'Cannafest' Film Fest, Summit Brings Cannabis Talks To RivCo

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs Cannabis Film Festival and Summit began Thursday, a four-day event touching upon the legal, environmental and business impacts of the statewide legalization of cannabis.

The inaugural "PS Cannafest' at the Palm Springs Cultural Center will screen 10 films and feature nearly two-dozen discussions on the ins and outs of the nascent industry.

The summit begins with a trio of seminars, including a seminar touching upon cannabis jurisdictions in the Coachella Valley, with Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas, Palm Springs City Councilman Geoff Kors and Cathedral City Mayor Pro Tem Greg Pettis slated to speak.

Film screenings begin Friday, on the unofficial cannabis holiday "4/20," with an opening night reception and film screening attended by Lori Ajax, the state's top official in charge of California's regulatory framework regarding the sales and distribution of marijuana.

Ajax, chief of the newly formed California Bureau of Cannabis Control, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address regarding her position and the latest regulations affecting the industry.

Ajax is also one of 10 women from the cannabis field who will be awarded Saturday with the Rozene Supple Visionary Award, when the impact of women -- who make up 36 percent of leadership positions across the marijuana industry -- is celebrated.

Other talks throughout the festival will explore cannabis entrepreneurship, tourism and the implications of cannabis-friendly lodging, consumer trends, and the impacts of cannabis on sex, health, children and more.

Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at the cultural center box office or online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palm-springs-cannabis-festival- green-rush-industry-series-tickets-41127218618.

— By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock