[Las Vegas, Nevada] – June 14, 2024 – C of C LV d/b/a Chamber of Cannabis (“Chamber”), Nevada’s largest cannabis industry trade association, is undergoing a significant leadership transition as part of a strategic recommitment to its mission.

Four years ago, Tina Ulman and Dani Baranowski founded the Chamber of Cannabis with a vision to unite the cannabis industry in advocating for sensible cannabis policy, bringing justice to those impacted by failed drug policy, and positively impacting our community. 

Under their leadership, the Chamber of Cannabis made history with the passage of AB341 in 2021. This innovative legislation created a new line of commerce for the state of Nevada, cannabis consumption venues, and was also the first bill to define “social equity” in state statutes. During their time as President and Vice President, Tina Ulman and Dani Baranowski (respectively), played a vital role in mobilizing the community during the 2023 legislative session and these efforts directly contributed to an increase in purchase limits as well as a pathway for ex-offenders to become cannabis agent cardholders. 

In a final demonstration of their dedication to fostering lasting change and nurturing a culture of growth and leadership development, Tina Ulman and Dani Baranowski have stepped down from their roles and resigned from the Board of Directors to make room for new opportunities and fresh perspectives.

We want to express our sincere gratitude for the dedication, hard work, and countless contributions that these visionary founders have made to our association during their tenure. 

Recognizing the evolving leadership needs as associations grow, the Board of Directors has appointed Deena Vallina as interim President. Deena has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the association’s long-term success since joining the Board in 2022. Her exceptional skills and competencies, evidenced by her contributions as Treasurer and Chair of Events & Fundraising, align perfectly with the association’s needs to lead the association as we prepare to elect a new Board and appoint new Officers this fall.

Effective July 1st, Abby Kaufmann will be stepping into the full time position of Executive Director and will continue to serve as Secretary to the Board of Directors for the remainder of her term. Many of you may be familiar with Abby from her engagement with the Cannabis Compliance Board as Chair of the Commerce Committee. As Executive Director, Abby will bring this same level of engagement to our members to understand their challenges and concerns while working alongside the Board to develop solution-oriented programming and deliver continuous value. 

Over the coming weeks and months, the following leaders will be working diligently alongside the Interim President and newly appointed Executive Director to fortify and build upon the foundation that our co-founders established:

• Chandler Cooks – Board Member, Chair of Political Action Committee 
• Tina Schellinger – Board Member, Chair of Events & Fundraising Committee 
• Grace Music – Board Member, Chair of Community Impact Committee
• Peggie Shaner – Board Member, Bookkeeper 
• Maggie Presley – Board Member 

In the four years since the association was founded, Nevada’s legal cannabis industry has evolved significantly and, with this, so have the interests of the members that the Chamber exists to represent.  As such, it is vital that our association evolves alongside our community. 

To accomplish this, and to guide the Association through organizational restructuring, the Chamber of Cannabis has established a Transition Task Force (TTF).  The TTF will strive for a diverse composition that reflects the Association’s membership and expertise, inclusive of non-Board Members, as nominated through committees and as approved by the Board.  

We believe that the future success of our association depends on the satisfaction of our members and remain firmly rooted in our ethos of winning together. We are committed to full transparency throughout this process and will be sharing regular updates with our members, including opportunities to provide input on the future structure of our organization. Our focus is on collaborative success, ensuring that our members are at the heart of everything we do, emphasizing collective growth and shared achievements. After all, this is YOUR city, YOUR state, YOUR cannabis, and YOUR chamber. 

Las Vegas, Nevada ––– The Chamber of Cannabis Board of Directors has appointed Dani Baranowski as Interim Executive Director, effective March 13, 2024.

“Our industry is facing some of the most challenging issues to date. Now, more than ever, it is critical that the cannabis industry unites to ensure survival, stability, and growth on all fronts.” said Baranowski.  “We have implemented a strategic plan for 2024 which requires specific financial responsibilities to be met and overall organizational health to sustain our industry’s success, especially during this challenging economic environment.” 

Nevada’s cannabis sales peaked at 1 billion dollars in 2021 and have been declining since. As businesses encounter intensive regulation, hefty taxation, and a turbulent economic climate, the Chamber’s mission is to advocate for sustainable business opportunities, restore justice, and positively impact the community. The Chamber of Cannabis represents a membership base of over 400 businesses and professionals and a network of 12,000 individuals who strive to build a more inclusive and thriving industry.    

“As Vice President, co-founder, and small cannabis business owner, my deep understanding of the organization’s goals, governance, and the challenges members face are my priority as I work under the direction of the Board to ensure the important work of the Chamber will continue uninterrupted.”

The Chamber has achieved notable milestones, including championing legislative reforms such as  consumption lounge legalization, cannabis DUI reform, and SB277, which increased cannabis purchase limits, and more recently taking part in regulatory workshops to reduce the cost of agent cards, increasing delivery limits, and allowing dispensaries new potential revenue streams by selling non-infused food/drinks.

Supporting its mission to advocate for sustainable business opportunities, restore justice, and positively impact the community, the Chamber has made changes in the past several months to improve its offerings to connect members. 

Going forward, association meetings are free to provide valuable information to as many industry professionals and members as possible. The Chamber will be hosting upcoming round tables with political leaders running for the offices of Mayor, City Council, State Senate, and Assembly, as well as upcoming association meetings in Reno and Las Vegas. 

As a membership driven organization, continued commitment to supporting the Chamber’s mission will proactively enable this important work to progress. To find out more about getting involved or becoming a member, visit https://cofclv.org.