This article was updated on 8/9/2018 to reflect new members to the panel.

Cannabis Culture

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have now legalized cannabis for either solely medicinal or medicinal and recreational purposes. It’s clear the marijuana “revolution” has begun. The emergence of this new industry provides significant growth opportunities for investors, businesses and entrepreneurs.A report from BDS Analytics, a cannabis industry research firm, showed legal marijuana sales hit almost $10 billion in 2017. They estimate that cannabis sales in California alone will hit $3.7 billion by the end of 2018. And for reference, beer sales in California hit $5 billion in 2017. If there were ever a time to learn to succeed in the cannabis space, now would be it. But there are still some hangups to overcome. For instance, laws on how cannabis companies can advertise vary from state to state. There are no standardized procedures for how to go about creating, expanding and marketing a cannabis-focused business. Additionally, many social media platforms have strict regulations when it comes to advertising marijuana products. The question is - how can you and your cannabis company navigate these significant hurdles when it comes to marketing your products? How can you set yourself up for success in this constantly growing and evolving market? Those questions (and more) will be answered in depth during Hawkefest’s women-led Marketing & Branding in the Cannabis Space panel. Focused on several aspects of marketing, these cannabis-industry leaders will share their knowledge and expertise on how to best market cannabis brands.

Meet (Some of) the Panel

Sari Gabbay - Founder of Cannabliss Retreats and Redefining Cannabis

Sari Gabbay runs not one, but two cannabis-focused companies. Aligning her passion for health and wellness with her expertise running a creative agency (U2R1Media), Sari launched Redefining Cannabis as an agency for cannabis brands. She works with brands and companies who are pioneering the industry, building brand and public relations campaigns that cultivate results. Sari also runs Cannabliss Retreats, a first of its kind, educational and experiential retreat geared towards the canna-curious and cannabis enthusiasts. We’re so excited to have Sari on our panel! She has years of experience in both the marketing and cannabis industries.

Courtney Aura Freeman - CEO of White Buffalo

Courtney Aura Freeman is the CEO of White Buffalo, a legendary, 40-year old brand that offers rolling papers, cannabis and hemp products. Her background covers 20 years of award-winning sales, marketing and product development over a wide array of industries. Today, she is focused on building communities in the cannabis space. White Buffalo is quickly expanding its market share in the cannabis and hemp markets with its ecommerce site WhiteBuffaloSpirit.org. White Buffalo has been around for a while now. We’re eager to hear Courtney’s insights into how cannabis companies can plan for the long term.

Anya Cravitz - Founder of Olive´ Kind

Anya Cravitz has a strong connection to cannabis. Plagued by seizures throughout her life, it wasn’t until Anya started researching medicinal cannabis that she realized its profound healing abilities. Anya began traveling all over the country to attend medical cannabis conferences, learning more about the science behind it and how it affects all areas of the body. It was that passion for cannabis that inspired her to start Olive´ Kind, a premier creative agency for cannabis-based topical and beauty products. Anya’s deep devotion to the healing powers of cannabis combined with her experiences opening and running a cannabis-focused creative agency will be a great source of information for aspiring green entrepreneurs. We’re so looking forward to hearing all she’s learned along her journey!

Mark Your Calendar!

This female-led cannabis panel is going to be seriously insightful. You’ll be hearing from successful leaders in the space, getting real-life examples of how to plan for success, deal with constantly changing legislation and network with like-minded entrepreneurs.If you’d like to join in on the fun, register for Hawkefest by applying to attend today! Early bird tickets are still available, but prices will be increasing soon.Also, if you run a cannabis-focused company and need help with your marketing, we’d love to help! Our experts have done some great work for cannabis companies in the past, so shoot us an email at hello@hawkemedia.com and we’ll point you in the right direction.