LONG BEACH, Calif. – The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is hosting the third annual California Cannabis Business Conference this October 8-9. The event, which will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center, will gather thousands of cannabis industry leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs to discuss and examine California’s cannabis-specific regulations, market trends, policy, advocacy, and research.
California Cannabis Business Conference is the only industry trade show focusing solely on the California market. Attendees will have the chance to network with top California operators and over 200 unique exhibitors. Cannabis professionals will also have the opportunity to hear over 100 thought leaders in the space discuss how to navigate licensing and multiple regulatory agencies within the world’s largest adult-use market.
Leaders from California brands Kiva Confections and Papa & Barkley will kick off the festivities with the “Scaling Across California” panel, discussing how to implement lessons learned from other industries to grow a successful cannabis business. Lindsay Robinson, Executive Director of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA) is spearheading the panel “All Eyes on California: Exploring Recent Regulatory Changes and Correlating Market Dynamics,” where attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how California’s new regulations will affect the cannabis industry on a national and global level.
New this year, NCIA will be offering Lightning Lessons, where industry pioneers will educate conference-goers about top-of-mind issues in 20-minute sessions. Chaney Turner, founder and CEO of The People’s Dispensary will speak about the importance of corporate responsibility and The People’s Dispensary’s unique approach to social equity during the “Social Equity: An Honest Conversation” session. During the “Building Bridges and Breaking Down Walls from California to Latin America” session, Jazmin Aguiar, Co-Founder & President of The Working Group will address how Californians can build connections with the booming Latin American cannabis industry.
Proceeds from the conference will go toward NCIA’s federal policy reform efforts, including advocating for the SAFE Banking Act, one of the many finance-related topics Codie Sanchez of Cresco Capital Partners and Troy Dayton of The Arcview Group will address during the keynote presentation “Show Me the Money: The Future of Finance in Cannabis.” Sanchez and Dayton will share general best practices for anyone looking to fundraise and invest and hear more about the future of finance for the industry.
“The banking issue has been a hot topic within the industry that we want to address head-on at this event. We know that educational panel discussions are helpful for business owners, but this conference is doing so much more than that,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of NCIA. “When cannabis executives purchase tickets to attend the California Cannabis Business Conference, they are serving the higher purpose of advancing the industry politically.”
Tuesday, October 8 marks opening day for the expo hall. Sessions will take place throughout the day, with networking breaks scheduled for attendees and speakers to meet with the more than 200 exhibitors showcasing new products and revolutionary services from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The conference continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, where attendees can continue to explore the expo hall and enjoy the full lineup of educational sessions throughout the day.
About the National Cannabis Industry Association
Representing nearly 2,000 member-businesses and tens-of-thousands of cannabis professionals, NCIA is leading the charge to protect legal cannabis businesses, defend our state laws, and advance federal policy reforms. Successful businesses are joining NCIA every day to become stronger, smarter, and more prosperous by working together to defend and expand the responsible cannabis industry.
