REDWOOD VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the heart of Flow Kana – California’s number one selling cannabis flower brand that both sources from, and empowers, Northern California’s locally-owned, regenerative, independent farms - is the understanding that cannabis can be a catalyst for change. On September 22nd and 23rd, 250+ visionaries representing the environment, arts, and sciences, converged at Flow Kana’s 300 acre Redwood Valley property, the Flow Cannabis Institute, to attend Flow Kana’s first annual Flow Talks conference “Cannabis as a Catalyst for Change.”
“In this post-prohibition era, we as leaders in cannabis have an imperative to stand up for what’s right and set the stage now for how the cannabis movement will evolve. Together, we are in a position, ahead of national legalization, to build an industry that transforms our culture, environment, economy, healthcare and planet for the better. That’s why we’re all here… to co-create the change we wish to see,” explained Michael Steinmetz, Flow Kana CEO and Co-Founder.
The two day event - which included tours of regenerative cannabis farms, on-site “glamping”, fireside chats, and farm-to-table meals paired with Flow Kana’s sun-grown cannabis - featured TED Talk-style presentations and panel discussions exploring the critical role cannabis holds as a link between people, science and medicine, environmental health, human creativity and productivity, future building materials, regenerative farming and social justice.
Emceed by Emmy-nominated Jason Silva, best known from his work with National Geographic’s ‘Brain Games’ and ‘Origins’ programs, the tone and intention for the day were set with his introduction, “All experiences of awe and wonder, it turns out, leave us with increased feelings of well-being, increased feelings of creativity, and increased feelings of compassion.”
The talks opened with a challenge by renowned Buckminster Fuller prize-winning architect and green building leader Jason McLennan. “And what if our purpose on this planet was to really figure out and develop empathy for everything else that was around us? We need to stand up and we need to become homo regenesis - the species that heals and stewards the whole planet. Homo regenesis - that's what you all need to be and probably are. The guardians of life.”
“I encourage all of us as leaders and as people who are in this business to leverage your power. That is what we have,” said Opal Tometi, the Co-founder of Black Lives Matter who urged attendees to get behind the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, recently introduced by Jerry Nadler and Kamala Harris. “We actually have an opportunity to be the champions of progressive reforms that allow for more of our communities to participate in an industry of which we have been so systematically left out.”
Calls to action continued to take center stage, as Dr. Sue Sisley, who spearheads FDA-approved, controlled clinical trials at The Scottsdale Research Institute, invited audiences to join her in contacting California’s governor. “The federal government forces us to purchase green powder from Canada that's moldy and diluted with stem sticks, seeds and leaves, which is an atrocity given that the best flower in the world is right here in Northern California. We need Newsom’s help in pushing for these quality chemovars to be used in clinical trials. I dream of having access to this quality of flower.”
David Bronner, CEO of legacy soap empire, Dr. Bronner’s, drew parallels between his eponymous Brother David’s line with Flow Kana and his experience with sustainable, transparent sourcing for the company started by his grandfather, “Are you going in partnership, or are you pitting farming communities around the world against each other in a race to the bottom? You know that's basically what's happening in the world - because everyone has been unconscious of how we're purchasing our raw materials.” He challenged guests to ask themselves, “How do we live in harmony with the earth? How do we cultivate and feed ourselves and clothe ourselves in a way that's sustainable and harmonious with the earth?”
Cannabis icon Snoop Dogg surprised guests with an on-stage appearance, receiving a roaring applause with his reminder that, “If we’re going to do this right, we gotta do it all the way right. We gotta decriminalize, because people are still incarcerated for doing the same exact thing we’re all here doin right now - making money off of cannabis. And we gotta involve the small farmers, man, the people that grow it the best -- that have been around this their whole lives. This is their life, their livelihood. We gotta give it back to the farmers.”
Beginning today, October 7, 2019, mass audiences can partake in the conversation by visiting the new Flow Talks website, FlowTalks.live, which will feature photos and videos, uploaded weekly, captured at FLOW TALKS: CANNABIS AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE. The first Flow Talks presentation video, to be uploaded next week, is the Emmy-nominated MC of the event (and five-season host of the globally hit TV program, “Brain Games”) Jason Silva discussing awe, creativity and altered states of consciousness.
“This was a groundbreaking conference… this industry has an incredible opportunity to better millions of lives and our planet,” said New York Times best-selling author and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler. “I’ve spent the past 30 years researching peak human performance. What a blessing it is to finally be here, in 2019, when I can get on stage and talk about what science actually tell us about the rarely-discussed, yet fairly significant high performance benefits of cannabis."
ABOUT FLOW TALKS
Flow Talks is a branded content platform created by Californian cannabis brand Flow Kana. The platform is designed to create a stage for relevant conversations with today’s thought-leaders across multiple disciplines and diverse industries in support of exploring the possibilities and potential impact of leveraging cannabis to create positive change in our world.
ABOUT FLOW KANA
Based in the heart of the Emerald Triangle, Flow Kana is the leading sun-grown cannabis brand that sources from, and empowers, Northern California’s locally-owned, independent farms. Flow Kana believes that the diverse history, stories, and methods, coupled with distinct regional terroirs, are truly important to cannabis consumers. They celebrate and support mindful farmers who prioritize environmentally-sound cultivation practices. Flow Kana flower can be found in Flow Kana’s Gold, Silver, and Limited Edition lines, as well as in carefully-selected values-aligned “Powered By Flow Kana” brands throughout the state.
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