Santa Rosa's Wine & Weed Symposium

Beginning in 2018 the new gold rush is on in California as weed becomes legal.

On August 3rd in Santa Rosa a meeting of wine and cannabis folks will take place hosted by a wine marketing outfit. The event is sold out with most attendees coming from the wine biz. The two are looking for what the corporate folks might call common synergies. That is, how can they work together for the good of both. This is interesting as the two would seem to be in conflict in many areas.

Weed is seen as a competitor to wine just as is other alcohol beverages like beer and cocktails. Some states where weed is already legal report drops in alcohol sales, mostly beer.

Weed will compete for land, water, and labor. Water will be the big one. Will grape growers be looking into getting into growing pot where profits are higher? Will pot sellers be looking at tasting rooms for their product? Will they talk about pest and mildew control? How to draw more tourists for legal pot? I'm guessing yes to all of these.

Wineries can't get directly into the pot business as it's still illegal at the federal level and they would risk the ire of the regulators is Washington and their licenses. Alcohol regulation is under the Treasury Dept.

Wine & Weed Symposium