This was our third year at MJBizCon in fabulous Las Vegas. We continue to feel the love that this industry has for one another—something truly unique.
I cannot stress enough what a wonderful job the MJBizCon organizers do, making this such an unmissable event.
The Fireside Lounge at the Peppermill. Photo by Corey Benjamin
A Very Vegas Start: Lunch at The Peppermill
After arriving in town, our first stop was lunch with Head Magazine Associate Editor Corey Benjamin who had arrived from Chicago, at the iconic Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge, a Las Vegas landmark. The Peppermill delivers exactly what you want at the start of a busy conference week: wild retro décor, famously generous portions, and the glow of its beloved firepit. The perfect warm-up.
Ian Rassman, Executive Director and President of Los Angeles NORML at MJBizCon Associations Day
Jerred Kiloh, President of the United Cannabis Business Association and owner of The Higher Path Dispensary with a friend at Associations Day
Associations Day: Where the Heart of the Industry Shows
After collecting our credentials at the Las Vegas Convention Center, we headed to Associations Day, where the nonprofits of the cannabis industry gather.
We met the people doing meaningful work on behalf of others—advocates, organizers, and community builders who remind us that cannabis is about more than commerce. It was a powerful start to the week.
Charlotte Parker, Editor and Publisher of Head Magazine, with Luna Stower at the Luna’s List Event at MJBizCon 2025
Luna’s List: Intimate Networking
Our next stop was Luna’s List, where the inimitable bundle of energy that is Luna Stower hosted a curated group in a suite on a private high floor at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The gathering featured interesting people in an environment where you could kick back without the noise and just quietly chat and network. As a side note, Luna has the ability to be in all places at the same time. Maybe she’s a superhero?
This suite was shared with the terrific Ishqa Hillman and her CannaBoss Babes, who had hosted an event earlier that day. Ishqa is a wonderful connector, and the industry is richer for having her.
This also marked the first time I lost my phone at this year’s BizCon. I left it in the suite and only noticed after everyone had departed for Blunt Brunch. But by a miracle, Ishqa was still there and saved me!
Blunt Brunch: Pearled Up & Powerful
Early evening began with Blunt Brunch, which brought hundreds of women—and some men—to the glamorous IPEC Las Vegas. We met some amazing women there, including Crystal Varkalis, an innovative and dedicated plant scientist.
Adelia Fakhri, Co-Founder of Blunt Brunch at MJBizCon 2025
Blunt Brunch also hosted a Meet & Greet on the MJBizCon show floor at The Hub in Central Hall, where I finally met Blunt Brunch co-founder Adelia Fakhri—who also co-founded EventHi, a platform I truly could not live without.
Light Up Las Vegas: Community, Cannabis, and Goats (and Llamas!)
That evening we headed to Light Up Las Vegas, hosted by Puf Creativ and Fat Nugs Magazine at The Doyle in downtown Las Vegas.
The Doyle is a vintage-industrial indoor/outdoor venue and was complete with live music, art installations, food trucks—and yes, llamas and goats. It was exactly as cool as it sounds.
And there was plenty of cannabis to go around, courtesy of friends.
Kristi Kem of Dope CFO and Freedom Grow happy to share the best with friends at the Puf Creativ party at MJBizCon 2025
We were thrilled to see our friend Kristi Kem, glamorously dressed and generously sharing her meticulously sun-grown cannabis. In addition to her role at DopeCFO, Kristi is a longtime volunteer with Freedom Grow, a cause that received meaningful support throughout MJBizCon.
Thanks in large part to Beard Bros’ Jeff Lever and Bill Lever, Freedom Grow had increased visibility at this year’s conference, with Blunt Brunch, Light Up Las Vegas, and many others contributing to its mission of supporting those unfairly incarcerated.
So Much to Do, So Little Time
One recurring challenge of MJBizCon is deciding where to be when so many compelling events overlap—particularly on the first day. It’s a wonderful problem to have, but a real one nonetheless. Even with the best planning, it was impossible to do it all, and we missed some events that we had wanted to attend.
Grassland’s Casey Echols in the Pressroom at MjBizCon 2025
The Pressroom: A Journalist’s Sanctuary
The Pressroom, hosted by Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency®, was a quiet place for media to conduct interviews and it worked great for us. Top media professionals Grasslands’ Casey Echols and Alexa Oliphant made sure it all ran smoothly, no mean feat.
Notable Interviews
Simon Knobel, CEO and Co-Founder of Calyx Containers
Simon Knobel, CEO and Co-Founder of Calyx Containers
Simon is a truly original thinker whose creative instincts and design sensibility has built a company that is a model for the industry. Known for unique and innovative cannabis preservation designed for practicality, ease of use and beauty, it’s no surprise Calyx supplies over 250 Brands with brilliantly innovated containers!
Matthew Myro Rothman, Chief Science Officer of CannaLnx
Matthew Myro Rothman, Chief Science Officer of CannaLnx
CannaLnx is the first HIPAA-compliant platform enabling medical cannabis reimbursement through insurance. With two decades at the intersection of cannabis science, cultivation, and patient access they are the leading digital health platform linking the world of cannabis medicine, digitizing the “recommendation”/”certification” process and the medical-cannabis supply chain. On a personal note, Matthew is a graduate of the California Institute of Integral Studies where he earned a Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy, Cosmology & Consciousness
Katie Mattox, VP of Marketing at Spherex
Katie Mattox, VP of Marketing at Spherex
Spherex is the leading vape company in Colorado, known for its scientific method of cannabis extraction and purification. Meeting Katie is like taking a Master Class in Event Marketing! As wonderful as the vape pens surely are, I believe she is their secret weapon for getting the message out there.
Mark Lewis, President of Specialty Payments at Lüt
Mark Lewis, President of Specialty Payments at Lüt
Lüt provides compliant payment solutions for highly regulated and cash-intensive businesses, enabling them to reduce cash handling for both in-store and online transactions. A former professional basketball player, this impressive executive previously managed over $1 billion in annual sales volume at Bank of America, served as President of 420 Financial Services, and held senior leadership roles at Ember Services, among other places.
The Festival of Light (ing Up!)
Back on the show floor at The Hub, Jews in Weed hosted a Biz Mitzvah—adding cannabis to a giant joint instead of lighting Chanukah candles, then taking it outside to light. Only at MJBizCon!
NuWu Marketplace
The NuWu Marketplace, owned by the sovereign nation of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, was quite the destination for MJ Biz attendees. The name NuWu (or Nuwuvi) means “the people” in the Southern Paiute language.
The space includes a dispensary, the Sky High Lounge, and an outdoor area with availability for booths. It was almost a second home at this year’s MJ Biz Con! With parties and a daily Flower Hour from 5 to 7 PM held there, it was a constant hub of activity.
It was our first time there, and we were impressed with their large selection of products that were fairly priced.
We attended The GCNC Suite Connector there at the Sky High Lounge, with tacos and enchiladas for guests—a large party with a celebratory vibe.
The Grasslands Party
The piece de résistance of the evening, the Grasslands Party, has become the tentpole event of MJBizCon. Carefully curated by Grasslands’ Ricardo Baca, it’s a warm and welcoming space with lots of wonderful people who are important in the industry, perfect for hanging out and networking.
From Left To Right: Head Magazine Associate Editor, Corey Benjamin,Journalist Adam Tschorn, Head Magazine Editor and Publisher, Charlotte Parker, Ricardo Baca, CEO and Founder of Grasslands at the Grasslands party at MJBizCon 2025
It’s one of BizCon’s hottest tickets, and we were delighted to be part of it! I finally got to meet press icon Adam Tschorn, who has a wonderful following as the knowledgeable reporter on all things cannabis for the Los Angeles Times, among other outlets.
Along with the amazing people, there were all kinds of delicious treats—and the donuts were among the best I’ve had. Perfect for the munchies!
Head Magazine Editor and Publisher, Charlotte Parker with Jews in Weed Co-Founder Jordan Eisenstadt
Jews in Weed Bagel Bash
Up early the next morning for the long-awaited Jews in Weed Bagel Bash, taking place this year at Planet 13 and taking over the amazing—and by now famous—Dazed Consumption Lounge at Planet 13, the country’s largest dispensary. The Consumption Lounge is beautiful and so impressive. We recently reviewed it here.
There was, of course, bagels, lox, cream cheese, and a ton of schmoozing with the Jews and all the others who joined for a morning of coffee and delicious breakfast to celebrate being together and meeting each other for more networking.
Head Magazine Editor and Publisher Charlotte Parker with CEO & Co-Founder of CustomConesUSA and DaySavers Harrison Bard in front of his booth at MJBizCon 2025
The Main Event: Walking the Expo Floor
Of course, the Expo itself deserves its own spotlight. Walking the floor was nothing short of awe-inspiring, with innovations ranging from massive, advanced machinery to beautifully designed accessories. The creativity and work ethic on display were unmistakable.
Samantha Villegas of MJBjzCon – always ready to help!
Aside from the Expo Floor, there were near constant events taking place at The Hub, which was on the floor, as well as conferences on important topics to the industry.
Ilya Zaydenberg of Raw with Editor and Publisher of Head Magazine, Charlotte Parker
The Lost Phone Saga Continues
The saga of my lost phone continued with incident number two. I was in a panic when I arrived at the RAW booth, and my friend, the inimitable Instagram icon Ilya Zaydenburg said he would make sure to find it and devoted himself to doing that! Meanwhile, Casey Echols at the Press Room helped me retrace my steps, only to find it at the Leafy edibles booth where I must have put it down for a moment to taste the chocolate edibles!
The Leafy Booth – the site of my lost phone. They hung onto it for me! Thank you!
Both Ilya and Casey have my lifelong appreciation, as I think any of you know what it means to lose a phone—particularly at a convention where all the details of your life and schedule are there, and it is your means of connection to everyone! After analysis, I realized it was the wrong purse with no special zip area for my phone that was the culprit. Not gonna happen again. But thank you so much, Ilya, Casey, and Ishqa!
The Grand Finale
The black-tie EmJay Awards was an exclusive evening event with mostly only the nominees invited, and there was very limited press entry. We wish congratulations to the nominees and the winners!
The closing event of the evening was the fabulous Orchid Suite party, to which all were able to attend – taking place inside a huge tent!
Final Thoughts
All in all, a wonderful 2025 MJBizCon event. Can’t wait for the next one!
Charlotte Parker is the Editor and Publisher of Head Magazine and HeadMagazine.com
