Oakland, California hosted the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Business Summit and Expo last week, and we were there to document it for “Mary Janes: The Women of Weed“.
I was thrilled to return to the Bay Area for a few days. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 8 years, but left before Twitter moved it’s Headquarters downtown and the animosity between the tech-entrepreneurs and local artists boiled over.
Fortunately, we found many entrepreneurs and “Puffragettes” who valued the experiences of women and people of color, and had open conversations about corporate responsibility, social justice, economic justice, environmental sustainability and gender parity.
Cinematographers Jerome Stolly and Drew Dorsey filming Lt. Governor of California Gavin Newsom.
We began our shoot two days prior with Sabrina Fendrick at the Berkeley Patients Group (the longest-running medical marijuana dispensary in the United States) and Jill Lamoureux and other Canopy Boulder graduates at their Arcview “Demo Day”. We filmed Julianna Carella of Auntie Dolores make some Treatibles (hemp wellness chews for pets), we cheered for Jaime Lewis and other “Puffragettes” at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) Arm Wrestling Fundraiser, and celebrated with Betty Aldworth and crew at the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Sensible Celebration.
Julianna Carella and Director Windy Borman show off the pet “Treatibles”.
The NCIA Cannabis Business Summit featured keynote speeches from Mayor Libby Schaaf and Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, as well a workshops, panels and fundraisers for the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) California Ballot Initiative on which voters will decide come November 2016. All in all, we interviewed 9 “Puffragettes” about their work in the legal, medical, technology, science and business aspects of cannabis and filmed a total of 23 in action at panels, workshops and on the Expo floor.
Behind-the-Scenes with Ellen Moy of Greenbridge Corporate Counsel.
We wrapped up the shoot with a trip to Merced, CA to film with Dr. Lakisha Jenkins, ND, who uses cannabis and other herbs to treat her patients, such as Lyndsey a 17-year ovarian cancer survivor. We then joined her and the Sisters of the Valley for a strategy session about how to educate their community about the pros and cons of AUMA.
With Dr. Lakisha Jenkins, Dwight Larks and the Sisters of the Valley, outside Merced, CA.
It’s shaping up to be an active and controversial election, and “Mary Janes” will be there to film our “Women of Weed” on the front lines.
Join the #Puffragette Movement.
You can see all our Behind-the-Scenes photos on our Facebook Page.
