IgniteIt CA Market Spotlight in Anaheim 2025

After the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago in June, there was some uncertainty as to what would happen with the conferences that we, in the industry, have found so beneficial. People were talking about the market spotlights that were planned for the fall, including the October California spotlight that I had attended last year. But if you went to the website, the Cannabis portion of Benzinga was nowhere to be found. And then all of a sudden, Elliot and Patrick Lane announced the launch of IgniteIt.

IgniteIt was described as a rebranded version of the same conference that I’ve been attending since October of 2023, shortly after I launched Grass Goddess Consulting. And that’s exactly what it is. The IgniteIt market spotlight in Anaheim felt very similar to the spotlight I attended last year and brought all the networking and exciting content that we’ve come to expect with the Lane brothers at the helm.

I’ll start by making a brief comparison to last year’s Anaheim event and the main difference. Last year, the event was held at the Hard Rock, which brought cool vibes. It wasn’t the smoothest logistically, including security with bag searches and talks that weren’t as well attended, likely because of the layout. But the energy in the main hall was electric and the music venue just felt fun.

This year, the event was at a Marriott hotel and brought an experience that felt very similar to the Chicago national event. Conference room and exhibit hall vibes with solid food in a laid back environment without security, which honestly matters a lot in this industry. As a group of people that is constantly worried about bag searches that could result in our cannabis being confiscated, it’s something that definitely should not be done unless it’s absolutely necessary. And then still don’t take our weed (yes, I’m talking to you, MJBizCon security).

The lineup of talks was well-curated and included some of the top industry experts and thought leaders. It was the typical smattering of topics, including marketing, financial matters, regulatory, and lots more. There was a conversation with Fiona Ma, California’s 34^th State Treasurer and candidate for Lieutenant Governor. We also heard from Christina Dempsey from the Department of Cannabis Control and Imelda Padilla, a city council member from Los Angeles.

One thing Imelda said that stuck with me is that a lot of the politicians who initially put cannabis policy in place are no longer in office. And the new members are even more supportive and, in many cases, are open cannabis consumers and patients, and care about improving policy to improve the likelihood of industry success. So don’t give up. Keep fighting and keep working on making incremental change, if that’s what it takes, to get where we need to succeed.

In addition, Ben Larson from Vertosa shared his thoughts from a letter he wrote to the Governor opposing AB8, which was just signed into law the week before the conference. AB8 incorporates intoxicating hemp-derived compounds into the regulated cannabis industry. Since Vertosa is one of the main companies working with beverage providers on low-dose, hemp-derived drinks, outside of regulated cannabis, this creates a problem for them. It was an important moment as a lot of people in that room (likely the majority) are in favor of AB8, and many of the trade organizations fought hard to get it into law.

The happy hour networking event was done well and was well attended. There was an outside area where they had a bar, food, and plenty of space for people to mix and mingle. I appreciated this because inside spaces can be very loud and difficult to hold conversations, and enjoying the So Cal weather while being able to consume was perfect. It was also cool since we were in the middle of a hotel near Disneyland with plenty of people walking by, seeing a bunch of cannabis professionals doing what we do, which they may not have encountered before.

During a brief chat I had with Elliot Lane, he mentioned that they know the event wasn’t perfect and that they are open to feedback and improving moving forward. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of feedback, but the one thing that frustrated a number of people was the lack of communication up to the event. There wasn’t an agenda sent, and some of us were left wondering if we actually registered. But the agenda was posted on the website, and it wasn’t a huge deal.

The only other thing I would mention is that they don’t use a networking app for the market spotlights, but that has been one of the benefits of their Chicago conference. This year, they used a different app that had a lot of issues, and I hope that it’s something that is prioritized moving forward. Overall, IgniteIt seems like they are going to continue to bring value to the cannabis industry. They have two more market spotlights coming up this year, and looking forward to seeing everyone in Chicago next June!