Please be aware that cannabis and related laws vary. Programming in this track is designed to inform attendees about this fast-changing industry, and does not promote the use or sale of illegal drugs.

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock will be the first to tell you, he was against legalizing pot. But a lot has changed since Colorado did just that, and so has the Mayor’s view of the industry. Mayor Hancock’s administration has literally ‘turned over a new leaf’ for residents with minor marijuana convictions, worked to ensure equity and shared prosperity in the industry, created affordable housing and youth programs with marijuana tax revenues, and stepped-up to protect immigrants who work in the industry and were at risk of deportation.
Join Mayor Hancock for a candid discussion about the transformative power of embracing this growing industry as an opportunity to enhance equity and reform criminal and social justice. Mayor Hancock has led Denver since 2011 and was recently elected to his third term.