New Speaker for Marijuana Business Conference: Doug Banfelder of Premier Southwest Insurance Group

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of weekly updates about the National Marijuana Business Conference, which will be held Nov. 8 and 9 in Denver. These updates will feature news about the conference, including new speakers and short profiles of MMJ professionals who have already agreed to present or sit on a panel.

Doug Banfelder, a commercial insurance specialist with Premier Southwest Insurance Group in Arizona, has agreed to speak at the National Marijuana Business Conference.

He is well-versed in the different types of insurance products on the market for dispensaries, cultivators and ancillary cannabis businesses and can offer insight into which coverages MMJ companies should have in place to protect themselves.

Banfelder is also a proponent of community and political advocacy in the medical marijuana industry. He is of the firm belief that professionals can take the movement to the next level by personally engaging in their state and local communities’ business, social and political institutions.

“As a student of rhetoric and longtime political junkie I’ve witnessed the birth and rise of successful political movements, learning a great deal about the importance of framing, the offering of ‘proofs,’ co-opting one’s opponents and other tools of the trade,” Banfelder said.

Aside from providing insurance services to MMJ companies, he is a founding member of the Arizona Wellness Chamber of Commerce and several other community organizations.