Tag Archives: marijuana
Have You Booked a Cannabis Trade Show Yet?
https://www.proexhibits.com/blog/cannabis-trade-shows/
Marijuana is currently legal for adults over 21 in 11 U.S. states, plus D.C., and the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is legal in 33 states. As a result, the cannabis industry has expanded rapidly. Along with this has come the introduction of cannabis trade shows and other events dedicated to the production, extraction, and use of marijuana and its derivatives. If you’re operating a business in this industry, it pays to attend these events. You only get one chance to make your name in a new industry. As it grows—and the major players are identified—it only becomes harder to compete. Now’s the time to make your mark! Attending industry events is a great way to get noticed and perhaps even attract investors.
- CannaCon®
CannaCon is one of the country’s leading B2B cannabis trade shows, held in multiple locations every year. Collectively, this marijuana trade show has more than 25,000 attendees and 800-plus exhibitors. The schedule for 2020 includes:
- Tacoma, WA – January 10-11, 2020 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center
- Detroit, MI – April 2-3, 2020 at The COBO Center
- Rosemont, IL – July 17-18, 2020 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
- Boston, MA – August 29-30, 2020, at the Hymes Convention Center
Each event hosts vendors from a wide range of industry sectors, including:
- Farmers and cultivators
- Growing and processing equipment specialists
- Soil and nutrient experts
- Extraction specialists
- Investors
- And more
In every location, CannaCon is a chance for businesses of all sizes to network, learn, and grow. Many of these locations represent emerging cannabis markets. These shows are opportunities to get in on the ground floor.
- INDO EXPO
This marijuana trade show travels, typically showing up in two locations throughout the year. In 2020, stops include The Denver Mart in Denver, Colorado over January 25 and 26 and The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois over September 26 and 27. And there are plans in the works to add more locations in the future!
The INDO EXPO show focuses on the B2B side of the marijuana industry. It boasted around 16,000 attendees and 400-plus exhibitors in 2019. Exhibitors and attendees come from a wide range of industry sectors, including small businesses, R&D, and larger companies.
- The Emerald Cup
Held every year in December, the Emerald Cup is all about cannabis culture and always draws a big local crowd of enthusiasts. The show is located in northern California, in a part of the state known as the Emerald Triangle for its strong connection to cannabis farming and culture. It’s typically held over a single weekend in December. In 2019 this was the weekend of December 14 and 15 at the Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds. Attendance has skyrocketed in recent years due to changes in California’s cannabis laws, with about 28,000 attendees in 2018.
This is more of a B2C event, so it’s a great option for growers and retailers in the industry. There’s also room for B2B exhibitors and retailers, as the attendee line-up does include people in the industry, like farmers, retailers, and others. There are also competitions and awards given for cannabis products in various categories, and due to the festival’s strong connection with cannabis culture, these awards are considered prestigious within the industry.
- International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC)
The International Cannabis Business Conference is a worldwide event, held in several locations each year, including the U.S. In 2020 this marijuana trade show runs from February 6 to 7 at the Hilton® San Francisco Union Square. The event includes a conference and exhibition, giving attendees the chance to both learn and network.
For exhibitors, it’s all about exposure, with the focus mainly on the B2B side of the cannabis industry. In previous years, cannabis conference topics have included:
- Federal cannabis law reform
- Investment and capital markets
- International investing
- CBD mainstreaming
- Distribution
- Tech
Several thousand attendees are expected from a range of industry sectors, including cultivating and farming, tech and R&D, sales, and executive and management representatives from larger businesses.
Top 10 Cannabis Infused Drinks You Must Try in 2019
Consumers are tilting their focus from cannabis edibles to drinks, making it a 600+ million-dollar market.
A cannabis-infused drink is a drink that has been infused with cannabinoids. Business Insider predicted the global cannabis drink market to be worth more than 600 million dollars in the next three years. Cannabis infused drinks have largely impacted the beverage industry. From small industries to big corporate houses, everyone is jumping on board to capitalize on the global cannabis drinks market. Chefs and scientists are coming up with new and unique ways to infuse cannabis into various beverages. Today we have cannabis-infused water, soda, coffee, tea, milk, wine, etc. selling across dispensaries on a large scale. Cannabis Drinks Expo team has hence curated a list of top cannabis-infused drink which you must try.
Cannabis-Infused Sauvignon Blanc
Rebel Coast Winery produces alcohol-free cannabis-infused Sauvignon Blanc. Rebel Coast Winery`s Cannabis Infused Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, clean California Sauvignon Blanc without the taste or smell of cannabis. It contains high acid, with bright citrus, and a crisp clean finish.
Non-Alcoholic Cannabis Infused Wines
Hill Street Beverage Company is a Producer of Non-Alcoholic Beers and Wine alongside Non-Alcoholic Cannabis Infused Drinks. Hill Street is based out of Toronto, Ontario Canada. They produce Alcohol-free Wine and Beers. They are also entering Cannabis Infused Drinks Matter Soon.
Cannabis Infused Cocktails
The Tinley Beverage Company believes in a new, healthy and delicious way to enjoy the benefits of smoke-free cannabis. Their Tinley™ Cocktails and Tinley™ ’27 products have reduced the amount of sugar and calories than their beverage alcohol counterparts. Tinley drinks are created with cannabis strain varieties that are asked for by consumers, in harmony with their range of contemporary lifestyles and tastes.
Cannabis Infused Beverages
Keef Brands produces, and distributes multiple cannabis-infused product lines through various brands like the Keef, OilStix, and VitaCanna brands. These brand`s products include beverages, edibles, and CO2-extracted oil for vape cartridges. Other edibles that can take up to two hours to take full effect but Keef’s cannabis-infused beverages offer full effects in as little as 15 minutes of consumption, leading to a more real-time and responsible consumption experience.
Cannabis Infused Coffee and Tea
Cannabiniers is a foodservice, technology & brand management company that is revolutionizing the cannabis industry with patented, safe and natural flower-based extraction technology and products.
Cannabiniers brands include:
- Two Roots Brewing Co.
- Just Society Coffee & Tea Co.
- Bask
Cannabis Infused Energy Drink
Cannabis Energy Drink combines high-quality energy drink ingredients with a unique sweet flavor which is complemented with hemp seed extract. It contains caffeine, taurine and a bunch of vitamins, the cannabis energy drink does what it does well, and tastes good while doing it. Cannabis energy drink contains no THC and causes no narcotics effect.
Cannabis Infused Herbal Drinks
Mood33 is inspired by ancient herbal remedy, Ayurveda principles, and traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Mood33 infusions were created for mood-based benefits. Mood33 creates cannabis-infused sparkling tonics to suit any mood – choose calm, passion, or joy. Plant-based sweeteners which are used in Mood33 keep the calorie levels low while maintaining fresh, bright, clean flavors–all with a sparkling touch.
Cannabis Infused Soda
California Dreamin is a food and beverage startup that manufactures all-natural cannabis-infused sodas for a light social high. It is made of a combination of fruit juice, cannabis, and carbonation.
Cannabis Infused Sparkling Water
Utopia produces sparkling water with zero calories and zero sugar. The patent-pending technology that produces Utopia Sparkling Water makes sure of a taste and odour-free cannabis emulsion.
Hemp Based Beverage
Joybird Hemp Beverage harnesses the power of Hemp Extract to help consumers Recover, Focus, and Chill. Joybird’s Hemp Extract is sourced from organic hemp and synthesized into Nanoparticles, to enhance absorption. With Joybird, your body absorbs nearly 100% of the Hemp Extract. Drink one before you start your day to focus, after a hard workout to recover, and at the end of a long day to chill out!
VYBES is an organic beverage made with Hemp CBD (Cannabidiol) with15Mg CBD. Hemp-derived CBD helps our body naturally achieve homeostasis by regulating our anxiety, stress, mood, sleep, memory, and other key functions. CBD is a non-psychoactive gift from mother nature. Drinking VYBES has the power to improve your emotional well-being and achieve homeostasis.
Recess is infused with hemp extract and adaptogens, which is powerful and contains natural ingredients that help us adapt to stress and replenish our bodies’ endocannabinoid system which regulates our mood to help us achieve a balanced state of mind.
The CARES Act And The Cannabis Industry
The economy has been left reeling from much of the U.S. being forced to stay home due to COVID-19, and small businesses are being hit the hardest. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a stimulus package passed by Congress in March that is intended to assist small business owners during this unprecedented time. And yet, neither cannabis business owners nor ancillary service providers to the industry are eligible to receive assistance from the Small Business Association (SBA) because cannabis remains federally illegal. This, despite the majority of U.S. states having enacted legalization in some form, cannabis businesses being deemed essential in multiple markets, and the industry generating over $1.9 billion in excise and sales taxes in 2019.
What The CARES Act Provides
The CARES Act sets aside $376 billion of financial support and other resources for small business owners and workers struggling to stay afloat during the health crisis caused by the coronavirus. Available options include payroll protection, forgivable loan advances, and debt relief, as well as access to free business counseling services. The White House and congressional Democrats are now working on a new $450 billion relief package for small businesses after the first one ran out of money in two weeks. This $450 billion will include $300 billion to replenish the depleted Paycheck Protection Program, $50 billion for the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief fund, $75 billion for hospitals, and $25 billion for testing.
According to the SBA however, businesses that engage in “illegal activity” at the federal, state, or local level do not qualify for assistance. That means not only are cannabis dispensaries, delivery services, cultivation sites, and manufacturers shut out, but so are ancillary businesses – legal, marketing, accounting, and other services – that work indirectly with the industry. There is one notable exception: anyone who owns or provides goods or services to a hemp business is eligible since hemp was made legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.
But, there is hope, last week, Rep. Blumenauer and nearly three dozen of his colleagues sent a letter to House leadership urging them to make cannabis businesses eligible for SBA programs. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) along with eight co-signers sent a similar letter to Senate leadership on Wednesday. They have been joined by cannabis industry advocates, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, state officials including Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, and others. The Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act would stop cannabis businesses and those that provide services to them from being excluded from further federal relief funding provided through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
What Cannabis Business Owners Can Do
NCIA is among multiple organizations actively pushing for the cannabis industry’s inclusion in federal COVID-19 aid packages, but what can cannabis and ancillary business owners do in the meantime?
• Apply for federal assistance anyway. Whether the federal government likes it or not, legal cannabis is the fastest growing industry in America. There’s no better way for cannabis business owners to reinforce this by pursuing every resource made available to other small businesses during this time. Submit a complete, honest application proving compliance and a genuine need – even if it is denied, it could go a long way towards supporting efforts that ultimately change the policy regarding federal aid.
• Explore state-level funding options. In states where medical or adult-use cannabis is legal, local jurisdictions set the tone for the legal industry. Small banks, credit unions, and even your local SBA office – which may be more willing to assist cannabis companies and ancillary service providers in their local communities – could, therefore, be viable options for owners seeking financial assistance.
• Stay the course. Legal cannabis’ status as an essential business – and the grassroots efforts it took to get there – could be a boon for the industry on the other side of this health crisis. While legalization efforts are essentially paused in the era of social distancing, the legal industry can still hold elected officials accountable and impact change through online petitions, and via email and phone-calling efforts.
