Day 2 9:15 am
Following a relatively late night for many ICBC attendees who witnessed an amazing performance by Del the Funky Homosapien and Rocker T at Pier 23, folks are filing in to listen to keynote speaker Rick Steves. Steves is the author of more than 50 guidebooks and he hosts both Rick Steves Europe on PBS and Travel with Rick Steves on public radio. He serves as a board member of NORML and he used his own money to pass marijuana legalization in both Washington and Oregon. I am especially thankful for his work helping pass Measure 91 in Oregon where he traveled 10 cities over 6 days to speak to sold-out crowds, helping convince swing voters and garnering the measure just over 56% of the vote in 2014.
Also on the agenda: Magnolia Wellness’ Debby Goldsberry, Amber Senter, Harborside’s Steve DeAngelo, Celeb Stoner’s Steve Bloom, Troy Dayton of the ArcView Group, Ed Rosenthal presenting a lifetime achievement award to Sensi Seeds’ Ben Dronkers, and more.
9:30 Key Note by Rick Steves
A few great Rick Stevesisms…
“I am not pro-pot, I’m pro-civil liberties.”
“There’s no reason that we can’t go to a place called high. It’s a civil right.”
“I’ve been advocating for marijuana legalization for 20 years now. It used to be scary, now it’s almost counterculture to be against legalization.”
“I can’t be fired and I don’t have to win an election.”
“While a few people have complained about my stance on marijuana, I just think that Europe will be a lot more fun without them anyway.”
“I’m a hardworking, tax-paying, kid-raising, church-going citizen of this country, and if I work hard all day long and want to go home and relax with a joint, that is my civil liberty.”
Cannabiz 5000 Panel at 10:30
The International Cannabis Business Conference was a great success that left attendees energized to tackle both the business and political world. With such great minds networking and learning from one another, the days of cannabis prohibition are numbered. The ICBC crew will be hosting the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference at the downtown Eugene Hilton; focusing on Oregon’s medical and newly-passed legalization law. For more info, check out www.ommbc.com. We will certainly be blogging about the OMMBC, the next ICBC in Portland on September 12-13 & all of the important news and events important to the cannabis community.
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.
