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NEVA, New England Veterans Alliance.
influence them to vote on behalf of ours. The value of
social media and public radio is discussed, as well as
the value of educating both lawmakers and others in
our lives about cannabis. Says libertarian candidate
Chris Lyons, “Be persistently, consistently knowledgeable
and civil.”
My favorite workshop (though I may be a bit
biased) is a women’s panel made up of female growers,
veterans, nurses, biologists, consultants and
business owners. Many of the powerful and passionate
women speakers from previous panels return to
form the group, with a few new faces as well. They
discuss strategies for success as a woman in the
industry, as well as the specific challenges that women
face. Empowerment, unity, and creating a support
system of like-minded female entrepreneurs are
highlighted, as well as methods to combat the sexism
that pervades virtually every business arena in this
country. Says Ellen Brown, a veteran, grower, educator,
activist and consultant, in regard to negotiating
with confidence: “Know your worth, and add tax.”
Another interesting topic that comes up during the
women’s panel is concern about how new recreational
laws will affect the medical cannabis industry, and
how to protect the patients and ensure that they are
not left behind. Maine is held up by multiple speakers
both in this panel and others as the state with perhaps
the strongest medical program in the country, and it is
suggested by speakers from other East Coast states
that they look to Maine for guidance as their own programs
continue to take shape and expand.
Veterans are also a huge focus of this conference,
and their rights to cannabis are discussed in
multiple panels. On Sunday the New England Veterans
Alliance takes the stage, and they discuss their
experiences with combat and deployment, as well as
what a miracle cannabis has been for them in terms
of treating their pain and PTSD. The barriers that
veterans face when it comes to their ability to legally
use and afford cannabis without risking their medical
insurance are highlighted by multiple speakers, all of
whom urge the cannabis community to action. Says
Ellen Brown, also a speaker on the veteran’s panel:
“[Veterans] stood up for your rights. Now stand up for
their rights, and their right to choose their own medicine.”
NEVA has a booth at the conference, and I
have the opportunity to sit down and talk with them
over the course of the weekend. They are a dedicated
group of individuals working to connect veterans with
each other, and with resources, access and education
about cannabis as an alternative to the often damaging
pharmaceutical drugs generally used to treat
their conditions. Says Derek Cloutier, NEVA President
and co-Founder, “One of the things that we want to
focus on is outreach-going to the veteran when they
need assistance or help, and then providing them with
education to better understand what they are going
through and what we can possibly help them with, or
what cannabis can help them with. Another thing is
social interaction, and activities and events…Our big
plan is eventually to have a wellness center basically
built around all of this, where cannabis is accepted
and you can socially medicate with each other, and
then go into a therapy session and talk to somebody,
and have a therapist on hand, have a doctor on hand
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