Being disabled is, for the most part, a very boring existence. It's a lot of hurry up and wait. Between the infection I've had for the past four (five?) years, my spinal fusion, and the variety of other sundry disabilities I have, I don't have a lot of time to do what I want to do. I have a lot of time, sure, but not to do what I'd prefer to do. If I could, I'd be writing about booze. I can't do that because of the buffet of antibiotics I'm on to keep me stable until we can do the experimental treatment. The experimental treatment takes up time and energy between coordinating and executing. And just existing takes a lot of time and energy to keep myself upright and functioning. I spend a lot of time in doctor's offices, hospitals, infusion centers, and home. Hell, I've been in the hospital so much they had to put a port-a-cath under my skin just to have active intravenous access and THAT has to be taken care of, too. I've been keeping myself busy by popping out to Half Time when I go to my infectious disease doctor and buying N/A beers, which I've been sorta reviewing on Instagram. But other than that, due to the medicine, I'm on the no-drink bandwagon. And it -sucks-.
In my spare time, I've been...researching. New York, and by extension Massachusetts, instituted medical cannabis and then, EVENTUALLY, recreational cannabis and that's kinda been my focus for awhile. I use it to combat the massive list of side effects the medicine bestows upon me, from nausea and vomiting to jitters and general malaise. It helps quite a bit but I've been quiet about it. I did do the coverage of the CannaStock awhile back as a soft entry into things and I liked it...but didn't follow it up to any degree. Instead, I silently delved into it far from home by going to The Pass in Massachusetts. I've been consuming since about 2022 or 2023 and it's been my quiet little passion ever since. Until...
By some stroke of luck, of fate, of Godly generosity...I was able to attend the Revelry Buyers' Club in Hudson, NY last week and it lit a fire under me heretofore unknown in ferocity and fervor. It fired up the same insane passion that brews in me for booze. I went, not under my websites banner, but for Chronogram. Y'know, like a real writer. That gets paid. A professional. If you want to read the article, go here to view that. But I'm writing this because my excitement, my exuberance, my drive for the New York cannabis market has been kindled so fiercely, I couldn't just write 750 words and be done with it. No, no. I had to scream it from the rooftops. So that's what this is.
What I Learned AT Revelry Buyers' Club
1. I'm More Capable Than I Know
Truth be told, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to go. The week prior I was supposed to go to a cannabis event in Coxsackie but my infection got worse, I spiked a fever, and I had to go in to the outpatient infusion lab for an emergency push of tobramycin. Normally, it's tobramycin as a stop-gap but sometimes it's ertapenem (or meropenem if I'm in the hospital). When I came out of the infusion lab, my eyes wouldn't even focus. That's how strong of a dose it takes just to keep me stable. I was pretty sure that I was going to have to bag it because of that and also another reason: I couldn't get press passes. Since I never write on here, I had nothing to show for bylines to get access and it was only by a happenstance miracle that I managed to pitch myself and get accepted by Chronogram. Big shout-out to my editor, Brian Mahoney, for being a champ and putting up with me. So not only did I not think I could physically do it ahead of time, but I wasn't even sure I could get press passes IN TIME. I cleared through the antibiotics less than a week before the event and it was only thanks to Zoe Wilder that I got into the event. On top of that, I wasn't sure I could DO the event itself because it was a LOT of standing around/walking around/talking. These days my anxiety, my depression, and my spine are not fantastic at handling these things. I get easily startled and am "down" frequently so it's kinda hard to be outgoing and friendly sometimes.
And yet I did it. And more. Every time I went to sit down to rest my back, I found that I didn't need to sit. I wasn't in pain, I was ALIVE. Like I hadn't been in ages. Energy and vigor flowed through me like a river. Sure, it was an adrenaline dump but it was like nothing I had felt in nearly a decade. It was glorious. In case you can't tell, I'm -still- riding the high. So yeah, not only did my body hold out but my mind did as well. And I had a fantastic time. Which was helped in part by the fact that...
2. The Cannabis Industry Is Really Nice
Every single person I talked to at this event was really nice. And not in a performative way. They genuinely were very nice people. Was it because they were high? Maybe, maybe. But I think it goes a bit deeper than that. I think it's because a lot of the people I talked to, from small growers to huge growers, manufacturers and ancillary service businesses...really liked the industry they were in. It helps to love what you do, trust me. And they were also willing to talk to me which is fantastic too. To preface this comment: this was a buyer's market. Active sales were happening in front of my eyes from dispensaries from all around New York. Press was NOT the focus here, getting numbers on pages and products into the wild was the key. But all of them (except for a few) found time to talk to me and listen to my little spiel and gave me great quotes. So many that I couldn't use all of them because I was super pressed for space. I won't step on Chronogram's toes and put them here but they were so very kind and accommodating and really made me feel welcome and embraced by the community. It was very wholesome.
3. The Cannabis Industry Is Very Generous
Now I don't want to toot my own horn but, like any trade show, there were samples. How else could prospective buyers know what they were buying? And this isn't my first rodeo; I've done IPCPR. So when I say they were generous...they were generous. They did NOT have to give me what they did but they did out of the kindness of their own heart (and also because I'm probably going to review them). More on that later but still. I won't be so uncouth as to post what I got but it was a stunning amount of stuff that they didn't have to give me because, again, I was NOT their primary target for this event. So, thank you to everyone who was gracious enough to even gift me a pre-roll or a gummy or two. It meant a lot and made me feel like I belonged there and was valued not just as a journalist but as a human, too. So, thank you.
4. The Event Was Stellar
To say that the event was "pretty good" would be a drastic disservice to the event. It was a fantastic trade show. Everything was laid out well, there was plenty of room to get around, there were places for people to consume away from others who didn't want to consume, there was free water (seriously, this is very important if you know trade shows), and overall the organization was on par with some of the biggest shows I've covered. My only, ONLY gripe was that the acoustics in the hall made it hard to talk with people but I think they knew that as they provided a separate meeting tent outside to talk with people. I was able to get my work done, don't get me wrong, but it was LOUD. But other than that, it was executed flawlessly. And that brings me to another point...
5. The Event Was A Beating Heart Of Who's Who In New York
This cannot be understated. If you were a brand that wanted to make waves in the industry, you were there. If you were a dispensary looking to find the latest and greatest of what New York had to offer...you were there. If you were press or a content creator...you were there. The even practically pulsed with the brilliance that only comes from when people in the know gather. I learned...so much. SO MUCH. And that's part of what thrilled me. Everyone who knew anything about cannabis in New York was there and was willing to talk with you. Anyone who was growing primo crops was there and was sharing it. If you were in the media or had anything to do with cannabis on social media, you were there and flaunting it. It very much was a hub of knowledge, of love, of passion (I swear I will stop abusing this word), and of talent that represented the height of New York's cannabis space. And it was cool to see that, honestly. I am very much a neophyte in the cannabis media so I basically shut up for the most part and let others do the talking so that I could learn. I'm glad I did because I learned quite a bit about upcoming legislature, changes to how the cannabis market will be grown and run, and information about the new CAURD licenses coming out. It helped that the OCM was there answering questions but that aside, the vendors themselves knew their shit.
