Where the Global Cannabis Industry Connects: MJ Biz Con 2025
MJBizCon is the largest B2B cannabis industry event in the world, drawing entrepreneurs, retailers, investors, and cannabis professionals from every corner of the globe to Las Vegas. Whether you’re looking to scale your business, make informed business decisions, source products and services, or identify emerging market trends, this annual gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center is where the global cannabis industry comes to connect and grow. Beyond the expo floor, the real magic of MJBizCon extends throughout the city. The entire week transforms into a series of events, parties, and intimate gatherings where the cannabis industry and culture meet for deeper connection and conversation away from the convention center noise.
The DICE Mixer: Where Visionaries Gather
Among the most anticipated off-site events was the DICE Mixer, presented by Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) in partnership with Supernova Women. Held at the Black-owned Foreign Exchange Lounge, the mixer lived up to its reputation as the place where the lights are low, the energy is high, and the room fills with the industry’s boldest visionaries. This wasn’t just another networking event; it was an unforgettable evening of music, cocktails, and nonstop networking where real connections happen, deals spark, and the true movers and shakers of cannabis gather to celebrate culture, community, and progress.
M4MM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with corporate offices in Orlando, Florida, has been championing cannabis advocacy since May 2016. With 27 state directors across the country, including a Northern California chapter based in Oakland, the organization’s mission centers on providing advocacy, outreach, research, and training related to business, social reform, public policy, and health and wellness in the cannabis industry. The DICE Mixer embodies this mission by creating space for meaningful industry relationships to flourish beyond transactional exchanges.
Showing Up for Each Other
The importance of events like the DICE Mixer extends far beyond business cards and social media connections. According to MJBizDaily’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion report, women account for 39% of cannabis executives, a significant rebound from pandemic lows when that number dropped to just 22%. While racial minorities represent 24% of cannabis executives, these numbers tell only part of the story. The data reveal that women and minorities still face substantial barriers to ownership and leadership, making community support networks essential for survival and success in this industry.
For women in cannabis, especially minority women, showing up matters. It’s in those face-to-face moments where you discover you’ve been following each other’s work, making it onto each other’s radars without even realizing it. It’s in the honest exchange where you look someone in the eye and say, “I’m so proud of you,” and truly mean it. These aren’t empty gestures in an industry where access to capital and established networks still favor businesses with men in ownership and leadership positions. When minority women gather, celebrate each other’s wins, and share resources, they’re building the infrastructure that traditional business networks have long denied them.
The numbers matter, but so do the moments. Every handshake at the DICE Mixer, every card exchanged at MJ Biz Con, every introduction that leads to collaboration; these are the real threads weaving a more inclusive cannabis industry.
Women and minorities aren’t just attending these events; they’re creating the spaces, hosting the mixers, and building the community that will carry this industry forward.
Bio:
Veronica Castillo is a writer known as the Traveling Cannabis Writer and author of Cannabis Legacy Chronicles: The Traveling Cannabis Writer’s Guide to America’s Hidden Gems – Six Years of Documenting Resilience, Challenges, and Inspiration. Over the past six years, she has journeyed across the United States and Caribbean, documenting cannabis communities, cultures, and the economic impact of cannabis tourism. With a background that bridges professional business insights and creative storytelling, she offers a unique perspective on how cannabis tourism drives local economic development. Her extensive travels have given her unparalleled access to the diverse voices and hidden gems that define cannabis culture from coast to coast. Through her work, she illuminates the deeper connections between place, people, and plant that continue to shape America’s relationship with cannabis.
