Sunday 8 Nov · 12:00–13:00 60 min On now Finished
Europe, Don’t Copy California: What Legalization Got Wrong and How to Build Better
California helped change the global conversation about cannabis. Its experience also raises a harder question: who gets to shape the industry after legalization?
Drawing on more than 20 years in cannabis, Luna Stower examines corporatization, the loss of collective power, and the gap between promises of inclusion and meaningful participation. Building on her Love Is Lucrative presentation, she argues that care must shape ownership, workplace decisions, patient access and industry advocacy.
This talk explores how European communities can learn from California while responding to their own histories and legal systems. It proposes practical ways to strengthen coalitions, fund ongoing advocacy, protect small producers, and give patients and workers a voice in decisions that affect them. The goal is to move from goodwill to durable commitments that can survive changes in leadership and investment.
Attendees will leave with questions to apply to any emerging cannabis framework: whose rights are protected, who controls decisions, and who shares in the economic benefits?
