Marijuana Goes Mainstream At South By Southwest (SXSW®) As Cannabis Industry Leaders, Athletes, Media And Politicians Gather To Discuss Business, Investing, Medicine, Legalization, Politics, Sex, Sports And Startups

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Strainz, a leading national cannabis brand management and lifestyle products company, today announced that CEO Hugh Hempel will be speaking on the panel, Cannabis for Treatment of Injuries and Illness, at South by Southwest^® (SXSW^®) Conference & Festivals in Austin, Texas. The panel will be held on March 13, 2017, from 11:00 – 12:00 p.m., at the Four Seasons Ballroom AB. This year's SXSW^® event is elevating its cannabis content as cannabis legalization continues to be a national conversation.

SXSW^® plans a dramatic extension of cannabis content in 2017 that will feature many cannabis industry trailblazers, athletes, politicians, media and venture capitalists. There will be a total of 13 cannabis focused panels this year, carefully selected from hundreds of entries, with topics touching on all aspects of the marijuana industry.

"I am honored to represent Strainz and the burgeoning cannabis industry at SXSW," said Hugh Hempel, CEO, Strainz. "SXSW was founded with the objective to bring the brightest and most creative minds together to collaborate and network. We hope to open the door to a larger conversation on the countless benefits and attributes of this remarkable plant."

SXSW^® cannabis panels are scheduled to begin on March 10^th with Rob Kampia of Marijuana Policy Project moderating Political Strategy for Legalizing Marijuana, with panelists including television personality Montel Williams, cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo of Harborside and Zoe Russell of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition.

Cannabis talks continue on March 11^th with Karson Humiston of Vangst Talent hosting Cannabis: Keep Your Career, Change Your Industry Meet Up.  Diane Czarkowski of Canna Advisors, Giadha DeCarcer of New Frontier Data, Ashley Picillo of Point Seven Group and Wanda James of Simply Pure will participate in a female canna-business discussion during Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women, Weed & Business.

On March 13^th, Hugh Hempel of Strainz will be joined by marijuana industry experts including Dr. Perry Solomon, Chief Medical Officer, HelloMD, Siebo Shen, Founder of VapeXhale, and Debby Miran, president of Miran Consulting to discuss how cannabis as a medicine can not only help people manage injury and illness but can also act as a preventative.

Additionally on March 13^th, Diane Russell, a member of the Maine House of Representatives, Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Heather Fazio of Marijuana Policy Project and John Hudak of The Brookings Institute will explore why current and former political figures support regulating marijuana in a panel entitled Politicians' Viewpoints on Marijuana Legalization.  

With cannabis as a major discussion topic in the NFL and other pro sports, Jim McAlpine of the 420 Games, former NFL pro Ryan McBean, Dr. Sue Sisley of Scottsdale Research Institute and Eugene Monroe, former NFL pro and partner at Green Thumb Industries (GTI), will discuss the use of cannabis by athletes in a session entitled Cannabis & Athletics: A New Paradigm in Sports.

On March 14^th, Legalized Marijuana: What's Happening Now!, will include Shanel Lindsay of Ardent, Caroline Rustigian-Bruderer of K-LINE & Company, Emily Paxhia of Poseidon Asset Management and PR professional Gaynell Rogers. Paul Campbell of Privateer Holdings will also present how data, technology, and innovative marketing and advertising are forging the cannabis industry in a session called Modern Cannabis: From Ditch Weed to Tech Disruptor.  Berrin Noorat of Marley Natural, Meg Owen of Leafly, Kayla Cook of Privateer Holdings and Adrian Farquharson of MARY Magazine will discuss how to grow brand awareness in a panel called Mainstream But Muted: How to Market Legal Cannabis. Wrapping up the day, Brittany Confer of Foria, Molly Pecker of Highly Devoted Coaching, writer Ashley Manata and Chris Sayegh of The Herbal Chef will discuss The Surprising Health & Sex Benefits of Cannabis.

Cannabis panels continue on March 15^th with Clay Busch, Elise McRoberts, Elizabeth Hogan and Laurie Kirby sharing their perspective on Cannabis in the Event World, and will discuss how partnerships between cannabis brands and events will evolve. Jacob Sullum of Reason, Lisa Kennedy Montgomery of FOX Business Network and Ricardo Baca, formerly of the Denver Post, will discuss how media coverage on cannabis has changed over the last decade in a panel called Reporters' Perspectives on Marijuana Legalization.

On March 16^th, Silicon Valley 2.0: Cannabis Startups will include Carter Laren, Co-Founder of California's first cannabis startup accelerator, Gateway. He'll be joined by Cy Scott, Co-Founder of Headset, Emily Paxhia of Poseidon Asset Management and Even Eneman of Casa Verde Capital.

The final SXSW^® cannabis presentation, Artist to Advocate: Fighting for Criminal Justice, will focus on criminal justice reform and take place on March 18^th. The panel includes Weldon Angelos of Extravagant Records, Mark Holden of Koch Industries and Jordan Richardson and Vikrant Reddy both of Charles Koch Institute.

About Strainz Inc.

Strainz is a leading national cannabis brand management and lifestyle products company delivering a portfolio of premium grade cannabis products in multiple legal states. Based in Las Vegas, Strainz and its licensed partners are transforming cannabis and creating innovative products including concentrates, edibles, flower, topicals, and vape products.

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