Picture it: It’s 4/20 weekend in Washington, D.C. Precisely at high noon on Saturday, the festival gates fling open to welcome everyone—cannabis newcomers, connoisseurs, advocates, educators, and industry professionals, alike—to gather in celebration of our industry’s progress. Oh, and Wiz Khalifa’s there, preparing to take the stage and school us on his brand, Khalifa Kush. It all sounds like a beautiful, post-edible dream, we know, but National Cannabis Festival (NCF) made it real.
As the largest cannabis festival in the country, NCF has been consciously building an inclusive cannabis community for the past six years. Meaningfully located near the US Capitol Building, NCF champions the federal legalization of cannabis and invites aligned partners to join the fun. This year, we said yes to supporting NCF as the festival’s lead sponsor.
Because we like to do things differently, our Verano tent at the festival was a quiet oasis amidst the rowdy sounds of Wiz, Slick Rick, Lettuce, Ghostface Killah, and thousands of amped festival-goers. We hosted a silent disco, complete with an array of Verano products and a team of dispensary guides to answer questions. Our calm space gave visitors the opportunity to take a beat, and it gave us the opportunity to meet the most incredible people—from cannabis environmentalists and activists to medical card holders in need of relief. We loved connecting with every kind of cannabis enthusiast, and we especially loved hearing time and time again that our flower is fire (we know it is!). From our tent, we could even hear impassioned panelists speaking about social justice, reform in the D.C. area, and efforts to increase cannabis equity nationwide—all causes we’re eager to support.
Not only were we inspired by the speakers and the attendees, we were also honored to team up with so many brilliant cannabis businesses. Khalifa Kush, for instance, is more than a famous name: His syrup is truly next-level. Culta, a vertically-integrated craft cannabis brand in Maryland, is growing exciting things for the east coast cannabis community. Gentleman Toker has been a quality resource for cannabis fans since 2015—and there were so many other brands and organizations we were delighted to create community with.
In the end, community is what we’re all about. Next year, search “420 festival near me” to get the bowl packed or joint rolling. By attending cannafests like NCF, you can meet like-minded folks, identify your role in the cannabis movement, and even make some history. It’s an exciting time for cannabis and all of us who appreciate it—and we can’t wait to meet you at a 420 festival in the future.