During live education programming at BizBash | Connect's recent Detroit Marketplace, the first question attendees asked following a panel discussion on cannabis at events—where HOLISTIK Wellness reiterated it was serving CBD-infused mocktails on the trade show floor—was: "Where can we find your booth?"
Evidently, there's a demand when it comes to more information on THC and CBD at events, and our panelists at the session—which you can watch on-demand here—espoused many of the benefits, as well as the complexities, involved in incorporating cannabis products and activations. Below are six things you might not know about cannabis at events, derived from our BizBash | Connect Detroit session Future Proofing Your Events: What the Legalization of THC Means for Event Producers.
1. Major events have been incorporating cannabis—the "stoner stigma" is outdated.
Ever heard of Grass Lands? It's considered the first curated cannabis experience at a major American music festival, and this year it turned four. The experience, held in conjunction with Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, allows festivalgoers to purchase exclusive products on-site and try them out in a safe space cheekily named the "Garden of Weed’n." And, of course, live music and food vendors keep the party going.
"Outside Lands has a pop-up experience called Grass Lands—it's an entire space designated for cannabis consumption, sales, and enjoyment," said panelist Austin Johnston, the CEO and founder of AKJOHNSTON. "It's got a whole vibe to it ... [this] was, I believe, the first professional approach to quality branding and professional execution. It's a safe environment that really made people feel good without the 'stoner stigma.' It was a place where you really felt engaged by cannabis."
Johnston advised, “For those nervous about approaching it, be really bold in that approach—it’s no longer the stoners in the corner underneath the bleachers. If that’s still in your head, get rid of that ... there's a lot of fun stuff to do with it.”
“We’re all looking for other elements of fun to offer our clients," added panelist Jes Gordon, the owner and creative director of jesGORDON/properFUN.
2. Education is paramount.
It might go without saying, but any event producer interested in curating a cannabis experience needs to be familiar with the plant.
“Cannabis education is so important," reiterated panelist Vanessa Oliver, the CEO of both Infin8ly Elevated Events and the Cannabis Wedding Expo. "And being an event planner, our job is to make sure that people feel comfortable. [It's important to] understand that there’s versatility when it comes to people consuming [cannabis], and how we engage them with that comfort and communication—or over-communicating when there’s going to be cannabis at an event—really shows that you are knowledgeable, and you respect the fact that there’s a level of naiveté that comes when you’re first entering cannabis."
And if you can't become an expert quickly, hire someone who already is one. Another panelist during our session was Elise McRoberts, the founder of The Hashinista. McRoberts has been working in the cannabis industry in California for almost 10 years. Her consultancy and event production company puts on cannabis-centric gatherings like farm-to-table dinners with an optional dosing experience that's completely alcohol free, with music and post-dinner sampling. Her speciality is helping brands elevate events without that "stoner stigma" and curating experiences for everything from dinner parties to other to-dos centered around food, comedy, dance, art, and more.
"We help cannabis brands express themselves in the best possible way, reaching target and new consumers, and helping non-cannabis [brands] and cannabis-curious consumers plug cannabis into their events," McRoberts said.
And be prepared to answer frequently asked questions advised panelist TJ Stouder, the CEO and co-founder of HOLISTIK Wellness and MyHi. He said that the biggest question his company gets is, "Will I fail a drug test?"
"The correct answer, no matter what anyone tells you, is yes, you could fail a drug test if you take CBD every single day," Stouder said. "You could fail as THC builds up in the system. That’s the correct answer. We put that on our site because we want customers to feel comfortable with the way they consume CBD or THC."
3. It’s all about creating a comfortable environment—and it won't be the same experience for every attendee.
Any event that incorporates cannabis needs to make sure it's setting the scene correctly—and safely.
“You really want to control your environment when you’re trying cannabis, so have no other factors such as alcohol or other things in your system," McRoberts advised. "And then, ideally, being in a setting where you’re going to feel comfortable. So as event producers, creating that setting [includes] not having other things that can interact with cannabis, having very clear labeling and dosage, and having people on-site who are experienced to aid in case anyone isn’t having a pleasant experience. And be prepared for harm reduction as well.”
Oliver also recommends keeping those who choose not to partake in mind. "It’s about curating an environment where everyone can feel comfortable," she explained. "They don’t have to partake in it, but they can observe, and from there that builds their curiosity, and from there that builds questions, and maybe they’ll explore it a little more. But being very subtle and approachable and mindful of that will really help create that experience for everybody."
4. Marketing can be tricky.
Some planners might be worried that marketing cannabis for an event could be a turn-off—so how do you do it right?
“It depends on the event," McRoberts said. "A lot of full cannabis events are completely private for partners, target audience, or industry B2B. In terms of a non-cannabis [event] adding cannabis, I'll use a private club in San Francisco as an example—they actually will market it as 'micro-dosing night: come learn about micro-dosing with this company and this brand, and it's free for members.' We’ll see some of that. In terms of marketing THC, those private events don’t have the same options available in terms of Facebook and paid advertising—everything will get flagged. I even had a press release get flagged because the word 'hashish' was in the title, so even traditional PR can be hard. You get creative around that."
Johnston added that if you feel the need to communicate simple expectations such as "because this is an outdoor event, you should bring a light jacket," then it's wise to communicate cannabis expectations—especially if it's a smoking event. In that case, Johnston recommends creating designated areas for it and sending messaging pre-event to be considerate of those who might not be comfortable with that form of consumption.
5. The laws where the event will be held should be reviewed.
During the Q&A, one audience member shared that, although she's interested in bringing cannabis into her events, it's hard to know where to find information on the legality of it. McRoberts said that no matter what state you're in, you cannot have alcohol and cannabis "cross-contaminating."
"I did an event at a space where they had a liquor license," she explains, "so what we had to do for the night is called 'surrender the liquor license'—literally locked up all of the alcohol on premise. It was in a space that no guest [could access]. And during the whole event, no alcohol was served."
As for where to find information like this in writing, McRoberts (and Stouder) said it's all online—for example, in California, it's the California Department of Cannabis Control; in Michigan, it's the Cannabis Regulatory Agency; etc.—and reiterated that they're not legal experts.
6. Just by considering and discussing cannabis at events, you’re helping break barriers.
The panel agreed that it's hopeful seeing more states legalize cannabis. "We can break stigmas together by talking about the plant," McRoberts said.
Later in the session, she explained, “I look forward to more states breaking down those barriers and people seeing that cannabis can be for you ... There’s just so many different ways that the plant can help you. I hope people find that because pharmaceuticals and alcohol are very destructive." She added, "Give it a try and see how you feel—not saying you have to give up anything you already love either."
