How Can I Find Cannabis Events Near Me?

As policy reforms have taken hold, more and more people are willing to publicly acknowledge their relationship with cannabis and their desire to learn more about it. This growing acceptance of cannabis has resulted in many new opportunities and experiences, including a proliferation of cannabis events.

Cannabis events are often only reserved for adults aged 21 and up, although some allow medical patients who are younger and have a medical cannabis card. Many feature a consumption area where attendees can smoke cannabis flower, vape, or otherwise enjoy cannabis products.

Finding a cannabis event near you may not always be quick and easy, but with a few helpful tips, many consumers can potentially attend a locally infused event.

Types of Cannabis Events

Most cannabis events are geared to a particular segment of the cannabis community, resulting in several different types of productions. 

Events can be curated for commercial cannabis operators, while others are focused on medical cannabis patients. Some are private, while others publicly welcome recreational cannabis consumers, giving them access to new developments, innovative products, and a sense of community. 

The following are a few different types of events consumers may see.

• Business-to-business (B2B) – These types of cannabis events are geared toward licensed cannabis operators and the myriad of companies that provide goods and services to them. Some, such as MJBizCon, the world’s largest B2B cannabis event, attract attendees worldwide, while others focus on regional, state, or local markets. 

B2B events allow executives and entrepreneurs to make deals, form new relationships, and learn about advances in the cannabis industry among their peers.

• Cannabis Cups—These events are competitions designed to recognize the best cannabis products in different markets. Cannabis cup awards events are often open to the public, who can interact with the growers, manufacturers, and retailers of the products they buy. These events often also include a consumption area where patrons can enjoy cannabis products in a fun, social environment.

• Industry-only Cannabis Events—These gatherings are exclusively for people who work in the cannabis industry, such as budtenders or buyers at dispensaries. They can be purely social or often include educational aspects related to the event’s focus.

• Cannabis Community Events – These events are open to the public, including all members of the cannabis community. They give people a chance to learn about cannabis and mingle with each other while enjoying the plant in a safe atmosphere.

What To Do at a Cannabis Event

The activities and attractions at cannabis events vary widely depending on the event and its focus. However, nearly all allow members of the cannabis community to make new contacts and meet old friends in an exciting, social, and cannabis-friendly environment. 

The most significant B2B cannabis events feature hundreds, even thousands of exhibitors, displays, and attractions. Visitors are usually encouraged to interact with exhibitors to learn about the latest advancements in cannabis cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, packaging, marketing, retailing, and more. Many exhibits feature live demonstrations or samples, giving attendees a hands-on experience with the latest offerings from companies in the industry. 

If cannabis events are held in a state with recreational cannabis laws, they often include an unspoken consumption area. These areas usually highlight the experience for many attendees by allowing them to enjoy cannabis products with others. Consumption areas may sometimes feature an on-site retail partner offering products to be enjoyed in the designated space.

Many events also include panel discussions and presentations from experts in the cannabis industry eager to share their knowledge and experience. Others include educational programs about cannabis-related topics, including policy, commercial developments, home cannabis cultivation, the benefits of the plant, and other items of interest related to the event’s theme.

Some cannabis events also include an advocacy component, where visitors can learn about recent policy and justice reform developments. These events often include opportunities to put support into action through social media and awareness campaigns, communication with policymakers, and other advocacy efforts.

Cannabis events often have food and drinks available for attendees, with exclusively nonalcoholic beverages being the norm. The refreshments available sometimes include manufactured cannabis edibles and drinks, and other infused foods can sometimes be found, as well.

Events aimed at cannabis consumers allow attendees to interact with representatives of their favorite brands, businesses, and advocacy organizations. Visitors can also meet with other cannabis community members and organizers to learn about the latest topics of interest to the community and industry.

Activities at these events are not confined to the theme of cannabis. These events, particularly those aimed at industry members and everyday consumers, can include flash tattoos, art creation, beauty treatments, massages, and much more. Ultimately, it is the event coordinator's responsibility to offer unique and engaging experiences for attendees, and cannabis events can encompass a variety of activities.

Reasons for Medical Patients to Attend Cannabis Events

Depending on their focus and features, some cannabis events can be valuable experiences for medical cannabis patients. Patients can connect with medical cannabis brands, which sometimes offer free samples or affordable products to visitors. Some events, such as Hall of Flowers, include companies offering steep discounts on products they sell directly to patients and consumers.

Most Popular Cannabis Events

• According to organizers, MJBizCon, which is held each December in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest cannabis event. The primarily B2B affair includes exhibits, panel discussions, and displays of the latest industry products and services, including cultivation and packaging equipment, cannabis accessories, and other essentials.

• Spannabis is one of Europe’s most popular cannabis events. Held each spring in Barcelona, Spain, the annual event features three days of activities where exhibitors, professionals, and consumers can exchange ideas and learn about developments in the global cannabis industry.

• Hall of Flowers is a B2B event typically only open to exhibiting brands, licensed retail buyers, and tightly vetted entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders, and media. In 2024, however, the event welcomed consumers for the first time, featuring more than 300 brands operating on a direct-to-consumer basis at the Santa Rosa, California, event.

• The California State Fair joined the cannabis event arena in 2022, marking a new milestone in efforts to reduce the stigma faced by the cannabis community. An experience featuring education focused on cannabis as an agricultural product, the event added a cannabis retail sales component and consumption area for the first time in 2024.  An awards competition highlighting California’s top cannabis brands adds to the excitement.

• The National Cannabis Festival is a yearly celebration of legal weed held in Washington, D.C. The event features exhibits, activism, food, live music, and other entertainment.

• The Emerald Cup is a cannabis competition event for California cannabis brands that began as an underground event in the Golden State’s famed Emerald Triangle cannabis cultivation region. The event has since come out of the shadows to feature an annual competition, awards ceremony, marketplace, and festival. 

• The Oregon Leaf Bowl in Portland and its affiliated events, including the California Leaf Bowl and the Northwest Leaf Bowl, feature a cannabis products competition, a festival with booths from cannabis companies and local artists, food and beverage vendors, entertainment, and more.

• The New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) brings vendor exhibits and a cannabis competition to Boston yearly, with affiliated events throughout the East Coast. 

How To Find Nearby Cannabis Events

Attending a cannabis event can be an enjoyable and enlightening experience for experienced cannabis patients and newbies alike. With new legal cannabis markets opening yearly, additional industry events constantly join established conventions and competitions. 

EventHi is a website and app that offers event listings and other services to event organizers. It also provides information about cannabis events in your area and allows users to sign up for notifications about new events. 

Additionally, following your favorite cannabis brands, organizations, and businesses on social media can help you stay updated about the happenings of your local cannabis community.

The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.