The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) held in San Francisco last month, was a great event and a great success. While, like any business conference, entrepreneurs were there looking to network and learn important information that can help their businesses succeed, the ICBC stressed the importance of political activism and never forgetting the true priorities behind cannabis law reform: protecting patients and ending the severe and harmful consequences of marijuana prohibition.

Speaker after speaker, including Rick Steves, Dr. Carl Hart and Ethan Nadelmann, spoke about the need to ensure that we don’t leave behind vulnerable patients and the poor and minorities who have felt the brunt of the War on Marijuana. Now, all of us that helped organize the San Francisco ICBC, move onto beautiful Eugene, Oregon, for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) coming up at the Hilton on March 15-16.

The OMMBC, like the ICBC, will provide great networking opportunities and information that will benefit any business in any sector of the cannabis industry while maintaining focus on the fact that we still have work to do to ensure safe access for all patients and that legalizing marijuana is truly about ending the arrests, prosecutions and imprisonments levied against the nonviolent cannabis community. The OMMBC is keynoted by former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and Steve DeAngelo while Oregon lawyers, politicians, advocates entrepreneurs will be on hand to discuss current and future Oregon marijuana law. In addition to the information and networking opportunities, the OMMBC provides great entertainment exclusive to attendees with hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien and cannabis comic extraordinaire Ngaio Bealum.

Check out a video that recaps the ICBC and gives attendees a glimpse of what they can expect at the OMMBC:

The Oregon cannabis community has always been a generous group, looking out for the most vulnerable among us and willing to ultimately put justice above profits. I’m very proud that the marijuana movement in Oregon has been very charitable towards sick and disabled patients battling poverty and unwilling to sell out key principles in the name of making more money. The Oregon community can be proud of passing the Measure 91 by the greatest margin of any state legalization measure while allowing home cultivation, maintaining current DUII laws instead of implementing an arbitrary per se THC blood limit and keeping the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act. Prohibitionists and opponents of Measure 91 are already trying to override the will of Oregon voters. The OMMBC is a great place for the Oregon marijuana movement to unite around good business practices, good political activism and the will of the voters. Hope to see you there.

Anthony Johnson

Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.