Official Summit Program

Health for the Future 2026

18–20 September 2026 · Reykjavík, Iceland

Where science, lived experience and bold ideas meet to shape a more human future for health.

Friday · Immersion Day

Arrive. Connect.
Experience Reykjavík.

18 Sep Friday
Reykjavík

A relaxed opening day designed to bring speakers and guests together before the main summit begins.

12:00–16:00

Reykjavík City Walk with Ian Rassman

An informal walk through Reykjavík, giving summit speakers the opportunity to explore the city, connect and spend time together before the main event.

15:00–18:00

Women’s Health & Wellness Workshop at IÐNÓ

An interactive three-hour workshop exploring women’s health, lived experience, plant medicine and new approaches to care, with women’s voices at the centre.

Explore the Women’s Health Workshop →

19:00–21:00

Meet & Greet at Pablo Discobar

Join us for a relaxed welcome evening with drinks, conversation and the chance to connect before the main summit begins.

Saturday · 19 September

Patients, medicine
& courageous policy

19 Sep Saturday
IÐNÓ
Morning Doors 8:30 · Program 9:00–17:00

09:00–09:10

Movement Opener

A light, energising group activity to open the day together.

09:15–09:20

Welcome Address

Þórunn Þórs Jónsdóttir (Tóta)

09:25–10:10 · Opening Keynote

The Patient’s Medicine Left Behind

Dr. Bonni Goldstein

What patients and families can teach us about the endocannabinoid system, individualised treatment and the need for more compassionate care.

10:15–10:45 · Talk

The Endocannabinoid System Through the Menopause Transition

Dr. Shabnam Sarshar

Understanding the connection between hormones, the endocannabinoid system and women’s health.

10:50–11:10 · One-on-One Conversation

Beyond Prohibition: Global Lessons in Regulation & Harm Reduction

Laura Fogelman, PAX, in conversation with Shahbaaz Kara-Virani

A conversation exploring what international regulatory models can teach us about smarter policy, harm reduction and responsible access.

11:15–12:00 · Panel

The Cost of Silence

Moderator: Ian Rassman · Dr. Bonni Goldstein · Dustin Hoxworth · Dr. Magnus Thorsson · Sian Phillips

Why honest information is essential to harm reduction, and what happens when stigma, fear, regulation or poor communication prevents people from getting it.

12:10–13:10 · Wellness Experience

Lunch Break

Take a nourishing pause. Sound Healing or Breathwork will be offered during the lunch break. Warm soup will be available to purchase at IÐNÓ.

Afternoon Program continues · Closing at 17:00

Wisdom, access & whole-person care

13:10–13:40 · Talk

Women Hold the Wisdom

Melanie Wentzel

Presenting the Pearle Global Women’s Health & Cannabis Whitepaper, a world-first initiative co-designing women’s health products, education and care pathways with women’s voices at the centre.

13:45–14:30 · Panel

Who Gets to Decide What Treatments Are Allowed?

When Policy Stands Between Patients and Treatment

Moderator: Heidi Whitman · Dr. Ethan Russo · Dr. Tina Horsted · Alicia Zimmermann · Will Muecke

When policy stands between patients and treatment, who should ultimately decide what care a patient can access?

14:35–15:05 · Talk

Beyond the Experience

Megan Mbengue

Integration starts before the experience, preparing the ground for lasting change.

15:05–15:25

Coffee Break

15:25–15:55 · Talk

The Cannabis Confidence Economy

Dr. Magnus Thorsson

How trust, clear regulation and responsible leadership can shape the future of an emerging health and wellness economy.

16:00–16:45 · Closing Keynote

Treating the Whole Person, Not Only the Disease – From Pathogenesis to Salutogenesis

Dr. Zubin Marolia

Exploring a whole-person approach to cancer care that looks beyond disease and supports resilience, meaning and quality of life.

Sunday · 20 September

Courage, wellbeing
& the future of healing

20 Sep Sunday
IÐNÓ
Morning Doors 8:30 · Program 9:00–17:00

09:00–09:10

Movement Opener

09:15–10:00 · Opening Keynote

The Courage to Treat

Dr. Tina Horsted

What more than 8,000 patients have taught one physician about cannabis medicine, clinical responsibility and changing healthcare from within.

10:05–10:35 · Talk

Beyond GDP: Building a Wellbeing Society – and Counting What Matters

Rebecca Abraham

Why health, dignity and quality of life must become part of how we measure the progress of society.

10:40–11:35 · Panel

Patient Experience: In Conversation with Sara Payan

Moderator: Sara Payan · Sigurður Hólmar Jóhannesson · Dr. Callie Seaman · Þórarinn Ævarsson · Ingunn Ragna Sævarsdóttir · Eydís Sara Óskarsdóttir

Real, unfiltered stories from patients navigating illness, treatment and recovery, in their own words.

11:40–12:10 · Talk

I Had to Face Death to Learn How to Live

Ragnar Agnarsson

Cancer, psychedelics and the journey from surviving to truly being alive.

12:15–13:15 · Wellness Experience

Lunch Break

Take a nourishing pause. Sound Healing or Breathwork will be offered during the lunch break. Warm soup will be available to purchase at IÐNÓ.

Afternoon Program continues · Closing at 17:00

Autonomy, opportunity & the future of healing

13:15–13:45 · Talk

Patient Self-Sufficiency: The Wider Impact

Dr. Callie Seaman

How patient autonomy, affordability and access to nature-based treatment can support individuals while reducing pressure on healthcare systems.

13:50–14:20 · Talk

Iceland’s Green Opportunity

Beau Whitney & Brian Applegarth

Exploring how responsible policy, regenerative tourism and the wellbeing economy could create new opportunities for Iceland.

14:25–15:20 · Panel

Where Healing Happens: Holding Space for Healing

Moderator: Guðrún Bergmann · Sólveig Þórarinsdóttir (Sól) · Lukka Pálsdóttir · Gunnar Þór Grétarsson · Nicolai Engelbrecht

What does it mean to truly hold space for someone going through a profound healing experience? A conversation about trust, safety, environment and integration.

15:25–15:45

Coffee Break

15:50–16:35 · Closing Keynote

Thirty Years Behind: Why Medicine Still Overlooks the Endocannabinoid System

Dr. Ethan Russo

How decades of overlooked science have kept one of the body’s most important regulatory systems outside mainstream medicine.

16:40–16:50

Closing Address

Sunday Evening

Closing Celebration

Join us after the summit for music, cocktails and dancing together — celebrating new connections, shared ideas and an unforgettable weekend in Reykjavík.

18–20 September 2026 · Reykjavík, Iceland