In proper cannabis form, that is trial by fire, MJBiz was my first conference as a Garden Culture Magazine team member. And this is my first piece written for them. Us! So after Eric got us all sick, and we returned home during the peak holiday season, after mending our colds (with oil of oregano in the arsenal) and getting situated in 2025 (wtf?), we’re back, and we have this to say about the show.
Every year, the international cannabis industry returns to Las Vegas for a three-day conference, each with a unique signature, like 2024’s divided expo floor with halls specific to product category. Packaging certainly had more of a “vibe” and was the busier of the rooms with louder music, dimmer lights and more traffic. It was also where Mike Tyson made an appearance – a returning MJBiz highlight. The people awaiting his arrival fell silent when a crowd approached with Tyson leading. A smiling, soft-spoken icon. Or maybe, just stoned!
Why Cultivation?
The “Cultivation” Hall was where Garden Culture and most of our friends happened to be that week, taking in the latest and greatest in the grow world.
All the bright lights and innovative nutrient companies. The fans and grow bags, seeds and breeders, software and wholesalers. Quality Horticulture celebrated its 25th anniversary with a photo booth, complimentary drinks, cookies and couches. Congratulations are also in order on their latest USA expansion!
What a delight to see familiar faces, Katie Rey and Jeff Hayward, and meet co-founder Michael Montagano and his brothers for the first time. I will say that meeting Eric and Celia’s long-time friends was the highlight of the show for me.
So I find myself on the expo floor with magazines under my arm and ask myself, why am I here? Garden Culture is a helper to the loyal home growers who have always made up a healthy portion of our readers. And so the cultivation room, while humbler in size, is, in my opinion, bigger in heart. The stories being told in the magazine with a concentration on novel tools and field expertise is what makes it so switched on. Especially with the influx of industry voices gracing our pages.
Humboldt County’s Own manager, Trevor Barcelos, told me about a non-profit equine wellness organization in Humboldt County that he outfitted with his nutrient line for children’s experiential gardening. Where did he source the soil? From long-time Garden Culture advertiser Royal Gold!
Royal Gold’s Michael Beck was among the many friendly faces I met in Vegas.
“Having attended MJBiz since the early days at the Rio this year left me optimistic,” he said. “Optimistic that the ridiculous flood of money grabbers and canna-come-lately’s has begun to wane. The real people that were this industry before it was one, at least those that have made it this far, have a chance. A chance to seek out a living doing what they love. The true breeders, growers and others who dedicated their lives to this plant when it meant risking everything. Freedom, family and fortune were all on the line.”
He says to the people still here, “stay strong, and those of us that the plant chose will continue. Continue to share the love and joy this plant has brought us all. To share the passion for making things better for each other, the plant and the planet.”
Aha! Now I remember what I’m doing here.
Other Points of Interest
Don’t get me wrong, this is likely the coolest industry in North America, possibly the world. And the drip in that packaging room was palpable. But being the print writer, forest dweller, and herbalism advocate, I get excited about the rolling paper company that celebrates and compensates the fine artists’ work printed on its packaging. And, honestly, the booths with the finest pens and notebooks. Ha!
Reviews of the show were positive, and many were impressed with everything it offered. Evan DiCristofaro, Sales Account Manager of Contempo Specialty Packaging, loved the focus on sustainability and new creative ideas in the Hall.
“The cannabis packaging room at the Vegas trade show was seriously impressive, showcasing the industry’s incredible diversity,” he says. “The emphasis on sustainability was evident with many brands, including Contempo, highlighting eco-friendly materials and practices aimed at reducing waste. I loved seeing the creative packaging ideas, like child-resistant features and fun interactive designs that really grabbed attention. Overall, it was a lively space full of innovators demonstrating social responsibility with a unique footprint.”
Oregano Oil?
While no good trade show can end with showgoers feeling 100%, especially not one in Las Vegas, I’ll conclude on a note about how I nipped a cold in the bud and spent only one night sick instead of a string. The colds and congestion that could be heard in the Harry Reid airport on the way home didn’t stand a chance against the potent oregano plant.
With Garden Culture being a reference for herbalists, even with an annual edition dedicated to mushrooms, medicinal plants and their home remedies, I leave you with an ode to oil of oregano. No, not delicious elderberry syrup or ginger and honey elixirs, but the potent terpenes, pinene and carvacrol, and the pungent punch to the back of the throat attributed to oregano oil. This was all the rage a few years ago and still is today if you remember to take it!
Oregano Oil: How It Works
Oregano oil must be used with caution due to its intensity, but I could feel my body aches dissipate after a few droppers of the stuff. And the fever and chills only lasted the night.
To the oregano plant with its antiviral and antibacterial properties, thanks for taking care of the fallout of a Vegas trade show; I owe you one. If you were a brand, I’d thank you with a social campaign, but since you’re a plant, I’ll do it anyway because this is Garden Culture Magazine!
Oregano is a relatively easy plant to grow with various applications. Remember, it’s not the concentrated essential oil that is safe for ingestion, but the volatile plant compounds steeped in a carrier, such as olive oil, called oil of oregano.
A simple infusion might consist of steeping the herb in a jar of olive oil, gently heating it over the stove in a water bath, and placing it on the windowsill for two weeks to further macerate. Want to hear more? Flip through the magazine pages and digital blog for more how-tos when crafting herbal preparations and taking control of your holistic health.
Thanks & I’ll see you there,
Haley
