Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Thousands of people streamed into Winnipeg’s first ever Hempfest Cannabis Expo this weekend to listen to presentations by industry leaders and check out exhibits set up by cannabis and hemp businesses from around the country.
More than 60 businesses tabled the expo which was held Saturday and Sunday at the RBC Convention Center. Organizers estimated that about 15 per cent of the businesses were Manitoba-based.
"It’s to give a platform for businesses to connect with people who are hungry for information. Maybe they’re interested in medical cannabis and they don’t know where to go or what to ask," said Sacha Hockenhuln, event organizer.
"This provides a disarming environment where you can ask those questions with industry professionals who know what they’re talking about. It also helps disarm some of the concerns of the public in regards to what the industry is all about."
Walking into the expo, music could be heard drifting out from speakers at one of the booths, and table after table of hemp and cannabis related products lined the room. Everything from cannabis paraphernalia to seeds, growing equipment to air purifiers and hemp clothing to informational packets filled the displays.
At one of the vendors, a man wearing sunglasses sat behind a table glass blowing a piece of paraphernalia. In front of him was a torch with a flame extending four inches into the air, over which he worked the glass, before blowing through a long tube to form and shape the piece.
Hockenhuln and his businesses partners began throwing Hempfest Canada Expos last year in Calgary. He said they were simply reacting to a gap they saw in the market. Since then they’ve expanded to Edmonton and Winnipeg, and expect to see the events continue to grow in the coming years.
Around 3,000 people came out Saturday, which Hockenhuln says was consistent with turnout from past cannabis expos — except for this year in Edmonton, where guest speaker Tommy Chong brought out a larger crowd.
"We’ve already seen huge growth in Calgary. We expect to see the same in Winnipeg. All the vendors here today, they’re also growing with us, and we’re growing with them," he said.
One local organization attending was Veterans Alliance of Canada Inc. (VAC), a newly formed Winnipeg-based support group for veterans. The organization aids veterans in the process of obtaining medical marijuana licenses, while also offering up a wider support network for their members.
"The government has failed veterans in terms of medication and treatments. I was on 13 different prescriptions at one point, including three opiates. It almost killed me. Medical marijuana saved my life," said Andrew Macleod, a 34-year veteran with the Canadian Armed Forces.
VAC, launched in May, recently moved into their first office building and plan on being fully operational by next week. The group is a non-profit, run by veterans for veterans. But Macleod — who serves as co-director — stresses they’ll never turn away anyone in need, veteran or not.
The organization currently has a clientele of about 70 veterans. They offer services ranging from helping people navigate getting a medical marijuana license, to informational sessions on what type of products may help them, to yoga and support groups.
"There are people out there who don’t have the education or understanding about what’s available to them. We try to be a one-stop shop. If there’s something we can do to help, anything, we’re here for them," Macleod said.
He hopes events like Winnipeg Hempfest Cannabis Expo will help their organization reach a wider audience and provide knowledge about the industry the public lacks.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Hockenhuln, who said many in the public have misconceptions about what the industry is all about.
"People wonder: are we all a bunch of stoners or something? Well, obviously not. If they come out, they’ll see that everyone here is very professional. It’s a really well run show. We’re all business people here," he said.
Presentations Sunday included a number of speeches given by industry leaders, as well as a "cooking with cannabis" demonstration from local chef Allan Pineda.
As people wandered through the venue, milling about tables, checking out products and talking to business representatives, a cannabis mascot stood outside the entrance, waving and welcoming newcomers as they strode through the doors.
One person who came to check out the event was Ken Squire of Winnipeg, a publisher of a new cannabis lifestyle magazine called Pineapple.
He explained that at trade shows like the Hempfest Cannabis Expo, people are able to acquaint, or reacquaint, themselves with cannabis, while ensuring they’re getting accurate information.
"There are so many undiscovered audiences for this industry, whether it’s medical or recreational. People have to get comfortable with cannabis. So how do you get comfortable with it?" Squire said.
"You could go to the internet, but there’s too many alternative facts and bad information. At trade shows like this there’s a lot more credibility. We need to inform, educate and reacquaint people with cannabis."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Expo aims to inform, educate and reacquaint people with cannabis - Winnipeg Free Press
Author: Ryan Thorpe
Contact: Contact Us - Winnipeg Free Press
Photo Credit: Colin Corneau
Website: Winnipeg Free Press - Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
More than 60 businesses tabled the expo which was held Saturday and Sunday at the RBC Convention Center. Organizers estimated that about 15 per cent of the businesses were Manitoba-based.
"It’s to give a platform for businesses to connect with people who are hungry for information. Maybe they’re interested in medical cannabis and they don’t know where to go or what to ask," said Sacha Hockenhuln, event organizer.
"This provides a disarming environment where you can ask those questions with industry professionals who know what they’re talking about. It also helps disarm some of the concerns of the public in regards to what the industry is all about."
Walking into the expo, music could be heard drifting out from speakers at one of the booths, and table after table of hemp and cannabis related products lined the room. Everything from cannabis paraphernalia to seeds, growing equipment to air purifiers and hemp clothing to informational packets filled the displays.
At one of the vendors, a man wearing sunglasses sat behind a table glass blowing a piece of paraphernalia. In front of him was a torch with a flame extending four inches into the air, over which he worked the glass, before blowing through a long tube to form and shape the piece.
Hockenhuln and his businesses partners began throwing Hempfest Canada Expos last year in Calgary. He said they were simply reacting to a gap they saw in the market. Since then they’ve expanded to Edmonton and Winnipeg, and expect to see the events continue to grow in the coming years.
Around 3,000 people came out Saturday, which Hockenhuln says was consistent with turnout from past cannabis expos — except for this year in Edmonton, where guest speaker Tommy Chong brought out a larger crowd.
"We’ve already seen huge growth in Calgary. We expect to see the same in Winnipeg. All the vendors here today, they’re also growing with us, and we’re growing with them," he said.
One local organization attending was Veterans Alliance of Canada Inc. (VAC), a newly formed Winnipeg-based support group for veterans. The organization aids veterans in the process of obtaining medical marijuana licenses, while also offering up a wider support network for their members.
"The government has failed veterans in terms of medication and treatments. I was on 13 different prescriptions at one point, including three opiates. It almost killed me. Medical marijuana saved my life," said Andrew Macleod, a 34-year veteran with the Canadian Armed Forces.
VAC, launched in May, recently moved into their first office building and plan on being fully operational by next week. The group is a non-profit, run by veterans for veterans. But Macleod — who serves as co-director — stresses they’ll never turn away anyone in need, veteran or not.
The organization currently has a clientele of about 70 veterans. They offer services ranging from helping people navigate getting a medical marijuana license, to informational sessions on what type of products may help them, to yoga and support groups.
"There are people out there who don’t have the education or understanding about what’s available to them. We try to be a one-stop shop. If there’s something we can do to help, anything, we’re here for them," Macleod said.
He hopes events like Winnipeg Hempfest Cannabis Expo will help their organization reach a wider audience and provide knowledge about the industry the public lacks.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Hockenhuln, who said many in the public have misconceptions about what the industry is all about.
"People wonder: are we all a bunch of stoners or something? Well, obviously not. If they come out, they’ll see that everyone here is very professional. It’s a really well run show. We’re all business people here," he said.
Presentations Sunday included a number of speeches given by industry leaders, as well as a "cooking with cannabis" demonstration from local chef Allan Pineda.
As people wandered through the venue, milling about tables, checking out products and talking to business representatives, a cannabis mascot stood outside the entrance, waving and welcoming newcomers as they strode through the doors.
One person who came to check out the event was Ken Squire of Winnipeg, a publisher of a new cannabis lifestyle magazine called Pineapple.
He explained that at trade shows like the Hempfest Cannabis Expo, people are able to acquaint, or reacquaint, themselves with cannabis, while ensuring they’re getting accurate information.
"There are so many undiscovered audiences for this industry, whether it’s medical or recreational. People have to get comfortable with cannabis. So how do you get comfortable with it?" Squire said.
"You could go to the internet, but there’s too many alternative facts and bad information. At trade shows like this there’s a lot more credibility. We need to inform, educate and reacquaint people with cannabis."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Expo aims to inform, educate and reacquaint people with cannabis - Winnipeg Free Press
Author: Ryan Thorpe
Contact: Contact Us - Winnipeg Free Press
Photo Credit: Colin Corneau
Website: Winnipeg Free Press - Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
