Cannabis – It’s wild to think about how far things have come in a matter of decades. Not that long ago, we couldn’t mention weed without getting a little shady. Now it’s everywhere — on supermarket shelves, in shops, in the media, even in the stock market. It’s somewhat surreal to look at how rapidly it’s all occurred. So, just exactly how did it all happen? Let’s look at some of the most cannabis conference major events that really turned everything around.
1. California Kicks Things Off (1996)
This is where it all really began—back in 1996, when California said, “Okay, it’s time to legalize medical marijuana with Prop 215.” Previous to this, cannabis was still well and truly on the black market, and if you were caught in possession of it, there were very grave consequences. But California was like, “Ah, this plant can assist people,” and they legalized medical cannabis. When they did that, then it was a domino effect. Other states saw it working and started following suit. California was basically the spark that lit the fire.
2. Recreational? Here We Go (2012)
Then, in 2012, Colorado and Washington did something that totally changed the cannabis game—they legalized it for recreational purposes. No more needing a medical card. If you were over 21, you could go into a shop and purchase weed. That moment was huge because it said, “Okay, this is actually going mainstream.” People weren’t just using cannabis for medical reasons anymore, it was out in the open. And once those states saw the benefits—hello, tax revenue—other states started jumping on the bandwagon too.
3. Cannabis Hits Wall Street
With all this new legal weed floating around, investors started getting interested. Cannabis stocks started popping up, and all of a sudden, weed wasn’t just something you smoked, it was something you could buy into. Companies like Canopy Growth and Tilray went public, and people went nuts buying up their shares. I mean, it’s kind of funny now looking back at how hyped everyone was about these stocks, but it really showed that cannabis wasn’t just some underground movement anymore. It was serious business.
4. Still Waiting on Federal Legalization
Even with states making progress, the federal government in the U.S. has been slow to come around. Weed is still illegal at the federal level, which creates a whole mess of problems—like not being able to get business loans or use banks. This has made things tricky for companies, and even though there have been bills trying to push cannabis legalization forward (like the MORE Act), the Senate hasn’t quite caught up with what’s happening at the state level. We’re all just kind of waiting to see when they’ll finally get their act together and make it federally legal. Fingers crossed, right?
5. Global Shift: Other Countries Are Coming Around
While we’ve been focused on the U.S. and Canada, other countries have also started changing their minds. Uruguay was the first nation to legalize cannabis in full way back in 2013, and it sort of set the trend. Then, Canada did it in 2018, making it the second nation in the world to legalize weed across the country. Europe and parts of Latin America have been slowly jumping on board with medical cannabis programs too, and even Israel has been leading the way with cannabis research. It’s clear that cannabis isn’t just a “U.S. thing”—it’s becoming a global conversation.
6. All About Products Now
Gone are the days when cannabis just meant rolling a joint and calling it a day. Now, it’s all about options. Edibles have taken off like crazy—cannabis-infused chocolates, gummies, drinks, you name it. And CBD? Don’t even get me started. It’s everywhere. From skincare products to oils and even in your morning coffee, it’s clear that people are using cannabis (or at least parts of it) for all kinds of things beyond getting high. Honestly, I think this is one of the coolest things to happen—seeing cannabis go from this one-dimensional thing to a whole wellness category.
7. Social Justice: Time to Make It Right
Now, here’s the thing that really matters, too: cannabis legalization can’t just be about profit. It’s been decades of people of color getting locked up for doing something that’s now legal in a lot of places. So, with cannabis reform, it’s as much about setting things right too. Some of the states have begun to put together programs in order to support those who suffered the most in the war on drugs—such as clearing cannabis convictions from way back when or allowing them to start their own cannabis companies. It’s surely a step forward, but a lot more is yet to come before we’re able to even say things are even in the industry.
8. What’s Next?
As we look ahead, the future of cannabis is still up in the air in a lot of ways. Sure, more states are likely to legalize it, but will the federal government get on board soon? We’ll see. And internationally? The whole world seems to be waking up to the fact that cannabis can bring in serious tax dollars and can be used for all kinds of things. The global market is still in its early stages, and there’s a lot of room for growth there.
Final Thoughts
It’s kind of wild to think how far cannabis has come—from being this illegal, stigmatized substance to becoming a legal product that people use for health, wellness, and even recreation. As more places get on board with legalization, it’s only going to keep growing, and who knows where it’s going to go next? The whole cannabis conversation is still evolving, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few years.
