One of the great things about the Bay Area is that it is a hub for technology. Oakland reaps the benefits of its proximity to the Silicon Valley. The New West Summit is a conference specifically based around technology, business and media. I know business conferences are boring right! Well, it’s just not so. The first two days are industry only and not open to the public and the first day of any conference is always best. Because this is the perfect opportunity for investors now rushing into the cannabis sector to check out and interact with canna-brands, the show became a showcase for companies, many locally based, to show off their goods and services and make business-to-business contacts.
Starting at the crack of dawn I was at the Edibles List Magazine booth engaging with potential edible and cannabis vendors, schmoozing would be financial backers, and networking with other industry leaders and professionals. At the end of Saturday I was pretty burnt out, but Stephen from Purity Medicinals had invited Ed Rosenthal, me in tow, to dab some of his homegrown homemade medicine.
When we made it to his room, I was relieved to see Ellen Holland the editor of Cannabis Now, a friendly face. It’s been a joy watching her rise to the top of the food chain, now the HBIC, Ellen is fun, fierce, artistic, interesting and a true joy to hang out with. Sitting next to her was a fabulously dressed man, I’d soon find out was Harry Resin. With a studded jacket and silver metallic seventies boots, he sat with his tiny and adorable wedding cake Hitman rig, not more than a few short inches, with a crystal quartz nail. His stash had at least twenty varieties and we all took turns, even Jane Klein, Ed’s wife, who normally only uses edibles took a small rip. When it was finally my turn I picked some bho crumble called Tits. I had to try it and it did not disappoint. Fifty percent of my stress from the day melted away.
We didn’t stay long because it was time to eat and our final destination after some needed rest and dinner was the vendor after party for the conference. To tell you the truth, if it weren’t for the good company my anxiety may have gotten the best of me, but I pushed through. Jane had bought a few tickets for the Fire Relief raffle, the organization ended up making $12,000 to help victims of the Sonoma County fires still happening today.
They were leaving and it was up to me to make sure I was there when they picked the ticket for the prize everyone wanted, a pound of cannabis. I danced and ran into a cute couple I met at the clock tower party in SF I previously wrote about, they own a delivery service in San Francisco. It really is a small world and so was the party but it was fun. In the far corner Harry Resin had set up the dab rig again. In the triangular 21st floor of the Marriott we had the luxury to sample more dabs while looking out the floor to ceiling windows. From that vantage you could see most of the Oakland hills, the Tribune building, the iconic container cranes of the port, the bay bridge, and the night skyline of San Francisco.
My feet were telling me it was getting close to the end of the night. I went to the front and the raffle wasn’t anywhere near happening. I went back and sat next to Harry and he graciously gave me one final, long, deep, and luxurious dab. The variety was 8 THC mixed with THC from Guild. Back though the party and out the door within the next five minutes, I was on my way home. Another fun day in the cannabis world, more strains tried, more new friends. That’s your stoner story for this issue. Stay tuned to hear about the differences between attending the New West Conference and the MJ Biz Con next month in Las Vegas.
Darcy Thompson
