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Rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III is seemingly imminent. As consolidation accelerates across state markets, grassroots movements and small operators are organizing strategically. On July 18, 2026, Parabola Center and Florida Cannabis Action Network brought together the fourth annual People Over Profit summit at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale. Small operators, advocates, policymakers, and researchers gathered to discuss strategies for building and protecting equitable cannabis markets. The State Flower Tour stopped in Fort Lauderdale to document these conversations, with The Traveling Cannabis Writer present as press, capturing the strategies shaping grassroots cannabis resistance.
Understanding the Landscape
As smaller operators face the prospect of consolidation, experts at the event spoke out on the importance of maintaining clarity on the direction the industry is headed.
Shaleen Title, co-founder of Parabola Center, framed the stakes directly. “The power belongs to the people, and we’re trying to keep it there,” Title said. “Corporate greed has a way of bringing profit-seeking stakeholders together to support one united vision, and we’re the alternative.” Title described People Over Profits as an essential annual convening designed to distill critical developments into actionable steps for cannabis justice. “My favorite feedback is when people tell me every year that the event helped them feel less overwhelmed,” Title explained.
The in-person gathering serves multiple functions: education and community reinforcement. “I also think that the in-person nature of the gathering helps attendees to feel more focused and supported,” Title said. “Some of us have expertise or lived experience in certain areas that we share with others who have fresh eyes and perhaps more energy. Everyone has a role to play, and indeed this sense of collaboration and collective focus is more important during this ongoing rescheduling than ever.”
Consumer research provides data backing this strategic positioning. Faith English, a researcher studying cannabis consumer behavior, presented findings from a study of 37 cannabis consumers across nine states with at least five years of active legalization markets. “We found many common themes across participants including the fact that people are no longer fined, arrested, and incarcerated, as well as significant improvements to public safety, including a safe and tested cannabis supply and economic benefits due to job creation,” English reported. However, the research revealed a critical concern: “Consumers articulated a concern that cannabis policies are over-regulated, which was described as a contributor to delays in implementation, and that over-regulation has posed significant barriers to small business owners.”
The consumer feedback was clear about priorities. “Participants in our study called for greater transparency from policymakers, the creation of opportunities for constituent involvement in decision-making, and policy reforms to prioritize the long-term success of small businesses,” English said. She emphasized the importance of this data for advocacy. “These findings should empower grassroots leaders to continue to advocate for progressive cannabis policy reforms both statewide and federally that prioritize small businesses and constituent decision-making.”
Research details available here through English’s Consumer Research Study findings
Practical Strategies, Regulatory Navigation & Real Estate
Meeting with regulators and navigating barriers requires strategy.
Dasheeda Dawson, State Flower Tour partner and recipient of the Visionary Award at People Over Profit, brought years of regulatory experience to the summit. Dawson’s recognition reflects her decade-long work building frameworks for equitable cannabis policy and small operator success; her insights informed the day’s discussions on strategic positioning before rescheduling takes effect.
Antoine Mordican, a cultivation operator in a medical-only southern state, addressed the real barriers small operators face. “The biggest barrier for small operators is not getting a license,” Mordican said. “It is being prepared for everything that comes after. This industry attracts its share of predators, so founders must protect their ownership and maintain control wherever possible.”
Mordican outlined the financial and operational strategy required for long-term success. “While self-funding and bootstrapping a business is not easy, it can be one of your greatest advantages because it allows you to grow on your own terms, preserve equity, and avoid giving up control too early,” Mordican explained. “Having ownership at every level of your business, including the license, real estate, and infrastructure, creates leverage, improves access to capital for construction and equipment, and strengthens long-term sustainability.”
The operational philosophy Mordican described centers on preparation and transparency. “Success requires being proactive instead of reactive,” Mordican said. “Invest in compliant infrastructure, understand the regulations, satisfy every requirement, and work transparently with regulators as the program evolves.”
Mordican highlighted a unique advantage for medical-only state operators preparing for rescheduling. “State medical cannabis programs are uniquely positioned to integrate more seamlessly with the federal government following rescheduling because they have been built around pharmaceutical grade standards, strict compliance, and patient safety from the beginning,” Mordican said.
The core principle is simple. “Do not be a burden to the state,” Mordican stated. “Be an asset. Operators who are financially disciplined, operationally prepared, and committed to compliance will be in the strongest position to overcome challenges and capitalize on the opportunities ahead.”
Post-Rescheduling Vision
As rescheduling approaches, positioning matters. The strategies discussed at People Over Profit – collective organizing, consumer research informing policy, operational excellence, transparent regulatory relationships – become the blueprint for small operators preparing for a post-Schedule III landscape.
Four years of sustained organizing culminated in a summit designed to prepare small operators and grassroots movements with the strategies needed to survive rescheduling and resist consolidation. The conversations documented at People Over Profit represent what grassroots power looks like when it is organized, strategic, and ready for the changes ahead.
Media Contact:
Email: Veetravelingvegcannawriter@gmail.com
Veronica “Vee” Castillo is founder of the Traveling Cannabis Writer, an international plant medicine storyteller and journalist with more than seven years documenting cannabis culture globally. Author of Cannabis Legacy Chronicles and former communications director for a leading minority cannabis trade association, she helps businesses transform their stories into strategic content driving measurable growth.
Original Source – https://ganjapreneur.com/grassroots-cannabis-leaders-gather-at-fourth-annual-people-over-profit-summit/
