How to Organize a Festival to Smoke Weed in DC
Organize a Festival to Smoke Weed in DC Cannabis usage and music festivals go together like milk and cookies. However, historically the experience has been ruined by the effort of smuggling the plant through security and consuming it covertly. Today, laws are changing to allow for the sale and use of cannabis legally at significant gatherings. In fact, The Fire Station recently played host to Camp Cannabis, the region’s first official cannabis event.
What is Camp Cannabis?
Camp Cannabis was the first cannabis consumption event to be held October 7-9, 2022 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The 21+ Festival is designed to create a welcoming environment to celebrate, condemn and experience cannabis. The cultural experience included live performances (Sublime with Rome, The Floozies, Afroman, Nimesh Patel, Asher Roth, etc.), advocacy/education sessions, and over 50 unique onsite vendors.
Weed in DC cannabis enthusiasts were able to purchase the full range of legal cannabis products at the festival’s well-stocked pop-up pharmacies and enjoy them on nearly every corner of the 40 hectares of the festival. We spoke with Lauren Rotunda, the Festival Director for Camp Cannabis, and Stosh Wasik, CEO, and Co-Owner at The Fire Station, to find out how they pulled off the event. The Fire Station staff offers their opinions and practical advice in the Q&A that follows as it delves into the specifics of Camp Cannabis.
Creating the Camp Cannabis concept
- How did the idea for Camp Cannabis come about?
Stosh: The idea for cannabis camps was born when the state of Michigan began creating a regulatory framework for licensed marijuana consumption events. With the help of Market City, we jumped at the opportunity to host community events and help break down the historical stigma surrounding cannabis.
- What was the initial planning process like?
Stosh: Once regulations opened, we began the initial planning process. We set up weekly meetings with festival management, delegated planning tasks, and began scouting venues 10 months in advance. Weed in dc early plans was mainly spent on research and learning. Since we had no experience with an event like this, we were advised by others in the community who run similar events. The Hiawatha Music Festival is a very large event held at the Tourist Park. Yes, their team has provided a wealth of knowledge to bring this concept to life. If you are planning an event like this, we encourage you to contact Space Veterans for guidance. This has proven to be very useful for us.
Licensing and regulation navigation
- Did you encounter a lot of red tape as the first company to organize a cannabis festival in your community to obtain the necessary licenses and permits?
Stosh: Interestingly, licensing was the easy part as far as the bureaucracy was concerned. We are used to the regulatory hurdles that come with the cannabis industry and have a great licensing and compliance department to help us overcome these hurdles. They handle the required applications and paperwork in the city and state.
Lauren: The city and state were also very willing to work with us. Both companies wanted us to succeed. They read our draft proposal, went through the licensing and approval process, and helped us get this event off the ground. With everyone working together, the process is very smooth.
- Was there anything novel, unusual, or unexpected about the licensing procedure?
Stosh: The availability of alcohol inside the venue was one of Camp Cannabis’ most distinctive features. Although serving alcohol at cannabis-use gatherings is typically not permitted, we wanted to provide people with both options.
Lauren: We collaborated with another business that submitted an application for the alcohol license to make this happen. The same plans for the event were included in two distinct applications. By doing this, the state was informed that both forms of consumption would take place at the gathering.
Enhancing the retail cannabis experience
Weed in DC the Fire Department was the exclusive distributor of Camp Cannabis’ cannabis products. Campers were able to explore a range of products while benefiting from exclusive event discounts and flash sales. Weed in Dc flow hub is proud to be the official POS sponsor of Camp Cannabis, promoting the sale of all legal cannabis at the festival.
What kind of inventory did the retail store carry?
Stosh: To make this event a success, we reached out to the Michigan cannabis community and asked for sponsors. Sponsors had a sales booth or exhibitor booth and had the opportunity to keep their products in the business of weed in DC. They sat directly across from the retail store and interacted with customers, directing them to the store to purchase products.
What was your top-selling product?
Stosh: We went through a lot of pre-rolls. The pre-roll is easy to grab and lights up around camp, so it makes sense. We also sold a lot of edibles and vape cartridges.