For someone new entering into the cannabis world, a person doesn’t go too long before they will hear the phrase, “standing on the backs of patients”. That’s because we as a country are at a critical moment in time in which we must negotiate the space between a community of people who need cannabis as a medicine, viewing it from a health-based lens, and those who would risk their personal freedoms and assets in the unusually risky entrepreneurial gamble of the cannabis industry.

As is clear to anyone paying attention in US politics in the last 7 years, finding a political balance between public health needs and the financial interests of the private sector is tricky business. But this is the exact moment in time in which all stakeholders should be coming to the table to find effective and meaningful solutions.

Unfortunately, in many ways, the old system for medical cannabis in Oregon has been revamped, and what will happen next remains to be seen. Overall plant numbers per Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) grow sites have been restricted, but patients can still cultivate for themselves if they are able (with an unlimited number of seedlings now) and purchase products tax-free at dispensaries. But the poorest patients unable to cultivate cannabis, or find someone to cultivate for them, are being deprived safe access. Oregon has a golden opportunity to become a national political model that supports both patients and a strong industry. Establishing a low-income patient program, until healthcare providers and insurance companies fully integrate medical cannabis (like Germany is implementing) is definitely needed in Oregon (as well as every medical cannabis state).

Americans for Safe Access, an international organization focused solely on medical cannabis advocacy, recently created a report card of state medical cannabis laws and the degree to which policy meets the needs of patients. Executive Director Steph Sherer points out the laws fail to adequately support patient needs pretty much everywhere, but the coalition of change agents is growing:

“‘Medical cannabis laws are moving in a positive direction, but only a handful of the forty-four medical cannabis states are truly meeting the needs of patients, and there are still six states where cannabis remains completely illegal for patients. In short, we’re seeing a lot of progress, but the fight is far from over. As of 2017, no state cannabis laws are within the ‘A’ range. Only a small minority of states currently include ASA’s criteria of protections and rights that we believe all patients should be afforded under the law.

“‘What we’re experiencing is the byproduct of a movement of doctors, scientists, patients, their families, and policymakers advocating for a patients’ safe access to medical cannabis. Every positive change in a law or regulation is the result of thousands of hours of  work by these stakeholders. With 16 states improving their laws and dozens more making improvements through regulations, we are proud to report an overall positive trend for medical cannabis patients across the country.’

“‘States such as Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are among the lowest ranking, while Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have shown the greatest improvement over 2015 laws. Despite the positive trend, no state falls within the “A” range.”

Oregon was one of 11 states to receive a “B” rating or above. But how can Oregon move forward in a reasonable way to support a new market economy while not standing on the backs of patients?

The question before us must be answered, and it’s certain to be a topic of hot conversation at the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, which always keeps patients at the forefront, on April 28th in Eugene. Get your tickets today!

Testing. One, two, three.

Changes are coming to Oregon’s laws governing pesticide testing for adult-use cannabis. But what those laws will look like remain somewhat unknown. Recently, the Oregon Health Authority’s rules advisory committee – which oversees pesticide regulation for both medical and adult-use – suggested an adjustment to the current amount of product required to undergo lab evaluation.

According to The Oregonian:

“Among the proposals: Instead of requiring that every batch of marijuana extract and concentrate be screened for pesticide contamination, the products would be randomly tested annually. But all of the marijuana used to make those products would first be screened for pesticides.

“The state also has proposed new rules for marijuana flower headed to the market.

“Current rules require about 33 percent of all batches of marijuana flower for the recreational system be tested for pesticides. The change would give authority to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to require less testing. Under the proposal, at least 20 percent of marijuana flower would undergo pesticide testing. (In the medical marijuana system, 100 percent of medical flower batches still would undergo pesticide testing.)”

The new rules are exceedingly controversial. The ugly negotiations of creating policy have been likened to making sausage for a good reason. Many factors are necessary to consider when including all stakeholders. Growers, concentrate processors, distributors, consumers and lab-testing facilities all play different roles whose needs must be considered. Ultimately, consumers and “the people” should win out in a democracy – as long as they come to the table. Consumers must have their safety ensured, but also will dislike paying even greater costs for an already heavily-taxed item. A draft of the proposed rules for public comment is expected soon, as early as today, March 15th, and comments will be accepted through April 30th.

New rules for pesticide-testing in Oregon are certain to be a hot topic of conversation in Eugene on April 28th at the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, and will be specifically included on the agenda. Come to the table and be part of Oregon’s dialogue. Get your tickets today!

The Oregon Marijuana Business Conference is coming – and it is right around the corner!

Join the host of cannabis experts and meet the ganjapreneurs making cannabis business a profitable reality on April 28th in Eugene. The program has been announced, and the following topics will be covered:

OLCC Regulations
Oregon has seen a tidal wave of policy change related to commercial cannabis activity. This panel will feature several speakers from the state regulatory agencies tasked with regulating and licensing cannabis businesses in Oregon. This panel will deliver up-to-date and accurate information regarding the status of forthcoming state regulations and licenses across all facets of the industry.

Staying Medical
There are some small mom and pops that are finding ways to survive and even thrive. Whether it is staying medical, securing a micro canopy license and utilizing the upcoming increase in canopy size allowed for OLCC growers that keep growing for patients, we’ll have some small farmers on hand to talk about the challenges and opportunities for small businesses and farmers.

Distribution
A hot topic among all consumer brands and manufactures, our panelists include a diversity of distribution models including agricultural cooperatives, independent distributors, online wholesale marketplace platforms, aggregation and processing centers, transportation and security providers. The panel will provide a comprehensive analysis of license types and distribution models conducive to all types and sizes of operators and their needs.

Tech and Branding
Cannabis has gone mainstream, which means ratcheting up innovation and focusing on brand are crucial factors for success. Our panel features cannabis industry disruptors along with media professionals from fortune 500 companies, discussing the new competitive paradigm, including a focus on recreational consumers.

Taxes and Cannabis
Navigating the IRS 280E limitations can be a daunting task; if not properly understood the risk of paying too much tax, or being audited, is high. Operating a parallel business to reclaim otherwise disallowed deductions is a tried and true way to handle the 280E limitations. Selecting the right Business Entity for your business is essential and by far the most effective way to mitigate your tax liability as well as keep your audit profile low.

Oregon Testing Regulations
Oregon’s testing standards went through a dramatic overhaul last October with new rules and regulations creating a bottleneck at licensed labs, hindering the cannabis industry. With more state-regulated labs now online, the congestion in the supply chain seems to have subsided as it’s being reported that marijuana products are getting about a one-week turnaround at most testing facilities. However, problems, and controversies, still remain.

The state has adopted temporary rules that have loosened up the testing standards and protocols, a move that has divided many in the cannabis community as we work towards a policy that sufficiently protects consumers, especially patients, while not unnecessarily over regulating the industry.. The state is taking comment on the issue until April 30th, making this panel’s topic an extremely relevant conversation for the cannabis community.

Celebrity Interview with John Salley
Freedom Leaf editor Steve Bloom interviews former NBA star and medical marijuana advocate John Salley, who won four championships with the Pistons, Bulls and Lakers during his 14-year professional career.

It’s an event you won’t want to miss, so mark you calendars and buy your tickets now for the 2017 OMBC in Eugene!

You have been waiting your whole life to attend the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco in the wake of adult cannabis legalization – so why are you still waiting to buy tickets to attend? The conference is this Thursday, February 17th! That means prices will increase on Wednesday at midnight – so don’t delay any longer! Get your tickets now!

The ICBC is the premier cannabis conference and expo, and this year’s line-up includes some of the best minds in the industry. This Thursday is your chance to hear from Chief of the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation of California, Lori Ajax, whose unofficial title is “California Marijuana Czar” and who will be one of the most influential agents in the roll-out of cannabis regulations in Sacramento over the next year. If you are interested in federal level policy, you won’t be disappointed to hear from a series of qualified speakers who will address the topic, “Speaking Republican: How to Survive and Thrive During the Trump Administration” including political and cannabis veterans Steve Grand, Joe Hunter, Nathan Daschle, and Mary Patton.

The stage will also be graced with more mainstream celebrities, including actor, entertainer and cultural icon Henry Rollins, who will speak to the larger social and political ramifications of the global shift toward legalized adult cannabis use. Four-time NBA basketball champion John Salley  will also be in attendance and interviewed live onstage by Steve Bloom, Editor-in-Chief of Freedom Leaf and former editor of High Times.

Of course, attending the ICBC on Thursday is the most important part of the week, but if you are able to join Wednesday evening there will be a special VIP meet-and-greet with conference speakers, including keynote speaker Henry Rollins along with special guest California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, the current frontrunner for California’s next gubernatorial election in 2018, and fierce national leader of cannabis law reform.

Tickets to the ICBC go up on Wednesday at midnight, so buy yours now!

This blog was origninally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has bee reposted here with special permission. 

The cannabis industry is understandably hanging on each and every bit of information that could potentially provide insight into the Donald Trump Administration’s future marijuana policy. There have been some troubling signs out of the administration, but also some positive ones. Many questions remain and everyone is still awaiting answers.

Will Donald Trump follow through on his campaign promises to support medical marijuana “100%” and respect the will of the states that have ended prohibition within their own borders? Will the Obama Administration’s Cole memo detailing federal government marijuana enforcement priorities remain intact, or will it be revised, or even scrapped altogether? How will Jeff Session’s prohibitionist tendencies impact his executive actions? Only time will answer our burning questions, but it is important to be as prepared as possible.

To help cannabis industry participants face the uncertain future with the Trump White House, the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) will host a very pertinent and important panel designed to prepare advocates, entrepreneurs and investors  as much as possible. The panel, “Speaking Republican: How to Survive and Thrive During the Trump Administration,” is comprised of seasoned political strategists and legal experts who will offer their insight to everyone’s burning questions, address concerns, and offer strategic advice to to the cannabis industry from a political insider’s perspective.

The ICBC in San Francisco is bringing together top regulators, activists and industry professionals together to network and share information on February 17th, with a keynote address by rock icon Henry Rollins and a celebrity interview with four-time NBA champion John Salley. A special VIP reception on the 16th will include an appearance by both Tommy Chong and California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. Get your tickets before this event sells out!

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

Now that California has legalized marijuana and regulated cannabis commerce is on the horizon, the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in San Francisco is the must-attend event for the cannabis community and the Hilton San Francisco Union Square is where you want to stay! The ICBC has teamed up with Hilton Hotels to bring you a special discounted rate on rooms for the upcoming ICBC on February 17. Please note, the VIP reception is the night before the event, on February 16, so please plan accordingly as this event is expected to sell out and rooms are limited!

With a VIP reception that includes an eclectic and entertaining mix of people from California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, rock icon Henry Rollins and cannabis legend Tommy Chong, you will want to be there. Staying at the Hilton provides easy travelling to our information-filled California cannabis crash course on the 17th as well as excellent networking opportunities with other industry professionals and activists. If you are in the California cannabis industry, or are thinking of joining, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to have your questions addressed by Lori Ajax, the state Marijuana Czar, or to learn from the lawyers and business people that have already been in the trenches navigating regulatory hurdles and are working on shaping the upcoming rules.

The ICBC’s partnership with Hilton allows our attendees to get the low rate of $199 per night at the Hilton Union Square in downtown San Francisco. This is a great value and it puts you in the heart of the city. Tomorrow night the discounted rates end, so please hurry and save yourself some hard-earned money. If you haven’t gotten your tickets to the ICBC, you still can, but hurry before this event sells out. Hope to see you there!

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

As recreational cannabis begins to come online before the start of the new year, the State of California is about to enter new territory. And the world is watching.

Get your tickets now for the International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco on February 17th! THE $299 EARLY BIRD PRICES END TONIGHT! The all-inclusive VIP pass includes a special reception on the 16th that includes an appearance by Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, the frontrunner to be the Golden State’s next governor and is even on the short list to be the next president of the United States. Also, Tommy Chong will be in attendance!

Join experts global and local to showcase current and upcoming trends in the cannabis legalization market, including speakers such as Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation of California; Chuck Rifici, founder and CEO of Canopy Growth; Tsion Sunshine Lencho, co-founder of Supernova Women for women of color in the cannabis industry; Hezekiah Allen, Executive Director of the California Growers Association; and many, many more.

Don’t wait – GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! Early bird prices end at midnight!

There’s only one place to learn about what is happening in California before the state turns recreational – and that’s California.

Don’t miss one of the most exciting events in cannabis industry history! Don’t forget Keynote Speaker Henry Rollins and Celebrity Interview with John Salley. Get your tickets now for the International Cannabis Industry Conference is coming to San Francisco on February 17th at the San Francisco Hilton Union Square.

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

Marijuana legalization has made strides in several states, but banking is strictly regulated at the federal level. Any hint that an account holder is profiting from cannabis opens the door to prosecution for money laundering. Despite the issuance of the Cole Memo from the Department of Justice in 2013, financial lenders remain extremely cautious. For most banks, the risk of potential prosecution from unknown future administrations outweighs the benefits of a few additional customers.

And California may just be the one state which can force the discussion at the federal level.

“A lot of businesses will be hauling around a lot of cash with no place to deposit their money, putting them at risk of robbery,” Chiang said.

“…Chiang brushed aside the idea of creating a state bank specifically to service cannabis customers. It’s an approach proposed by the Board of Equalization to combat the industry’s poor record of paying state taxes, and one that’s been tried and shut down by federal regulators in other legalized states.

“The state of Colorado sought to create its own cannabis credit union in November 2014. But the Federal Reserve rejected the state’s applications to create a master account that would have allowed banks to do business with the credit union. And a U.S. District Court judge dismissed Colorado’s challenge to that decision, stating he was compelled to do so because marijuana remains illegal under federal law.”

Will California finally fix the federal banking problem? It’s worth watching out for, and it’s worth being part of the solution. Join the International Cannabis Business Conference in San Francisco on February 17th, 2017, for a one-day event discussing the upcoming changes to cannabis laws and markets.

This blog was originally published at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission.

With a population of 80.6 million and nearly 140k square miles, the country of Germany is roughly 85% the size of California, and contains over double the population. As medical cannabis laws across Europe become liberalized and attitudes toward adult recreational use continue to soften, Germany is now poised to be the next big thing in the European cannabis market.

Germany is looking primed to become a major producer of medical cannabis since laws were loosened this past summer to allow patients access with a doctor’s recommendation. And now, Berlin is making moves to pseudo-legalize marijuana in its city borders. According to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), an EU agency based in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, nearly one quarter of German adult citizens – 23.1% – have tried cannabis.

From The Russia Times:

Cannabis has been illegal in Germany but, after a court ruling in 2005, people with specific health conditions such as chronic pain were able to use the drug for self-therapy, but each case was assessed on an individual basis, according to the Local.

Health Minister Hermann Gröhe proposed a law in May to officially legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes and cover it through medical insurance….

In early 2015, Federal Drugs Commissioner Marlene Mortler announced reforms to let chronically ill patients have easier access to cannabis through their health insurance providers and vowed to have legislation in place by 2016.

With the growing awareness of marijuana’s potential therapeutic benefits for a variety of ailments, the German people are aggressively pursuing policies which allow for increased production and use of the cannabis plant. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming German and European markets and want to know more about their changing laws regarding cannabis, join the cadre of experts who will be attending the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, Germany on April 10-12.

This post was originally published at www.interntionalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

“In November, the country elected a new president who promised to shake up Washington. At the same time, the cannabis industry took a giant leap forward with seven states voting yes to measures further legalizing marijuana. In total, California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine legalized recreational use, and Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas legalized medical use, bringing the total number of states with legal marijuana to 29.

The recent slate of successful marijuana-related measures at the state level could be viewed as a national referendum on cannabis. The “yes” votes cut across party lines and presidential candidates. Today, two-thirds of Americans live in states with legal access to cannabis.

California, the first to pass medical marijuana two decades ago, is arguably the most significant bellwether state in the evolution of cannabis. It is the country’s most populous state, the sixth largest economy in the world and a cultural trendsetter. California’s Proposition 64 legalizing adult use of marijuana passed with 57 percent of the votes.”

This blog was originally posted at www.internationalcbc.com and has been reposted here with special permission. 

“Brian MacMahon, whose L.A.-based startup center Expert DOJO has helped more than 600 startups get up and running since 2014, is now working with more cannabis businesses in the hopes that he’ll be able to increase their chances of surviving amid all the uncertainty. The failure rate of tech startups, according to MacMahon, is 97 percent and he anticipates that that number will be even worse in cannabis while the industry is getting established.”

The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), fresh off of a successful conference in Vancouver, Canada, is heading to San Francisco in February, ahead of a April conference in Berlin. The political success across the world, is fueling commercial prospects around the world and the demand for the ICBC is another example of the growing momentum cannabis law reform has around the globe.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Smell the Truth Blog broke the news:

Business opportunities in California are growing exponentially since voters decided in favor of legalizing cannabis, making the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference an important event for anyone looking to make money with marijuana.

***

This year’s ICBC will be held at the Hilton Union Square Hotel in San Francisco February 16-17, and while more details await to be announced, past keynote speakers includes notable cannabis activist and comedian Tommy Chong, travel writer Rick Steves, and lawmakers Earl Blumenauer and Dana Rohrabacher.

The ICBC San Francisco event will also be the first before the conference goes international with an event slated for April in Berlin, Germany. The country has blazed trails as one of the few European countries to embrace a legal medical cannabis system, and Berlin’s local government is currently seeking federal approval to distribute licenses for recreational cannabis coffee shops.

While it is a business-centric event, the ICBC mixes activism, politics and culture unlike any other business conference today. Along with the latest information on California’s cannabis laws, as well as updates from states and countries with regulated cannabis, ICBC attendees always hear from activists that have dedicated their lives to helping patients and keeping people out of prison. Tommy Chong has closed previous events and ticket buyers have been treated to parties featuring acts like Bay Area hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien.

The Oregon Marijuana Business Conference (OMBC) will bring activists, lawyers and entrepreneurs from around the state to network and learn the latest about Oregon’s medical and recreational laws. Oregon’s cannabis laws and regulations change so frequently that attendance at the OMBC is necessary to keep up with everything. With Ed Rosenthal and Tommy Chong on the agenda, the OMBC includes celebrity icons to go along with Oregon legal experts, successful business owners and the Chair of the Oregon Liquor Control Commision (OLCC), Rob Patridge, who heads up the regulation of the state’s recreational marijuana system. In addition to the great information, OMBC attendees will be treated with an exclusive performance by hip-hop legend Del the Funky Homosapien.

Del was interviewed about his feelings on cannabis by SFEvergreen.com ahead of his performance following the International Cannabis Business Conference:

DEL: Arresting people for weed or trying to chase down people for smoking. If you’re allowing people to drink liquor, why are you tripping off of this? It’s like that movie…

EG: Reefer madness?
DEL: Yeah. My momma still thinks like that. But you know what? It’s noto true. Drinking is worse than anything else out there. You lose your motor skills, you’re more apt to do stupid stuff… I don’t see that with marijuana. And it helps people. It does have medicinal properties.

You ain’t gonna die if you smoke too much weed. If you drink too much alcohol, the next day, you gonna feel messed up. Maybe if you’re smoking shatter or something like that… but you gotta be smoking concentrated THC to the dome, you feel me?

After a full day of delving into the basics of licensing, reporting, tracking, testing, labeling, and packaging; basically everything folks will need to know to be a medical or recreational cannabis entrepreneur in the Beaver State, OMBC attendees should certainly in the mood to let loose at the Brickroom for a private concert with Del. With the great opportunities in the cannabis industry, plus the star power of Tommy Chong and Ed Rosenthal, tickets are going fast, so be sure to get yours before they sell out.

The Oregon Marijuana Business Conference (OMBC) will bring about 800 cannabis industry participants into the small, eccentric town of Ashland. The town of about 20,000, known for it’s famous Shakespeare Festival will get an economic boost of about $250,000 the weekend of November 19th, as reported by the Ashland Daily Tidings. Industry participants, and those thinking about the industry, will fill up the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites, and spend plenty of money at local businesses.

It makes sense that Ashland would serve as a hub for the cannabis industry as the Rogue Valley area is basically the Emerald Triangle of Oregon, with a great climate that produces some of the finest cannabis in the world. As sustainability becomes a more important issue as climate change impacts people from across the globe, the outdoor cultivation taking place in the Rogue Valley will become a major brand, not just across Oregon, but eventually, across the nation and the world, once we can end the pesky international war on cannabis.

Alex Rogers, the lead producer of the OMBC, has helped organize events around the world, starting with the High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam to the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC). The ICBC just finished a successful event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and will be going across the pond on April 11th-12th for an event in Berlin, Germany. A protege of Jack Herer, the godfather of the modern cannabis legalization movement, Rogers welcomes the opportunity to spread the message of cannabis freedom and help entrepreneurs network to bring the benefits of the cannabis plant to all.

For Rogers, the OMBC and ICBC, aren’t just about making money, as he wants to help ensure that people don’t go to prison for marijuana and that patients have safe access to cannabis. Alex owns Ashland Alternative Health and Northwest Alternative Health, assisting more than 5,000 patients register with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, so he sees firsthand the how cannabis has improved the lives of so many sick and disabled patients.

The OMBC will provide the latest information on Oregon’s marijuana laws, but will also provide an opportunity for industry participants to network and share ideas so that everyone can succeed in the market, including smaller businesses and mom-and-pops. With top experts, lawyers and entrepreneurs on the agenda, OMBC participants will get the information they need while Tommy Chong and Del the Funky Homosapien will bring some laughs and great entertainment. Also, it will be a treat to see Rogue Valley farmers pick the brain of Ed Rosenthal, the Guru of Ganja. If you are in the cannabis industry, or thinking of joining, swing thru the beautiful town of Ashland on November 19th and join us at the one-and-only Oregon Marijuana Business Conference. But you better hurry, as the OMBC will sell out!

The Oregon Marijuana Business Conference (OMBC) will bring nearly 1,000 cannabis industry participants into the town of Ashland, providing a nice little economic boost to the town of under 30,000. The Ashland Daily Tidings covered the conference in an article titled “The inside dope on marijuana“:

The Oregon Marijuana Business Conference scheduled for Nov. 19 at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites will bring in more than $250,000 to the local community and continued cachet as an epicenter for this industry, according to organizer Alex Rogers of Ashland Alternative Health. “This is bigger than the international business conference. It was sold out last year and it’ll be sold out again this year,” said Rogers.

***

The subject of the conference, attended primarily by growers, is to go over the policies and regulations affecting people in the industry. “All the rules change so quickly and growers, our main audience, need informative talk about policies, rules and regulations,” said Rogers. “ One year of not having it is like five years of not having a conference in another business. Things change so quickly from year to year. There’s also lots of disinformation out there too.”

Rogers says policy makers attend the conference to network with growers and people in the industry to get a better feel. One of the discussions will no doubt center on taxation. In Jackson County there is an ordinance to raise taxes for marijuana in county areas and the city of Ashland also has a measure to levy a 3 percent local tax. “What I tell administrators and policy makers is, ‘don’t tax prohibitive fees that push people toward a black market.’”

The entire article is worth checking out over in the Ashland Daily Tidings and the OMBC is certainly worth attending if you are in the cannabis industry or are curious about joining. Time is running out on early bird tickets, so you should hurry!