Cannabis expo upholds the growing pot industry

The event brings a chance for people to educate themselves about marijuana as vendors and speakers openly exhibit marijuana-related products. Pot has been a hot topic for long, and such advancements may also see new debates being sparked off while advocates further try to get it legalized.

Looking to legalize pot
Voters will consider a ballot measure in November and see if they can actually legalize and tax pot in California. Also, attempts are on to decriminalize marijuana and make it available to the use of people over 21 for recreational purposes.

Meanwhile, marijuana users can revel in the fact that the pot industry is becoming big and that they can now go without having to conceal their identities.

“I think we're already mainstream,” said Bob Katzman, chief operations officer for the expo. “At least in Northern California.”

Shedding negativity for marijuana
Horticulturist and author George Van Patten believes that such events could help get rid of the negative stigma tied with marijuana. Van Patten, who penned several books on growing marijuana, was living under disguise for many years but the weekend expo saw him come out as himself for the first time.

“I had to have a double life.” he said, “My marijuana life -- my cannabis life -- and my straight gardening life.”

Marijuana-users can revel in the fact that the pot industry is becoming big and that they can now go without having to conceal their identities

Event organizers said that ahead of the expo, they had insisted on having an onsite medicating area. It took years of negotiations before they could actually obtain the permission for setting it up.

Medication purposes
Card-carrying medical marijuana patients are allowed to medicate under a tent set up especially for the purpose. 30-something Adrian Hernandez, who uses marijuana to deal with chronic knee pain, has found some liberation in the event.

“Everybody needs their medication when they need it,” he said. “We'd have to step out and go hide in our cars.”

The pot industry is growing and expos like this one will help thrust it further, said Bucky Fisher, national sales manager for Medical Marijuana Inc. “It makes the industry more of a community, more visible, more powerful,” he said. “This country is definitely in need of a homegrown industry, and this could be it."