The Cannabis Society of Massachusetts was founded in 2013, and registered with the commonwealth as a 501(c) 7 social and recreational group the following year by President Michael Latulippe, Vice President Frank Shaw, and Secretary Jeremiah MacKinnon. In short: They’re “dedicated to creating events around marijuana’s medical and recreational values,” just like we are at DigBoston, so naturally I had a few questions for our kindred spirits, which I pitched to MacKinnon.

How did the Cannabis Society get its start?

[Latulippe] is the founder of Bay Area Software Engineers, BASE. He produces tech meetups, so he has some experience in creating educational and networking events for tech professionals.

And cannabis needed something similar?

Yes.

How did you get involved in the society?

I attended a meetup event last summer, “Get a Doctor Day” at MCR Labs, and have been active ever since.

Tell us about the latest event held at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center.

Yes, “Shades of Green” at the Microsoft Center in Kendall Square primarily focused on how cannabis is transforming the genetics and testing industries with panelists like MCR Labs President Michael Kahn and Christopher Hudalla of ProVerde Labs, and Kevin McKernan, founder of Medicinal Genomics. Laws Twentyfour of Sensational Kind Buds also spoke about growing, breeding, and genetics.

How many members do you have right now?

Six-hundred on Meetup, 120 official members, 600 on Facebook, 1700 on Instagram.

How many events have you already done?

Around 15; typically we hold an event every month.

What’s the longer-term goal for the organization, post-legalization?

The goal for the Cannabis Society is that it lives on post-legalization, preserving the culture.

What are the details on your next event?

The next event is back at The Microsoft Center in Cambridge, on Friday April 10th: “The Ripple Effect, Minorities and Marijuana: How cannabis laws negatively impact those of color disproportionately, even after legalization.” We’ve invited a representative from NAACP Boston to speak and have confirmed Shaleen Title of THC Consulting.

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MIKE CANN

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