MJ Unpacked, the first national event created exclusively for cannabis CPG brands, retail executives and accredited investors actively investing in cannabis, announced the speaker lineup and event programming for Sept. 28-30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Over the course of three days, guests will have the opportunity to connect and collaborate with industry peers and investors from across the nation to gain insight into new markets, meet new distributors, and strike new licensing deals. In addition to speaker sessions, breakouts and networking, this year’s Las Vegas event will also feature new integrations, including the Clio Cannabis Awards and the first-ever MJU Venture Summit, featuring top thought leaders in the cannabis industry.
Highlights of the event include:
● MJU Venture Summit, Sept. 28 – The inaugural MJU Venture Summit is a highly curated half-day event exclusively for venture fund managers, family office executives, and UHNW individuals actively investing in the cannabis industry. The Venture Summit will kick off at noon on Wednesday with a hosted lunch and networking, followed by high-level relevant discussions for the investor set in the cannabis space. Speakers from Verano, Terrapin Care Station, Cowen & Co, the Canadian Stock Exchange, American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH), the US Cannabis Council, Poseidon Investment Management, Merida Capital Holdings, and BDSA will headline sessions focused on investor-relevant topics, including utilizing public market capital, the latest updates for federal reform, global markets reports, and an exits panel. Investors are required to register for MJ Unpacked and meet the event’s registration requirements to access the MJU Venture Summit. The program will close with a champagne networking session before feeding into the Brand Experience Hall opening reception.
● Brand Experience Hall, Sept. 29-30 – The Brand Experience Hall will open Wednesday evening with a cocktail reception and remain open for business through Friday. Expect to preview some of the most innovative and successful brands including Wana Brands, Body and Mind, Kosmik Brands, Toast, City Trees, Weekenders Cannabis, Slang Worldwide, and more from every adult-use market in the United States. MJ Unpacked’s Brand Experience Hall provides exhibitors unparalleled opportunities to showcase their products and connect with retailers and potential license partners to expand their footprint nationwide.
● Money Stage, Sept. 29-30 – On Thursday and Friday, the Money Stage will present opportunities to pitch a panel of venture capitalists and an audience of accredited investors for a chance to receive funding and the MJ Unpacked Pitch Reward of $5,000.
● Speaker Sessions, Sept. 29-30 – Over 40 of the most high-profile names across cannabis brands, MSOs and tastemakers, as well as several industry executives and policymakers, will convene on Thursday and Friday to provide timely and comprehensive insights on the current and future state of cannabis regulations, best practices for building and expanding brands, solutions to market challenges, and more. Featured speakers include:
- Bohb Blair, CMO, Jones Soda
- Dre Neumann, Chief Creative Director, Jushi
- Hope Wiseman, CEO, Mary & Main
- Kika Keith, Owner, Gorilla Rx Wellness Co.
- Liz Stahura, Co-Founder & COO, BDSA
- Maha Haq, Director of Retail Strategy, Green Thumb Industries
- Matt Darin, CEO, Curaleaf
- Megan Klein, Founder & CEO, Little Saints
- Melanie Davis, COO of The People’s Ecosystem, Founder of The People’s DAO, & CEO and Founder of The People’s Dispensary and Smoke Out
- Mike Hennesy, VP of Innovation, Wana Brands
- Ryan Brown, CEO, Groundworks Industries
- Sheri Orlowitz, Founding Partner, Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation ○ Tahir Johnson, CEO, Simply Pure & Director of Social Equity & Inclusion, Marijuana Policy Project
- Tyneeha Rivers, Chief People Officer, Curaleaf
● Clio Cannabis Awards, Sept. 29 – In partnership with Clio, the premier international awards competition for the creative business, MJ Unpacked presents the Clio Cannabis Awards at the MGM Grand. The awards will celebrate the boundary-pushing creators at the forefront of cannabis marketing and communications and will honor the most creative cannabis work of the year. The event begins at 6:00 pm and requires a separate ticket.
● MJ Unpacked Social Impact Scholarship in partnership with Our Academy and Minorities for Medical Marijuana – MJ Unpacked is proud to partner with Our Academy & Minorities for Medical Marijuana to create the MJ Unpacked Social Impact Scholarship. Companies interested in sponsoring will provide a critical opportunity for BIPOC-owned and social equity brands to bring their products to market and engage the investment community exclusively at MJ Unpacked. Sponsors will receive four passes to MJ Unpacked and promotion on signage, website, and email, plus an online profile in the MJU app for appointment scheduling, direct messaging with attendees, and lead generation. To get involved, please visit https://mjunpacked.com/equity-scholarship/.
In addition to the above efforts, MJ Unpacked will donate 5% of the Las Vegas event’s registration revenue to Americans For Safe Access, Last Prisoner Project, Minorities for Medical Marijuana and Weed For Warriors Project.
“Our team can’t wait to bring MJ Unpacked back to Las Vegas for this one-of-a-kind gathering of cannabis retailers, THC CPG brands and investors,” said George Jage, co-founder and CEO of MJ Unpacked. “The synergy we’re able to create between industry peers is unparalleled, and we’re looking forward to creating unique opportunities and a successful show for all.”
The Las Vegas event comes on the heels of the hugely successful MJ Unpacked New York City event in May, in which there were over 2,500 attendees across every sector of the cannabis industry, including distinguished speakers, CEOs, brand builders, and policymakers.
MJ Unpacked is made possible with support from strategic sponsors CannabisBPO, Clio Cannabis Awards, and The Flower Agency, as well as industry sponsors, including the title sponsor, BDSA, and more:
● Azuca
● AFC Gamma
● Body and Mind
● Dizpot
● Magazzu Law Firm
● Rootworks
For more information on attending brands, speaker lineup, registration, equity sponsorship, sponsors, and more, please visit MJ Unpacked’s website and Instagram at @mjunpacked.
About MJ Unpacked
All it takes is a spark. MJ Unpacked is the first cannabis event of its kind that places passionate cannabis retailers, THC CPG brands and investors together to drive the future of the industry, determine the next stage of market growth and deliver a true return on investment. The event, founded by George Jage, former president of MJBizDaily/MJBizCon and CEO of Dope Media, and Kim Jage, former EVP and CMO of World Tea Media, creates unique opportunities for executives to learn from fellow professionals, explore expansion opportunities and prepare to be competitive in a national market. Launched in 2021 and held biannually in Las Vegas and New York City, MJ Unpacked features over 100 nationally-recognized cannabis brands alongside impressive speaker panels and an invite-only Venture Summit. For more information, visit mjunpacked.com and jagemedia.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter.
