Event season is here again, and I had the pleasure of attending CannaCon OKC 2024. It was fulfilling, but we’ll get to that. The magic for me started before the event when I had the chance to talk with Angela Grelle. If you haven’t seen her interview, please check it out. It’s safe to say I was giddy to dive in by the time I got there with my little ones. 

A little background for those who don't know. CannaCon is the love child of Bob Smarts’ two passions: cannabis and trade shows merging into one beautiful event. These events are smaller and more intimate than something like MJBiz, but there’s no lack of good vibes to be had. One of my favorite parts is that this event isn’t based in one place, it's split into four regions. CannaCon South was held in OKC this year but CannaCon West is in Albuquerque, NM, CannaCon Midwest in St.Paul, MN (and Cleveland OH), and CannaCon Northeast is in Rochester, NY in 2025. 

If you missed one, there is still lots of time to snag a ticket to one of the other regions and I’d highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little more chill.

Welcome To Oklahoma City CannaCon

Getting a CannaCon pass is easy: you can get them online and pick them up at the registration booth right at the front–it's impossible to miss. There usually aren’t super long lines either, so it's a fast process once you’re there to get to the show floor. The event was held at the OKC Convention Center which can be a little annoying to navigate parking, but such is life. There were other events going on at the venue that weekend but there seemed to be very little crossover or disturbance.

Once you make it through the entrance to the show floor it's just a matter of deciding what to look at first. (I want to note here that minors under the age of 21 were allowed at the event - with parental supervision of course.) I was surprised not to see more kids but my lil’ nuggies went right to work sweet-talking my fellow stoners for candy and business cards. While I may have gotten a couple of side eyes showing my kids the different pre-roll cones and grow lights, overall it was a great experience for them as well. I think this is a huge step in normalizing cannabis consumption with the next-gen so kudos for that!

A Wonderland Of Cannabis 

The show floor itself was smaller compared to what I'm used to and I'm not mad about it at all. In fact it was a huge bonus to me. Being able to hit almost every booth on the first day and make deeper connections on the second pass made this one of the most productive events I’ve attended. You already know the samples and swag were one of my favorite parts, trumped only by the people I got to meet.

Spotlights

There were so many dope vendors it's hard to name them all but there are a couple I want to shine a spotlight on. 

MoonMen Visions makes some of the most eye-catching hand-crafted stoner gear I've seen. It's a beautiful blend of wood and resin that has a permanent place in my heart. I spent way too long ogling at the pieces they had there and daydreaming about seeing them hung up in my house as a centerpiece for my hippy hideaway. (That dream came true shortly after getting back so keep your eye out for a product review coming soon.)

Happy Joe is another one that touched my heart and I believe embodies what we do here. At face value, they print dope shirts, stickers, and other merch but it goes so much deeper than that. They are veteran-owned and a lot of their “profit” goes toward paying for other vets to get their med cards as well as ensuring that money is not a deciding factor on whether or not they get the plant medicine they need. The little bit of time I got to talk with them nearly moved me to tears. They are truly great people trying to make sure that others don’t suffer in silence. 

Produce Now was another one that piqued my interest. They focus on growing naturally indoors and making fresh quality produce more widely available and straight to your door. Besides growing good food they also cultivate cannabis and soon they’ll launch mushroomsok which will not only be a source for your mycological supplies but also education. I got to talk with Stephanie Tilamn and it was so great to know there are others out there trying to get us back to real food that feeds not only the body but the soul too. 

Canna-Clusion 

If you’re looking to make deeper connections a little faster, this is the event to go to. They aren’t big and showy but they focus on keeping the events small in order to let each region evolve and become more of an experience rather than just another cannabis event. It is a much slower intentional feel and you get that from the vendors as well, many of which have been there for several years in a row. It’s a nice change of pace and I think they deserve way more attention than they get. 
Overall was a great experience and I can't wait to see CannaCon 2025.