Your school guidance counselor probably never thought marijuana would lead to an Ivy league school, but at the College Cannabis Exhibition, that was certainly not the case. The Exhibition hosted by the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research & Transparency (SMART) and High Times brought experts from every aspect of the industry to share their knowledge with an audience of Brown University students. Students came equipped with questions you couldn’t find answers to in any ordinary college course setting.
The exhibition, organized by SMART founder Nadir Pearson, consisted of two panels on supporting the cannabis industry whether you’re touching the plant or not. Here is what we took away from the Exhibition about the advantages and problems that come with each side of the industry.
Plant-Touching Panel
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The experts that deal directly with cannabis products included a dispensary owner, cultivator, researchers and more. Eve Santana, the CEO of a wellness group based in Rhode Island called High Beautiful, moderated the panel discussion. She started by asking everyone their inspiration for entering the cannabis industry and any advice they had for students.
Hope Wiseman, the youngest African-American woman to be awarded a dispensing license claimed her desire to “pave the way for other minorities” was the main drive behind starting the Mary & Main dispensary. She advised students to seek mentors and consider partnerships to overcome the obstacles of starting a dispensary.
Spencer Blier, founder of the Mammoth cultivation facility in Rhode Island said his inspiration was his love for the wonders of the plant specifically citing the fact that cannabis terpenes can be found in other parts of nature. He recommended students find out exactly what part of the industry such as cultivation or extraction they are interested. Then,