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Meet Benjamin Owens of CannaVenture® in Superior

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Owens.

Benjamin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey began on the MKT Trail in Columbia, Missouri in 2009. At least, that’s when my first introduction to cannabis in the great outdoors took place. At this time, cannabis was illegal and still demonized by a large majority of my friends, family and coworkers, but I’d been drawn to controversy and the discussion of legalization since first reading an op-ed in the North Mecklenburg High School newspaper. I’d just never had the chance to personally partake.

Smoke gatherings on the trail closest to our dorm became a regular social activity, and I eventually got involved in the University of Missouri – Columbia’s NORML chapter. I was introduced to the activism aspect of this cultural movement and began photographing and becoming more involved in campus activities. My teachers and counselors were aghast, and quickly advised severing all ties, at least publicly, and instructed me never to share thoughts, posts, photos, or other content related to cannabis, as it would deter job prospects and be the downfall of my hard work, negating my sought-after degrees. Initially, I listened.

I took up agency jobs and e-commerce gigs in Chicago upon completing my degree and quickly became known as the go-to expert in the office on all things cannabis. Whether it was how to choose a vaporizer or the best way to consume concentrates, I seemed to be the one fielding the questions. It was at this time, I had a heart-to-heart with myself and decided that, if I was going to allow myself to freely associate with cannabis, I had to double down.

I began growing my social media based on cannabis content. While my professional and personal image didn’t change, my cannabis content garnered interest rapidly, exceeding 5000 followers within a year of purposefully creating posts surrounding my use and involvement in this counter-culture sphere. During this process, I was offered the chance to work in the counter culture and manage the marketing department of the leading detox company in the industry, Detoxify.

With a 20+ year reputation of serving the needs of this culture, I was given a stepping stone into all things smoke- and cannabis-related. As I began to familiarize myself with the industry, I was also adjusting to a move to Colorado. At this time, my significant other abhorred nature, cannabis, and pretty much everything I enjoyed, so I turned to my curated cannabis Instagram in search of an outdoor cannabis hiking group. We’re in Colorado; there’s a hike at every turn and cannabis is legal, so it seemed like a natural concept.

My search came up empty-handed. Not a single group existed for these interests. So, I made one. I picked a time, day, and place, and shared it everywhere. While this effort received a significant amount of online interest, only one of my friends ended up showing up. Nonetheless, CannaVenture® was born. I told the world it was a success and I couldn’t wait for the next one.

My boss used to have a saying along the lines of “You can’t do it perfectly until you’ve done it.” In other words, simply setting your mind to a goal and accomplishing it, no matter how small that accomplishment may feel, was an accomplishment nonetheless and a starting point for improvement. So, I announced a second hike. This time, more than 16 people showed up. We barbecued, smoked, and hiked all day. This time, it wasn’t a stretch to call it a success. And that growth continued to where we are today, with a sustained attendance of 25-40 at each hike.

As the years went on, we began hosting campouts as well. These outings, on private property, allowed for greater control of the event setting and activities, and eventually lended themselves to two of our biggest events each year, Discs-n-Dabs™ and our cannabis-friendly summer camp. Discs-n-Dabs is a disc golf campout and tournament that involved mandatory cannabis consumption as part of the rules of the tournament. Our summer camp is exactly as it sounds: a cannabis-friendly adult summer camp that reimagines the summer camps of our childhoods. The latter of these ideas came as a result of a collaboration between CannaVenture and Denver NORML and has continued to grow each year, expanding to include live music, curated workshops, and everyone’s favorite camp activities like s’ mores and crafts.

2019 marks our fourth season hosting events and the expansion of our efforts to the East Coast, with our first Tennessee hike taking place this past August, and our first North Carolina Hike taking place in October. We have hosted more than 30 cannabis-related outdoor events in two states and proved that responsible cannabis users exist and actively enjoy the great outdoors, in spite of what D.A.R.E. told you about sinking into the couch. Our attendees range in age, race, gender, and nationality, with nearly half of attendees at each event coming from out-of-state.

This year, I also published my first book, Stoner Survival, based off of a class I teach at our summer camp. This book is designed to serve as a quick reference handbook and CannaVenture field guide that cannabis consumers can use in the outdoors. We continue to put out resources and organize events that showcase the responsibility, community, and active nature of cannabis consumers across the country.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The journey from professional copywriter to cannabis strategist and event organizer has not been easy. Initially, the biggest struggle was overcoming the objections of those closest to me as I dove deeper into the cannabis industry. In 2016, this caused problems in my marriage and family and resulted in a divorce that largely distracted me from my cannabis pursuits.

Regardless, I pushed forward, announcing our second season and first hike of 2017. The forest service clapped back, refusing to issue a permit to our group (unrelated to cannabis; the area in question only allowed 12 people to visit per day). Disheartened, I focused my efforts on large-scale campouts, hosting three that drew among our biggest crowds yet. While hikes were on public land and subject to a litany of rules and regulations, private events allowed for open consumption, event income, and a curated setting that could be tailored towards attendee wishes.

After three successful campouts in 2017, we decided to try our hand at hikes again, announcing six hikes and three campouts for 2018. After much legal review, we finagled a way to both allow hiking and cannabis consumption as chosen by responsible adults, while also avoiding encouraging or endorsing any illegal behavior. Simply put, hikes were free and open to the public (21+), and, while public smoking is illegal in Colorado, we as organizers respected attendee rights to make adult decisions while on public property and disclaimed the liability accordingly.

While many shrugged us off due to our apparent lack of endorsement of cannabis use, this dedication to compliance may have spurned a few newcomers, it has been a saving grace that has allowed us to continue to advance. We have been able to secure permits with both Boulder and Fort Collins open spaces as well as come out victorious after the Marijuana Enforcement Division launched a special investigation of our activities eventually finding us to be compliant with state regulations.

To this day, our biggest struggle is getting the word out. As many know, cannabis companies and ancillary businesses are subject to the same advertising restrictions that befall other vice industries such as tobacco and alcohol. Investing in social campaigns and platforms can be a complete waste if a brand or account falls victim to shadow bans and reporting by competitors. We have worked to tirelessly establish relationships with longstanding brands as well as park rangers and city officials who recognize our efforts to bring cannabis activities out of the shadows in a responsible manner and our most powerful weapon in this fight is word of mouth.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
CannaVenture® began in 2016 as an outdoor event-planning service for the active cannabis community. We organize events that get cannabis consumers into the great outdoors, exploring hiking trails, gorgeous private properties, and disc golf courses throughout the country. We have since expanded into two (soon to be three) states and host monthly hikes in Colorado from April through October of each year. We also host two disc golf tournaments and three campouts and offer white-label event-planning services for brands looking to reach active cannabis consumers.

While I am proud to have created a space for people who enjoy similar passions to my own, I am most proud of the diversity that our events draw. Initially, I feared that only friends and followers would show up as a way of socializing. In four years, I’ve welcomed recovered addicts, medical refugees, cannacurious tourists, and even those that have no interest in consuming but embrace the vibe of our group.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
At one of our first large campouts, early 2017 or 2018, I explicitly remember standing on a hill, watching the sunset, and seeing all of these beautiful mini-experiences taking place. We plan every detail, organized to a fault, and hope for the best when it comes time to entertain our attendees, but seeing small camps and groups form over their own experiences was an incredibly humbling feeling. We had a group from Texas that was hosting their own BBQ thanks to a smoker they brought with them and other groups having their own glow parties and playing LED bocce ball. All self-directed experiences that we could never have planned or orchestrated, but were simply a result of the larger, organized event, of us offering our attendees a space to take what we offered and make their own unique memories and creations. This moment has stayed with me ever since and is a regular reminder of why I continue to go to the effort of complying with local laws so that the events continue for years to come.

Pricing:

  • Monthly Hikes (April – October) – Free – 21+
  • Campouts – Average $100/person or less – 21+
  • Event Sponsorships – Start at only $250

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