The Future Of Cannabis: Industry Experts Share Their Thoughts At SXSW

By Aaron Bry

Cannabis users and investors constantly wonder what the future holds for marijuana. Countries around the world have legalized cannabis to some extent, but the future of marijuana remains uncertain. What will be the next way to consume cannabis? Will the US legalize cannabis at the federal level? If so, when?

Faith Popcorn, a futurist known for her accurate track record of predicting trends, and Julian Cohen, head of innovation at Canopy Growth Corp (NASDAQ:CGC), will discuss the future of cannabis on the main stage at South by Southwest (SXSW). to speak .

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SXSW is an innovative festival-conference hybrid featuring live music, films, panels and speakers. Some of the panels at this year’s event will focus on the cannabis and psychedelics space, including “The Cannabis Futurists, 5 Predictions for 2050”.

Cohen and Popcorn joined Benzingas Cannabis Insider on Wednesday for a preview of their SXSW panel. Here are some of the highlights of their fascinating conversation.

One reason people use cannabis is to improve their mood. Some users report feeling less anxiety or depression while using THC. For this reason, companies are developing cannabis strains that only have certain desired effects, such as a strain that will make you sleep or a strain that will keep you focused.

“It’s really about picking priorities,” Cohen said. “There is pain, sleep and fear that are the focus. We do sensuality research, we work on women’s health… are there things we can do for muscle recovery?”

This research and innovation makes for a much better marketplace for consumers. Customers can choose what products they want and believe they meet their needs. Someone who uses cannabis for pain relief may not want the same cannabis that someone else uses for anxiety.

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Another topic discussed at the show was the different use cases and products coming into the cannabis industry. Popcorn and Cohen shared their thoughts on the different types of use cases and products we could see in the future, including diffusing cannabis into the air we breathe.

“Stress is the number one killer up there with heart disease, the idea that you can actually let down, I think it (marijuana) will eventually get pumped into the rooms,” Popcorn said. “It could lead to fewer heart attacks and cancer. I see that as a future path.”

To view the full interview, click here. To learn more about Popcorn and Cohen’s SXSW panel, click here.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.