OAKLAND, Calif., June 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American marijuana conversation is at an historic tipping point after 70+ years of prohibition. National thought leader, veteran in the cannabis reform movement and co-founder of the nation's largest model medical cannabis dispensary, Steve DeAngelo, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering work in the cannabis industry. Called "the father of the legal cannabis industry" by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Jr., Steve DeAngelo is the co-founder and Executive Director of Harborside Health Centers in Oakland and San Jose, California. An activist, advocate, entrepreneur and educator for almost four decades, DeAngelo has dedicated his life to dispelling the myths and stigmas surrounding cannabis, and to promote the positive science that is emerging about it. His vision and leadership have been featured by news teams from around the globe, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, the Associated Press, NPR and the BBC. In 2006, his creation of the landmark Harborside Health Center set the standard for providing safe access to lab-tested, high-quality medicine. In 2010, DeAngelo launched the cannabis industry's first investment and research firm, The ArcView Group, one of the top 10 angel investment groups in the United States. He is also co-founder of Steep Hill Labs, the world's first analytical laboratory focused exclusively on testing cannabis. DeAngelo was named one of the most influential people and "gatekeeper" of the marijuana industry in 2015 by the International Business Times, and one of the most influential people in the cannabis industry in 2014 by the Cannabis Business Executive. DeAngelo's debut book, "The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness," will be published by North Atlantic Books and distributed by Penguin/Random House on September 22, 2015. "I'm deeply moved to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times, the OG of cannabis publications," said DeAngelo, "but our struggle is far from over. I have just begun to fight, and will not rest and will not stop until the last cannabis prisoner walks out of their cell. Out of the Shadows, Into the Light!" See this current piece from Elite Daily where Steve DeAngelo is interviewed, Harborside is a premier sponsor:
The 420 Games Are Changing The Way People Look At Cannabis Use - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KciH871O2Cg About Dr. Lester Grinspoon:
Dr. Lester Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a prolific author in the field of drugs and drug policy. Formerly a senior psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston for 40 years, Dr. Grinspoon is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Psychiatric Association. He was founding editor of The American Psychiatric Association Annual Review and the Harvard Mental Health Letter, and editor of the Harvard Mental Health Letter for 15 years. About Harborside Health Center:
"Harborside Health Center, a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary in Oakland, California, is looked upon as a model of how others could operate." - The New York Times Founded in 2006 by Steve DeAngelo, Harborside Health Center is the most respected and largest medical cannabis dispensary in the United States. The San Jose and Oakland collective provides its 200,000 registered patients a free onsite clinic offering chiropractic, acupuncture and 10 other holistic therapies; was first in the nation to support education for seniors, veterans and families with severely ill children; first in the country to offer CBD-rich medicine; and the first to treat children with Dravet syndrome. Harborside continues to set an example of diversity and compliance, and is one of the prime advocates of diversity, sustainability and economic justice in the industry.
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=33868
Gaynell Rogers 415.298.1114 -or- Samantha Campos 510.388.4991
