Activism

When our teachers said, ‘if you see something, say something,’ we took that statement to heart, never looked back, and certainly, never shut up.

Our DNA is rebellion, fueled by the soundtrack of punk rock, the rigor of rugby, the slap of skateboards, and Catholic school. Question authority? You betcha! Over time, as others ‘grew up,’ we grew in: to our ability — and with that, the responsibility — that comes with being able to write and design anything we wanted to promote what’s needed in the world.

We took our voices, design chops, and wordsmithing skills to the streets, as we believe that communicating to everyone, equitably, is the key to a fluid and informed society. We are students of propaganda art. We love creating it ourselves. We have worked with/on conservation groups, land and water use awareness campaigns, homeless advocacy, fair housing and revitalization, recycling and reuse, eco-warriors like Sea Shepherd, Veterans, thought-leading cannabis advocacy groups, punk bands, and taco stands. On the day of the 2016 Election, Carolyn was inspired to write and design a book on how to resist any way you can — as a regular American — in a surveilled America. The book was published by Random House/Ten Speed Press and debuted at SXSW in 2018.

We believe that if you can communicate, both visually and verbally, you must stand up for others and promote people, movements, and organizations that need a voice and a leg up. When we put our head on the pillow, we want to have made a positive change in the world. This is part of the reason we work in cannabis: because it heals, it offers social equity and opportunity for every person and country on earth, and because some of the most game-changing activists work here too. We like working with intelligent ass-kickers who speak truth to power, learn from them, and move mountains.

‘When we see something, we say something (and then we do something).’ It’s as simple as that.

We Roll Deep

In order to know how and where to show up and assist, it makes sense to sit at the proverbial table where the future of cannabis, hemp, and CBD in the U.S. is happening now. We believe in the plant from a wellness and advocacy perspective; as we educate and bring brands to market, we seek to do it ethically and safely, with best business practices, and informed by our clients, strategic partners, and teams we serve. Here are a few of the thought leaders in the cannabis industry: we work with them as agency creatives, sit on their advisory committees, and make positive change in the world!

CCIA — California Cannabis Industry Association

Cannawise Client: Branding – The California trade association that promotes the growth of a responsible and legitimate cannabis industry and work for a favorable social, economic, and legal environment. It’s our Cannabis ‘Chamber of Commerce.’

INCBA — International Cannabis Bar Association

Cannawise Client: Branding + Strategic Marketing – The international legal trade association educating and connecting cannabis industry lawyers to promote excellent, ethical, and advanced legal assistance to this growing industry.

NCIA — National Cannabis Industry Association

Committee Member: Marketing + Advertising Committee 2018-present – The national trade association advancing the interest of the legitimate and responsible cannabis industry. MAC develops best practices in cannabis industry marketing.

Marketing + Advertising Committee: Social Justice Sub-Committee 2018-present – An arm of the MAC committee, the aim is to ensure that social justice issues are positively addressed via cannabis reform.

Marketing + Advertising Committee: Election 2020 Sub-Committee Co-Chair 2019-2020 – Election 2020 Initiative Team Lead and Co-Chair: Identifying key issues state-by-state to educate voters who want to vote cannabis legalization and reform at the polls. Campaign, data capture, media and more, 2019-2020.

Giving Back

Relevant Projects that Cannawise Built

Marketing and Advertising Committee of National Cannabis Industry Association — Social Justice Sub-Committee:

• Starts at the Polls Voter Kit: Excerpt from Carolyn Gerin’s book, Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All, Random House/Ten Speed Press. A guide to help voters of every stripe vote at the Nov. 6, 2018 Mid-Term Elections. Media Partners: NCIA + Penguin Random House. Fall, 2018.
  
• Social Justice Starts Here: Poll and campaign to address inequality in the cannabis industry. Spring 2018.

International Cannabis Bar Association:

• We Cann Run, Curator/Team Lead: Panel presentation, with Vote Run Lead (Erin Vilardi), Feminist Press (Jamia Wilson), Law Offices of Omar Figueroa. How to run for office and ‘run as you are’ — what it takes to get in the race. October 2019, New York Law School.

State of Cannabis Conference:

• State of Cannabis — Conference Branding: Bag, flag and theme. November 2019, Long Beach, CA.

Sensi Xchange, Sensi 100:

• Industry Co-Creation Summit: Exponential Conversations for Elevating Our Industry – Founding Member: 100 industry cannapros tackle the issues, help vision the future, and serve indefinitely. December 2019, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors:

• Operation EVAC: Educating Veterans About Cannabis; help EVAC capitalize and scale.
• Maui Cannabis Conference: Maui’s first to market cannabis conference.