Oakland, Calif. (Aug. 23, 2021) — Oaksterdam University is excited to announce that the public can now bid on digital art non-fungible tokens (NFTs) created to fight the 50-year War on Drugs. Selected art in OU’s first-ever Digital Art Contest with an NFT drop is live for viewing and bidding on the OpenSea platform through Sept. 1, 2021.

Artists from across the country entered the contest and five works were chosen by a panel of Oaksterdam judges. Their art NFTs, in a two-sided trading card style with accompanying narration, are available on OpenSea now. One NFT of each piece is up for bid, starting at $420.

OU’s NFT drop also includes “The Oaksterdam University Inaugural NFT Trading Card 2021” featuring a message by Executive Chancellor Dale Sky Jones. A limited number of a total of 420 are available now, with bids starting at $4.20.

“We selected winners based on how well they conveyed the impact of Nixon’s failed War on Drugs,” Jones says. “This contest is our way to inspire creative thought about the devastating consequences of U.S. drug policy while dipping our toes into NFT technology and supporting artists’ entry into this exciting new medium.”

The Chosen Artists Are:
● iLonah Angel of Milpitas, Calif., with “The FIGHT for Progress”
● Jeremy Smith of Lebanon, Mo., with “Just Say Enough”
● Nadia Dehkordi of West Bloomfield, Mich., with “Clandestine State”
● Travis Glines of Los Angeles, Calif., with “Ace of Hearts Dogg”
● Courtney Freeman of Los Angeles, Calif., with “Justice Is Being Served”

Learn more about the winning artists here. Learn more about the contest here. Get photos and social media materials to help us spread the word here. Bid on the art NFTs here. For more information or to schedule an interview, email wensdy@oaksterdamuniversity.com.

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HISTORY OF THE WAR ON DRUGS

OU’s NFT digital art contest was designed to bring awareness of the 50th anniversary of the War on Drugs, which began when President Nixon named drug abuse as “public enemy number one,” and the United States Congress ratified the policy in July 1971. Society declared marijuana the gateway and turned to increasingly harsh measures against cannabis for even medical necessity. Digital artists were encouraged to enter original artwork depicting the political, criminal, social, and environmental – personal and human consequences.

ABOUT OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY

Oaksterdam U is the first and longest-running cannabis college in the world offering quality training for the cannabis industry led by a faculty composed of leaders in the cannabis legalization movement. Oaksterdam offers live classroom and self-paced online courses designed to advance careers including The Business of Cannabis, Horticulture, Budtending Certification ProgramTM, Commercial Extraction and Manufacturing, and more. We also offer free courses and sample classes. Visit OaksterdamUniversity.com/courses.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Wensdy Von Buskirk, (734) 658-8893
wensdy@oaksterdamuniversity.com