EVENT | TECHFEST WORKSHOP | MAY 2018
Cannabis at TechFestNW
On April 5, 2018, Jeremy Plumb aka “The Wizard of Weed” made his second appearance at TechFestNW. Following on the heels of this 2017 talk where he addressed how technology can work with ventures such as the Open Cannabis Project, Plumb returned to lead a workshop titled Science + Technology in Cannabis.
In this workshop he addressed how research and science can shine light on navigating the complexity of the cannabis plant. Pruf Cultivar utilizes cannabis cultivation technology to manipulate subtle environmental factors such as temperature, levels of CO2, integrative pest management practices, and harvest time peak harvesting for certain compounds that greatly alter the chemistry of the cannabis plant. Through this research, they seek to grow cannabis plants that can treat a variety of conditions such as anxiety, seizures, relaxation, and physical intimacy with consistent results. As Plumb observes, “Prut Cultivar is at the absolute edge of what’s possible in terms of harnessing the controlled power of these environments and bringing a lot of backend science to optimizing the expression of this pharmacology.“
Also, Adie Poe of Habu Health participated with over 75 startup companies in TechFestNW’s Pitchfest competition. In her estimation,”Pitching in a tech space is indicative of the future. We’re at a point where cannabis is normalized.” She is seeking funding for a smartphone application that will allow consumers to provide feedback about how particular plants made them feel. As Poe notes, “By using feedback in combination with the chemistry Jeremy was talking about, we can determine what chemistry is right for what person. Then we can offer an accurate recommendation of what kind of cannabis might work best for them.”
The Intersection of Cannabis and Design
During Design Week Portland 2018 held from April 14 to 21, 2018, two cannabis ventures sponsored open houses to give the public a glimpse into their work. Serra, a curated retail and experiential cannabis lifestyle brand, opened their downstairs location and corporate office where they highlighted all their brands. Included in their display was their chocolate made in partnership with Prut Cultivar and Woodblock Chocolate which they also showcased at TechFestNW. (All samples for consumption were non-infused.)
Chasity Roesler, Marketing Director for Serra, noted why they participate in ventures like TechFestNW and Design Week Portland. “It’s about reaching customers at a different level. So it’s not always participating in the cannabis space but also looking at unique venues where we can showcase our brand. Pruf Cultivar is a particularly technically driven company. So, it was a great fit for TechFestNW and what we’re doing with our grow spaces. In Design Week, Serra is very designed focused and it’s a beautiful blend of art meets cannabis and having that venue where we can showcase our pieces.”
Also, Skyline Studio sponsored a soft opening for their open consumption gallery. This project titled “Live/Work/Weed” sponsored by Farma is situated in a 650 square foot 1-bedroom apartment where every conceivable corner has been turned into a place to showcase products, practices, brands, and design in cannabis.
Coalition Brewing Hosts PDX’s First CBD Festival
On 4/20, Phil Boyle of Coalition Brewing contributed to Portland’s explosive craft beer festival culture by hosting the city’s first CBD Beer Fest presented by GrowlerWerks. As Boyle stated, “While we followed the format of a beer festival, we chose to have no paid entry. This represented an effort to engage people and show them that the cannabis and beer communities can come together and have a good time. In addition to their year round Two Flowers CBD beer combines the flavors of cannabis and hops, this festival featured had four other seasonal CBD beer ranging from a light Mango Sour to a deep rich velvet Special Brownies Stout. Also, they featured a first look at their beer project ""Ensemble"" done in partnership with True Terpenes which highlighted OG Kush terpenes in this particular brew. To round out the festival fun, they offered a toast at 4:20pm with prizes, a terpene sensory station provided by True Terpenes, a panel discussion with cannabis industry leaders, a food cart, live music, games, and raffle prizes.
Coalition Brewing’s future plans include a hazy IPA with Tangie terpenes that will be a collaborative beer with CBD Certified. Becky Garrison.
