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.

Bleeding-edge research tells us cannabis is an efficacious painkiller, but what does that mean for the opioid crisis ravaging much of the developed world?
Respected medical authorities including the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have verified marijuana’s pain-management capabilities, but is cannabis strong enough to replace our legitimate medical reliance on opioids—or at least reduce the quantities that are being prescribed? And could non-toxic marijuana prove to be an exit drug for those addicted to deadly opioids?
Veteran journalist and communications professional Ricardo Baca, a two-time veteran of the TEDx stage and drug policy expert, delves into a future where Americans are leveraging cannabis—and other substances including psilocybin mushrooms—to manage their chronic pain, which affects more than 50 million Americans, according to the CDC.