Inside the Cannabis Operator Playbook: What Actually Happens After You Launch

Most cannabis businesses don’t fail because of strategy. They fail in execution.

In this session, operators and advisors break down what actually happens after launch from staffing and supply chain issues to regulatory friction and operational bottlenecks. This is not about theory. It is about what breaks, what slows growth, and what operators wish they had done differently in the first 6–12 months.

Join Warren Harasz and Beck Selman from Cannaspire, alongside Jared Schwass and Suehiko Ono, Cannabis Law Attorneys at Cogent Law, for a candid, practical conversation on what it really takes to build a cannabis operation that survives and scales beyond day one.

What You Will Learn

• The most common operational failures cannabis businesses face in the first 6–12 months after launch
• How to navigate staffing challenges, supply chain disruptions, and vendor relationships
• How to manage regulatory friction across state frameworks without slowing your business
• Legal and compliance pitfalls that catch new operators off guard and how to avoid them
• What operators wish they had built into their infrastructure before opening their doors
• How to align compliance, operations, and legal strategy to build a scalable, sustainable cannabis business

Who Should Attend

• Cannabis founders, entrepreneurs, and early-stage operators
• Dispensary, cultivation, and manufacturing operations teams
• Cannabis investors and private equity professionals
• Legal counsel and compliance professionals in the cannabis space
• Multi-state operators and their operations leadership
• Cannabis consultants and industry advisors

Meet the Speakers

Warren Harasz, PhD

Chief Compliance Officer, Cannaspire

Warren leads multi-state cannabis licensing, compliance systems development, operational readiness, and advisory services at Cannaspire. With nearly two decades of hands-on cannabis experience spanning cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, and dispensary operations, he is known for translating complicated regulatory requirements into practical systems that businesses can implement in the real world.

Beck Selman

Director of Compliance, Cannaspire

Beck brings a unique blend of technical writing, cannabis business consulting, biological laboratory work, and process engineering to the Cannaspire Compliance team. As Director of Compliance, he has extensive experience creating application materials, interpreting legal code into standard operating procedures, and conducting on-site audits of hemp and cannabis businesses to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operations.

Suehiko Ono

Cannabis Law Attorney, Cogent Law

Suehiko is a business-focused attorney and executive advisor with deep expertise in the cannabis industry. As Founder and former CEO of EOS Farms, Maine’s fifth licensed outdoor cultivation facility, he raised six million dollars in equity financing and led operations through a shifting regulatory landscape. He most recently served as General Manager and Legal Director for one of New York’s largest adult-use cultivators and processors, and began his legal career at Winston & Strawn LLP advising on complex tax and private equity transactions.

Jared Schwass

Cannabis Law Attorney, Cogent Law

Jared Schwass advises cannabis and hemp companies nationwide, from emerging startups to major multi-state operators including Trulieve, PharmaCann, and Curaleaf. His practice spans licensing, compliance strategy, corporate structuring, and operational risk management across nearly a decade of experience in highly regulated industries.