MJBizCon 2025: Where the Cannabis Industry Took Stock—and Set Its Sights Forward

MJBizCon 2025 returned to Las Vegas with a familiar sense of scale—and a noticeably different tone. Drawing more than 20,000 cannabis industry professionals from across the globe, the industry’s largest annual business conference once again underscored why it remains the most influential gathering in cannabis.

This year, however, the mood had shifted. After years defined by rapid expansion, regulatory turbulence and market correction, MJBizCon 2025 felt less about hype and more about hard-earned clarity. Operators, investors, brands and policymakers arrived ready to talk fundamentals: profitability, compliance, sustainability and long-term growth.

The Entire Cannabis Ecosystem, Under One Roof

With 1,000+ exhibiting companies spanning massive exhibit halls, MJBizCon 2025 showcased the full breadth of the cannabis ecosystem. The show floor represented four core sectors—cultivation; processing and manufacturing; retail and dispensary operations; and business services and technology—illustrating just how sophisticated and interconnected the industry has become.

From automation and advanced cultivation systems to fintech, compliance platforms and product innovation, exhibitors focused on real-world solutions for an increasingly competitive marketplace.

A More Measured, More Mature Industry

While booths remained visually striking, conversations were grounded and pragmatic. Multi-state operators and legacy brands alike emphasized disciplined expansion, operational efficiency and margin protection over aggressive land grabs.

Education sessions mirrored this evolution. Panels addressing federal reform, state-by-state regulatory complexity, capital access and international markets were among the most attended. While optimism around rescheduling and banking reform was cautious, there was a growing sense that incremental progress is beginning to translate into tangible opportunity.

Leadership Perspective: Why MJBizCon Still Matters

That realism and resilience echoed throughout the week. As Emilie Lewis, Senior Vice President of MJBiz, put it: “MJBizCon has earned its place as the most important annual gathering in the cannabis industry. It’s the one week each year when the entire ecosystem—operators, investors, innovators, policymakers and solution providers—comes together to move the industry forward. Despite the headwinds, this community continues to show incredible resilience and ingenuity. That’s why MJBizCon remains the largest, most professional and most influential event in the cannabis sector—it’s where the future of the industry is built, deal by deal and relationship by relationship.”

Brands Creating Experiences—Not Just Booths

Across the expo floor, brands leaned into creativity, experience and connection. Green Rebates stood out by transforming its booth into a destination rather than a stopover. From live-stitched custom hats to a mini-golf tournament dubbed the “MJ Open”—complete with exclusive “MJ Open Champion” Scotty Cameron putters—the company focused on making people feel welcome in an otherwise overwhelming environment.

“Our biggest goal was to give the wonderful people of this industry a reason to smile,” the Green Rebates team shared. “Walking around MJBiz can feel overwhelming, so we wanted people to stay for a while, play some mini-golf, and walk away with a custom hat stitched live for them. If people walked away with core memories, we accomplished our mission.”

Two weeks after the show, the team noted they were “still on cloud 9,” a testament to the lasting impact experiential marketing can have in a crowded trade show environment.

Innovation Backed by Research and Intention

For Terpene Belt Farms, MJBizCon 2025 was about substance as much as style. The company used the show to release a new white paper detailing why cannabis-derived terpenes and botanical terpenes are not the same, while also debuting what they described as the first mood-modulating beverage formulated without hemp cannabinoids, powered by a novel cannabis-derived terpene blend.

“There was good value from MJBiz this year if you knew where to look, and our booth was one of those spots that was delivering,” said Hyrum Taylor, Marketing Director at Terpene Belt Farms. “The feedback on both was pretty incredible—better than you let yourself hope for when planning these kinds of things. It made for an elevated and buzzy vibe, and set the tone for the show.”

Taylor added that attendees returning multiple times for samples—and sharing drinks with friends and competitors alike—made it “the kind of show you want, and the show we had.”

Technology Advancing the Pre-Roll Category

Hardware and product-enablement innovation was also front and center. EFLO Vape reported strong interest in its E-Filter technology, particularly from MSOs and emerging brands seeking to enhance pre-rolls without disrupting existing workflows.

“What surprised us most was how quickly the value clicked once people saw it in action,” said Bailey Hannawa, Founder and CEO of EFLO LLC. “As we move into year two, EFLO is focused on continuing to build a new category around enhanced pre-rolls, making it easier for brands to seamlessly power up their offerings.”

For EFLO, MJBizCon validated both market demand and momentum, reinforcing optimism around the future of infused and performance-driven pre-roll innovation.

Automation Signals The Next Leap Forward

On the manufacturing side, Sorting Robotics highlighted the industry’s readiness for deeper automation. The company reported strong enthusiasm around its updated Stardust kief coating robot and the debut of its new Telti robot, designed to tackle unstructured assembly through autonomous decision-making.

“MJBizCon showed the industry is ready for the next leap in automation,” said Barry Baughman, Marketing Manager at Sorting Robotics, noting nonstop demos and packed conversations with operators and executives. “It was energizing and reaffirming for our team, especially as we look toward where cannabis automation is headed in 2026.”

Networking With Purpose

Beyond products and panels, MJBizCon 2025 excelled at what matters most: meaningful connection. From curated investor meetings to after-hours events across Las Vegas, networking felt intentional and productive.

Attendees weren’t just exchanging business cards—they were strengthening partnerships, closing deals,\ and laying groundwork for the year ahead.

Looking Ahead

MJBizCon 2025 didn’t promise overnight reform or easy wins. Instead, it delivered perspective.

The cannabis industry is no longer in its infancy. It is seasoned, adaptive and increasingly strategic. As operators navigate tighter margins and evolving regulations, including this week’s rescheduling of cannabis as a Schedule III drug, MJBizCon continues to serve as a critical checkpoint—a place to recalibrate, collaborate and recommit to building a stronger industry.

If 2025 was about consolidation and survival, the conversations in Las Vegas suggest that 2026 will be about refinement, innovation and long-term credibility. And for an industry that has fought hard to be taken seriously, that may be the most important milestone of all.