Join us November 8-9th!
Check out our speakers here! Tickets are limited to ensure an intimate experience with emphasis on interaction with the presenters and prioritizing collaboration and networking.
The Roots of Reform: How Parents and Data Helped Cannabis Gain Medical Legitimacy
Sasha Kalcheff-Korn
This talk explores how a determined community of parents, caregivers, and advocates changed the trajectory of cannabis policy and perception, one story and one data point at a time. Representing over a decade of work from Realm of Caring, this session highlights the grassroots origins of cannabis reform through the lens of pediatric use, quality-of-life improvements, and real-world outcomes.
We’ll examine longitudinal anecdotal and peer-reviewed data collected by Realm of Caring in their partnership with Johns Hopkins University, focusing on how cannabinoid therapies (particularly CBD) have impacted symptoms like seizures, anxiety, pain, and sleep disturbances. Learn how patient-led research has helped to uncover insights into long-term safety, establish clinical relevance, and inform today’s best practices for thoughtful cannabis integration. Together, we’ll reflect on the power of purpose-driven data and how it shapes a future of safer, more effective, and more compassionate care.
Key Takeaways:
● Patient and caregiver advocacy has been the true catalyst for cannabis reform and integration.
● Real-world data and lived experience are essential to understanding long-term safety and efficacy.
● Thoughtful cannabis integration starts with individualized care, quality ingredients, and trusted guidance.
Biography
Having dedicated 13 years to nonprofit work, Sasha Kalcheff-Korn has focused her career on improving the well-being of others through education, advocacy, and research. As the Executive Director of Realm of Caring, she leads efforts to advance cannabis research, break stigmas through education, and empower individuals and families to take control of their health.
Realm of Caring’s science-backed approach has impacted over 100,000 lives worldwide, particularly those living with chronic conditions. The organization plays a pivotal role in cannabis research, publishing data from its Observational Research Registry, the largest prospective epidemiological survey of cannabinoid users in the U.S. Since its founding in 2013, Realm of Caring has gained invaluable insights through IRB-approved studies and its free call center, examining the long-term effects of cannabinoid therapy.
A passionate advocate for informed patient choice and policy reform, Sasha regularly speaks at conferences and leads discussions on the intersection of cannabis, healthcare, and research.
Formulating With Aromatherapy Essential Oils And Other Difficult Phyto-Actives
Annette Davis, CN
Presentation summary
While essential oils and other phyto-actives are exceptional ingredients to include in personal care products and dietary supplements, their unique chemistry presents many formulating challenges. Without the necessary expertise, well-intentioned essential oil blends can cause personal care products to separate or irritate and sensitize the skin. Well-meaning oral preparations can cause GI irritation or even toxicity. This presentation will review the rationale behind including essential oils and other challenging phyto-actives in various formulations. It will also draw on over thirty years of Annette’s formulating experience, offering valuable tips to help avoid aromatherapy compounding disasters.
Workshop summary
This workshop will offer practical hands-on experience formulating a safe and stable pain lotion with essential oils, hemp oil, and CBD. Participants will bottle and take home a sample of the lotion they helped to create.
Key takeaways:
● Describe how the unique chemical properties of essential oils lead to formulation difficulties.
● Identify a common formulation error when incorporating essential oils into products such as lotions.
● Identify a key safety risk when incorporating essential oils into dietary supplements.
Biography
Annette is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist with over 30 years of aromatherapy experience. She currently serves as the president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA). Annette has studied under Jean Claude Lapraz, MD, since 1989. Dr. Lapraz is a French Medical Doctor and world-renowned pioneer in the field of clinical phyto-aromatherapy. Annette was a co-founder of the Endobiogenic Integrative Medical Center (EIMC) located in Pocatello, Idaho, where she enjoys helping patients regain their health holistically. She is also the president and formulator for Time Laboratories, a longtime, well-respected natural products manufacturer founded by her Grandmother, Annemarie Buhler, in 1973. She enjoys researching medicinal plants and formulating research-based aromatherapy products and dietary supplements.
Decoding the Chemistry of Frankincense: Species Identification and Adulteration Pathways
Dr. Prabodh Satyal
Presentation Summary
Frankincense has been revered for centuries for its medicinal, spiritual, and aromatic value, yet the market faces persistent challenges of species misidentification, adulteration, and inconsistent chemical profiles. This presentation maps the chemistry of key *Boswellia* species, showing how compositional markers distinguish B. serrata, B. carterii, B. frereana, B sacra, B papyrifera, B dalzellii, B neglecta, B rivae, and others. Drawing on thousands of frankincense essential oil analyses, Dr. Satyal will highlight common adulteration pathways, including synthetic additions, resin blending, and geographic mislabeling. Attendees will learn practical detection strategies using targeted GC-MS libraries, boswellic acids, chiral GC-MS to resolve enantiomeric ratios of key terpenes, and chemotaxonomic clustering to validate species and origin claims. The session connects historical use with modern quality control, outlining sampling, data interpretation, and decision frameworks for purchasing and product development. Participants will leave with clear, actionable steps to evaluate authenticity, reduce risk, and communicate evidence-based findings with clinicians, formulators, and consumers.
Key takeaways:
● Differentiate major frankincense species using defining chemical markers and profiles.
● Identify common adulteration pathways (synthetic additions, resin blending, mislabeling) and their impact.
● Apply analytical tools targeted GC-MS libraries, boswellic acids, chiral GC-MS, and chemotaxonomic clustering for species verification and adulteration detection.
● Implement best-practice sourcing and QA workflows to safeguard authenticity for clinical, aromatic, and product-development use.
Biography
Dr. Prabodh Satyal is originally from Nepal where he worked as a lecturer in organic chemistry at Kathmandu University. He has studied the chemical composition of more than 10,000 essential oils from various parts of the world, and has published more than 100 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Aromatic Plant Research Center in Utah.
Erin Smith,
Presentation Summary
The booming herbal products market faces significant sustainability risks. Erin will equip brands and practitioners to identify ethical sourcing, distinguish it from greenwashing, and understand its vital importance for people, plants, and the planet.
Key takeaways:
● Learn key questions to assess truly responsible suppliers.
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Biography
Erin Smith is a clinical herbalist and ethnobotanist and has been studying medicinal plants for 25 years. As a passionate educator, she has taught internationally on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, and the human/nature relationship for over fifteen years, and was the Founding Director of the Center for Integrative Botanical Studies. Erin has spent more than twelve years living and working abroad in over twenty countries.
Kelly Ablard, PhD, BSc, MSc
Presentation Summary
Learn how to navigate fragile and trade-protected species used in co-formulations and quality control considerations.
Key takeaways:
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Biography
Kelly Ablard, PhD (Biology), BSc (Biology, cum laude), MSc (Conservation), is the Founder and CEO of Airmid Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the global education, research, sustainable, and traditional use of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). Her evidence-based research spans conservation biology, genetics, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, ethnomedicine, and chemical communication, with fieldwork conducted across the globe. Her work has been highlighted by Canadian Geographic and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Kelly has presented extensively across North and South America, Europe, and Asia, giving over 58 presentations in countries including South Korea, Peru, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Indonesia, Canada, Türkiye, Greece, Germany, and the USA, and has published many peer-reviewed articles. She served for many years as a Community Scientist with Science World in British Columbia, founded the Urban Apothecary Learning Garden at Vancouver Community College, and developed the college’s first urban sustainability program. She continues to collaborate on conservation initiatives with the Peruvian Shipibo on their MAP Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora) and with the National University of Tumbes, Peru, on the reforestation of Palo Santo. (Bursera graveolens), while providing education to strengthen opaque botanical supply chains, such as the Frankincense (Boswellia spp.) supply chain. In recognition of her contributions, Kelly was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the Simon Fraser University Department of Biological Sciences in 2022 and received the 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Alliance of International Aromatherapists. She is also a Fellow of the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network (ICAN) and a Director on the Aromatic Quality Appraisal Taskforce (ARQAT). She is the co-author of the children’s book No Place for Plants.
Benjamin LeVine Nahar, MSc
Presentation Summary
Learn how to navigate responsible and ethical ingredient procurement.
Key takeaways:
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Biography
Benjamin LeVine Nahar is an educator and the owner of Nahar Herbalism. He studied herbalism at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and earned his MSc at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Herbalist at Rasa, which provides adaptogen-packed herbal coffee alternatives.
