This past March I had the opportunity to attend South by Southwest, a ten-day interactive networking event full of panel discussions, speakers, and music talent showcases. 

Keeping Austin Weird at SXSW

As the capital city of the State of Texas, Austin is home to over 2.2 million people in the metropolitan area. The festival brings in an additional 300,000 people every spring in full force, making the already crowded city seem impossible to navigate. Many locals prefer to rent out their already skyrocketing properties to make a little cash and afford themselves a nice getaway. 

Having been in years prior as a broke college student, I could never afford a pass. At the time, I didn’t understand the potential of what it could bring. I did, however, get to experience some epic SXSW events for free thanks to people who sponsored all kinds of freebies around town. 

Having been away for the past 14 years, I have a bolder sense of freedom about my cannabis use now that I am back in my hometown. In fact, local music artist and cannabis activist Wilie Nelson is quoted saying, “There’s a freedom you feel the closer you get to Austin, Texas”. 

Cannabis & SXSW: What You Need to Know 

The social environment toward cannabis use is indeed much more relaxed in Austin. In May of 2022, the City Council voted to decriminalize cannabis-related incidents involving marijuana amounts of 4 ounces or less. These days, police are not inclined to shake a person down for smoking a joint, so long as they aren’t causing any more serious trouble.

That being said, people need to keep in mind that cannabis is still illegal in Texas. Despite having a medical program in the state, only a small fraction of the population has access to the plant. That is, unless you consider the fact that practically every CBD shop, gas station, smoke shop, and head shop in the state is selling THCA products, which is an entire discussion of its own. 

With the sale of THCA products in Texas, you have many of these shops selling “THCA flower”, which is basically weed, right? Well, that is up for debate (and a hot topic at the moment) but for now, it has certainly changed the game here in Texas. As much as they want to restrict the sale of cannabis flower on the medical side, the population demand is high. When people have a choice, the overwhelming majority of them prefer to consume flower, and these shops provide a way for that demand to be met. Then you have the traditional market, which is still very much alive and well, and has been since the 70’s.

While I was attending SXSW this year, I noted the more laissez-faire attitude everyone had towards public consumption. I felt like I was in LA, or someplace other than Texas. It was incredibly freeing to feel like I didn’t have to hide, as if everyone seemed to understand and accept it even if they didn’t partake themselves. Heck, they even had psilocybin and ketamine as topics of discussion throughout the event! 

Cannabis at SXSW 2024

Cannabis was a featured topic of discussion at SXSW during the 2023 conference, however this year they moved on to featuring other plant medicines as topics of interest. 

Cannabis-Friendly Events

Many of the events taking place during the festival were cannabis friendly. Grasslands Agency, a well-known marketing and PR agency, and Vincente Partners, a cannabis firm out of Denver, hosted a private Cannabis + Psychedelics event where these were the hot topics of conversation amongst attendees. They put together a rather low-key party at a fancy home in the hills of Rollingwood, to raise money for Field to Healed, a botanical medicine research foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Hosting a CBD-Infused Dinner

One of my Ganjier instructors, Dr Amanda Reiman, spoke about personal relationships with psychoactive plants during SXSW, and later attended a private dinner I held at my home. With the help of Chef Michael Weinstein, also known as the Rebel Chef, I hosted a special 5-course CBD-infused dinner at my home, where Dr Reiman was able to have one-on-one conversations with curious partygoers. The event was so well received that I plan on hosting more in the future. 

This further inspired me to take in the city through a new lens, as though I were a kid in a candy 

store. In an almost Willy Wonka-type weed adventure, I experienced Austin from an entirely different perspective than my youth. Gone were the days of prohibition, with people openly passing joints in front of police officers everywhere I went.

Texas Outlaw Party

Another cannabis-focused event I was able to attend, the Texas Outlaw Party, was in its 3rd year as an annual fundraiser for the Last Prisoner Project. Attending this event was like a big family reunion, where I was able to reconnect with many people in the Texas cannabis industry that I have gotten to know over the past few years. 

It was mind-blowing to see vending machines selling cannabis, farmers showing off their products, and open consumption happening all around me. I was so excited to finally meet one of my cannabis heroes, Doreen from MyBudVase! She was such a bubbly, fun gal to be around, and I wanted to get to know her better. (Check out her amazing bong creations, they are works of art!) 

Finishing off the night, I was able to meet a Canadian couple attending SXSW, and they confirmed that they did not have any problem securing their own stash for their stay. They said they were greeted by someone within 5 minutes of leaving their hotel room asking if they wanted any herb. When I asked them if they were worried about the quality of what they were smoking, they said it “seemed to be ok”, which made me worry a bit. They didn’t have it with them, or I would have assessed it as much as possible.

Forging Cannabis Connections at SXSW

One of the most memorable moments of SXSW was interviewing Gorilla Zoe and sharing some Whitethorn Rose with him, 1Foreverrrr, and Cajthebeast. It was as though this herb had brought us together, and put us all on the same level with each other. Later, I attended their showcase on 6th Street, and they included me in their crew, treating me like their sister! 

I also interviewed Caleb De Casper, an Austin-based artist described as the “ultra glam femme boy fatale” by local Austin radio station KUTX. De Casper discussed his preference for CBD, and shared his experiences with cannabis as a member of the LBGTQ community. Despite the fact that his endocannabinoid system did not prefer THC, he did believe in letting people make their own decisions when it comes to cannabis.

How to Manage All of the Cannabis Events at SXSW

Details of the massive number of events and parties being held around town were all meticulously cataloged in a comprehensive spreadsheet put together by the notorious Dirty Team, a group designated by When Where What Austin to track SXSW happenings. This made the experience even more fun, trying to track down the next big event where talk of celebrity sightings were whispered through their Instagram, Facebook, and Discord handles. Clues within riddles could lead you to a pot of gold, so to speak, in this case, free food and drinks - my favorite thing when fueled by cannabis! 

One night, after a particularly late outing, I decided to check out an after-hours party they hosted and went on a wild goose chase looking for their founder.  I had many questions after admiring his work for so many years but I never did end up meeting him in person. However, I did meet some people in the Austin traditional market scene and they shared some of their well-grown indoor cannabis with me. I quickly realized that indoor cannabis is highly desired in this town, yet the consumers still need to be educated on how to discern good product quality. 

During SXSW I was invited to see a comedy show called The High Tonight Show but wasn’t able to make it. I reached back out to them on Instagram and eventually made it out to a show at Creek and the Cave with a friend. We both enjoyed the comedy and again, the surprise discovery of how cannabis seemed to be weaving itself into yet another part of Austin had me wanting to learn more. Later I was invited to be a guest on their podcast, and since then I have dipped my toe into doing stand-up for the first time! 

Most people find their connections through word of mouth, but there are plenty of people with their own brands and lines of products. There are people who organize private gatherings of these brands, and they bring tables and tents to vibe in a fun social setting. 

The community and the culture are what I want to see more of as a way to bring people and the plant together. From Austin to Houston, to Dallas and San Antonio, these events happen everywhere, somewhat secretly but really not. 

I am taking all of this in and processing what is happening.  After hiding in fear of being found out for years, it was starting to feel like I could (sort of) relax. And now we have the hemp bill up for amendment. We won’t know what the future holds with that, but for now I have to say, Texas is currently the wild wild west of cannabis!