What does cannabis look like in the 2020s?
The Face guide to the 2020s: Willie Mack is the co-founder of cannabis enterprise Think BIG. Here he talks global legalisation, weed-infused skincare and innovation with virtual reality.
Hi, and welcome to the future: a toasty-warm, carbon-neutral, plastic-free place where your face has replaced your passport and your car drives itself. Weed is legal, alcohol is hangover-free, weekends last three days and we robots do your admin. We can dream.
Ten long years ago, The Face compiled a set of predictions for the coming decade from a star chamber of hotshot experts. That flesh-and-blood editorial team has long since disbanded but their legacy remains. From now until the first day of the new decade we’re sharing some prognostications (as seen in The Face Volume 4 Issue 002) on love, sex, space, AI, cannabis, mental health and plastic surgery (and more) for the years ahead.
Willie Mack (Co-founder of Think BIG)
“In 10 years all the major G7 countries will legalise cannabis. This will lead to 75 to 80 per cent of the world also legalising. Hopefully by 2029 we will have global legalisation of cannabis – even in China, which will see the opportunity for new products and tax revenue.
“I think we’ll redefine the definition of what a cannabis effect can be. We’ll look at the full spectrum of cannabinoids and start to isolate others besides THC, CBD, TAC, CBDL… There are still many cannabinoids that we’re learning about. Hopefully the distinction between medicinal and recreational use will disappear. We’ll start to see more cannabis in skincare and beauty products, especially when it comes to rejuvenation and anti-ageing. Another area that will see big innovation is alternative and virtual reality. Perhaps a pill that allows you to enhance those VR and AR experiences.
“From an ecological standpoint, with hemp being such an amazing and powerful plant that’s biodegradable, within the next decade you could see it replacing plastic in textiles, petroleum and oil products.
“Legalisation will have a big effect on public policy and social justice, too. A big focus will be on looking at reinvestment into communities that were harmed by the ‘war’ on cannabis – things like micro-loans, state taxes being used to redevelop those places and loans for subsidies on housing. All those communities that were devastated by the war on cannabis, we’ll recognise that we have a duty to help rebuild them.”
