Elliot Mercier

Just like how you can say there’s an app for about everything, you can almost as easily say that there’s a con or event for everything as well. We live in an age where being a nerd is incredibly easy and fun with the amount of groups and organizations around to perpetuate it. This brings me to the topic at hand today, marijuana conventions are coming into full swing this summer within Western Mass. Ever since the push for recreational marijuana use last year, the amount of events and efforts generated by the move has been astronomical. Conventions, business depots and more are numbering in the dozens at the time of this writing, and the quantity is only going to increase if these events are successful and viable.

Considering the recent introduction and influx of the weed convention (I’m just not going to say “con” in this context because the subject matter just makes it sound like I’m suggesting fraudulent activity), there isn’t a lot of information available on who got the big idea first or how much money was gained from the first attempt. Sources do suggest that the first convention to really gain traction and attention was an event in Cleveland, Ohio back in late January, which brought in almost two thousand participants. The level of success can be attributed to the stellar staff and companies giving comprehensive descriptions of medical and recreational marijuana, as well as the low entry fee: ranging from eight to ten dollars on average.

The purpose of these conventions and meetups can vary but they’re simple in comparison to some of the more elaborate events that hold Boston and Union Station hostage during the summer. Either the event will be fueled by the social aspect that will be fulfilled by all the enthusiastic participants and help pay the bills through merchandising and music shows, or it will be held up by an elaborate booth system and seminar that encourages and guides growing, budding businesses.

If you’re curious and aching to go to one of these celebrations of greenery, there will be plenty of options this year. There will be the Boston CannaCon on July 27th and 28th, the Springfield version will be taking place in late August. There is also the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition taking place in Boston at the end of October for those looking in jumpstarting personal interest in the industry.

There’s a convention or special event for almost every conceivable interest nowadays, some obvious and given, like gun shows and ComicCon, and some a bit more obscure and head-tilting to the general public, like the one where everyone dresses as Abraham Lincoln or pretends to be a mermaid and swim at the YMCA. Then you have these green parades and botanist’s receptions that I predict won’t have a hard time becoming normalized as the years pass on and success stays consistent. Last year was the opening of the floodgates for the entire industry, this year and onward is the time of ambition and experimentation.