There’s nothing quite like waking up in my tiny little Oklahoma town and walking out of the Vegas airport a few hours later. As icky as some people feel about Vegas, I knew there was a little piece of quiet waiting for me. 

MjBiz is one of the craziest and most wonderful experiences for anyone working in cannabis. For just under a week, you network and share stories almost constantly. As great as it is to feel the love and energy that thousands of people bring, it's downright exhausting, to say the least. This year was no exception.

Going Under!

The Underground Party, put on by Sapphire Risk,was a highlight for me. The whole team was so welcoming and appreciative of any help I could give. The venue was tucked away and almost hidden. I didn’t realize we were there until someone told me. It felt more private and intimate than I expected but I suspect that was intentional. The Fat Nugs team found a big sofa by a fire pit and that became our spot to chill and sesh for the night. The good vibes, pizza, and weed felt endless.

Standing Out From The Rest

The expo floor was just as wild as every year, so that's nothing new. A lot of the booths can feel repetitive but there were a few like TreHouse & Blazy Susan that made a point to stand out. Hopefully in years to come we'll start to see more creativity seep into some of the booth designs. I'd love to see more stoner community & culture on the floor and slightly fewer grow light manufacturers & industrial equipment but nothing is perfect.

I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to meet so many familiar faces, and so many new ones as well. Conferences like these give me hope for the future of cannabis and solidified my choice in career. I feel so at home here that I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Speaking of feeling at home…

Home Sweet Hideaway

I don't know about you, but I can't relax in a hotel; it's impossible. A little yes, but to actually rest and recharge, hell no! When I heard we had a Bud & Breakfast my ears perked up a little. One of the biggest, if not the biggest deciding factor on where to stay when I travel, is if I can medicate. Cannabis is a huge help in shutting off, and when you’re at MjBiz having a little help to shut off at the end of the day is like heaven. 

When we arrived, it wasn’t immediately obvious that this house was different from any of the others around it. Walking in it became obvious that it was EXACTLY like a home. If you told me someone lived there full-time, I’d believe you. The kitchen was even fully stocked with all the tools to cook anything you want, minus the groceries, you have to do that part yourself. 

It all flows together in a way that makes it feel like home but is functional enough for the 4-5 adults who stayed there. The table was massive and a beautiful addition; it gave us all space to sit together whether we were rolling up or chowing down. The living room was the star of this space for me. I don’t know where the sofa and couches came from, but they were exceptionally comfortable. Maybe I was just exceptionally tired, but nevertheless, it was a great spot to binge movies and kick my feet up.

I appreciate that nothing was overwhelming and it wasn't super over the top. When everything in Vegas is a whole-ass experience, this was a wonderful reprieve from the insanity. We were all able to get ready every day without being in each other's way. You could be as social or anti-social as you want but you don’t have to be stuck in your room. There was plenty of space for us to spread out and not feel invaded. 

I need to give a big shout-out to the CEO Sean Roby for hooking us up with the team house while we were there. It was far enough away from the strip it felt homey and relaxing, while being close enough to the fun that there was no FOMO in sight. It was an ideal place to stay with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a patio; I mean come on what more could you want? Besides being able to smoke inside, which you definitely can't, but hey a hippie can dream, right? 

I'm so thankful we had a place to gather and rest; it made a big difference in how I felt coming back. It’s so important to me that stoners have places like these in everyday society. You don’t want to hide or have to think about if you’ll get kicked out of your hotel for having weed with you. Being able to step outside and freely smoke was such a great feeling and gave me hope that we are making progress in normalizing our medicine. 

 I'm hoping 2024 brings more opportunities to see the other Bud & Breakfast locations. Until then…

Stay Happy, Healthy & High