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40 Tons Partners with MjBizCon to Launch Equity Row, Honoring Justice-Impacted Cannabis Entrepreneurs
NEWS PROVIDED BY
40 Tons
December 02, 2024, 15:00 GMT
The 40 Tons Foundation, dedicated to equity in cannabis, proudly partners with MJBizCon to showcase 16 justice-impacted companies at Equity Row.
At 40 Tons, we believe in sharing the platform we’ve worked hard to build. Times are tough, and it’s critical that we help provide support to those who have faced systemic challenges.”
— Loriel Alegrete
LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, December 2, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 40 Tons Foundation, a leading social impact organization dedicated to promoting equity and opportunity in the cannabis industry, is proud to partner with MJBizCon—the largest and most established cannabis business conference and expo in the world. Together, we are excited to introduce Equity Row and The Intake Center to the expo floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, December 4-6, 2024.
Equity Row is an initiative that provides a platform for justice-impacted cannabis businesses, where founders or their close family members have been incarcerated due to cannabis-related offenses. This activation creates a space to honor those who have sacrificed for the cannabis plant while also providing an opportunity for underrepresented entrepreneurs to participate in the booming cannabis industry.
Led by 40 Tons, a Black-woman-owned, multi-state social impact cannabis brand, Equity Row at MJBizCon will feature 16 justice-impacted companies from across the United States, including 40 Tons itself. These companies will be offered complimentary exhibit booths at MJBizCon, allowing them to showcase their products, technology, dispensary operations, ancillary services, and more. Equity Row is an ideal space for investors, supply chain partners, and vendors to connect with these innovative and resilient companies.
Corvain Cooper, co-founder and Chief Brand Ambassador of 40 Tons, expressed his gratitude for MJBizCon’s support, stating: "Last year, we brought a life-sized prison cell to the conference to highlight the hypocrisy of an industry profiting from the same plant that has caused people to be locked away for decades. This year, we’re grateful that MJBizCon has recognized our mission and is helping us pay it forward by supporting other justice-impacted brands."
Loriel Alegrete, CEO and co-founder of 40 Tons, emphasized the importance of lifting others up:
"At 40 Tons, we believe in sharing the platform we’ve worked hard to build. Times are tough, and it’s critical that we help provide support to those who have faced systemic challenges. If we can create opportunities for justice-impacted entrepreneurs, then we’re doing our job."
Sarah Wilson, VP of Sales at MJBizCon, added:
"We deeply admire the work 40 Tons is doing in the cannabis space. By partnering with them on Equity Row, we’re proud to stand behind the brands that have been most affected by the War on Drugs. Giving back to those who have been impacted is essential for the future of this industry."
This impactful initiative is made possible thanks to 40 Tons’ generous sponsors, including HPI Canna, New York's largest cannabis producer, as the title sponsor. Other sponsors contributing to this activation include BREZ, Cova Software, No Coast Cannabis, New Leaf EA, New Holland Group, Normalize Marketplace, Azuca, Katan Associates International, Earl Giles, and Social AF.
This year’s MJBizCon promises to be a landmark event, with Equity Row set to be one of the highlights. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and support a diverse group of companies, each with a powerful story of overcoming adversity. Access to Equity Row is included in all MJBizCon expo tickets.
About 40 Tons
40 Tons is a Black-woman-owned, multi-state cannabis brand and social impact enterprise with three core pillars: Products, Careers, and Advocacy. As a consumer packaged goods company, 40 Tons offers premium cannabis products in California, Minnesota, New York, and through eCommerce, while also driving systemic change through advocacy for cannabis prisoners and those impacted by the War on Drugs. Our initiatives include 40 Tons Careers, which connects diverse job seekers with industry opportunities, and the 40 Tons Foundation, focused on restorative justice. Every purchase helps us create pathways to equity and second chances. Visit www.40tons.co for more information.
About MJBizCon
MJBiz is the leading B2B resource for the cannabis industry. Founded in 2011, it is the most trusted publisher and event producer serving cannabis industry entrepreneurs and investors from around the globe. MJBiz produces MJBizCon, the longest-running and largest cannabis trade show in the world. The 2015-2019 events were each named to Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 list and ranks on the Gold 100 list of largest tradeshows in the U.S. The 2024 event will return to Las Vegas December 4-6, 2024 (Pre-Show Forums December 3). The MJBiz team also produces news and analysis of the marijuana and hemp industries via MJBizDaily, MJBiz Magazine, MJBiz Factbook. For more information about MJBizCon or MJBiz, please visit www.MJBizCon.com and www.MJBizDaily.com.
Inara Tayao-Lucero
40 tons
POT TALK
Excerpt from article by Matt DeLong
Originally publish January 12, 2024
Mariesa Sun-Saenz
Producer, Social AF
As more and more Minnesotans observe “Dry January” and forego alcohol following the overindulgence of the holidays — and many younger Americans reporting that they drink less in general — bars and restaurants are taking notice and adding more mocktails and other booze-free options to their drink menus. Now, a trio of local event production pros have launched a series of curated “alcohol-alternative” events in Minneapolis throughout January.
Social AF is the product of Mariesa Sun-Saenz, her partner Luke Mason and Kimberly Gottschalk of Sue McLean Productions. The first event in the series was held Tuesday at Hi Flora!, an alcohol-free, cannabis-friendly vegan restaurant in Uptown, featuring food, drinks, vendors and a DJ spinning reggae tunes.
Two more events are currently on the schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 16 at Earl Giles Distillery in northeast Minneapolis featuring Stoner Bingo; and a home-grow swap meet at Hook & Ladder Theater and Zen Arcade in the Longfellow neighborhood. Both venues will have a designated outdoor space where smoking and vaping is permitted.
Nuggets spoke with Sun-Saenz this week about the event. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What is Social AF?
Social AF is a new event series on Tuesdays during dry January. We are curating experiences that are not centered around alcohol, but are cannabis-friendly. Hopefully in the future, we’ll be able to showcase other types of alcohol-free local products.
What can people expect if they attend one of these events?
All the venues that we’re working with will offer a warm, inviting and welcoming place where you can feel at home and be comfortable. It will be an inclusive space and it will be cannabis-friendly, so there will be outdoor-smoking allowed [in a designated area]. At Hi Flora! (the first event, this past Tuesday), Luke is going to be spinning reggae and Hi Flora! is a vegan restaurant, so it’s a nice combo. There will be a few local vendors there. On the 16th, our second Tuesday, it will be at Earl Giles [Distillery’s] mezzanine, where they’ve been doing the canna-happy hour. We’re going to have Stoner Bingo in the back room and some live music. It’ll be a lively, fun environment with activities and networking and an event to get to know the community.
What is Stoner Bingo?
It will be bingo but all the things on the bingo card will be stoner-related. There will be some giveaways from local retail stores.
What else do you have planned this month?
On Jan. 30, we will have a home-grow swap meet at the Zen Arcade at Hook & Ladder Theater. There will be live music and the outdoor patio is smoker-friendly. The most important thing about the upcoming Social AF events is that they will hopefully all be very different. They will be in different areas, hopefully we will be able to expand the venues that are interested in doing these types of events. Each event will be unique based on the venue, the partners and what’s going on at the time. People can expect creative, curated experiences that are centered around being social together and celebrating cannabis.
Where did the idea for these events come from?
With our friends and our own personal direction, while we do still partake in alcohol sometimes, we’re definitely cutting down and taking advantage of some of the new THC products that are on the market. A lot of people are interested in having social experiences without alcohol. I think the Legacy Cup was probably the most important experience that I had personally, where 11,000 people were interested in an event like that. It was a good motivator that [showed] the market existed.
How easy has it been to find venues willing to forego alcohol sales?
Hi Flora! was an obvious choice because they do not have alcohol. Earl Giles was already doing a cannabis-friendly happy hour. We are partnering with places that already have a similar mission to what we’re doing. There are some other venues we’re talking to right now that are very interested in low-dose THC drinks. I think they’re realizing that there is definitely a very fast-growing market and some of them have side rooms or certain days that they’re willing to hold on alcohol for.
Do you see this becoming a regular thing beyond dry January?
I definitely think we’re going to continue doing Social AF throughout the year. I don’t know if it’s going to be weekly, most likely it will be more like a pop-up. We are collecting phone numbers for a membership [link in footer] that will allow people to receive pop-up info, local discounts at retail shops and other VIP things.