Cannabis gets the spotlight at a DMV tech conference

Cannabis might not seem to fit at a startup and tech conference in the capital of a nation that still officially criminalizes it. 

Still, Colin Fraser, the founder of the cannabis delivery app Upling, knew he wanted to bring the topic to the recently rebranded DC Startup and Tech Week after winning the conference’s pitch competition in 2023. 

The organizers were on board “without any hesitation,” Fraser told Technical.ly, and established a subtrack focused on the field. It featured panels highlighting dispensary owners, growers and startup founders navigating the confusing industry in DC and Maryland, the latter of which pardoned nearly 175,000 marijuana-related offenses over the summer. 

Some speakers were hesitant as to how they would fit into a tech conference, per Fraser, but following the event, he says people realized how interconnected cannabis and tech are.

Fraser wanted to make this the “people’s track” and find ways to help people interested in the industry have a lower barrier to entry. 

“We’re not selling candy at a candy store,” Fraser told Technical.ly. “With the new policies coming, new regulations, it’s just a new industry in the whole. So people can get first-hand knowledge on what this looks like.”

Upling, launched in 2021, was inspired by Fraser’s mother. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2020, and Fraser introduced her to cannabis as a way to alleviate symptoms from chemotherapy. He realized how many others struggle to access cannabis as a medical tool for cancer, PTSD and other ailments, and wanted to make it easier for people to acquire. 

As planning for DC Startup and Tech Week ramped up in August ahead of the conference in October, Fraser’s work and family became even more entwined: His mother stopped chemotherapy and got admitted to the hospital. Fraser then became a full-time caretaker in the midst of planning. 

His mother died shortly after, the day before the subtrack’s program began. On the car ride to the conference, Fraser’s emotions were “all over the place,” but he felt hopeful for the day. He didn’t tell anyone the news until programming ended. 

On the day itself, the room where the programming took place was “electrifying,” he said. In between panels, attendees and speakers were talking so much that it was hard to transition. 

Running the subtrack was exactly what Fraser needed, he said. The fact that it went smoothly, and that he still gets calls and emails praising the content, is gratifying, he said. 

“To see our company stem from what my mother was going through, and to still fulfill our legacy and all that we’ve done in the whole scheme of things,” Fraser said. “It was just extremely heartwarming.” 

Tech is necessary in the cannabis industry, industry leaders said

The subtrack’s sessions covered array of topics, including policy, marketing, and of course, technology. Cannabis firms need to have some tech implemented to succeed, per Fraser. 

“If you don’t have tech in your cannabis business, it will fail,” he said. 

That could mean a lot of different things, like using natural light simulation to grow or tech to read moisture levels in soil, he said. Fraser is currently building a new AI portion of the Upling app to match customers to different products based on how they want to feel and what their needs are. 

During the programming, sector leaders stressed that choosing tech for businesses has to be intentional, and to make sure the tech aligns with needs. 

User interfaces are key to that, said Carlo Manabat, the founder of Kuya Group, a data infrastructure and analytics company for cannabis retailers. They can be used to build trust with consumers where there is still a great amount of stigma and criminalization at the federal level. 

This could look like using AI to recommend products to consumers, similar to how Fraser is developing in the Upling app. There are also wrong ways to develop an interface — for instance, Manabat said filling it with ads isn’t ideal. It’s important to be transparent about what’s being used tech-wise and what it means for the consumer, he added. 

Detailed planning and hopes for next year

Manabat was a key leader in developing the programming alongside Fraser. When Fraser’s mother was admitted to the hospital in August, Manabat took on a larger planning role. 

“Carlo really, really stepped in,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him, man, I don’t know how this really would have went.”

Next year, Fraser’s plan is to hold programming again with a more prominent spot at the conference, he said. He also hopes to be a part of a consumer packaged goods expo — not for cannabis sales, but to let attendees look at different packaging and ask local owners questions about cannabis. 

Passion in the face of regulatory chaos 

The irony of hosting a cannabis-related program in DC came up often. Startups in this industry face unique challenges beyond competing with other companies because they’re also navigating confusing regulations, said Eduardo Cabral, a senior consultant at Triple Beam Advisors. 

“It’s a battlefield,” Cabral told attendees.

Tracey Lancaster Miller, the executive vice president, founding member and owner-operator of the Rockville dispensary Peake ReLeaf, outlined her experience of the tenuous process in getting a license to operate in Maryland. 

The state has streamlined the process and banking issues to an extent, but a lot of the problems trickle down from restrictions at the federal level. It’s also very difficult to get a loan to start a cannabis business, she noted. 

Given hurdles like these, passion is a non-negotiable, Fraser said. Founders find ways to persevere and scale because of their love for the industry. The conference made that much evident to him.  

“This stems from a passion, or personal relationship … or people who have been justice-ly involved with it in some way or the matter,” Fraser said. “And for me, it was all the above.”