Grow Up Vancouver 2026 Honours Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

2026 Vancouver, Grow Up News

Vancouver, BC — January 2026 — Grow Up Vancouver 2026 proudly recognized four outstanding leaders with Lifetime Achievement Awards, honouring decades of impact across cannabis advocacy, law, media, retail, and culture in Canada.

Presented live on the High North Main Stage during the Grow Up Conference & Expo, the Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrated individuals whose work helped shape the foundations of today’s legal cannabis industry — often long before legalization was within reach.

2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Don Briere — WEEDS®
Carol Gwilt — WEEDS®
Jodie Giesz-Ramsay — Cannabis Culture
John Conroy, KC — Conroy & Company

Together, these honourees represent the evolution of cannabis in Canada — from early activism and community education to landmark legal advocacy, trusted retail, and influential publishing platforms.

Don Briere and Carol Gwilt, co-owners of WEEDS®, were recognized for their longstanding leadership in cannabis retail and advocacy, helping bridge legacy culture and the regulated marketplace while prioritizing quality, integrity, and access.

Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, publisher of Cannabis Culture, was honoured for more than two decades of advocacy, media leadership, and civil liberties work that amplified cannabis reform nationally and internationally.

John Conroy, KC, one of Canada’s most influential legal advocates for cannabis law reform, was recognized for his role in landmark court cases that helped establish patient rights and shape Canada’s legalization framework.

The awards were presented across two moments during the Industry Awards Gala, with Briere, Gwilt, and Giesz-Ramsay honoured at 2:45 PM, followed by Conroy’s recognition at 4:15 PM.

“These awards acknowledge not only professional achievement, but courage, perseverance, and commitment to justice,” said the Grow Up Vancouver team. “The modern cannabis industry exists because of the groundwork laid by leaders like these.”

Grow Up Vancouver 2026 brought together industry professionals, policymakers, retailers, producers, and advocates from across Canada to connect, learn, and celebrate the people and progress shaping the future of cannabis.