What Most Cannabis Conferences Get Wrong, According To A Standard Wellness Executive

Few cannabis executives can speak fluently about both legacy genetics and modern regulatory frameworks, but Standard Wellness’ Tiana Arriaga is one of them. After years of working with brands across multiple markets, she says IgniteIt’s Market Spotlight events offer something the industry rarely gets: meaningful, direct engagement between operators, policymakers and the people shaping the next phase of legalization.

Arriaga, vice president of product and marketing at the Ohio-based vertically integrated Standard Wellness, has been in the industry for more than two decades. She says that she “started my career on the side of the mountain trimming weed” in California’s famed Emerald Triangle cannabis cultivation region while working toward her master’s degree from Cal Poly Humboldt. As her career progressed, she worked hand in hand with small growers operating in the state’s quasi-legal medical marijuana economy.

“I have really deep roots when it comes to genetics, cultivation and true legacy cannabis experience,” Arriaga explains in an online interview, adding, “when it was really not legal to be involved in at the time, and it was very dangerous.”

After California legalized adult-use cannabis in 2016, Arriaga began working with licensed brands in the state’s newly regulated industry. Immediately before joining Standard Wellness, she served as chief product officer at Miss Grass, where she led product strategy across nine markets.

“There are a lot of people who come from the legacy market, but I don’t think that there are a lot of people who come from those markets and know how to commercialize at scale across multiple markets and, you know, and do it efficiently,” says Arriaga.

When she met Standard Wellness CEO Jared Maloof at an event in Arizona, Arriaga says he seemed different than other cannabis industry executives. One year later, she was working for the company.

“I’m excited to bring that to Standard Wellness and bring more of the authentic, rebel‑esque spirit of cannabis,” Arriaga explains. “There are very few of us that walk the life that I’ve walked, and so I’m appreciative that I get to bring that to the executive team.”

Where Experience Meets Real‑World Industry Insight

During her tenure as an executive across multiple markets, Arriaga has attended many cannabis industry events. A standout among them, she says, is IgniteIt’s recent Ohio Market Spotlight, which brought policymakers, operators and other thought leaders together, one year after the state legalized recreational weed sales.

“What is really different about this event is the level of the touch points with regulators, and the crossover there of people who are pushing policy or who are in policy… those two things really need to hold hands for it to function well, and we don’t hold hands that well,” she says. “It’s still very young and very new.”

Arriaga’s first experience with an IgniteIt event included participating in a panel about marketing strategies. Other panels and speakers explored additional topics critical to the cannabis industry in Ohio and Kentucky. The Market Spotlight, she says, offered insight and value unlike most industry gatherings.

“It didn’t feel like a showroom floor,” Arriaga explains, adding she would recommend the IgniteIt series to other professionals in the industry.

“This was definitely more polished and targeted. And, you know, you have CEOs of many companies, you have regulators in the state there, and you have lawyers,” she continues. “It’s just a very different group of people that are really driving policies. So, you know, I think that’s very different than a lot of the trade shows.”

Join Us

IgniteIt’s Market Spotlight events and flagship Chicago Cannabis Capital Conference offer unique insight into the cannabis industry from regulators, executives, lawmakers and other thought leaders. For agenda details, registration, and scholarship information for minority- and women-owned businesses, visit https://events.igniteit.com/. Upcoming IngiteIt events include:

New Jersey Policy & Capital Forum

February 10, 2026 — Jersey City, NJ

Ohio Valley Market Spotlight

April 30, 2026 — Cincinnati, OH

Chicago Cannabis Capital Conference ‘26

June 14–16, 2026 — Chicago, IL

Colorado Market Spotlight

September 2026 — Denver, CO