NJ Cannabis Business Community Packs Online Networking Session In Preparation For Legal Marijuana
A couple of hours before Gov. Phil Murphy was scheduled to make his State of the State address Tuesday. There was visible excitement among attendees for NJ Cannabis Insider’s first virtual networking event of the year.
The Tuesday morning event, which was sold out, was designed to find new and virtual ways for participants. To access networking that the pandemic slowed down as a result of limited in-person interaction.
“It was really great to be able to network again,” said Marianne Bays, the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association vice president, who noted there’s been a significant drop in networking events in the wake of the pandemic.
Cannabis Growers In New Jersey
The meetup — sponsored in part by Supreme Security Systems, which already services cannabis growers in New Jersey, the law firms Brach Eichler and Genova Burns as well as Harvest360 — saw more than 100 insiders seeking to connect with each other to exchange ideas, expertise, and overall advice.
Bays and other members from NJCBA, the state’s largest cannabis trade group, and representatives from the diversity, equity and inclusion arm of the National Cannabis Industry Association were also present for roundtable discussions.
Using the new video-conferencing technology by Remo, sponsors, industry leaders. And staff from NJ Advance Media separated into virtual roundtables to answer a variety of questions. In addition, there virtual speed-networking tables where attendees could meet each other and talk in multiple timed sessions.
Bays interacted at the conference with attendees that had questions about it. What was needed to get off the ground in the business.
Future events are already on the horizon for March 9 and 10, where the NJ Cannabis Insider will host the first of two annual conferences featuring local and national industry leaders. Early bird registration has already gained more than three dozen participants.
Insiders exchanging contact information included a variety of entrepreneurs, attorneys, accountants, construction, real estate, marketing, public relations professionals. And others interested in the cannabis space, citing impending legislation. And the logistical hurdles for specialized parts of the business as topics of interest.
Future Moves
Future moves from the Legislature and staying attuned with the business requirements are going to be key things. That all attendees need to understand going forward, Bays said.
“People who are just getting into it really can’t begin to guess what the timeline might be. They have to be a Jersey person. Who has been watching this for a while to have a clue of what they’re going to do,” she said.
Genova Burns labor attorney Jennifer Roselle said the event provided the ability to network with different professions interested in the cannabis industry.
“It gave us a great opportunity to reach across, talk to people we wouldn’t have normally met, get to know some new faces, hear some really great passion about the industry, the planning and the next steps,” she said.
The networking event gave all an opportunity to experience different perspectives, Roselle said.
“It’s a new area that’s developing on a moment by moment basis and to see so many people excited to get involved in this industry as it’s evolving from the ground up ... it’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s different.”