This article was originally written by Dina Nagib and published on her site, Grass Goddess Consulting, and allowed us here at Beard Bros Pharms to share it with you.
Last weekend I was fortunate to attend the Parabola Center Cannabis Anti-Monopoly Crash Course in Providence, RI. Grass Goddess Consulting partners with the Parabola Center and attending this event was something I prioritized though I almost missed it after a crazy travel day. I kept hearing stories about how travel is insane this summer but boy is it ever. There was a point after I ran through most of the DC Dulles airport and just missed my connection that I thought I might not make it in time. But the stars aligned and I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details but it’s a pretty interesting story if you want to hear it, just ask!
My connection to the Parabola Center goes back to my brother, Ali who went to school with Shaleen Title and Danielle Schumacher. They all were involved in fighting for sensible drug policy as young adults and I met Shaleen about 10 years ago while I was living in Boston. After forming Grass Goddess Consulting and following the creation of the Parabola Center, I reached out and decided it was a worthwhile organization to be a part of.
The event started at 9am and I walked over from my hotel to the Providence Public Library where the event was held. It was great to walk in and finally meet Danielle in person after talking to her and relating quickly. I felt very welcome with a fancy name tag and the schedule was filled with short, impactful talks that were relevant and thought-provoking. It was really a well-thought-out and planned event.
Shanel Lindsay kicked off the event welcoming us and sharing the story of the poster created for the event. Brownie Mary was a cannabis advocate who provided relief for patients during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. She is an inspiration who helped a lot of people while putting herself at risk.
Next, Shaleen took the stage and played videos from Jonathan Van Ness and Elizabeth Warren. They both shared messages about the importance of what the Parabola Center is doing and the fight we were all gathered to discuss.
I was fangirling a bit with the Elizabeth Warren video and appreciated her participation in the event. It’s been tough recently to watch politicians placate the industry, especially when it comes to social justice and decriminalization. Warren is someone that I think really gets it and means what she says, instead of just trying to get votes.
Shaleen’s remarks were personal. She spoke about a friend and fellow advocate who is no longer with us and about all those who have fought along the way, who we need to remember. It resonated with me and my story since I’m a newer advocate even though I’ve been a long-time consumer. My older brother Ali, is my advocate inspiration. He fights for lots of causes and fought very publicly for cannabis policy reform for a lot of his young adult life at some risk. Now I often feel like I’ve ‘taken the cannabis advocate torch’ from him over the past five years that I’ve been in this industry.
In addition, Shaleen discussed the meaning behind the name, Parabola Center. She showed the original parabola from 1984 which shows that too little or too much regulation can be problematic. Then she showed the new version from the Parabola Center which shows that too much government control or too much corporate control can be problematic and when you focus on people over profits, that’s when we will find that happy medium where the industry can thrive and racial and economic justice can be achieved.
The talks began with a scientific intro by Dr. Staci Gruber, which was the perfect way to set the stage and make sure that we were all on the same page when it comes to the plant, the science, and what we currently know. Next, we were introduced to an anti-monopoly policy expert, Pat Garofalo, who spoke about monopolies generally in the US and how now is the time to create the framework to prevent big corporations from taking over. I spoke to Pat later at the happy hour event and asked him if he is a cannabis person to which he responded, ‘No, not at all.’ I have a lot of respect for people that help the plant without really believing in it the way most of us in this space do. But also, there’s still time Pat, cannabis will be here.
Victoria Litman gave an interesting talk about tax policy. I ran into Victoria on my way in and had a little chat so it was great to hear more from her. Also, tax policy is very relevant to a lot of the work I’m currently doing with my clients in California. It’s not my area of expertise so I’m glad to learn more whenever I can.
Several law and policy experts spoke next. I often get frustrated with the state of our politics and that our government can’t actually work together to make any progress and it was reassuring to hear from people who are on the front lines. One of the things that I appreciated hearing was that though we aren’t able to get anything done with the current congress, they are still making progress and lining all the ducks up in a row so that when the time comes, they are ready. It’s an important aspect of the political process that I don’t always appreciate and a reminder of why we have to stay always vigilant. Maritza Perez Medina, Margeaux Lavoie and Cat Packer all gave interesting talks, and I’m grateful for the difficult work they continue to do.
There was a panel discussion on Rescheduling which covered a wide range of aspects on the topic discussed from different viewpoints. Rescheduling is a tough topic and it can be quite polarizing but it’s important that we are talking about it because it’s a big change in the industry. Even if it isn’t the change we want, it’s going to change the way the industry works. Good or bad, we need to be prepared. If you haven’t read my post on Rescheduling, check it out and let me know what you think.
The next group of talks was about protecting small businesses, workers, and patients. We heard from several experts including Julie Hulburd, Chris Michalakis and Dr. Peter Grinspoon. I’ve read Dr. Grinspoon’s book, ‘Seeing Through the Smoke’ and often talk about it when discussing doctors and treating patients with cannabis. Dr. Grinspoon has a really interesting perspective and treats patients with cannabis. His talk was interesting and I was glad he joined the conversation. Parabola Center recently did a study on what people think is important when building this industry and protecting people over corporations was one of the learnings. It was clear that this shaped the focus of our day and I was impressed with the breadth while keeping it short and sweet.
The final set of talks was focused on support. Supporting people of color, indigenous people, and those impacted by our criminal justice system. It is critical to ensure that as we are building this industry, we are focusing on the wrongs caused by the War on Drugs and attempting to right those wrongs whenever possible. It felt appropriate to end the talks discussing this, what’s being done and what we can do to move these efforts forward. I especially enjoyed hearing from Jason Ortiz from the Last Prisoner Project. He’s led some important efforts locally and federally, including a recent event in D.C. around 4/20 where many advocates gathered and lobbied for Descheduling.
Laury Lucien, aka Big Momma, closed the meeting and it truly was an event not to be missed. A lot of great content that is very relevant and important to what we need to do to create an industry that focuses on people over profits and prevents big corporations from taking over. Multi-state operators (MSOs) are already consuming so much of the space in most states so the clock is already ticking. Though I hate to say it, the political arena is where this fight is going to be won and we need to stay strong, persevere and be politically active to get this important work done.
Next came time to party!! Well there was a happy hour event on the rooftop of a nearby restaurant that we all walked over to. I met Kristin Souza and we had a great chat along the way. She’s a marketer in CT and I really enjoyed our conversation. It was one of those where I knew we would meet again and stay connected, as it so often happens in this industry. I met several other people at the event and enjoyed some food before a short program of content began.
One of the things I liked was how they had content at each of the events. The morning meeting only lasted until 1p and that gave us lots of networking time through the afternoon and evening. I usually find myself checking out after being at an event for a little while but the content provided an opportunity to reengage while conserving energy and it really suited my personality type! Additional speakers, awards presentations, learning more about the people involved in producing the event, it was all interesting and relevant. BTW – City Hippy was the group of women that produced the event and they did an outstanding job. If you are looking for an event production company in New England, definitely check them out.
After the happy hour, there was some time before the evening fundraising event. Right before the fundraiser started, we all heard about the shooting at the former president’s rally. It definitely added an interesting vibe to the start of the event since there were TVs all around the bar that were playing the breaking news. I’m not going to talk about it but I’ll just say, imagine a bunch of politically involved cannabis advocates hearing about this together.
The fundraiser was held at Trinity in Providence and the owner is a politician that supports cannabis. It was a cool vibe and smoking was allowed on the patio, which allowed for a laid-back environment where we could be ourselves and have important conversations. I met several of the women from City Hippy, had a great conversation with KC Klens and also met Peter Contos. Peter is from my home state, IL and knew my brother from his work for NORML. My brother played a massive role in the legislation reform in IL and I’m incredibly proud of his work. It’s always fun to meet people connected to that work.
What a great event put on by the phenomenal group of women at the Parabola Center. It was a long trip from San Diego but well worth it. Grass Goddess Consulting was proud to sponsor both events that followed the meeting, and we are proud to be a part of something that created a space for important conversations to happen. We support putting people over profits and preventing monopolies in the cannabis industry.
