Christian Velasquez

Born and raised in the Impact Zone of Dover, NJ, Christian Velasquez’s story is one of transformation — from a kid watching his community get criminalized for a plant, to a leader in the movement that helped change the laws around it. Growing up, he saw firsthand how cannabis was demonized, even as he instinctively believed in its benefits and potential. That contradiction lit a fire under him that never really went out.

Christian’s activism officially kicked off in 2015 at a 420 rally in Trenton, NJ, where he began filming what he hoped would become a documentary and met a swarm of like-minded activists, patients, and cannabis supporters. From there he immersed himself in the cannabis justice scene — showing up at protests, community gatherings, and political events across New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine.

He used photography as his megaphone, documenting resistance and community stories up and down the East Coast. As cannabis laws evolved, so did his role in the movement. In 2018 he became a New Jersey medical marijuana patient and took his advocacy to the next level by joining the board of Sativa Cross, a nonprofit fighting for patient rights and equity.

When recreational cannabis became legal in New Jersey in 2020, Christian didn’t slow down — he strategized locally. Together with his friend and fellow advocate Chris Almada, he started showing up at Dover town hall meetings to educate residents and leaders about cannabis business opportunities and community benefits. Despite Dover’s temporary ban on cannabis businesses at the time, Christian and his partners built real grassroots energy behind acceptance and economic inclusion.

That energy manifested in creative activism like the “Burn Up Clean Ups” — community clean-ups where volunteers helped clean the streets, signed petitions, and connected with neighbors around cannabis normalcy and civic pride.

Parallel to his activism, Christian founded AutoHD LLC, a creative media agency focused on producing content, branding, and strategy for cannabis brands across the NJ market. Today, he serves as Social Media & Marketing Manager at Casa Verde, bringing his deep industry knowledge, community insights, and storytelling ability to one of Dover’s first legal cannabis dispensaries.

Christian often says this feels like a “360° moment”: growing up stigmatized for cannabis use in Dover, and now being part of the town’s first cannabis shop — helping educate, uplift, and empower the community he’s always fought for. With 20+ years steeped in cannabis culture, activism, medical experience, and business, he’s lived through and helped shape the story of cannabis in New Jersey. His mission now is simple but fierce: teach people what this plant can truly do — medically, economically, and socially — and make sure the community benefits from the industry it helped create.