The Green Relief Medical Marijuana Conference & Expo takes place this week in Glendale. With hundreds of exhibitors and dozens of classes and workshops, it might be difficult for attendees to decide what they want to see and do -- so we've compiled a list of some of the highlights and must-see vendors at Green Relief.
From clothing and pipes to hemp-infused drinks and cannabis comedy, our guide leaves no turn un-stoned.
Let's start with the workshops. If you're interested in cooking with cannabis, the "Baked!" series on our food blog, Chow Bella, is a good resource. But you can also take a class on edibles at Green Relief, taught by Scottsdale chef Alan Ehrlich of A Sage Idea catering. That class takes place Thursday, April 14, from 5 to 6 p.m.
If you're wondering how our state's medical marijuana laws will jive with our state's gun laws, there's a lecture at Green Relief on Friday worth attending. Phoenix-based gun laws expert Alan Korwin, author of The Worldwide Gun Owner's Guide and After You Shoot, will discuss the topic from 11 a.m. to noon.
On Saturday, potential marijuana patients can learn all about the various strains of weed that will be available with the "Strain Selection for Symptom Relief" class from 10 to 11 a.m., conducted by Jason Scoby, a medical marijuana patient from Orange County, California who recently opened an educational facility called Cannabis State in Sunset Beach.
Green Relief attendees interested in dropping cash for cool products should check out the following vendors:
Medical Grade Clothing Company: Before Arizona's medical marijuana law passed, it was considered bad form (or at least suspicious) to wear T-shirts with big pot leaves on them or slather your car bumper with Grateful Dead stickers. It was like an invitation for harrassment from the cops. But once people start receiving medical marijuana patient cards, they'll be legally protected in possessing up to two and a half ounces of pot. So if they want to wear a shirt that says something like "Yes, Officer, I'm a Patient" or "Where everbody knows your strain" or "Cannabis!," it should be fine. Medical Grade Clothing Company makes all the aforementioned T-shirts, plus a few more.
Celebration Pipes: This company's been around since 1973, and were one of the first advertisers in High Times. Celebration Pipes are made in Hawaii, using lavastone, and decoratively finished with things like gold, platinum, and black coral. The company's created commissioned pieces for celebrities including Bob Marley, Cheech and Chong, Hugh Hefner, Willie Nelson, and Woody Harrelson. These beautiful pipes aren't cheap ($79 is the lowest price), but good weed isn't cheap, either.
Versatava: This company creates eco-friendly products using hemp, including toilet paper, clothes, and even fuel. Their edible hemp products are particularly popular, and range from fruity granola called "Pulse" to a drink called "Hemphoria."
A couple other stops worth making at Green Relief: a performance by 420 comedian Jeffrey Peterson, and -- for those interested in working toward decriminalization of marijuana -- the Phoenix NORML booth.
The Green Relief Medical Marijuana Conference & Expo takes place Thursday, April 14 through Saturday, April 16, at University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, in Glendale. Passes cost $25 to $124. Visit www.greenreliefexpo.com for more information.
(This blog has been edited for accuracy since it was published.)
