Now That Canada Has Legalized Cannabis, Celebrate at ICBC Vancouver

With the passage of the Senate Bill C-45 on June 19, Canada officially legalized marijuana.

Canada is the second country to make such a move. Uruguay legalized it in 2013.

«Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate,» Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.

The margin in favor was an overwhelming 52 to 29, with two abstentions. The bill gives provinces until Oct. 17 to begin selling marijuana commercially. Originally, the plan was to launch on July 1, but the legislation has resulted in a 15-week start-up delay.

ICBC Vancouver at Sheraton Wall Centre is scheduled for June 24-25.

It’s the perfect time to attend an event in Canada’s cannabis capitol, Vancouver, affectionately known as Vansterdam. The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) there is scheduled for June 24-25. It’s not too late to register and book flights and hotel reservations at Sheraton Wall Centre.

«The ICBC is fortunate that our Vancouver event is occurring just five days after the first G7 nation on Earth legalized,» says Alex Rogers, ICBC founder and CEO.

Why Vancouver over Toronto as a choice of location? «Toronto is clearly the Canadian cannabis financial capital,» Rogers explains. «But Vancouver is the cannabis capital of Canada. Regardless of what happens in the future with cannabis and the public policies and regulations around it, British Columbia and Vancouver will always be a global leader in the cannabis industry.»

ICBC Vancouver kicks off with a VIP party on June 24. The next day, a full slate of speakers and panelists will engage the attendees. Monday night’s afterparty will feature Bay Area rapper Del the Funky Homosapien.

ALEX ROGERS: «The ICBC is fortunate that our Vancouver event is occurring just five days after the first G7 nation on Earth legalized.»

ICBC regular Henry Rollins will deliver the keynote speech on July 25 at 9 am. “I think that legalization of cannabis anywhere is a political decision,” Rollins tells Freedom Leaf. “It will change things in any country. It’s part of this changing century. Those who are selling legally are part of a changing culture.»

The panel discussions will focus on the following topics:

• Transitioning to Legal Use – Canada Moves Forward (9:30 am)
• Cannabis in the Capital Markets (10 am)
• Mergers and Acquisitions – Increasing Your Company’s Value Market Share and Risk (10:45 am)
• High Stakes – International Investments and Opportunities (11:15 am)
• German Market Update (11:50 am)
• Canopy Rivers Pitch Day – Micro Cannabis, Macro Impact (1 pm)
• Media & Marketing – Mainstreaming Cannabis and Building Consumer Trust (2 pm)
• Canadian Physicians’ Experiences with Medical Cannabis (2:30 pm)
• Cannabis Genetics – Potential Patents, Tailor-Made Strains and More Implications (3 pm)
• Cultivation Techniques (3:30 pm)
• Strategic Partnerships (4 pm)
• Brand Building with Prohbtd (4:30 pm, invite only)

«All eyes will be on Canada,» writes ICBC staffer Anthony Johnson, «but it’s clear that we’re ending cannabis prohibition step by step and, eventually, nation by nation. Canadians are leading the way.»

The next ICBC events will be held in Portland, OR (Sept. 27-28), San Francisco (Feb. 7-8, 2019) and Berlin (Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2019).

Related Articles

Province-by-Province Guide to Canadian Cannabis Regulations

How Massachusetts Became a Leader in Regulating Marijuana

Vermont’s Legalization Lite: No Model for Other States

New Jersey’s Path to Legalization

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