Cannabis Thinking: Beyond Cannabis, Event Addresses Social Inclusion and Sustainability

By Jacqueline Passos

Last Saturday, the Cannabis Thinking event organized by The Green Hub took place, attracting over 300 people to Civi-co, a social impact hub located in the city of São Paulo. There were over 60 speakers, divided into two stages: Revolution 5.0 and Health & Science. The event covered various topics related to cannabis, including Brazilian legislation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, technology, and social inclusion. 

Revolution Stage

The hashtag used for the event was #verdequetransforma, hence all stage programs were named accordingly. Each panel had a moderator and three speakers. The topics covered on the Revolution stage were: 

• #verdequetransforma ODS - The Cannabis Industry aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• #verdequetransforma the context - Global panorama of cannabis and the Brazilian market

• #verdequetransforma the laws - Challenges and broadening of understanding in the legislative field

• #verdequetransforma the land - A earth-friendly commodity

• #verdequetransforma technology - Innovation and entrepreneurship

• #verdequetransforma Latin America - Block's protagonism in the global scenario

• #verdequetransforma São Paulo - Cannabis impact and social cohesion

• #verdequetransforma entrepreneurship - Startups presentation

With national and international personalities on the panels, some discussions were held in English or Spanish with simultaneous translation through headphones. In other words, there was no excuse not to follow any topic. Besides the speakers, guests from all over Brazil circulated in the space. Such as the case of skateboarder Bob Burnquist, the most decorated athlete in X Games history with a total of 30 medals, who was also present at Civi-co. 

“I found the event incredible, the event's proposal, that's why I cleared my schedule to come here, because it started to match with a lot of things, with the projects of Civi-co, Tereza Vale a Pena, Humanitas 360, there is a very strong social issue. And The Green Hub that is together with many cannabis startups, I saw that there are other opportunities, there is Question Mark that has plant-based yogurt and I identify. I see here a group of people wanting to solve something bigger and I want to be close to these people. (...) I see this responsibility, I saw the first panels, they were very informative, I know there is much more that I want to watch and it's being recorded. I attended meetings, because here you meet so many people, so I am very happy to see the country at a time like this bringing people together, bringing people from outside, wanting to put the Brazilian flag in the market, because if we don't do it, others will, and we as Brazilians have to provide this solution. There is a parliamentary front, there is a lot happening and we have to walk together, we have to unite. The event is very cool, I'm talking a lot, meeting a lot of people, but this connection is important.”

Bob Burnquist about the Cannabis Thinking event

Market of Opportunities

The highlight of the event was the richness of the topics discussed in the debates. The speakers went far beyond medicinal cannabis and PL 399/2015, a bill pending in the Chamber of Deputies that, if approved, will enable the commercialization of medications containing extracts, substrates, or parts of the Cannabis sativa plant in their formulation. The numerous opportunities that this market can still bring to Brazil were even expressed in data by Maria Eugênia Riscala, founder and CEO at Kaya Mind, the first cannabis-focused research and data startup in Latin America. According to her, after market regulation, medicinal cannabis could generate up to R$ 9.5 billion and hemp R$ 4.9 billion, considering the fourth year after regulation. In other words, there are numerous opportunities that we are missing out on by not having a regulated market. 

All panels were recorded and will be made available by The Green Hub later on. Keep following Sechat to learn more about this and other events in the cannabis market.