Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Choose Happy Symposium Arrives in Harlem

The Choose Happy Symposium, produced by Happy Munkey is the first of its kind in collaboration with Community Board 9
The Choose Happy Symposium, produced by Happy Munkey is the first of its kind in collaboration with Community Board 9

On Tuesday, April 18 2023, Happy Munkey in partnership with Manhattan Community Board 9 are hosting a free event at The Forum, at Columbia University called the Choose Happy Symposium. This event brings together a diverse group of people who are interested in exploring the opportunities and health benefits now available in New York State with the emerging cannabis industry.

In the past, Happy Munkey has been known for bringing New Yorkers some of the best cannabis nightlife events and experiences. As the market shifts, Happy Munkey founders Vlad Bautista and Ramon Reyes believe it is their duty to lead legacy operators toward the future of legal cannabis.


The Bluntness caught up with Happy Munkey co-founder & CEO Vladimir Bautista, to discuss the symposium: “We feel the Choose Happy Symposium is probably the most important event we’ve ever produced.  My partner, Ramon Reyes and I grew up in Harlem and Washington Heights; this community, while taking the biggest hits during the failed war on drugs, has never really been exposed to the positive opportunities that legal cannabis provides them.”  

“I feel that Ramon and I can speak to this community in a way that others can’t and we’re presenting speakers and information that will help them understand it and eradicate the stigma they still feel about it.  We’re proud to be working with Community Board 9 and Columbia University as we reach out to our neighbors.  And, while we wait for our retail license, we want people to know our commitment to the community is as strong as it’s always been and events like this align with our mission perfectly,” said Bautista. 

The symposium will bring together leading experts from medical professionals to industry pioneers to lead educational panels on an array of topics ranging from wellness to economic opportunity in cannabis and features a stellar lineup of community leaders, industry advocates and expert speakers, including Dr. Rachel Knox, Councilmember Shaun Abreu, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, NY’s Cannabis Czar Dasheeda Dawson, and Scheril Murray Powell, Esq. among others. 

The symposium will also feature resources and activations from CB9 such as translation services, tenant housing lawyer, and medical card registration to name a few. 

The Choose Happy Symosium will be held on Tuesday, April 18 9am ET - 1pm ET at 601 W. 125th Street, New York, NY 10027. 

The event is free, but RSVP is required. RSVP HERE

More For You

Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.
Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.

Magic Mushrooms: An Overview of Different Psilocybin Strains and Effects

Like cannabis, magic mushrooms exist as strains and species. These terms are used to describe the physical or chemical characteristics of the plants. While they are often used interchangeably, strains and species are not the same. 

Psilocybin mushrooms contain psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. These compounds interact with the serotonin receptors to control biological and neurological processes like sleep, anxiety, cognition, appetite, nausea, learning, memory, and thermoregulation. 

Keep ReadingShow less
Are cannabis candles worth the price?
Are cannabis candles worth the price?

The Truth About Cannabis Candles & How to Make Your Own

There are several different ways to consume cannabis, and some of them don’t even involve actual consumption. Cannabis candles are beginning to take over the candle game, allowing cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy the smell they’re used to having to cover up and hide: the danky goodness of weed.

As cannabis becomes less stigmatized in modern culture, people are beginning to come out and admit to their cannabis use. While smoking weed used to be something people felt they had to keep on the down low, the culture is becoming increasingly mainstream and the scent is now sought after rather than condemned.

Keep ReadingShow less
If you've never tried cannabis tea, you're missing out!
If you've never tried cannabis tea, you're missing out!

Easy Recipe: How to Make Weed Tea

In the ever-growing world of edibles, cannabis beverages have become more popular as of late. We’re seeing more sodas, tonics, lemonades by the day. One type of infused beverage that has been seeing a surge in search interest lately are weed teas. Let’s talk about how to make them.

What is weed tea and how do you make it?

Weed tea is simply tea infused with cannabinoids. Most weed teas are infused with THC or CBD, the two most well-known cannabis compounds, but you could also use their non-psychoactive precursors (THCA, CBDA). Weed teas are excellent for people who want to enjoy cannabis’s wide range of benefits, but don’t want to smoke, dab, vape, or eat edibles for the effects.

Keep ReadingShow less
Getting you ready for your first magic mushroom trip.
Getting you ready for your first magic mushroom trip.

How Long Do Shrooms Last? How Do You Eat Them? A Guide To Your First Magic Mushroom Trip

In 2022, general interest in magic mushrooms has spiked to unprecedented levels not seen since the 1960s. Thanks to research showing promising results for patients, lawmakers a handful of states and cities already have or are considering loosening psilocybin restrictions.

A few states such as Oregon have fully legalized psilocybin treatment for all adult patients, while others want to limit it to veterans or others with PTSD.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tripping with your phone? Maybe.
Tripping with your phone? Maybe.

These Apps Could Help You Experience A Trip Without Tripping

Psychedelic exploration is seeing its first renaissance since the mid-century, but while the substances seem to have a largely positive effect on a person’s mental and physical wellbeing, the idea of “tripping” might still sound terrifying to a number of people. 

Thankfully, there’s an app for that – i.e., a number of apps designed to allow people to experience something similar to a psychedelic journey without actually indulging in any psychedelics.  

Keep ReadingShow less