Monday 4 September 2017

A Weekend with Product Earth

I LOVE Product Earth. It really is just a great place to be! Well, if you are into that sort of thing. Which, of course, I am. For a number of reasons, one of which I find more urgent than the others.

What, besides that then, is it that I LOVE?

If the good old Daily Mail were to cover this event, it would of course be framed as a celebration of debauchery and criminality from the losers in our society who should all be arrested and punished. They, and anyone who believes that same is totally, absolutely, completely - WRONG! 

During my IT Career as a Senior Business Relationship Manager, I had the opportunity to experience dozens of Expo's, trade shows and the like, you meet all sorts of people and all sorts of businesses wanting to tell you all about their USPs and their unbeatable discounts and how much they admire you and whatever company you're here from and why you can't live without their product or service and here and there you find the odd little gem of a concern that have different values; they LOVE their product or service and all they want to do is earn a living, do good in the world, give you value for money and dream about achieving whatever is their dream. I always loved those little moments within the chaos of salesmen and marketers.

At Product Earth, it's different. Very different. There are indeed one or two examples of the former, but juxtaposed in and around the dark arches in a run down industrial area of Birmingham, here were beautiful little gems all over the place. In fact the overwhelming majority! This is right across all the sub groups; Seed Companies like Greenhouse Seeds and their strain-hunting and investment in seed genetics to the niche Hemp growers, confectioners,  glassware makers, magazine publishers, medical patient advocates, vape sellers and organisations showing off the latest technology from growing right through all directions to consumption and so much more and almost everyone of them wants to push the boundaries, bring the industry forward, improve it and make it better and safer and of course, freer. 

Here are hundreds of individuals who are just trying to do something good, that they are good at and they LOVE whilst earning a living, you know, like you're supposed to do. Really special, kind, compassionate, lovely people, providing a product or service in the best way they know how to consumers who, for all sorts of reasons, are creating the demand.....and the demand is growing every year. 

What is obvious, at Product Earth, because it is all happening all around you is: We don't need to define, build or arguably even regulate a cannabis industry, we just need to legalise and legitimise the one that's already here. From what I can see, whilst it does need some seasoning and a little control, it already has more compassion, invention, information, kindness, collaboration and integrity than any other business sector I've experienced.

Then, of course there are the visitors, guests, consumers: Well quite simply, they reflect exactly the same attributes as the little gems amongst one or two thorns. But even as I say that, it occurs to me that at no point during the entire event did I either see or hear of anything untoward or any unpleasantness going on at any point by any visitor! So perhaps we have something unique? I cant imagine saying that after a "Product Alcohol" expo?) 

What really is causing all the problems here? The industry, or the law?

Jon