“IN ADDITION TO JUST THE VAPE SIDE OF
THINGS, THERE IS A BROAD RANGE OF
PRACTICAL USES FOR CBD. IT’S NOT JUST
LIMITED TO THE VAPE CATEGORY.”
– USA CBD EXPO ORGANISER JASON MONTI
“CBD is the next avocado toast,” proclaimed Coca-Cola executive-
turned CBD start-up founder, Chris Burggraeve in October last year. But
if anything, consumers have embraced CBD with far more enthusiasm.
“It’s really kind of amazing that nearly anywhere you go right now,
there’s something on a counter or on a shelf that has some kind
of CBD labelling on it,” USA CBD Expo host Jason Monti said.
“Whether it’s going to a health food store and finding a CBD cream
or supplement sitting on the counter or going to a local corner store
and picking up some milk, it’s there.”
The inaugural USA CBD Expo will take place on August 3 and 4. The
event promises to be both a networking opportunity for businesses
and a chance for consumers to learn about the huge range of products
and companies currently on the market. A similar scale show in
Las Vegas has been pencilled in for early 2020.
“We’re excited to experiment with the CBD shows to do the same
exciting and consumer-heavy style of event that vape was really
known for,” Jason said.
“We feel like this industry has gotten away from the consumer and
we want to include the consumer on the CBD side of things.”
Jason was introduced to CBD via running international vape events.
The team began discussing a potential CBD event after Vape South
America in Colombia in May 2018.
“We had noticed that there were quite a few companies who had
added CBD products to their lines and we thought at that point that
we were seeing a trend. Since then, it’s been at every show we
attended. As we’ve been planning our other shows, we’ve noticed
more and more CBD vendors looking to be involved.”
Many vape companies have expanded their CBD ranges beyond
e-liquids. Meanwhile, CBD and hemp companies have turned to
the expo model to promote their products and network. This has
created a fertile ground for an expo that encompasses the full range
of CBD products and markets.
“In addition to just the vape side of things, that there is a broad
range of practical uses for CBD,” Jason said. “It’s not just limited
to the vape category.”
The cannabis market has a very broad reach. But while there is
some overlap with the legally murky marijuana industry, Jason decided
early on to focus squarely on CBD and hemp. The highly-publicised
Farm Bill has helped draw a clear line between the two industries
and opened up interstate commerce.
“It will be anything with the legal amount
of THC,” Jason said.
“It’ll be CBD, it’ll be hemp, it’ll be accessories,
it’ll be financial. There’ll be investors looking to
get involved in this industry with people that are maybe
looking to raise capital.”
There will also be buyers and large distributors looking to bring CBD
into mainstream outlets, such as convenience and chain big box
stores and local and chain pharmacies.
From the outset, Jason wanted the event to be as accessible to
consumers as possible, so consumer entry will either be free or
subject to a very small fee. This should ensure that members of
the public only recently exposed to CBD via the media or word-
of-mouth will be able to attend.
“It seems that every other day you pick up a newspaper there’s
an article, every time you go online there’s some type of release,
there’s another company making a big equity buy into another
company,” Jason said.
“Our goal as an organisation is to reach as many people to invite
them to our event.”
The event will also feature a panel of experts who will educate
businesses on hemp and CBD market trends, the potential health
benefits of hemp products and the many complex legal considerations
surrounding them.
“There are so many different uses right now for CBD, so it’ll be
great to have so many speakers that can speak eloquently on
those topics.”
Jason hopes to help bridge the gap between consumers and the
ever-growing businesses and products competing for their custom.
And much like the vaping world, those working in within the industry
often have personal stories to tell.
“We really want them to come in and have an opportunity to
meet manufacturers and vendors and hear their story.
Our goal’s always been to get as many consumers
to these events as possible. Consumers set the
market, they’ll let the buyers know what to stock
in their stores.”
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