A Stoner’s Notes After Attending Revelry, A New York Cannabis Conference

“This is one of the most diverse rooms that I’ve ever seen at a cannabis event.” This sentence was uttered by so many at The Revelry this past Saturday as presenters hit the stage and it was not thrown around in vain.

It was hard to find a group that did not have some sort of representation in the room. It’s a testament to the possibilities of the cannabis industry in New York. 

The amount of information that was fit into one day was beyond impressive.

With presenters like Senator Liz Krueger, Jesce Horton (CEO, Lowd), Vladamir Bautista (CEO, Happy Munkey), and Kika Keith (owner of LA’s first Black Woman owned dispensary, Gorilla RX Wellness), just to name a few, one can imagine the gems of knowledge that were dropped. 

With the disclaimer that the regulations still have not been set for New York’s cannabis industry yet, The Revelry focused on what could be done now.

With social equity and legacies being the focus so that New York’s cannabis industry is for actual New Yorkers. 

Work Backwards. With so many different routes and nine categories of licenses being offered, what is the end goal? With the licenses ranging from cultivation to processing to cooperative, the possibilities are endless.

Once the goal is established, it’s easier to see the things you need to set in place.

For example, what kind of real estate will your business need? Lighting system, ventilation…etc.

Begin compiling information from the other states who have already legalized Cannabis. Readiness is key.

Building the team. It’s easy to think you’ll just work with your friends and everything will work out.

But you have to know that these are people that you will be spending most of your time with and will be making decisions with you in regards to the company.

Do their values align? Their goals? Are they people you can trust? This is your tribe. 

Study. Again, the regulations have not been set in place for New York quite yet but that does not mean you cannot study. Learn the regulations that other states have put in place.

Listen to the struggles of those who came beforehand and learn.

At The Revelry, we were blessed enough to hear from so many people who have already been there, done that.

Marie Montmarquet spoke on predatory practices that one can face in the cannabis industry, from landlords raising the rent to people wanting a percentage of your company in exchange for nothing.

Knowledge is power. 

The New York Cannabis industry is projected to be one of the largest in the country. At The Revelry, there were people of all races, creeds, and backgrounds.

There were so many different goals and dreams, both touching the plant and beyond a direct connection to it. Remember, some of the people who made the most money during the gold rush weren’t the ones digging, but the ones who were selling the shovel.

“New York cannabis should be owned by New Yorkers,” was the mantra for the weekend and the mantra for what’s to come.