MJBizConNEXT: The Reasons as to Why Texans Go to Cannabis’ Biggest Conference

This past week, the city of delicious Cajun food, unbridled debauchery on Bourbon Street and enough paranormal folklore to create a new show on Netflix received the dubious honor that Sin City held previously last year. New Orleans honorably hosted the mega-conference that shows in exquisite detail and with countless research from experts the marvelous future of the cannabis industry.

Almost as great mixture of a South by Southwest for cannabis albeit with less music exclusively for cannabis professionals, MJBizConNEXT hosts numerous panel discussions and presentations known as “sessions tracks” containing titles such as “Cannabis Evolution: Products, Cultivation, Extraction” and “On the Radar: Innovations in Cannabis Technology”.

Among the content of the event, and as opposed to it’s parent conference MJBizCon, MJBizConNEXT focused almost entirely on the future of the cannabis industry and what current business trajectories and trends will evolve into. As is the custom in a newly thriving industry such as cannabis, many individuals have many reasons as to why to attend such tremendous conferences discussing the facets of their respective industries.

Texas Cannabis Collective recently had the pleasure of speaking with Corey Forbes, a Botanical Specialist for the Arlington-based pharmacy supply provider Total Pharmacy Supply and a recent attendee of the MJBizConNEXT conference, as to specifically why he would be attending and what he hoped to gain from the experience.

JK: Tell us about your background in cannabis/hemp and CBD?

CF: Total Pharmacy Supply’s 30 years experience serving the compounding pharmacy and niche pharmaceutical communities have positioned us with the knowledge and product lines to support what we see as an expansion of those functions into cannabis. We didn’t set out to become a leader in supplies and equipment for cannabis producers. It just so happened that our long-established products and services attracted cannabis industry professionals to us, and we have embraced them as a welcome extension of what we already focus on: solving problems for heavily regulated producers on the front lines of creative and customized medical therapies.

JK: What aspects of the conference are bringing you to MJBizCon?

CF:

• Proximity. Being a national leader in creative and child-resistant packaging and lab supplies and equipment based in Texas, we can’t pass up the opportunity to network with attendees in our own backyard.

• Professionalism: Attendees and exhibitors to the MJBiz family of conferences represent the top growers, producers, retailers and suppliers in this nascent industry. We always make the most meaningful connections with influential people at MJBiz events.

• Education: MJBiz attracts the best of the best, the cutting edge cannabis industry participants, and we always learn something about how to be a better partner to our customers in the marketplace.

JK: What do you expect to gain from the experience of attending MJBizCon?

CF: We love the conversations and the connections we make. For 30 years in business our approach has been to listen to customers and potential customers to uncover needs that TPS can help address through our world-class procurement and distribution services. There’s no better venue that we’ve found that fosters as many those kinds of meaningful relationships and exchanges. We have found that if we focus on solving problems for people, success follows.

JK: How do you expect that mega-conferences like MJBizCon will change the subject of cannabis on the national level?

CF: By positioning this industry as professional and solutions oriented, large conferences like this continue to bring cannabis out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Many people believe that the pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs, so they may be afraid to step out into the light. The sheer size of these conferences sends the message that this is not a fringe movement, but rather a global shift in awareness and acceptance of the many benefits of cannabis. I believe we’ve already seen that translate into political action and general acceptance in states like Texas and others.