West Hollywood is co-sponsoring a cannabis symposium and film screening next weekend. It’s free, it’s at the Council Chambers, and you just need to be 21 or older to get in.
The 2026 Cannabis, Culture & Change Conference runs Saturday, February 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Pre-registration is recommended at Eventim.
Panels will cover medical cannabis science and economics, design and placemaking, the intersection of gay liberation and cannabis legalization, and building political coalitions. Speakers include California Assemblymember Matt Haney, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, West Hollywood Vice Mayor Danny Hang, Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang, USC Associate Professor Dr. Terry Church, and Jason Beck of Alternative Herbal Health Services.
The conference is organized by Emerald Village West Hollywood, a local cannabis industry marketing and tourism initiative that’s been around since 2021. The group represents cannabis-licensed businesses in the city. West Hollywood currently has 10 dispensaries and six consumption lounges.
Film screening that evening
After the panels wrap, there’s a main event film screening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the same location.
It’s the West Coast premiere of Join the Club, a documentary about the early days of medical cannabis in California during the AIDS crisis. Presented by Queer in Cannabis, a Southern California-based advocacy collective founded by Rich Magaña that works to preserve LGBTQ+ cannabis activism through education and media. As someone who personally knew Dennis, as a baby gay up in San Francisco, I can all but guarantee this film will be fascinating. It has to be. Dennis was a fascinating and fantastic human, his story is one for the ages.
Both the symposium and screening are free. Register at Eventim.
Will there be free pot and vegetables?