Wisconsin Cannabis Expo Returns — Cannabis

Photos taken by Shepherd Express staff.

WISCONSIN CANNABIS EXPO RETURNS

BY SHEILA JULSON

After a pandemic hiatus, the Wisconsin Cannabis Expo returns Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to the Wisconsin Center, Expo Hall A. (Another Wisconsin Cannabis Expo is also planned for Madison on Nov. 19, 2022.) General admission is $20. The event is sponsored by the Shepherd Express, Badger Labs, Kind Oasis and FoodVac Bags.

The Expo will feature more than 50 exhibitors such as dispensaries, apothecaries, makers of edibles, farmers and growers, labs, processors and entrepreneurs specializing in hemp marketing and specialty products. Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, along with advocacy organizations, will also be in attendance. Guests will have opportunities to sample and purchase cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp products. Speakers and panel discussions will cover topics such as legalization, the health benefits of cannabis and navigating the hemp industry.

The inaugural Wisconsin Cannabis Expo took place February 2020 and was wildly successful; a testament that Wisconsinites are curious and embracing the plant. “Many people thanked us after the last event. They are believers in cannabidiol (CBD)

and we legitimized them,” says Shepherd Express publisher/ editor-in-chief Louis Fortis. “We hope to reproduce that same level of enthusiasm.”

Six workshops will feature speakers to educate attendees about a variety of topics. Dr. Cecilia Hillard, a professor of pharmacology and director of the neuroscience research center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, will lead a talk, “The Health and Medical Benefits of Cannabis.”

Legalization, a popular topic at the last expo, will be covered again through discussion of medical and full recreational legalization, which includes the social justice component. Wisconsin state senator Melissa Agard, who has worked earnestly for full cannabis legalization in our state, will be one of the speakers.

FROM SEEDS TO SALES

Other topics include “Complex Challenges of Hemp, Including Delta-8.” Aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs can get advice from discussions such as “How Can I Make Money in This Cannabis Game?”, “How to Succeed from Seeds to Sales” and “How to Make Money Once Marijuana is Legalized.”

Fortis notes there is something for everyone at the Wisconsin Cannabis Expo, whether one is interested in the medicinal aspects of cannabis, public policy or entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry. “Whatever aspect of the cannabis game you want to get involved with; you’ll find experts to guide you.”

Even before full legalization went into effect in other states, and the CBD boom took root in Wisconsin, the Shepherd Express has been a steadfast supporter of advancing cannabis legalization. As more research on the health and medical benefits of cannabis becomes available, as well as to word-of-mouth accounts of how it’s helped ailments from chronic pain to anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, Fortis says nobody can deny the benefits of the plant.

“More than half the states in our country have some kind of marijuana legalization,” he says. “We try to be a champion on the issue and provide intelligent, accurate and fact-based information. We want to try to organize as many people as possible to advance some kind of legalization, whether it’s medical or full legalization. I think to will come in two steps, but any legislation has to benefit Wisconsin businesses. We have to help our hemp entrepreneurs by keeping it as local as possible, which provides accountability and a high-quality product.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit wicannabisexpo.com.

Sheila Julson enjoys capturing the stories behind Milwaukee's happening food, beverage and urban farming scenes. She pens articles about holistic health, green living, sustainability and human-interest features and writes the Eat-Drink column for shepherdexpress.com.