“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” said an eager Rolling Loud attendee. “It’s cool to attend the show, listen to killer music and see what a mock cannabis grow might look like. You know I got my selfie in!” This was a common sentiment shared among the tens of thousands of attendees at last month’s Rolling Loud music festival, held at Inglewood, California’s Hollywood Park. It’s safe to say that the 10th anniversary of this multi-day music festival did not… Read more.
After attending half a dozen Hall of Flowers trade shows in Northern California (Santa Rosa, to be exact), we can confidently attest that creating a SoCal version in Ventura was precisely what the event needed. Not only did it prove that it’s a must-attend, but it’s probably the best at bringing the industry together and validating the reason we’re all here—to celebrate cannabis and our culture. From the moment you walk in through to the moment you leave, you don’t… Read more.
Cheech & Chong brought their zany act to Austin last week for the premiere of Cheech and Chong's Last Movie, a documentary by David Bushell, at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. The fun began Monday night, March 11, when the duo made a surprise appearance at C-Boys Heart and Soul, a club on S. Congress Ave. Tommy Chong strapped on a guitar and Cheech Marin belted out his famous song from Next Movie, "Mexican Americans," certainly appropriate for the location. The next day, March 12, the movie… Read more.
The Canadian province of Alberta is revamping its regulations to allow cannabis retailers to operate temporary stores at age-gated events such as trade shows and festivals starting next year. Alberta is Canada’s second-largest cannabis retail market, trailing only Ontario. The regulatory overhaul, announced this week, is part of provincial lawmakers’ review of the recreational cannabis market to determine what regulations are working, what needs to be improved and what’s redundant. The new rules will reduce barriers and costs for legal cannabis retailers… Read more.
Discover why they call New Mexico “The Land of Enchantment” with these activities that are geared more for smoker-friendly tourists seeking a magical adventure. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis in New Mexico in 2021. Even though adult-use cannabis is legal in New Mexico, there are still laws in place regulating cannabis from seed to consumption. Speaking of cannabis, the High Times Cannabis Cup New Mexico: People’s Choice Edition 2023 is scheduled to take place Dec. 9 at the Rio… Read more.
State and local marijuana regulators, industry stakeholders and advocates and opponents of legalization took part in a two-day session hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) this week, sharing their perspectives on evolving cannabis policies. This marked the second NASEM Committee meeting for its “Public Health Consequences of Changes in the Cannabis Policy Landscape” series. In September, the conversation featured representatives of several federal agencies who weighed in on the subject. For this week’s round, many of the… Read more.
After a tough year for most cannabis operators, attendees at MJBizCon 2023 said they aren’t banking on sweeping legislative reform such as the rescheduling of marijuana to grow their businesses in the coming year. Rather, they are hoping for more incremental policy changes, such as SAFER Banking and new opportunities to open in emerging state markets. They’re also shifting their attitudes away from viewing fellow operators as competition and instead looking to partner with them to find synergies. “The best… Read more.
MJBizCon, the world’s biggest event in the cannabis sector, kicks off Wednesday in Las Vegas as industry leaders wrap up a tough year and hope for positive change in 2024 – particularly, the potential reclassification of marijuana as a less dangerous drug by the U.S. government. As in previous years, the 12th annual MJBizCon attracts cannabis industry decision-makers: 72% of attendees in 2023 are at the vice president level or above. Participants are traveling to the Las Vegas Convention Center from every… Read more.
In the heart of Chicago, the bustling cityscape set the stage for a groundbreaking event that brought together trailblazing women in the cannabis industry. The Green Market Report Midwest Women’s Cannabis Summit took center stage on Nov. 2, providing a platform for empowerment, networking, and the exchange of ideas that could shape the future of cannabis in the Midwest. Under the soaring gothic arches of the historic Epiphany Center for the Arts, women from various corners of the cannabis landscape created an… Read more.
Organizers at SXSW this week unveiled a slate of more than 450 sessions chosen for the conference set to kick off in March. Among them are a handful of panels focused on legal marijuana and a whopping 13 sessions on psychedelics. It’s a sign of the shifting interest of the cutting edge conference as cannabis becomes more embedded into the mainstream and psychedelics emerge as the next big thing in drug policy. The sessions on MDMA, psilocybin and other substances… Read more.
The Emerald Cup’s marquee winter event that celebrates small craft cannabis farmers in Northern California and connects them with prospective buyers across the state is being canceled this year, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Harvest Ball Festival, which has drawn more than 13,000 attendees to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds the past few years, will forgo this year’s installment as event organizers focus efforts and resources on the Emerald Cup’s 20th anniversary event in the San Francisco Bay Area… Read more.
New York state’s unique Cannabis Growers Showcase program (CGS) has helped ease the burden of unsold marijuana worth hundreds of millions of dollars amid a dearth of adult-use retailers, according to local growers. Cultivators and brand representatives want the showcases to be allowed to continue after the Jan. 1, 2024, expiration date, particularly with forthcoming competition from the state’s large medical cannabis companies. The showcases, which range from farmers market-like setups to more conventional retail experiences, were designed to help… Read more.
The mood was upbeat at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago as the industry’s power players converged on the Magnificent Mile Marriott Hotel for two days to reconnect and reflect on what felt like the lowest year legal cannabis has endured to date. The industry’s optimism initially sprung from the Department of Health and Human Services’ August 30 recommendation that the DEA reschedule cannabis, igniting some hope that our latest bear run is behind us. During the conference, the… Read more.
In a city celebrated for its gleaming exteriors and captivating attractions, the span of August 15-17, 2023, ushered in a unique luminescence. The grand ballrooms of the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, often reserved for soirees of opulence, became the gathering point for the Cannabis Conference 2023, drawing members of the community seeking knowledge, innovation and a glimpse into the future of cannabis. The event wasn’t just another notch in the belt of Las Vegas’ rich history of conventions. It… Read more.
Music fans heading to Mundelein, Illinois, this weekend will make history as part of the state’s first-ever concert to allow open marijuana consumption. Headliners, fittingly, include the cannabis-friendly artists Cypress Hill, Stephen Marley and Action Bronson. Kicking off Saturday afternoon, the two-day Miracle in Mundelein festival will feature complimentary rolling papers, lighters and grinders, as well as dab bars and rolling stations for use by attendees. Marijuana products themselves will be available for sale through a retailer located next door.… Read more.
The New York State Fair kicked off on Wednesday, and for the first time ever, attendees have the chance to browse—and buy—marijuana products from nearly a dozen local growers at a cannabis farmers market being held in conjunction with the event. The so-called Great New York State Cannabis Showcase technically isn’t part of the state fair, but the pop-up exhibition and market will run concurrently from August 23 through September 3. It’s located less than a mile from the fairgrounds… Read more.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless it’s brokering new partnerships and strengthening business relationships. That’s because one thing that Las Vegas does well is host tradeshows. The city makes it easy to attend, entertain and network—and the CHAMPS Summer 2023 trade show was no exception. From July 19-22, the Cannabis Now team descended on the sprawling cannabis counter-culture business event that serves North America’s headshops to shake hands, close business deals and do the thing we do best: Help our clients… Read more.
With nearly 100 companies in line to be approved by the state to open a cannabis retail store in the next few months, New Jersey will soon add to the already 34 dispensaries dotting the state. Adding to this burst of approvals, CRC Chairwoman Dianna Houenou recently said more varied products produced in the state and improved access for medical marijuana patients will also expand the market. Houneou will be among the featured speakers at NJ Cannabis Insider’s summer business networking event from 6-10… Read more.
As judges for the Emerald Cup for nineteen years, Nikki and I have had the unique privilege of sampling several thousand cannabis flowers from the world’s premier cannabis cultivation counties in California. One year, we sampled over 600 entries in the space of a month. These bouts of concentrated sniffing have shown me that there’s an enormous range of smells, aromas, fragrances and stinks that cannabis flowers can present. Identifying Aromas In the early days of the Cup, most entries were… Read more.
On the Revel hosted a New York cannabis community event on June 22 bringing together licensed operators. New York cannabis producers were able to display their businesses as potential buyers shopped around for dispensary products. Roughly 800 people attended the event held in Hudson, New York. Despite the trouble in the New York market, the mood was celebratory and optimistic. https://www.youtube.com/embed/9XxoXMNQjxQ Read more.
Crowds are gathering in downtown Denver this week to learn about the future of psychedelics like magic mushrooms and MDMA. The five-day Psychedelic Science 2023 event, attracting medical professionals, politicians, celebrities and practitioners, covers a wide variety of subjects from the business of psychedelics to therapeutic uses for these substances. "We are facing very difficult challenges in mental and behavioral health and we're very excited about the opportunities that psychedelics offer to break cycles of addictions for opioids, to deal… Read more.
In a highly anticipated move that's sending ripples through the cannabis industry, the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is set to return to Chicago on September 27-28, following its spectacularly successful April event in Miami. This flagship event has steadily grown in reputation and influence, emerging as a crucial platform for fostering partnerships, sharing marketing insights, and facilitating capital shifts within the dynamic cannabis space. The Miami conference saw massive attendance and more than 3,000 one-on-one meetings, underscoring its reputation as a prominent hub for… Read more.
Professionals have many reasons for attending cannabis events both domestically and internationally. The obvious: expanding business into new markets, meeting clients in person, and discovering innovation. Then, there’s also the benefit of large-scale discussions about how to adapt in a fast-paced, ever-evolving sector. The Lift Cannabis Conference & Expo in Toronto, Canada, checked all those boxes. This year’s agenda presented a list of change agents, including Muskoka Grown Chief Executive Officer John Fowler, Spirit Leaf and Superette President Dave Marino, and Abi… Read more.
On May 18 and 19, retailers, buyers, and investors attended the exclusive, invite-only Luxury Meets Cannabis Conference in Manhattan, NY. The prestigious two-day event, billed as the first B2B trade event of its kind, was an opportunity for luxury cannabis, CBD, and hemp wellness brands to connect with New York’s burgeoning adult-use market. Unlike other tradeshows, LMCC’s aesthetic was akin to an Apple Store—spacious, white and inviting. Dozens of brands were in attendance, with sitting areas purposefully created for conversations.… Read more.
On May 13, 2023, the 19th instalment of the Emerald Cup Awards brought together the absolute best California has to offer. Held at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA, the 45,000-square-foot venue was filled with some of the industry’s top players and the state’s best cannabis cultivators and manufacturers. The event was a welcome reprieve from the recent issues faced by California’s cannabis industry. There was a lot of love in the air: for the plant, for the community and… Read more.
There’s something about mixing the aroma of cannabis with the feeling (there is absolutely a feeling) of being in wine country that brought out the best of the attendees walking through the gates of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on May 3-4 for Hall of Flowers 2023. Truth be told, I think that’s the x-factor in motion for the show. The team behind Hall of Flowers, which includes prolific event producer Dani Diamond, took a chance on a new concept five… Read more.
More than 150 cannabis industry exhibitors are expected in the capital city May 20 and 21 as the XL Center hosts the Connecticut Cannabis and Hemp Convention. NECANN, which has been developing cannabis industry conventions since 2014, announced Wednesday its inaugural Connecticut convention for the weekend of May 20 at the XL Center. The organization said in a news release the XL Center convention will be "the largest B2B cannabis industry event ever in Connecticut" with more than 40 educational sessions… Read more.
Five years after opposing cannabis dispensaries, Vista City Council members say they are open to having a festival promoting the product . Several things have changed in the past few years. Voters went around the council and adopted a measure allowing dispensaries in 2018, new council members are more friendly to the idea, and fears that the pot businesses would attract crime appear to have been unfounded. Also persuasive in changing opinions about the businesses: revenue from the city’s 11… Read more.
Although the topics at Austin's annual SXSW festival tend to skew toward tech and pop culture, this year's was awash in discussions on the future of psychedelic therapy. At least 20 separate keynote speaker sessions addressed the topic, ranging from "Open Minds: Innovations in Consciousness, Psychedelics & Mental Health" to "Psychedelic Tech: Consciousness in the Modern Age." There was even a psychedelics-related networking event. "It's definitely the future of therapeutic healing," said Alexander Hill, an Austin-based health and wellness entrepreneur,… Read more.
Analysis The vibes are different. Deepak Chopra is advocating for psychedelic therapy as a gateway to higher collective consciousness. SXSW patrons are invited to take off their shoes and meditate in a dark room while a harpist plays along to music written by plants. New apps like Aimi offer AI-generated music that adapts to your mood and effectively functions as a responsive, customizable “Lo-fi hip-hop beats to relax/study to.” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco is performing three songs about his dead father at the Audible party… Read more.
The cannabis industry is evolving in Massachusetts, with competition eating away profits and prices plummeting per ounce as more dispensaries enter the market. "Everybody's looking at that newest technology to maximize yield," said Marc Shepard, founder of the New England Cannabis Convention. "Maximize profitability, better marketing, better product." Shepard says with hundreds of dispensaries operating in the state, and many more on the way, it's not necessarily a financial bonanza for dispensary owners. "It's just not the cash cow, automatic,… Read more.
On March 8, the state’s largest and most comprehensive cannabis business conference will feature more than 40 vendors and 29 speakers, offering just about everything a Garden State legal weed operator needs to know and the people they need to meet to succeed. Doors open at 9 a.m. with the keynote speaker, the state’s top cannabis regulator Dianna Houenou, opening the all-day event at 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel at the Newark Airport. Tickets are on sale now for the conference. A select… Read more.
The conference portion of the festival is divided into 25 tracks, ranging from civic engagement and climate change to food and, yes, weed and mushrooms. South by Southwest 2023 (SXSW) is right around the corner. And this year, those who attend the Conference portion of the festival have the option to learn in-depth about a controversial topic: drugs. To make navigating the festival easier, SXSW has divided the conference portion into 25 tracks that each include a variety of sessions, including keynote and featured speakers.… Read more.
March 2023 marks the fifth anniversary since NJ Cannabis Insider launched with a weekly newsletter and seasonal conferences. With the market open for nearly a year, hundreds of companies permitted to open cannabis operations, and more to come, this will be our biggest business conference, yet. For March 8, NJ Cannabis Insider’s all-day conferencewill be the state’s largest business networking event, featuring more than two dozen speakers and several new features to mirror what’s happenings in the industry. Tickets are on sale… Read more.
DENVER – MJBiz Chief Executive Officer Chris Walsh, who has been with the company since its founding in 2011, will depart in January, MJBiz announced Friday. Walsh indicated he will take some time off before seeking new opportunities. As founding editor, Walsh developed the content strategy and direction for the website Marijuana Business Daily (now MJBizDaily), one of the first media outlets aimed at industry professionals. He also oversaw the development and publication of the print trade journal Marijuana Business Magazine (now MJBiz Magazine), the annual… Read more.
The evolution of the cannabis market has seen a number of B2B trade shows and conferences pop up throughout the country. The vast majority offer a fairly standard mix of panels, exhibits, and cocktail hours targeted at professionals across the board. MJ Unpacked, however, is one B2B cannabis event that stands out from the crowd. (mgmagazine.com) Full Story Read more.