Staff
Harborside Inc.’s (OTCQX: HBORF) Co-founder Steve DeAngelo is parting ways with the company as the company said it is eliminating the role of Chairman Emeritus, effective December 31, 2020. A longtime activist and strong advocate for the cannabis reform movement, Mr. DeAngelo co-founded Harborside in 2006 as a non-profit medical cannabis dispensary. Harborside was granted one of the first six medical cannabis licenses in the United States and was one of the first in the nation to support comprehensive cannabis education for seniors, veterans, and families with severely ill children.
DeAngelo said in a statement, “Harborside was founded on the principle of providing safe and affordable access to cannabis for those who require it. I’m proud of the immense work that has been completed to get us to where we are today and wish the very best for the Company as it continues to grow. Moving forward, I will continue to focus on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues and opportunities in the legal cannabis industry”.
DeAngelo co-founded several iconic cannabis businesses and organizations including Harborside, Steep Hill Laboratory, the Arc View Group, the National Cannabis Industry Association, and the Last Prisoner Project. Steve’s creative projects include a book, The Cannabis Manifesto, and a Discovery Channel mini-series, Weed Wars. He was a lead organizer and fundraiser for I-59, Washington DC’s medical cannabis initiative, and is famed for his successful litigation against the Department of Justice (the “DOJ”), which halted DOJ’s last-ditch 2011 campaign to shut down California’s medical cannabis dispensaries.
However, long before Harborside was even a thought, DeAngelo joined the Youth International Party – also known as the Yippies as a young adult. He went on to become the lead organizer of the annual Fourth of July Smoke-In in D.C., carrying the position for a decade. DeAngelo graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland. He also opened a legendary D.C. counter-cultural gathering place that became known as a refuge for local cannabis and peace activists during the Reagan-Bush era, including William Kunstler, Wavy Gravy, and author Jack Herer.
Matt Hawkins, Chairman of Harborside, said, “On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank Steve for his service to Harborside and for his history of activism in furtherance of building the robust, legal cannabis industry that exists today.”
