Archive · 2021-02-09

It’s interesting. It’s exciting. It’s something new and a welcome reprieve from the Covid-19 coop in the form of human connection. And, the beauty of it all? You can attend in your sweatpants or pajamas! Yes, we are talking about Clubhouse, a drop-in audio-only chat app by Alpha Exploration Co that is making serious noise in the digital world we’ve been forced to inhabit. For now, though, accessing the latest craze in connection remains limited to iPhone users only. This means for over 120 million android users, you gonna have to wait until “we can scale infrastructure”, one co-founder said in a room yesterday. But what can Clubhouse do for hybrid cannabis events, summits and conferences?  In a world heavy on imaging and filters, Clubhouse is what many have been missing: a no-filter platform where words and behaviors acquaint one another. While it is not for everyone and yes, virtual stage fright still exists, some in cannabis and hemp are singing its praises. Today we will outline what Clubhouse is, how to use it and what it all has to do with cannabis.

What is Clubhouse?

Founded by ex-Googlers, Ronan Seth and Paul Davison, the massively popular app quietly launched as the pandemic was making its first wave of destruction. Call it divine timing, but the invite-only social-networking app was able to tap into an emerging and wide-open market: people desperate to connect.  Many of us were left with drained Netflix queues and played-out playlists by the time the new season came, so when Clubhouse hit the scene with a beta version in April of 2020, we drank it right up with a certain level of comfort. While the app is audio-only, nothing is or will be recorded. For this reason and because many gems will be dropped, you may want to have a notepad nearby while in rooms.

How to Use the Audio-Only Chat App

If you’re one of the lucky million+ users on the app, likely you will need a Clubhouse 101, of sorts. Consider this a beginner’s guide to the widely popular new app where “multitasking is encouraged”, said Co-founder, Paul, in a welcome room earlier this week.  First, you’ll need to either receive an invitation or sign up for their waiting list from an IOS device. Upon entrance to the platform, you’ll be asked about interests, similar to introduction fielding questions on dating sites or Pinterest.  Then, you’ll want to create a profile. Like other social media platforms, this is where you boil down who you are, what you do and what you have to say. This is your virtual elevator pitch. If you’re a business or budding entrepreneur, you will want to have this down! You never know who you’ll end up in a room with. Elon Musk and Paris Hilton were in one of the rooms just last week!  You can also link to adjacent social platforms Instagram and Twitter on your profile. This allows people who look at your profile to quickly do extra vetting in their “getting to know you” process. Once you’ve created your profile, you’ll want to explore some rooms and clubs.  Upon entering a room, feel free to roam around and click on others’ profiles. Your microphone is automatically muted from the audience, so no worries about making noise. To leave a room, kindly tap the two-finger peace sign and you’ll “leave quietly”. If you would like to join the “stage”, click on the hand icon on the bottom right and this will let the moderator know you have something to say. In addition to your pitch, this is where you can ask specific questions to those on the stage. 

Cannabis and Clubhouse

From the state of cannabis media to dispensary operations, you will hear conversations about all stages of cannabis business on Clubhouse. Not to take the place of in-person B2B and B2C cannabis summits and conferences, but this has proved to be a welcome way to network for those in the industry while also providing an opportunity for hybrid cannabis events. And, due to the “invite” process, there is a certain element of vetting provided.   From business to casual smoke seshs like the Wake and Bake Special moderated by @secretcannaclub, you will be either educated, entertained or inspired. In the Wake and Bake room, audience members got to listen to industry leaders like Dr. Dina, the inspiration between the famous Weeds character and a nickname given by Snoop Dog, and Nichole West, a fierce businesswoman and activist out of Southern California, followed by a beatbox challenge, where the room got to guess which popular song Stevie Soul Ansara was beatboxing. It was Salt n Peppa’s “Push It”. It was wild and awesome.  Maybe extracts are your thing, in which case you’ll want to attend a room about the State of Cannabis Weekly room moderated by entrepreneur and author, Susan Soares, where we learned that “THCA is 2-3 times more beneficial than corticosteroids” from Brad, the Chief Science Officer at Guild Extracts.  Interested in racial justice and social equity in the cannabis industry? Black Cannabis Magazine has rooms that continue their work to “have dialogue that uplifts, educates and moves conversation forward in a progressive way.” Follow this club and you may just brush virtual elbows with cannabis entrepreneur and former NBA player, Al Harrington.   CannaCon, the leading cannabis summit and conference, works to provide ways for cannabis businesses and customers to connect even when doing in-person can be difficult. As we move toward going back to live events, the world will likely remain a bit out of the ordinary for some time. Things like Clubhouse and hybrid cannabis events may make the transition back to normalcy easier.  As of the date of this publishing, CannaCon is still planning live events and looking forward to welcoming everyone with open arms (and masks and sanitizer and lots of new safety measures). Check out the upcoming events to see what we have planned!