Industry Events
Cannabis World Going Back to Cali for ICBC San Francisco
The International Cannabis Business Conference isn’t just the longest continuously running business expo in California, it’s where the business end of the cannabis businesses across the planet comes together.
Even with events in world-class cities including Berlin and Vancouver, the San Francisco expos are always standout events. This year’s ICBC is gearing up to be no exception. From policymakers leading the charge to decriminalize and legalize cannabis to movers and shakers in media and industry, the International Cannabis Business Conference offers a unique cross-section of the world of cannabis and showcases the many kinds of people who make it run. With a strong media presence and regular attendance from big-name speakers, the event is always a major draw for anybody interested in the cutting edge of cannabusiness.
Cannabis is a unique industry: we aren’t just operating businesses and building brands, we’re also fighting for out legal right to exist. The clichéd ‘plane being built while its flown’ is getting frequent flyer miles in our business, but that’s the truth — cannabis industry is inherently intertwined with cannabis activism. The stated goal of ICBC is to strengthen the networks between the activism and business worlds to make the industry stronger, more stable and better equipped to advocate on its own behalf.
From the ICBC:
“The ICBC San Francisco—Northern California’s first B2B event since the recent historic election—will bring together top state regulators and industry leaders to discuss permits, business models, and opportunities within the newly enacted laws and landscape.”
The list of speakers for this year’s conference is squarely aligned with that goal. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom (who’s running for governor in 2018) and Lori Ajax, chief of the California Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation, will be on hand to discuss the future of legal cannabis in the Golden State.
Newsom has been an outspoken supporter of decriminalization and has previously framed the drug war as a social justice issue.
From the Sacramento Bee:
“It’s a war on the poor and it’s a war on folks of color, and it’s got to end. And the only way you end it is by going to the most destructive and the most ineffective component of that war, and that is the war on cannabis.”
Other speakers will include the San Francisco Chronicle’s Cannabis Editor David Downs, NBA champion and cannabis advocate John Salley, founder and president of Maryjane Marketing Dasheeda Dawson, Meadow founder David Hua and counterculture comedy legend and cannabis icon Tommy Chong.
Panel discussions will include timely offerings like “Speaking Republican: How to Survive and Thrive During the Trump Administration” as well as more generally helpful topics like social media marketing, distribution and regulatory compliance.
TELL US, do you plan to attend ICBC SF?
