2020 Virtual Cannabis Conferences: Adapting to a Changing World in an Emerging Industry

As the world adapts to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, so many aspects of our lives have drastically changed, and the same holds true for the cannabis industry. Here’s how professionals in the legal cannabis space continue to network despite the pandemic.

As the world adapts to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, things have drastically changed, and the same holds true for the cannabis industry. The cannabis industry has historically faced as many hurdles as just about any other – ones that are often insurmountable. With the plant medicine still illegal and deemed a schedule 1 drug at the federal level, states set precedence by deeming cannabis businesses essential - while many others in different industries were forced to close. We were also happy to see how professionals working within the legal cannabis space continue to network despite the pandemic.

While Cannabis Cup events have always been popular, one aspect of our emerging industry that has seen a rise in popularity has been professional networking events, trade shows, and other industry gatherings. The majority of these events have always been held in person, but this has obviously changed in 2020. As with company Zoom meetings, one of the most interesting aspects of virtual industry events and remote conferences is that we get a glimpse into how professionals and keynote speakers live their home lives. This offered a bit of intimacy and humanization in an otherwise cold and difficult year.

2020 Virtual Cannabis Industry Events that Stood Out to Us

As is the case with any other industry, not every conference or networking event is created equal. Some were better than others this year, and we will highlight some of the more notable ones below. In no particular order, here are some virtual cannabis conferences that stood out to us in 2020.

Cannabis Labs/Food Labs Conference

The CannaFoodLabs virtual cannabis conference served the multi-billion dollar cannabinoid-infused consumables market as well as the extraction laboratory space. It took place from June 2nd to the 5th and provided attendees with some valuable information in the areas of regulatory, compliance, and risk management that cannabis companies face in the testing and food laboratory management spaces. The food testing and cannabis testing markets share a lot of similarities, and this unique conference brought these two markets together earlier this summer.

International Cannabis Business Conference Virtual Global Cannabis Symposium

The ICBC formerly featured in-person conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Europe - with events being held in San Francisco, Barcelona, Berlin, Bern, and Vancouver (BC). In 2020, The International CBC was promoting itself as the first-ever International Cannabis Business Conference and featured worldwide virtual exhibitors who discussed topics like policy, advocacy, and other aspects of the cannabis industry. Taking place on June 9th, the ICBC featured prominent entertainers and well-known cannabis advocates like Rick Steves, Tommy Chong, John Salley, and DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill.

Image credit: internationalcbc.com

Prohibition Partners LIVE

Prohibition Partners LIVE held a virtual event on June 22nd and 23rd, and will also hold another global virtual cannabis conference on November 17-20. Virtual attendees will hear presentations from thought leaders and inspirational thinkers in the legal cannabis space. Presenters will cover just about every aspect of the cannabis industry you can think of, providing expert insights on topics like science and research, policy and reform, business and investment, as well as culture and innovation. The virtual event will draw over 4,000 worldwide attendees, according to the Prohibition Partners website.

Image credit: prohibitionpartners.live

Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference & Expo

As the cannabis industry evolves, one of the biggest questions enthusiasts of the plant medicine have is “how do I get a job?” We see this as an underserved area of our emerging industry, and the Emerge Conference and Expo helped to fill that void. What appears to have been the first-ever virtual cannabis job fair was held on July 22nd and 23rd. The next virtual Emerge Cannabis event will be held on December 15th - 17th and will feature over 30 sessions as well as over 50 exhibitors. The virtual presentations will be made available to attendees for 90 days following the expo.

Image credit: emergecanna.com

2020 Virtual Cannabis Events: A Business Model to Build On

Even when we finally get a COVID-19 vaccine and we can begin to attend live events again, the virtual cannabis model will probably continue to be popular. In our on-demand, globalized, always-plugged-in digital culture, virtual events, working remotely and the like has been something gaining prominence for many years now. This will only continue well into the future, as more legal cannabis markets open up - with state voters deciding on the possibility of more recreational markets emerging. Traveling to conferences will slowly but surely be phased out in favor of virtual conferences that attendees can participate in, from the comfort of their homes, in their comfy PJs.

HashDash - Building Community, Virtually For Now

We hope you found value in our content on virtual cannabis conferences. We look forward to the time when we can rub elbows and network with some of our fellow cannabis industry professionals. Be sure to check back to our blog often, because we post fresh content every week! Connect with us on social media: @hashdash.com on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here at HashDash, we are compiling an entire information database that will continue to answer your questions regarding all things cannabis, as well as where to find the best dispensaries in your area. Be sure to sign up for HashDash if you haven’t already to discover your cannabis matches. As always, thanks for reading, and happy consuming!