Vegas-ing with Purpose

It's that time of year when temperatures drop and the frenzy to get on the MJBizCon Vegas after-party lists grows. While I'm excited to head to Sin City to reconnect with and meet new friends and colleagues from across the country, this year's trip to MJBizCon is special for me and for my fellow ELEVATE Northeast cofounders, TaShonda Vincent-Lee and Cara Crabb Burnham.

For the first time, MJBizCon selected 20 nonprofit organizations from across the global cannabis industry to participate in its inaugural Associations Day at the big show in Las Vegas next week:

"Taking place on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, this program is an official MJBizCon Week event in Las Vegas and held on-site during MJBizCon in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Associations Day program includes:

The chance to meet with various groups within the industry all working towards a common goal, to move the global cannabis industry forward.
Opportunity to attend programming sessions presented by each group to hear about their initiatives.
Networking with like-minded professionals working inside the industry striving for their goals.
The tools to help drive your business while also making a positive impact on your profit and communities.

Whether it’s understanding the shifting legal landscape, learning how you can advocate for your market on a local basis, how to follow best practices in terms of environmental and business sustainability or ensure that you are building a highly skilled and diverse workforce; Associations Day brings people together who are striving for goals that propel the cannabis industry forward."

Cara, TaShonda and I have worked hard over the past three years to create ELEVATE, secure its 501c3 status, and create the programming and materials that support our mission to break stigma and create opportunities for patients and professionals in cannabis. We're incredibly honored and excited to have our work acknowledged by MJBizCon and look forward to representing our ELEVATE team and members at the industry's largest event.

Of course, I can't get excited about this honor and the trip without thinking about those who have no choice when it comes to cannabis access, whether they live in a prohibition state, are a veteran, or are in jail for a marijuana offense, or they're a patient who cannot legally or safely obtain the medicine they need. These are the people who motivate me and keep me focused on being a responsible and effective agent of change for the industry and the communities in which cannabis businesses hope to operate.

Learn more about ELEVATE Northeast here: https://www.elevatene.org/about-elevate