Alex Rogers, the founder and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference knew that the global cannabis industry was going to advance quickly when he first pulled together his event-planning team in 2014, but even he’s surprised at the rate the movement has expanded. With a humble beginning in Portland, Oregon, before the state became…
Switzerland has developed its own brand of cannabis reform over the last several years. Low THC cannabis is now sold in shops. Cannabis is now used by about 200,000 people. The country has now proposed pilot programs to make it easier for people with chronic conditions like MS or cancer to access the drug and,…
I interviewed longtime activist, Adam Smith of the Craft Cannabis Alliance, ahead of his appearance at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Portland last September, as he was working hard to line up support for a bill to allow Oregon cultivators to export across state lines. Smith told me: “Every month that we don’t open…
Oregon has long been known as a cannabis consumer’s paradise with high-quality products and relatively low prices, even before the state legalized in 2015. By decriminalizing possession in 1973, allowing for medical use in 1999, the Beaver State has been a pioneer implementing progressive policies. The state’s politics, coupled with some of the best outdoor…
Step by step, nation by nation, the liberalization of cannabis laws are transpiring around the nation. As people share their personal stories about cannabis and the fact that other locations have legalized medical or adult-use moves the debate in various countries around the world. We’ve seen such momentum across the globe for more progressive marijuana policies,…
It was great returning to Portland, Oregon, last week for another engaging and informative International Cannabis Business Conference that continued the ICBC’s tradition of combining business, politics, and culture, unlike any other event. Going back to where the ICBC started was a good time to connect with a lot of people that attended the first…
The International Cannabis Business Conference has a lot of highlights for a lot of people, depending on your background and interest in the industry. For some, getting the chance to ask the executive director of the OLCC and other regulators in charge of the statewide commercial rules is at the top of the list while…
The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) kicks off its networking opportunities this Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm at the Skyline Lounge at the Downtown Hilton with investors, entrepreneurs, and advocates from across the globe, including actor Jim Belushi and former Portland Trailblazer All-Star Cliff Robinson. The conference program starts tomorrow, Friday, September 28th, with…
While the overall numbers show a booming Oregon cannabis industry, with record sales and tax revenue creating thousands of jobs, when you look closer you see a major flaw that plague just about every industry-local small businesses pushed out of the market by bigger interests. Adam Smith of the Craft Cannabis Alliance wants to help…
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has been defending not only the will of Oregon voters who passed cannabis legalization with over 56% of the vote in 2014, but also the will of the strong majority of all Americans that now understand the failure of cannabis prohibition. Tired of wasting law enforcement resources and disproportionately arresting and…
