An estimated $4.6 billion in annual cannabis sales happen in New York alone, the majority of which is driven by that very same market, and the integration of that market into a legalized one is an absolute must, says Dasheeda Dawson, the Cannabis Health Equity Movement (CHEM) chief strategy officer and co-founder of the Cannabis Education Advocacy Symposium & Expo (CEASE). Dawson also runs the Weedhead & Company, a lifestyle cannabis brand that’s structured around education and e-commerce.
“Now is the time to innovate regulation and thoughtfully incorporate legacy operations into the emerging markets in New Jersey and New York,” Dawson said. “We must learn from their successes and shortfalls, absorb the knowledge and expertise of longtime operators, and offer them a space in the industry, rather than criminalization and exclusion.”
In order to tackle that very topic, Dawson is putting together a five-hour virtual conference, presented by Weedmaps, titled “Legacy to Legal: Transitioning into a Regulated Cannabis Market,” that will talk about New York and New Jersey.
The conference is scheduled to take place Friday from 5-10 p.m.