After successful conferences on the West Coast, the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) is heading across the border, first to Vancouver, Canada, on October 13 & 14 of this year and then April 11-12, 2017, in Berlin, Germany. Sandwiched between the two international events will be another San Francisco, California, conference on February 18-19, 2017.
The Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco conferences have garnered an extensive amount of positive media attention for the burgeoning industry while providing attendees with crucial information and networking opportunities. After helping organize the U.S. conferences here at Marijuana Politics, we look forward to earning positive coverage for the cannabis community borders.
The Cannabist’s Ricardo Baca broke the news about the ICBC traveling to Berlin and Vancouver, discussing the importance and significance of these cities with conference producer (and Marijuana Politics co-owner) Alex Rogers:
“There is a poetic justice in me coming back to help legalize,” Rogers said. “Berlin is the de facto capital of Europe. Though Amsterdam and Barcelona have more liberal laws regarding cannabis, Berlin is more of a progressive city. I have traveled all around the States and Europe and have never been to a more progressive place than Berlin. So I believe Berlin, and Germany, are at a tipping point with regards to cannabis law reform. When Germany falls, so goes the rest of Europe. I want to help push that along.”
As for throwing a cannabis business conference in Canada, that’s a no-brainer given its new, 420-friendly leadership, Rogers said. But why choose Vancouver over vape lounge-crazy Toronto or Ottawa, which is home to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s official residence?
“Well, historically Vancouver has always been the cannabis capital of Canada,” Rogers said. “Things are really starting to happen in Toronto, however, I felt more comfortable with Vancouver. I live in Oregon, so I also felt a geographical connection with Vancouver. Vancouver is an epic city.”
The ICBC’s in the United States have brought together an eclectic mix of entrepreneurs, activists and policymakers to provide a unique experience for conference attendees. Not many conferences showcase a bipartisan congressional panel, the first African American Surgeon General and cannabis icon Tommy Chong in one event, but the ICBC managed to pull that off in San Francisco. Before Oregon voted to legalize marijuana with more than 56% of the vote, the first ICBC in Portland featured conservative writer Andrew Sullivan followed by progressive Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
As Canada moves forward with its plans to legalize and regulate the cannabis industry, bringing together prominent entrepreneurs, advocates and policymakers will help inform the Canadian cannabis community and also help the concerned citizens shape the best policy for the country. The Berlin conference will bring in prominent cannabis community members from surrounding nations, with the goal of further advancing the progressive cannabis policies in the Europe. Tickets are on sale now, hope to see many folks there
