by cultivating, sharing and celebrating the power of the plant. Our vision is to be the world's leading cannabis company by consistently delivering superior products and services and driving the cultural, social and economic acceptance of cannabis. Today in the United States, Curaleaf currently operates in 17 states with 150 dispensaries and employs nearly 5,000 team members. Curaleaf International is the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe with a unique supply and distribution network throughout the European market, bringing together pioneering science and research with cutting-edge cultivation, extraction and production.

Prior to Curaleaf, Al served as the Senior Director of Licensing & Corporate Relations for Cura Partners/Select, previously one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis companies on the West Coast. Cura Partners/Select was formed in 2015 and was acquired by Curaleaf in 2020. He had managed corporate relationships for Cura encompassing State regulatory agencies like OLCC, ODA, BCC, and CDPH as well as various local municipalities, associations, and surrounding communities. With an eye for precision, Al oversaw Cura's licensing and permitting, risk management and insurance, facility oversight and construction, expansion planning, community outreach, and other special project management duties in all jurisdictions where Cura was operational.

Prior to taking the leap of faith in 2015, Al worked for almost two decades as a commercial insurance producer with several national and regional insurance agencies based in the Portland, OR area. Al, his wife of 26 years, and his two adult kids now reside in the Sacramento, CA area. In his free time, Al enjoys spending time with family, exploring the outdoors and local food spots, and spinning House Music to bring the vibes!