Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024: Interview with Compliance Track Program Chair Kim Stuck

Leading the new Compliance Track for Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024 is Kim Stuck, founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, a compliance strategy and services provider serving the hemp and cannabis industries nationwide. Stuck is also a regular writer for Cannabis Science and Technology under the “Stuck on Compliance” blog. The conference is May 7–9, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri, and also features the Analytical Track, Medical Track, and Cultivation Track.

Get a sneak peek into the Compliance Track, read the interview transcription below, and reserve your spot for Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024!

Read some of the Compliance Track focuses in the transcript below:

What are some new topics in cannabis compliance?

Kim Stuck: The biggest topic that everybody is discussing is the Schedule 3 change. That is going to be the topic of discussion probably at the conference as well the whole time, because we're just not quite sure where they're going to go, what they're going to do, which is fine. I feel like that's been the way that we've been functioning the entire time we've been a part of the industry. But, like I said, I was just in Spain speaking about the Schedule 3, and how it can affect everything. There's a lot of different ways that can go, I think that people have a lot of fear about it, they think that they're going to make it be a pharmaceutical and all these different things that I do not think are going to happen. I don't think people need to be that worried about the Schedule 3 change—I think it'll actually be a really good thing. I think there'll be a lot of discussions on how they might be regulating it at that point. Obviously the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] will get involved, GMP [Good Manufacturing Practice] certification is on the table to be required, ASTM standards are on the table to be required, and OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] is going to be a part of it now. So there's a lot of things to take into consideration. But I think that that's going to be a huge topic. And I think we do have a couple of panels even speaking about that. So it should be a good discussion, for sure.

What topics are being covered in the compliance track?

Stuck: A lot of regulators are going to be speaking, so we have quite a few people who have regulatory backgrounds that are going to be a part of the track, which I think is always really good. Getting their perspectives, knowing what are the top five things that they're seeing that are issues, or understanding how compliance is working in different states. So if we have a regulator that's from Colorado, versus a regulator from California, their perspective is going to be very different. And so we really tried to diversify and do a lot of compliance from different viewpoints, if you will, if that makes sense. So I think they're going to touch on a lot of different topics. Compliance is a very broad term that covers a whole lot of different things. But I think that having a lot of regulator focus, and government-focused speakers was my goal this time around.

What are you most looking forward to learning at the conference?

Stuck: Just more of the medical aspects. I feel like every year there's more and more data on medical stuff. And I recently had some health struggles that cannabis helped me through this last year. So just learning more about that is really what I'm looking forward to, especially with the new cannabinoids that are being discovered. The ways that they're using different cannabinoids in different ways. It's really exciting. Obviously, the medical side of everything is very exciting. So I'm really hoping to just learn more of that side when I'm not in the compliance track. I'm probably going to be on the other side, especially with data and testing and all that fun stuff. So I'm excited to learn more. I love these conferences because you do always walk away learning so much more than you walked in with.