Yes We Can! NE CANN plants seeds among enthusiasts

This weekend will mark the fourth annual Rhode Island Cannabis Convention, hosted by NE CANN and taking place at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The event will feature educational speakers, networking opportunities and more than a hundred exhibitors for attendees to visit throughout the day.

Kicking off the event on Saturday will be keynote speaker Eric Martin, former NFL player-turned-cannabis activist. Martin began using cannabis in college to help his body recover from life as a linebacker, and went on to play professionally, even signing with the New England Patriots in 2014. Martin retired from the NFL at age 26 after three major concussions, and has since become an advocate for the use of cannabis for recovery, pain and stress management among professional athletes. He is now poised to enter the Massachusetts legal cannabis industry with big plans to develop a line of CBD edibles geared toward sports recovery.

The first day of the convention also will offer visitors the chance to see various informational speakers on topics such as criminal justice reform, taxes and accounting, growing and cooking with cannabis, and even “pets on pot.” Likewise, Sunday’s speakers will address topics like sustainability, marketing, cannabis nursing, cannabis use among veterans and more! Between the two days there are more than 20 different talks to choose from, so attendees can be sure to get a multitude of perspectives, as well as up-to-date science and business information from some of the New England cannabis community’s foremost entrepreneurs and experts.

In between educational talks, guests will be able to peruse exhibitors guaranteed to be offering a variety of products and services catered to commercial growers, dispensaries, medical marijuana patients and cannabis enthusiasts alike. Exhibitors will include dispensaries (Greeleaf Compassionate Care Center, Slater Compassion Center), specialty product manufacturers (The Healing Rose, Humbled Extracts) lighting and technology systems (Atlas Plant Trainer, Rimol Greenhouse Systems) and service providers (CannaCare Docs, MCR Labs). The exhibition hall also will feature live demos, samples and plenty of products for sale.

The RI Cannabis Convention is one of several similar events hosted by NECANN throughout New England, self-described as a “must-attend event for MMJ/cannabis/hemp businesses, entrepreneurs, advocates, patients, caregivers and anyone who wants to learn, network or get involved in the fastest growing industry in the world!” In an industry where the only constant seems to be a rapid pace of change, events like this are becoming increasingly common, and increasingly welcomed by those interested in what the future holds for the cannabis industry and community.

You don’t need a medical marijuana card or special license to attend, but you must be 21 years or older, and possess 1- or 2- day ticket to get in. Just be sure leave your cannabis at home! NECANN takes place on Oct 20 – 21 at the RI Convention Center.