This presentation explores the history and science of cannabis\, tracing its path from ancient and indigenous use th rough the fear-driven era of &ldquo\;Reefer Madness\,&rdquo\; prohibition\ , and eventual legalization. Along the way\, we&rsquo\;ll examine how myth s\, policy\, and research have influenced how society understands the plan t today.
\n
About the Presenter:
\nGary \;Bracelin is an entrepreneur and industry leader raised in Southern Oregon with more th an 30 years of experience building and advising companies in highly regula ted and emerging markets. He is a founding partner of \;Tokyo Starfish \, a vertically integrated cannabis company operating cultivation\, wholes ale\, and three retail locations in Oregon. He has been actively involved in the legal cannabis industry since its earliest days\, \;helping nav igate the transition from prohibition to regulation with a focus on compli ance\, community impact\, and responsible business practices.
\nGary \;is a board member of the Deschutes County Cannabis Advisory Panel a ppointed by the County Board of Commissioners and a founding member of the Cascade Cannabis Association in Deschutes County\, as well as a member of CIAO (Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon)\, the organization \;that helps \;shape cannabis regulation \;in the state. He is also a co -owner of Drop Thesis\, a licensed psilocybin service center in Bend\, Ore gon\, and the founder of Bend Outdoor Worx\, the nation&rsquo\;s first ind ependent outdoor industry accelerator&mdash\;bringing a cross-industry per spective shaped by decades in outdoor\, wellness\, and emerging cultural m ovements.
\n2026 A Novel Idea Book Selection:
Supersonic \;charts the rise of a boomtown city in the Americ
an West where ambition outpaces memory. In the present day\, PTA president
Sami Hasegawa-Stalworth is determined to rename her daughter&rsquo\;s ele
mentary school after her late grandmother&mdash\;a beloved music teacher a
nd Japanese internment survivor. What begins as a symbolic family gesture
spirals into a kaleidoscopic\, multi-generational story of struggle&mdash\
;for and against change\, and over who gets to define the future. \; \;
Through interwoven lives&mdash\;an opioid-addicted 19th-c
entury conman\, a disgraced Navy seaman building a jet that will fly faste
r than sound\, a stay-at-home dad turned weed entrepreneur\, and a family
haunted by the ghosts of progress&mdash\;Supersonic reveals how e
ach era tries to remake the same ground beneath its feet. At once intimate
and panoramic\, the story channels the restless energy that propels the W
est. \;
\;
About the Author: \;
Thomas \;Kohnstamm \;was born and raised in Seattle. He still l
ives in the same house he grew up in&mdash\;now with his wife and two chil
dren. \;A freelance writer for over twenty years\, \;he&rsquo\;s&n
bsp\;been a Spanish &\; Portuguese translator\, travel writer\, video &
amp\; animation producer and has covered subjects ranging from rainforest
conservation to quantum computing to backcountry skiing. \;Superso
nic \;is his third book. \;
Learn more about \;A Novel Idea< /a>
\nQuestions? Contact laurelh@deschuteslibrary.org \;
\nhttps://dpl.libnet.info/ev ent/15731753 URL;VALUE=URI:https://dpl.libnet.info/event/15731753 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/dpl/From_Reefer_Madness_La urel_.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR