As it has been reported widely over the interwebs, blogger and author Andrew Sullivan will be delivering the keynote address at the first International Cannabis Business Conference this September in Portland, Oregon. The conference features several true heavyweights and heroes of the cannabis community including Steve DeAngelo of Harborside, renowned grower Ed Rosenthal and Congressman Earl Blumenauer, one of our best champions in Washington, D.C. However, the addition of Andrew Sullivan to a cannabis conference is truly noteworthy.
Sullivan is much better known as a libertarian conservative political commentator than he is for his cannabis activism. He was one of the early marriage equality activists and his featured often on political programs such as Real Time with Bill Maher. Bringing in someone like Andrew Sullivan further demonstrates the mainstreaming and professionalism of the cannabis industry and will only help us sway more voters, politicians and policy makers.
While he is known better for his politics outside cannabis law reform, Sullivan did publish The Cannabis Closet: First Hand Accounts of the Marijuana Mainstream. This important publication helped illustrate that ordinary, everyday citizens are being persecuted for their cannabis use and that their stories actually mimic those fighting for marriage equality. It isn’t a coincidence that both marriage equality and cannabis law reform are both making important political advancements.
Despite being just a friend of the cannabis community, Sullivan will have great insight into trailblazing an independent business path that will benefit cannabis industry entrepreneurs. He shook off all corporate ties and started an independent blog supported by his readers who subscribe to his blog for just $19.99 a year. The Dish is one of the top blogs in the world and has more subscribers than any other independent blog site. Thanks to his subscribers, Sullivan is able to provide good wages and healthcare benefits to his employees and he doesn’t ever have to censor himself to please a corporate overlord.
The Weed Blog will be at the International Cannabis Business Conference and we encourage those in the industry or thinking of joining the industry to join. The conference is being held at the Oregon Convention Center on September 13th and 14th. Check out www.internationalcbc.com for more information.
