It has been almost a week since MJBizCon concluded. This week continues to be an annual pilgrimage for many (including myself) to seek ongoing networking and relationship building, as well as what more this industry can offer. Each year, I am blown away by the creativity and innovation that I witness at this event. There are many things to be said for the state of the cannabis industry and for this particular conference and expo…despite where you may land on that spectrum of opinion, the energy and opportunity that this event offers is undeniable.
MJBizCon has long been known for its networking opportunities, and 2025 was no exception. The conference and the expo floor offered opportunities of all kinds, and there continues to be a furry of activity surrounding the expo throughout each day of the event.
Outside the convention center, Las Vegas transformed into a loosely connected network of industry mixers, brand showcases, investor salons, rooftop soirées, and late-night after-parties. Many attendees consider these events as crucial as the conference itself. Deals are initiated in hallways, refined over drinks, and often finalized in the quieter corners of the city’s lounges and restaurants. The volume of unofficial events has become a hallmark of the MJBizCon experience — a testament to the industry’s deeply relationship-driven culture.
Here are a few of my favorites from MJBizCon Week 2025:
Blunt Brunch
The 2025 Blunt Brunch Nationals, themed “Pearled Up & Powerful,” took place at IPEC Las Vegas, bringing together more than 350 women leaders, entrepreneurs, and allies from across the cannabis industry for an elegant and empowering evening. Major sponsors included Curaleaf, Pomponio Injury Law, and Hefestus, which provided a red-carpet photo-booth experience that captured the event’s glamour and energy. Highlights included a red-carpet entry, immersive brand activations and networking lounges, a live performance by S.I.A.T., and a strong focus on connection, collaboration, and celebration. A portion of ticket proceeds was donated to nonprofit organizations FreedomGrow and Project Sisterdope, emphasizing the event’s commitment to both empowerment and social impact. Blunt Brunch empowers women and their networks and I have loved seeing them grow over the years and am thankful to be witness to what they are doing!
Beard Bros Media Day/Nuwu Cannabis Marketplace
Beard Bros Media announced it had become the headlining partner for MJBizCon 2025’s Media Day, which was set for December 2 at NuWu Cannabis Marketplace in Las Vegas. The collaboration was presented as a powerful union between Beard Bros’ authentic, unfiltered cannabis-industry storytelling and MJBizCon’s status as one of the biggest, most respected cannabis business events. Media Day served as the official kickoff to MJBizCon Week, offering exclusive interviews, live podcasting, and early networking opportunities that allowed brands, creators, and industry insiders to share meaningful stories before the expo began. The partnership aimed to elevate transparency, highlight diverse voices across the cannabis community, and strengthen the industry through honest, community-driven conversation. Beard Bros continues to be a leading voice for so many companies and brands in the cannabis industry and their platform grows network and activation each year.
Grasslands party
The Grasslands Party 2025 took place on December 3 in Las Vegas during MJBizCon 2025, living up to its reputation as “the warmest room in Vegas.” Sponsored by Flowhub and other partners like Hefestus, the invite-only event brought together top cannabis and hemp executives, investors, media professionals, and industry decision-makers for an evening of high-level networking. Guests enjoyed a curated indoor-outdoor venue with fire pits and heaters, mezcal-inspired cocktails, light bites, and a relaxed atmosphere designed for meaningful conversation rather than flashy partying. The event emphasized intimate connection, collaboration, and deal-making beyond the expo floor, positioning itself as a key backstage moment during MJBizCon week.
Cannaluxxe Wellness Event
The Cannaluxxe Wellness Lounge 2025 took place on December 2 at the Las Vegas Country Club during MJBizCon 2025, held alongside the golf tournament The Vegas Classics. Organized by Cloud Nine Studios and Cannaluxxe Wellness Experiences, the event offered attendees a restorative, upscale wellness lounge featuring guided meditation and sound-bowl therapy, functional tea cocktails from Tee’s Tea, and a curated wellness boutique showcasing beauty, health-tech, and holistic-wellness brands.
Entertainment and mindfulness blended when Grammy-nominated artist Vic Mensa and rising performer S.I.A.T. joined a guided meditation and breathwork session, followed by a conversation about mental health, creativity, and how cannabis can support wellness and artistic flow. Sponsors and partners included Cloud Nine Studios, Cannaluxxe Wellness Experiences, Aeriz, 93 Boyz, Nomadic Leaf Tours, and Beso Wellness Spa.
Overall, the event provided cannabis-industry professionals a peaceful, intentional space to recharge, connect, and reflect before the intense pace of MJBizCon, offering a unique blend of wellness, culture, and community.
Bagel Bash at Planet 13
The Bagel Bash 2025 — hosted by Jews in Weed — took place on December 4, 2025, in Las Vegas during MJBizCon 2025, running from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Planet 13, one of the world’s largest cannabis entertainment complexes known for its immersive retail experiences, interactive displays, and unique event spaces. The event served as a relaxed breakfast networking mixer for cannabis-industry professionals, offering bagels, coffee, and other morning staples while providing a welcoming space to make connections and build community before the day’s expo activities began. Sponsors included Hefestus, which supported the event as part of its broader involvement across MJBizCon. The vibe combined cultural identity, cannabis culture, and industry networking, giving attendees a chance to engage more personally than on the typical tradeshow floor.
LGBTQ+ Events at MJBizCon
A historic milestone unfolded at MJBizCon this year as Queer in Cannabis, The Cannabis Trail, and Tokeativity partnered with MJBizCon to deliver the first official LGBTQIA+ programming in the conference’s history. Through high-impact meetups, a cross-sector community panel, and the inaugural Rainbow Royale celebration at the Native American and woman-owned NuWu Cannabis Marketplace consumption lounge, LGBTQIA+ voices, culture, and cannabis history were elevated in an unprecedented way. The collaboration marked the first time MJBizCon officially supported, marketed, and platformed LGBTQIA+ programming. The response was immediate and undeniable.
“From the first LGBTQIA+ meetup and Happy Hour to a cross-sector panel on how the legal industry can be stronger allies, you could feel a shift on the convention floor,” said Rich Magaña, Founder of Queer in Cannabis and Editor of the newly launched Smoke Signals zine. “The rainbow wave arrived at MJBizCon this year, and based on the momentum, it’s not going anywhere.”
Conference Highlights: Strategy, Science and Candid Talk
The conference program continued MJBizCon’s emphasis on practical, immediately applicable business intelligence. Pre-show forums on finance, marketing, and the Business 101 track gave new entrants resources to find their footing, while mainstage panels focused on consolidation, regulatory risk, emerging markets, and how to build resilient retail strategies. Speakers included CEOs, multi-state operators, policy experts, scientists, and innovators — offering a mix of big-picture guidance and grounded, real-world direction.
A major theme this year was the rise of tech and analytics. From lab automation demos to point-of-sale and CRM vendors showcasing tools tailored specifically for cannabis retail, technology companies took center stage. Several conference sessions explored quality control, on-site testing, compliance tools, and the shift toward data-driven decision-making. As operators fight to maintain margins and navigate shifting regulations, the integration of tech into every corner of operations has become essential.
Expo Floor: Product Launches, Pavilions and Innovation
As always, the expo hall served as the heart of MJBizCon. This year’s layout doubled down on category-specific pavilions — cultivation, processing and packaging, retail, and a dedicated Culture+ area — helping attendees navigate efficiently and discover exactly what aligned with their business needs. The aisles were packed with exhibitors ranging from extraction equipment manufacturers to packaging companies, sustainable materials innovators, consumer product brands, and next-generation vaporizer designers.
One standout moment was the debut of an onsite virtual retail activation. This activation allowed attendees to browse product displays, scan kiosks, and simulate retail purchasing behavior. It blended education with hands-on exploration and represented a growing trend: creating immersive experiences that show not just what a product is, but how it functions in a real sales environment.
MJBizCon Expo floor:
I’ve been coming to BizCon since 2015 and one of my absolute favorite booths is always the Happy Head Marketing booth. Happy Head focuses on connecting adult-use and medical cannabis consumers with curated product selections, reviews, and local dispensary information to enhance the purchasing experience. Their people are nice, their double decker view is always one of the best (and one of the ONLY ones this year!) and I hang out up there more often than I am in the press lounge sometimes.
In massive industry events such as this one, it is imperative that those who have been negatively impacted by the racist prohibition of the cannabis plant be represented, and 40 Tons once again did an Impact Row activation at MJBizCon. 40 Tons is a logistics and distribution platform that specializes in streamlining cannabis supply chains, ensuring compliant, efficient delivery of products from cultivators and manufacturers to dispensaries and retailers.
The Culture+ pavilion continued to emphasize the artistic and cultural legacy of cannabis. Glass artists, functional designers, lifestyle brands, and legacy-influenced creators showcased work that centered craftsmanship, history, and identity. This area served as a reminder that the cannabis industry is built not only on retail, investment, and technology, but also on community and culture. While the larger expo floor focused on scaling operations, Culture+ gave space to the creatives and innovators who keep the heart of the industry beating.
Why MJBizCon Still Matters
The power of MJBizCon lies in its scale, precision and how thorough the event is. It brings together buyers, sellers, operators, and thought leaders from across the globe, all under one roof. It’s an opportunity to explore new technologies, identify cost-saving innovations, and build relationships that move businesses forward.
MJBizCon premiered in 2012 as a small but ambitious gathering for cannabis entrepreneurs navigating the early days of medical and adult-use legalization. Organized by the team behind Marijuana Business Daily, the conference quickly grew in attendance as new state markets opened and investor interest surged. The event soon transitioned to large Las Vegas venues, expanding into multiple halls, pre-conference forums, and specialty pavilions. Today, it stands as the largest B2B cannabis conference and expo in the world, offering a platform for operators, investors, advocates, and innovators to gather, strategize, and set the tone for the year ahead.
As the cannabis landscape continues to evolve — balancing federal uncertainty, market fluctuations, and maturing operations — MJBizCon remains the industry’s annual reset button. It is where professionals go to evaluate emerging trends, adjust strategies, strengthen networks, and anticipate the next wave of change.
