High Times at Navy Pier

     This past weekend, there was a gathering at Navy Pier unlike anything seen before.  Marijuana enthusiasts descended upon the Pier for the first ever Cannabis Conference, designed to give guidance to the newly legalized medical marijuana programs in Illinois.  Some of the attendees included local officials, pot advocates, marijuana experts, as well as folks giving advice on how to cook with marijuana.  Speaking more about the intent of the event, Dan Linn of Illinois NORML(an organization that advocates for the legalization of marijuana) said that “This event offers a way for people to learn more about our new medical cannabis law and the changing political landscape.  There is widespread support for medical cannabis and there is growing support for legalizing cannabis entirely. This event helps to legitimize the industry and this movement and remove the stigma from people who support ending the prohibition on this plant.”

     Of course, the movement is attracting more than just pro-marijuana advocates.  It has also set in motion a new potential economic boom that some are calling the Green Rush.  From those who supply marijuana plant supplements, to pot paraphernalia, to those who are wanting to invest in cannabis, even to makers of LED lights(used to grow the plants), businessmen are flocking to Illinois' new cannabis culture like ants on a log.  This rush to cash in on legal weed is best explained by Matt Johnson, one of the entrepreneurs in attendance. "Because the power to grow and distribute pot will be in the hands of relatively few people, that could mean a big payday [for] vendors landing contracts".  Johnson went on to praise the organizers of the event for having a more business-oriented theme to it, as opposed to events like this in Colorado(where recreational use of marijuana is already legal) that mostly attract those interested in getting their hands on high-grade cannabis.  “This is one of the better crowds. Usually there are a lot of potheads. Here there are a lot of business-oriented people,” Johnson said.