Comparing 3 European Cannabis Conferences: Mary Jane Berlin, Integro’s Glasgow Conference, and Cannabis Europa
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend 3 European cannabis conferences in the space of 3 weeks. Each event had its merits, similarities and differences, and I got a clear picture of the current state of the UK and German Medical Cannabis industries. I wanted to write this blog to go over my experiences at each, to share the insights I gained, and the improvements that could be made in event organisation.
The European cannabis scene (and naturally its events) is becoming very large and exciting. There’s lots of overlap and differences in cannabis cultures between different countries, and plenty to learn from Europe and other International markets. Whilst I do think we have a lot to learn from North America, other markets outside Europe like Australia, Colombia, and Japan can’t be ignored.
One main improvement I would like to see year on year is an improvement in accessibility, for disabled attendees and different demographic groups. For example, a dedicated quiet sensory room such as those ran by the charity Sense, discounted ‘pay what you can’ tickets, and including more diversity in cannabis platforms.
- Mary Jane Berlin – June 14th-16th
MJ Berlin was my first international cannabis conference and was one of the biggest events in European cannabis this year. It was the first of its kind following Germany’s legalisation of cannabis. The scene was booming, mostly with recreational stalls and consumers. Medical brands were also present, but differences with the UK are stark.
In Germany, patients are allowed to smoke their medical cannabis, so some medical brands handed out rolling papers as promotional materials. Patients also commonly used charcoal-filled filters to smoke, and anecdotally, many were concerned with using reliable paper brands and other methods to reduce the harms of smoking cannabis.
German law has proposed a cannabis club system for personal growing, seed, fertilizer, soil, and other growing accessory brands were front and centre. Some seed companies even gave out seeds for free. We had the pleasure of speaking to the Founder of the app Edelcrowd which was created to allow social club owners to keep track of their members, their IDs, and other administrative needs. Make sure to click through the link below to watch this interview with Vanessa of GROW Deutschland.
@growgroupplc have you wondered what the recent german law change means? 🤔🍃 we’ve got you covered! thanks to edelcrowd at @Mary Jane Berlin 🇩🇪🙌 #socialclub #germany🇩🇪 #app #germanyberlin #berlin #🍃
♬ Jazz Hip Hop in the early 90’s(219692) – TOKYO Lonesome Blue
For me as a cannabis marketing specialist, it was interesting to see large mascots and blow-up stands for cannabis brands. The German medical market is much larger and more developed, and I did see some brands taking regulatory risks (the same as in any cannabis market, where marketing laws are often laced with grey areas).
One very large risk, however, was the inclusion of stalls selling HHC, synthetic cannabinoids, and synthetic “magic mushrooms”. Some vendors I spoke to were even selling these falsely as THC. The organisers shut down many stalls after the first day (although they approved these in the first place), and I had to make sure that one stall was shut down as it had started to re-sell synthetics on the last day. In my view, these products do not belong at cannabis conferences.
They are a product of prohibition, and in this period between legalisation taking effect, they take advantage of those who just know that cannabis is now legal. In terms of organisation, accessibility improvements are needed as the venue was overcrowded, and throughout the event many smoked indoors, and were blowing smoke into the faces of stall runners. This, paired with many selling synthetics, made me anxious at times.
“Moving past possible improvements, it was brilliant to chat to German patients, as well as curious German recreational consumers. Current patients were excited to chat in person about their prescriptions, and patients asked many questions.
I learnt much about medical cannabis in Germany and European cannabis in general, as well as the reimbursement system, and the growth of recreational culture following legalisation.”
2. The Integro Medical Cannabis Patient Conference Glasgow- 20th June
Next up was the Integro Medical Cannabis Patient Conference, the second-ever of its kind, held in Glasgow. You can watch the full livestream of the event here (Intro and Chronic Pain Panel) and here (Mental Health Panel).
Integro Medical Clinics, one of the leading cannabis clinics in the UK, has started to run local awareness events. These let current patients meet other local patients and their Doctors & Nurses. At UK Medical Cannabis clinics, consultations are normally conducted online. All attendees get to learn more about medical cannabis through in-depth diverse panels of clinical specialists, industry members, and patients.
The conference was similar to the first event held in Belfast last year, and the crowds in both Northern Ireland and Scotland were passionate and interested in the topics at hand.
I spoke on the panel about Mental Health and cannabis medicines, from my perspective as a patient with a prescription for symptoms related to Autism. I spoke alongside two other neurodivergent women, @stayacestar on TikTok, and Shazia of patient advocacy group Ethvida. They’re two incredible women who were very kind to share their stories, and we all got along so well as people with such overlapping experiences and personalities.
Stacey highlighted how she had brought her child to the evening, to be able to show him the range of people who supported and accepted his mother’s medicine, as well as other patient’s positive stories.
We covered many interesting topics, such as how mental health patients may discover illegal cannabis early on during education and find relief during a stressful time, despite the rarity of prescribed cannabis for this age group.
“I also found it very interesting to hear about how medical cannabis is accepted differently across various demographics, and the experiences of those with different backgrounds to myself.”
Attendees had the opportunity to quiz panellists during a Q and A at the end of each session, which resulted in a lively back and forth on many different topics. Patients don’t often have the opportunity to speak to the clinic teams in person, and the questions were all very valid points. In the breaks between panels and before the event, attendees had the opportunity to meet other local patients, and individuals raised awareness for their cannabis organisations, such as upcoming new venues in the area.
Much of the UK and European cannabis community operates online, so more in-depth in-person interaction is valuable and speeds up progressive conversations.
The audience shared their experiences and questions during these Q and A sections and between panels, many of whom were local to Glasgow or Scotland (though some had travelled far to attend!). They posed questions on different specific Scottish services and highlighted how they found that Scottish law enforcement did not often believe their prescriptions were real. Some treated them negatively as a result of their cannabis use.
If you have been affected by an interaction with police due to your medical cannabis, please contact Release Drugs. If you have had a negative experience related to racial discrimination, the charity UNJUST UK offers support with this. I had the privilege of interviewing them at the next conference- Cannabis Europa.
3. Cannabis Europa- 25th and 26th June
Lastly, I attended Cannabis Europa at the end of the month. It’s one of the largest formal events in European Cannabis, with mostly B2B discussions and panels on many cannabis-related topics. Myself and the GROW team ran our stall in the main hall, sponsored the event, and Grow Pharma’s CEO Pierre Van Weperen spoke on the panel “Cannabis in the UK: Sky’s the Limit. The growth of Europe’s Second Biggest Medical Market”. I also recorded many on-the-ground interviews with patient groups, companies, and charities.
@growgroupplc thank you to sal of @PatientsCann UK for chatting to us! 💚🇬🇧 the UK needs to wise up- it’s been legal for 6 years now …. keep an eye on our profile for the rest of the interview! #🍃 #socialequity #patientrights #patientcare #advocacy #ukzaza @Barbican Centre
It was great to meet many familiar faces and some new faces. The panels were stimulating and many had opposing views, which is great for debate, but all panellists had the same final goal of wider access. I loved Pierre’s panel and appreciated his clear view of the UK industry’s path forward. I agree that many more private prescriptions are the key to the NHS taking medical cannabis seriously.
He also importantly highlighted the barriers to access that still exist for patients, such as mental health patients who may not have consulted the healthcare system before about their struggles. They would not have a diagnosis recorded, let alone having tried two medicines or therapies. Being historically let down by the mainstream healthcare system is a common situation for those who are put off by medical cannabis, as well as other traditional and alternative medicines.
It was also brilliant to see patient organisations such as UNJUST UK, PatientsCann, and patient YouTubers such as GodInTheGrass. I also loved chatting to Berta and Shazia who have co-founded Ethvida, a new initiative to bring to light challenges faced in health and social care in the UK. It also aims to increase representation for ethnic majorities & women. Ethvida is an educational platform to advocate and educate the public on plant-based medicines.
The difference between Cannabis Europa and the other conferences I attended was the lack of patients who do not work in the industry. I would like to see more patients, Doctors, and researchers, and more diversity in both the attendees and panels because many people present already knew each other.
However, as more of a comment to the Barbican centre itself, more shaded outdoor areas with seating are needed for accessibility (as none were present). It was very warm during the event, and as an autistic person with sensory issues, it was overwhelming.
On the other hand, it was very positive to normalise the presence of cannabis and the existence of the European cannabis industry within such a historic building as the Barbican Centre. It was also great to see the industry becoming more collaborative overall, uniting over the common goal of wider access for all.
Despite different methods and ways of achieving this goal, most companies recognise that to create a better industry going forward, we must all act equitably, to not taint public perceptions of the plant any more than the war on drugs already has.
