CannaCon: A Family Affair & The Call to Cannabis A Q&A W/ Angela Grelle
Art Courtesy of Casey Renteria
Event season is here and I’m so excited to share the first of many conventions I’m attending this year and arguably the one I’m most excited for so far. I got the chance to talk with the Director of Marketing Angela Grelle about not just how CannaCon came to be but also how she came to cannabis. She is such an amazing, passionate woman & you can tell she truly loves what she does. I can’t wait to meet the whole team and see how they manage to make it happen every year.
1. Where did CannaCon Come from? What started it all?
2014 was the first expo in Tacoma. The company is based out of Washington & Bob Smart is the founder. He was a medical grower back in the day and still is. As a career he worked in the trade show industry and when cannabis legalization came around he decided to merge his passions and that was the birth of CannaCon. It started in his basement with two iPads he rented out the Tacoma Dome and made it happen.
2. How long have you been with CannaCon & What has it been like watching it grow and evolve through the years?
I’ve been with CannaCon for 7 years. It’s been fun - what I love so much is we have really great exhibitors and many of them have been with us since the early days. I remember when Futurola was just a small table and now they have grown into this huge company. It’s been great to see these little companies grow and thrive in this industry.
3. What is your favorite part of each event?
It’s like seeing old friends. We are a small family business so we are in the middle of it all.
4. How long does it take to plan these events every year?
We start with the initial planning a year out. Usually right after the event while we are on-site we get with our convention manager and secure our dates. Our exhibitors will rebook their spaces if they have a specific one they want and planning starts from there.
5. What is your favorite part of the cannabis industry?
I think the innovations and comradery, we really raise each other up. The way everyone comes together when something happens you know someone always has your back.
6. How did you find your way into the cannabis industry?
CannaCon is my brother’s company and when he started growing he needed another person to come on, my kids were grown, my youngest was graduating and I thought well I could move maybe it’s time for a change - and I never looked back.
7. What are you most passionate about?
I’m really passionate about watching these small mom-and-pop operations & family-owned businesses grow. There hasn’t been an industry that allows people to own their own business & be their own boss quite like cannabis.
8. Do you use cannabis and what is your favorite way to use it?
I’m a flower consumer, maybe a spliff sometimes because cannabis is a little strong for me now, my favorite thing is those 1:1 cinnamon mints, I love them for my arthritis.
9. What do you hope to see in the cannabis industry in the next 10 years?
I hope to see federal legalization. I’d love to see some form of that. I’d love to see the tax issues ironed out so we aren’t being double taxed without representation and the banking issues figured out. If we can’t get ahold of it then the black market will continue to thrive. As a business, there are so many things you can write off but these cannabis businesses can’t. You're not going to stop people from smoke so regulate it and have those taxes go to something good.
10. With event season kicking off what are your tips for convention goers for 2024?
Wear comfortable shoes - you’ll be walking all day. Bring a notepad or take notes on your phone or have a way to keep track of who you talked to and what you talked about. What I find is by the time I’m done talking to everyone and attending the seminars and going to the afterparties by the next day you’ve forgotten half the things you saw. Oh, and be friendly - it’s the best place to network and get to know people.
11. What can we expect to see from you guys in the coming year? Any big announcements?
I think we are going to continue to stick with the 5 or 6 shows a year. That’s practical for us being a small family company we want to stay that way and keep the family feeling. We want to grow on the seminar side though & start incorporating more fun things, maybe some cooking demos as opposed to just equipment & taxes.
Talking with Angela made my heart sing. You can feel the passion when she talks and the love she has for the industry. I admire the fact that this is a family-run business and they are hands-on in the thick of it making it happen. It makes me absolutely giddy to make my way up to OKC to meet the exhibitors and hear the stories from the community they have cultivated within their events.
