CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality

It was a pleasure to chat with Darwin Millard, Technical Director at CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality, during MJ Unpacked in St. Louis. Our conversation shed light on the vital mission CSQ is dedicated to as the first accredited Cannabis Quality Management System, similar to GMP standards in other industries. A significant theme of our discussion was the critical need for standardization in the cannabis industry. Darwin emphasized the importance of certifying the entire supply chain—cultivation, extraction, and product manufacturing—to ensure consumer safety and confidence. As the industry evolves, more states are likely to require third-party certification, which will elevate overall market standards, he said. With GMP programs in cannabis, CSQ provides consulting and helps businesses implement these programs, ultimately becoming GMP certified. Thanks to MJ Unpacked and Highly Capitalized Network-HCN, for hosting this insightful conversation. Staying committed to clean cannabis processing practices, I'm looking forward to connecting with more industry leaders in the new year as we navigate the future of cannabis.

The CSQ lead auditor course was crafted by the experts at CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality to provide comprehensive instruction for attendees interested in becoming CSQ lead auditors. It also provides a “cannabis 101” overview for industry professionals. Learn more on our online store: https://hubs.li/Q02_NyY30

This was CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality’s 5th year taking on MjBizCon. Each year, our team has grown, and so has our recognition in the space as operators start to take #GMPCertification more seriously. It started with our Founder Tyler Williams doing countless media interviews to spread the word about the first accredited cannabis certification program- with Kimberly Ring setting up conversations with a variety of publications, from Cannabis & Tech Today to The New York Times while our sales team Andrew Wood and Joe Yeager were working their magic on the show floor. This year hit different - as our new Technical Director Darwin Millard was invited to represent CSQ on the MjBiz speaker stage for the first time, participating on THREE panels throughout the week. We also celebrated several partnerships with brands such as Planet 13 Holdings, Inc. and Moose Labs LLC to name a few… 🤝 So what’s in store for 2025? A LOT. Stay tuned to find out how we plan to bring more attention to #productsafety and quality at the biggest cannabis conference of the year 💚

I'm thrilled to announce that tomorrow on Qredible Live, we'll be joined by none other than Darwin Millard, "the Spock of Cannabis"! Darwin is arguably one of the hardest working and most knowledgeable individuals in the realm of Cannabis and Hemp quality and safety standards. His passion for the industry and instrumental role in driving quality, safety, and transparency are truly inspiring. As a Technical Director for CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality and a key contributor to ASTM International's cannabis standards, Darwin's insights are invaluable. His logical approach to industry challenges has earned him well-deserved recognition, including the James A. Thomas Leadership Award from ASTM International. I'm honored to sit down with Darwin to discuss the critical topics of quality and safety in the cannabis industry. We'll explore: - Where the industry has been - Where it stands today - Where it's heading in the future This promises to be an enlightening conversation you won't want to miss! Join us tomorrow at 12 noon Pacific / 3 pm Eastern for this important episode of Qredible Live. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's leading experts! #CannabisIndustry #QualityStandards #QredibleLive #DarwinMillard

Highly Capitalized Network-HCN interviewed Darwin Millard, Technical Director at CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality, who carries the nickname: the ''Spock of Cannabis.'' Here, chatting to Guy Rocourt, founder of GR Consulting and Guy Rocourt brand, for Highly Capitalized Network-HCN, Darwin, aka #Spock, sheds a light on CSQ's #mission which is to be the first accredited Cannabis Quality Management System, (similar to #GMP standards in other industries). A significant theme of Guy & Darwin's discussion, was the critical need for #certification in the #Cannabisindustry. In their conversation below, Darwin emphasizes the #importance of certifying the entire supply chain—cultivation, extraction, and product manufacturing—to ensure consumer safety & confidence. As the industry evolves, more states are likely to #require third-party certification, which will elevate overall market #standards, he says below. For more interviews with people making an impact, be sure to follow Highly Capitalized Network-HCN here on LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter at highlycapitalized.com and never miss and interview with the leaders making an impact in #Cannabis

Per Missouri's regulations, all license holders must implement a Quality Management System or #QMS using a published standard...but what does this REALLY mean for operators? 🤔 Find out during our FREE webinar this Thursday 12/12 at 12:00pm CST hosted in partnership with MoCannTrade (Missouri Cannabis Trade Association). Darwin Millard will walk the audience through: 🔎 What #cGMPs are and what they are NOT 🔎 Which Quality Management Systems encompass cGMPs 🔎 How a 4-figure investment in GMPs can prevent a 6-figure loss 🔎 Why MO operators & beyond should include GMPs in their budget plan See the link to register in the comments! 🔗 #MissouriCannabis #QualityManagement

Day 1 of #MJBIZCON in the bag! CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality booth (6325) is all set up and ready. The Vegas Classic was a hit. Andrew Wood and Joe Yeager played some golf while Kimberly Ring and I ran the table. Got to enjoy a culinary experience with Trevor Morones, CQA (ASQ) and a curated dab from Dr. Dabber (love their BoostEVO w/ sapphire induction atomizer, best portable e-rig out there). Ran into the amazing Murphy M. at the expo center and the crew from the Cannabis Research Center & Coalition and The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy, Miyabe みやべ Shields, PhD, Riley D. Kirk, PhD, Allison Justice, PhD., Ashley Manning, GsD🏳️🌈, Markus Roggen, Kyle Boyar at Association Day. Caught up with David Vaillencourt of the S3 Collective and Mike Lomuto with the Minority Cannabis Business Association. Collaborations for 2025 in the works. Wrapped up the day with a team dinner and going to bed early. lol. I'm old, and a 4:30 start to the day is rough. Day 2 here we come. Find me at Planet 13 Holdings, Inc. #Vegas on the stage speaking at 10:30 AM along side Nick Tanem, Lexis B. Shontz, Douglas Fischer, and Dustin Powers today. Then the expo floor. Then the #GLG party and Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency® ! Live long and process 🖖🏼

Let's try that again. Day 2 MJBiz rundown! Sometimes the days can blend together. On Day 2, the CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality crew was on the move. Started the day with the S3 Collective team, David Vaillencourt, Alexa Wilson, and Elisabeth Berry, where we discussed the S3C Standards Committee and how it would function compared to the ASTM International D37 on Cannabis. I think we have figured it out. Then Kimberly Ring and I were off to Planet 13 Holdings, Inc. where we met up with Nick Tanem and Lexis B. Shontz at the Solvent Direct, Inc. trailer before all heading over to the #GLG Beard Bros Pharms #HighStakes stage to connect with Douglas Fischer for a conversation about the future of #CannabisExtracts with Dustin Powers and the importance of #Quality in ensuring consumer safety. Thank you to the amazing Catherine Sidman for including me. Kim and I then made our way to the expo floor where I ran into Ryan Palmquest of First Citizens Bank at his booth, magically located right next to ours. Super excited about working with them to find ways to make lending and insuring the cannabis industry simpler and easier to do - maybe through cGMP certification. 🤔 Lookout for their industry report we're helping them with. It's going to reveal some interesting data about the US market. Our booth was also right next to CCELL and Greentank Technologies and close to Eybna, ACTIVE™ (formerly AVD), Ispire, Kush Cart and True Terpenes where I connected with Jordan Walker, Nadav Eyal, Audra Horridge, Luna S., Michael Torretti, and Shawna Vreeke, PhD, DABT all contributors to the ASTM D37 #VapeDevice Safety and Testing Initiative. I then had about 45 min to make my way to the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp event to connect with Chris Lindsey and Michael Bronstein where we discussed the ATACH Standards Committee before bouncing back to Planet 13 for the Good Life Gang/ Beard Bros/ CCELL All-In-One party. Kim, Andrew Wood, Joe Yeager and I smoked for science with the Cannabis Research Center & Coalition crew and hooked them each up with a CSQ co-branded Moose Labs LLC mouthpiece and Jay Rush to talk science and the benefits of using consumer safety devices during communal consumption events. Finally, I ending up at the one and only Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency® party where met with old friendsand made a few new ones too. It did not disappoint. How was Day 2 for you? Day 3 and 4 rundowns to follow. Live long and process 🖖🏼

A day late but still here. #MJBIZCON Day 2. Cannabinoids and #Cannabis. Good #Hash. Good food. Good people. Thank you Catherine Sidman for including me in the #GLG Beard Bros Pharms podcast. I had a blast talking about the future of quality cannabis extracts with Nick Tanem, Lexis B. Shontz, Dustin Powers. The Planet 13 Holdings, Inc. party was a blast. Spoke about sustainability in cannabinoid extraction and product manufacturing with Shawn Cooney and Arnaud Dumas de Rauly. We had a very efficient panel. Then ran to the floor to speak with Ryan Cook on a panel about cGMP certification on the #MITA stage. CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality crew represented hard. More to come. Live long and process 🖖🏼

We're coming in HOT for MJBizCon this year and ready to make this the best (and cleanest) show yet! On Wednesday 12/4 we're celebrating safety that's OUT OF THIS WORLD 🪐 at Planet 13 Holdings, Inc. as sponsors of the Good Life Gang 'All in One Party.' Not only is CSQ Cannabis Safety & Quality a proud quality partner of the infamous Planet13 dispensary in Vegas AND Florida, but we are going the extra mile to safeguard the #ConsumptionLounge element of this event by providing limited edition MouthPeaces to reduce germ spread in partnership with our friends at Moose Labs LLC Recognized as a 'World Changing Idea' by Fast Company in 2021, the MouthPeace creates a sanitary barrier, preventing direct oral contact with a variety of shared smoking devices. We've partnered with Moose Labs to create the first ever Co-Branded MouthPeace to encourage conscious consumption habits, so cannabis professionals can practice what they preach- SAFETY FIRST! Want to share a puff or two with your colleagues without going home with 'Show-VID?' We've got you covered 👍 You can also catch Darwin Millard on the High Stakes Stage (hosted by Good Life Gang and Beard Bros Pharms) at Planet 13 discussing #VapeSafety and more throughout the week! Drop us a line in the comments for more details on those curated discussions. See you at the show!