Since 2011, MJBizCon has been America’s largest convention for the cannabis and hemp industries. This year, for the first time, Sensi Seeds was able to attend and see just how the US market has evolved compared to Europe over the last decade. While it was a bit different than what we’ve grown used to here, it was a great time and we can’t wait to go back.
What is MJBizCon?
Even diehard cannabis aficionados can be forgiven for not knowing about MJBizCon. While it’s absolutely massive with more than 30,000 attendees over its three days, it’s not exactly targeted at the average consumer. Instead, this convention is all about the B2B (business-to-business) side of things. It gives industry insiders a place to catch up on the newest advancements in large-scale cultivation, learn tips for navigating an ever-changing legal landscape, and how to safely operate a legitimate business that the federal government still deems “illegal”. Not a whole lot for your average home grower.
Basically, MJBizCon has always been something of a “Chad” conference; all stuffed shirts and martini lunches without the grassroots charm that has become a staple of European events like Spannabis or Mary Jane Berlin. While much of Europe’s legalisation push has been spearheaded by popular movements, the biggest driver across the US has always been business and that has sculpted the nature of this convention from day one.
For starters, despite the fact that MJBizCon takes place on the Las Vegas Strip—one of the most trafficked entertainment hotspots in the world—walk-ins weren’t exactly welcome as a single-day ticket was selling for nearly €500. Basically, if European cannabis fairs are a party, MJBizCon is a trade event for industry insiders that doesn’t really offer much to the average consumer.
Until now.
The Vault by Sherbinskis
This year, as part of our inaugural appearance, we brought along all of our friends to help turn the tide and create an experience that truly offered something directly to our customers. With the help of Mario Guzman (the founder of Sherbinskis and Voice of the Plant), we set up the first-ever area focused directly on B2C (business-to-customer) interactions at MJBizCon and the results were spectacular.
We brought along a true who’s-who of cannabis industry leaders including representatives from all of our Breeding Grounds partners for a legendary announcement panel. We had the brains behind Champelli, Serge Cannabis, DNA Genetics, and more on hand for questions, speeches, and general good times. Sadly, our good friend Cutter from Fat Beans was unable to attend but we were able to show off his hard work to a seriously impressed crowd.
This was the real highlight of the show for us, as we were finally able to officially announce a project that we’ve been very excited about for some time; our collaboration with the absolute legends over at Death Row Records as well as our new projects with Aficionado Seeds and DNA Genetics.
Aside from our direct partners, we were also fortunate enough to get to work with such industry veterans as our good friend Uncle Stoner, Leo Stone from Aficionado Seeds, Ken Estes, the creator of the original Granddaddy Purple strain, as well as Ben and Nate from the Humboldt Seed Company. Additionally, we were joined by the teams at Barney’s Farm, Tiki Madman Seeds, Rebel Grown, Terp Hogz, First Smoke of the Day, and the Mendo Dope Boys.
The purpose of this massive team-up was to introduce an area known simply as The Vault; a brand-new B2C section of MJBizCon aimed exclusively at getting premium cannabis genetics directly into the hands of home growers. Sensi Seeds only began operating in the US in 2023, so this was our first real chance to interact with the market at large and show American growers exactly what we’ve been up to in Europe for the last several years.
Not all smooth sailing
While cannabis is technically legal in Nevada, these kinds of events are often met with undue scrutiny and a few issues are bound to arise. The biggest mishap occurred one day when there was supposed to be an event scheduled at a separate venue. Well, shortly before kickoff, it was revealed that the venue had been closed by police for undisclosed reasons. No problem, there’s a backup venue. Well, it seems that that was also shuttered by law enforcement. The exact nature of the issue wasn’t revealed to us, but it’s safe to assume that—even today—the cops just want to harsh our mellow.
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Culture shock
As I mentioned a few times earlier, MJBizCon is simply an entirely different beast than anything that we have in Europe. For starters, the size and scale are simply breathtaking. They say everything’s bigger in the US and MJBizCon is a perfect example. Even though the convention attracted more than 30,000 people, it never felt particularly crowded thanks to just how spread out the entire event is.
But it’s not just the size, the entire vibe was a little different. Despite being held on the Las Vegas Strip, this isn’t a party. However, that’s slowly changing. As the American market has gained legitimacy over the last few years, those who started it are slowly getting back to their roots and the convention felt like it was in something of a transitional phase. Our location in the Seed Vault was certainly a bit more festive because we were catering directly to consumers. Additionally, we were right next to the outdoor smoking area where a DJ had set up and gave the entire Vault a much more casual atmosphere.
The US market was only able to gain traction after it showed that cannabis was profitable (to the surprise of nobody) and now that it’s established itself as a powerful and profitable (nearly) nationwide market, it’s reached a point where the pretence can be put aside and we can all stop pretending that it’s all about the business.
The entire industry is in flux, at least in the US. Cannabis businesses are being squeezed from both sides. Customers want a more locally-grown, grassroots industry that can cater to their local market while the very real needs of running a sustainable and scalable business can—at times—be at odds with that. MJBizCon is a microcosm of this change as this once industry-only event is slowly changing the way it does things.
Starting next year, the convention is considering adopting something of a hybrid model with both B2B and B2C sections and more affordable tickets for consumers who just want to see what the next big thing in cannabis will be.
More than just a convention
At the end of the day, MJBizCon is just another large industry trade fair aimed at industry movers and shakers. But, as anyone who has ever been to a European cannabis fest can attest, it can be so much more than that. These festivals are a place for passionate people to come together and share in the thing they love.
While this may have been our first year at MJBizCon, it certainly won’t be our last. With the convention’s planned shift to a hybrid B2B/B2C model in the coming years, we’re excited to see the continued growth and evolution of America’s largest cannabis festival. And if we can continue to play a role in shaping that future, even better. At the end of the day, these conventions are all about bringing together all sides of the industry so that we can all have fun together; isn’t that why any of us got into this business?
