I just returned from DC MJBiz show, their regional show for 2017. MJBiz does 2 shows per year, one in Vegas every November and a “regional spring show” that rotates locations. This being the largest regional show of the year, it serves as a snapshot into the industry and highlights trends that continue.

Here’s a few themes I noticed in May 2017. 

  1. The proliferation of non-cannabis companies entering the industry continues; companies that traditionally cater to pharmaceutical and/or agricultural industries are finally establishing a presence in cannabis
  2. The pace of industry maturity continues to escalate as seasoned corporate professionals continue to join in droves and leverage their experience from similar mature industries.
  3. Consolidation, scale, and automation were everywhere you looked.

Here’s a few snapshots of some booths and equipment that illustrate better than words can.

Deutsche Process – had the most crowd-stopping presence at the show. The safe-looking piece is a dryer.
And the photo below shows the talk of the expo: a hydroponics table suspended from the rafters.

 

It grabbed attention, that’s for sure.

 

Hightech Extracts one of the many showcasing new CO2 extraction technologies.

Automation on display: The Minimax potting machine made by Javo. Flexible & mobile!

 

The Fluence booth gets larger every show. An LED manufacturer who is aggressively focused on research.

ATG Pharma showcasing their RoboCap robotic capsule filling machine which can eliminate all hand-filling which is currently the norm.

 

An automatic capsule banding machine seals the capsules to prevent leaks.

 

The entire product collection targeting cannabis manufacturers with pharmaceutical-scale equipment.