Category: Bez kategorii

Do you use hemp for medicinal purposes or believe that marijuana should be legal? It’s time to take action on this matter!

On June 3rd, 2023, the exceptional 20th edition of the Hemp Liberation March took place in Warsaw.

This is a recurring event organized since 2003 by hemp activists who fight for changes in Polish drug law. The current legislation is ineffective and leads to many absurdities, including the imprisonment of medical marijuana patients. Therefore, this is a unique opportunity to manifest your views and meet like-minded people! How did the anniversary Hemp Liberation March look like?

What happened at the March?

According to the long-standing tradition, the Hemp Liberation March involves marching through the streets of Warsaw accompanied by good music, education, decorated floats with hemp joints and leaf-shaped banners. It started at the Plac Bankowy with workshops about making hemp paper and other attractions. The official march time was 5:45 PM.

Attractions

The Association “Wolne Konopie” together with the “Otwieramy Oczy” Foundation and invited special guests took care of the substantive and educational part. In addition, participants had the opportunity to talk to hemp producers, connect with lawyers or doctors. On Sunday we want to put smiles on people’s faces with a special #420 stand-up show featuring 10 Polish comedians.

Artists

The top Polish rappers, including Arab, Zetha, Włodi, Adi Nowak, Esceh, and Zibex, will be responsible for providing great entertainment at the March. But that’s not all! After the Hemp Liberation March, there will be an After Party at Klub Remont, located at ul. Waryńskiego 12A. The lineup for the party includes Hemp Gru, Junior Stress, Metrowy, Comson & Dziabson, Deejay Kaseciak & Jah Love Crue.

Partners

However, none of this could have been possible without the support of those who care! Thanks are due to the sponsors: iSmoking, Doctor’s Choice, and growbox.pl, as well as the media patrons: WeedWeek, Mestosław, Cannabis News, faktykonopne.pl, Hemplo, Era Konopi, and Spizgane Ziomki. We also wholeheartedly support this celebration for Polish cannabis users.

What are we fighting for?

It is a day that unites everyone in the fight for their rights, for equal treatment, for safety. Finally, it is one of the few occasions in the year to remind the Polish community about the difficult and still neglected issue of ineffective drug policy, which causes more harm than it brings actual results.

Over 60% of the Polish population is in favor of decriminalizing marijuana for personal use. Research shows that approximately 3 million Poles smoke marijuana at least once a year. Since the beginning of prohibition, over 2 million people have been convicted for possession of cannabis. Studies and examples from countries where there is no prohibition clearly show that youth consumption does not increase, and in some cases, even decreases after legalization.

Indeed, in our country, a higher percentage of teenagers have contact with this plant compared to countries like the Netherlands, where there are coffee shops. Prohibition doesn’t work, as dealers don’t ask for ID, and the tax revenue from the sale of this plant could be used for various purposes, such as providing assistance rather than imprisoning people. Legalizing marijuana could bring in approximately 10 billion złotych annually for the country. Cannabis is used by every social group – from teachers and doctors to police officers.

See you next year!

Thank you, Katowice, thank you, Silesia! The MCK spaces became the Polish center of knowledge about hemp, a place for enthusiasts to engage in conversations, establish new business relationships, and test the latest products.

Upon entering, visitors could already receive a surprise package from us. We made sure that no one went home empty-handed. In the packages, one could find grinders, rolling papers, seeds, filters, stickers, magazines from our partner Soft Secrets, and even fertilizers, CBD oils, ointments, herbs for concentration, or cannabinoid-infused pet food.

Prof. Vetulani’s Edu Zone

In the Ground Hall, we set up the Professor Jerzy Vetulani Educational Zone. Regardless of whether someone bought a ticket or not, they could comfortably sit down and listen to lectures and discussions about cultivation, legal issues, topics related to spirituality, medicine, legalization, or learn how to behave if stopped by the police suspecting illegal marijuana possession. The zone maintained a sense of reliability and expertise. Many times, the phrase “Hemp is not a panacea” was uttered from the stage. The zone also addressed the problems that entrepreneurs and farmers, despite ongoing changes in Polish law, still have to struggle with.

The educational character of the Ground Hall was complemented by the presence of the first exhibitor booths of well-known social initiatives such as “Wolne Konopie” (Free Hemp), “Otwieramy Oczy” (Opening Eyes), and SIN. Visitors could also relax in the Chill Zone prepared for us by the company Mascotte.

Workshops

Visitors could count on not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills, thanks to the company ROOR. In the workshop areas, they had the opportunity to learn the art of rolling artistic joints, crafting hemp paper, discovering new yoga asanas, and witnessing firsthand that hemp bricks are fire-resistant.

Exhibitors

The Exhibitor Hall was dominated by CBD flowers, oils, seeds, accessories, and everything needed for growing beautiful and healthy plants. There were also premier products showcased. Visitors could find increasingly popular hemp clothing as well as representatives from hemp clinics, job portals in the industry, and marketplace services. In summary, there was plenty to choose from, as evidenced by the number of bags and totes leaving the fair.

The festival atmosphere was enhanced by the music selected by our DJs, and the ambiance was elevated by hemp-inspired art. There were also eager participants in the networking zone and the gastro zone, where hemp beverages perfectly complemented the snacks from the food trucks set up outside. The food trucks, including Hempeat, the sponsor of the food zone, served various hemp-based meat alternatives, among other delights.

This year, the Kids Zone also captured our green hearts, where animators from Odjazdy – creative activities for children close to nature – kept a large group of little ones engaged and entertained.

People from various demographics, including senior groups, parents with children, regular participants, and first-time visitors, were continuously moving around the booths. The lively atmosphere was characterized by engaging conversations, discussions, and the enthusiastic exchange of knowledge among the attendees.

After Party & Kanaba Cup

OCB, the sponsor of the after party, ensured that we had a successful evening. Late into the night, conversations continued in the nearby club “Królestwo,” creating a vibrant atmosphere in the backstage.

The second day of the event brought immense excitement to all the brands and individuals who participated in the Kanaba Cup, industry awards presented by judges and the community. The audience appreciated the Best Stand, and for the second consecutive time, dym.pl received the statuette. The jury selected the Best CBD/CBG Flower (1st place: Monkito – Green Jungle team, honorable mention: Konopny Buch x Hemp Plant) and Product of the Year (1st place: Hempeat, honorable mention: Merlin400). Finally, after tallying the audience votes, the title of the Personality of the Year was awarded to Konopny Farmaceuta. Congratulations to all, and thank you to those who helped us identify the winners.

Big thank you!

We would like to extend special thanks to all the individuals and brands who participated in this event. We thank the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, judges, and everyone who contributed to the success of the fair. Your presence, commitment, and contribution were invaluable. We also thank the audience who attended the event, asked questions, engaged in conversations, and created an atmosphere full of enthusiasm. Without you, this event could not have taken place. We thank everyone for their support and participation, which made the 7th edition unforgettable.

Since 2016, we have been successfully demonstrating that Poles need hemp and desire the normalization of this plant. Thanks to brands such as Canna, Hesi, Mascotte, Roor, OCB, Hempeat, Soft Secrets, and many others, we are able to fulfill our educational mission and grow stronger. Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk, and Katowice – thank you for the warm receptions over these 7 years!

And finally, we would like to add – be ready for more. The Kanaba Fest team doesn’t slow down. We already announce that we will see you soon – in an even bigger, louder, and more surprising edition.

Green May Weekend

Don’t look out the window now: at the grey February, snow and people in jackets. Let’s move our thoughts in time and space.

Imagine it’s May, it’s warm and green, you are in Katowice. In the rays of the sun, you head to the International Congress Center. Sounds serious, but it’s a place that has stolen our hearts, so we hope it will steal yours too. It is located in the heart of the Culture Zone, in the vicinity of the iconic Spodek.

You walk in and notice the location is overgrown with hemp. It’s because that’s where the largest cannabis fair in the country will take place on May 6-7!

If you’ve been to Kanaba Fest before, you might think you know what to expect. But multiply that experience by two. Because we have increased the area of ​​our hemp fair for you.

The MCK is huge, although we hope that we will fill the hall and collect 15,000 guests.

Kanaba Fest 2023 – what to expect?

First of all, the exhibitors from all over Poland and beyond create the vibe of our event. Many exhibitors and lots of different products. If you are looking for something for yourself, your loved ones, you are the MM patient, you are new to cannabis – doesn’t matter, you will find something for yourself in the multitude of enthusiasts who create companies exhibiting on Kanaba Fest for sure.

But it is not everything. Because Kanaba is also an opportunity to talk to experts, educators, activists, whom you will be able to catch not only in the hall, but also in the free Educational Zone, where we will discuss important and current topics from the world of hemp.

That’s still not all! Because you will be able to choose with us The Best Stand, The Best Brand, The Best CBD/CBG Flowers and The Personality of The Year during our Kanaba Cup competition. If you come with the whole family, including children, you have to know that we are setting up the Kids Zone with lots of fun. There will also be workshops and attractions(how to make hemp brick, hemp paper, how hemp affects beauty, what is it eaten with). There will also be a special zone for patients, where we will look at hemp from a medical point of view, and a Beauty Zone.

In addition (yes, it’s not the end) Chill Zone and of course the After Party. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Plants have no secrets for them

Ficus likes warmth, not every monstera has holes. Tomato can grow quite well on the balcony. And what is your favourite plant?

Plants, like all living organisms, deserve their little pleasures. Few things are as satisfying, beautiful, and give as much in return as they are.

That is why we cannot imagine Kanaba Fest without people who know the best about growing plants and their care.

They’ve been doing it since 1997, that’s something. Their products are available throughout Europe, Australia, North America, the Middle East and Africa. You will find them in the offer of over 95% of grow shops.

These numbers do the job, but they – modest and talented – prefer to let their passion speak.

Canna, because we are talking here about them, is a company from the Netherlands, with representatives and distributors among others, also in Poland. Their products are balanced series for growing plants, appropriately selected for those growing in soil, coconut or hydroponics.

But Canna is not only a company and its products. They are also people for whom knowledge is extremely important. For this reason, they work on a new product for an average of two years, and their websites and stands are full of advice for breeders. They are enthusiasts, appreciated all over the world, willingly sharing news about cultivation.

That is why we are proud that Canna has been our partner for years. And this year will be no different – we will again make sure that our fair and your plants grow as best as possible!