FROM LINDSAY ROBERTS, Portfolio Lead, Lift Events & Experiences
To My Fellow Members of the Cannabis Community,
At the center of any industry there is a place which is considered the heart. The origin. The living, beating, essential beginning of the legacy.
For so many, the heart of the United States cannabis industry is California.
From those across the state whose family legacies date back generations, to the vast farms of Humboldt County, to the entrepreneurs of the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego, California has recognized and respected the importance of the plant since the very beginning. Adding those who have waved the banner in more recent eras since legalization, and we are all chambers of the heart of the cannabis industry that exists today.
But in recent years, that heartbeat has slowed.
It labors under the incredible pressure of political and regulatory disease, collapsing businesses, dying jobs and the pestilence of racial prejudice, unjustified stigma and misinformation campaigns that the industry has been fighting for over 100 years. Yet still it beats on.
When we originally scheduled Lift San Francisco for August this year, our team held countless conversations to take the pulse of the cannabis community across California and beyond.
Our conversations with advocates, entrepreneurs, retailers, budtenders and brands revealed continuing concerns as detailed above, compounded by significant market shifts this year which have shaken the core of an industry dedicated to bringing health and wellness while supporting thousands of families.
We learned that recent unforeseen, yet highly impactful, market changes have affected what our audience needs from us right now. And so, the trade show aspect of Lift San Francisco will be rescheduled for February of 2024, with details to be announced very soon. In the interim, our team will focus on recommitting our resources at a grassroots level when time is of the essence.
Practically speaking, the structure of Lift San Francisco is already in place. Our great thanks to our amazing partners, speakers, vendors and registered guests for your support and flexibility in light of this change. We’ll see you all in February for a wonderful show.
Between now and then, we’ll be working diligently to support the community through donations, smaller networking events and special content from experts across the cannabis ecosystem all focused on Lifting up the California cannabis industry.
We believe that when we celebrate milestones like the cessation of the draconian enforcement of 280E at the state level, that is only the beginning of the relief necessary to bring what California citizens and responsibly run businesses deserve. We believe 2024 brings optimism, but there is still much work to do. And the time for that work is now.
Now more than ever, our mission to lift the legacy from which our community came and support an industry we can all be proud of, is at the center of what we do. Together, we will.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Roberts
Portfolio Lead, Lift Events & Experiences
