MJ Unpacked

What MJ Unpacked does

MJ Unpacked is a B2B cannabis conference and event company that produces a national trade show and accompanying media properties targeting licensed THC cannabis operators, accredited investors, and cannabis researchers. The company is produced by Jage Media, Inc., co-founded by George Jage (former president of MJBizDaily/MJBizCon) and Kim Jage (former EVP & CMO of World Tea Media), headquartered in Bainbridge Island, WA. The core product is the MJ Unpacked Conference, a 3-day event featuring the Experience Hall exhibition floor, conference sessions across three curated tracks (Brand & Retail, Finance & Investment, Cultivation & Science), networking mixers, and a Pitch Stage. Events are gatekept: attendees must qualify as manager-level-and-above licensed operators, accredited investors, or research/healthcare professionals, excluding the general public and most ancillary vendors.

The company's product portfolio extends beyond the live conference to include the MJU MoCann Cup (a cannabis product competition judged by Level 2+ Certified Ganjiers using the SAP protocol), MJU On Point monthly webinars, Oaksterdam University pre-conference certification workshops, the Marshall Ogen Community Builder Award program, and on-demand conference recordings. The company holds no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or e-commerce storefront; all registration, sponsorship, and exhibitor sales run through direct engagement with a lean in-house sales team (VP of Sales Wendy Campbell, National Sales Manager Zed Clark) and dedicated registration infrastructure. Distribution is exclusively through live events and pre-event registration channels.

MJ Unpacked generates revenue from four primary streams: (1) exhibitor booth and floor fees from licensed cannabis brands and solution providers in the Experience Hall; (2) tiered sponsorships (Strategic Partner, Trailblazer, Spark, Ember, Title, Supporting); (3) attendee registration passes ranging from $49 (Budtender Appreciation) to $549 (full Conference Pass for non-retail segments); and (4) MJU Cup product competition entries at $295 each, with volume discounts. The company runs multiple events per year, rotating between Midwestern (Kansas City, St. Louis) and East Coast (Atlantic City) venues, and is private and venture-backed by a syndicate including BDSA, CanopyBoulder, Keneh Ventures, Panther Opportunity Fund, and the Czarkowski family's Canna Advisors fund.

Name

MJ Unpacked

Legal name

Jage Media, Inc.

Website

https://mjunpacked.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MJ Unpacked is a B2B cannabis conference and event company producing curated national trade shows for licensed THC cannabis operators, accredited investors, and researchers, with a supporting portfolio of webinars, a product competition, and certification workshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis B2B Conferences and Trade Shows

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

Keywords

• Cannabis B2B conferences
• Cannabis trade shows
• Cannabis industry events
• Cannabis networking events
• Licensed operator events

Headquarters

HQ city

Bainbridge Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor booth and floor fees: Licensed cannabis brands and solution providers pay to exhibit in The Experience Hall, the trade show floor. This is a primary revenue driver for the event.
2. Sponsorships: Companies pay for tiered sponsorships (Strategic Partner, Trailblazer Sponsor, Spark Sponsor, Ember Sponsor, Title Sponsor, Supporting Sponsor) to gain visibility with a curated audience of operators and investors.
3. Attendee registration passes: Qualified attendees purchase tiered passes (Expo Experience, Conference, All-Access, Budtender Appreciation) ranging from $49 to $549 depending on business type and registration window.
4. MJU Cup product competition entries: Cannabis cultivators and manufacturers pay $295 per product entry to compete in the MJU MoCann Cup, with volume discounts for 5+ and 10+ entries.
5. Webinar content licensing: MJ Unpacked produces a monthly webinar series (MJU On Point) and records conference sessions. Conference recordings are made available to registered attendees (Conference, All-Access, Budtender pass holders) on-demand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MJ Unpacked produces a national B2B cannabis conference and trade show curated exclusively for licensed THC cannabis brand and retail executives (manager level and above), accredited investors, and researchers. The event generates revenue through attendee registration passes, exhibitor booth fees in the Experience Hall, tiered sponsorships, and the MJU MoCann Cup product competition, with year-round engagement maintained via the MJU On Point webinar series.

Product overview

MJ Unpacked is a B2B cannabis industry conference and event company producing a national event for licensed THC cannabis retail and brand executives (manager level and above), researchers, and accredited investors. The core product is the MJ Unpacked Conference, a 3-day event featuring the Experience Hall exhibition floor, conference sessions across three tracks (Retail & Brand, Finance & Investment, and Cultivation & Science), networking mixers, and the Pitch Stage. Supporting products include the MJU MoCann Cup (product competition judged by Certified Ganjiers), MJU On Point Webinars (monthly online webinar series), Oaksterdam Pre-Conference Education (certification programs), Conference Recordings (on-demand access), the Marshall Ogen Community Builder Award (industry recognition), and MJU Connects (networking service). The company is produced by Jage Media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MJU MoCann Cup: Industry-driven cannabis product competition that spotlights the highest-quality cannabis products in the marketplace. Produced in partnership with Farechild Events and MoCannTrade, with judging by Certified Ganjiers.
• MJU On Point Webinars

Products and services

• MJ Unpacked Conference National cannabis conference and expo curated for licensed THC cannabis operators, researchers, and accredited investors, featuring the Experience Hall exhibition floor, three conference tracks (Brand & Retail, Finance & Investment, Cultivation & Science), networking mixers, and the Pitch Stage.
• MJU MoCann Cup Industry-driven cannabis product competition recognizing top-quality flower, concentrates, and digestibles categories. Entries are $295 per product with volume discounts and are judged exclusively by Level 2+ Certified Ganjiers using the SAP scoring protocol.
• MJU On Point Webinars Monthly webinar series bringing cannabis business thought leadership and actionable insights from industry experts to online audiences, covering retail strategy, investment, cultivation science, compliance, and policy.
• Experience Hall (Exhibition Floor) Exhibition floor where licensed cannabis brands and solution providers showcase their products to attending retailers, investors, and researchers, enabling product discovery, trend intelligence, and on-site deal-making.
• Pitch Stage On-stage platform where cannabis innovators and brands deliver concise pitches directly to attending buyers, investors, and decision-makers.
• Oaksterdam Pre-Conference Education Pre-conference professional development program in partnership with Oaksterdam University, including a Retail Intensive for Management & Budtenders and a Cultivar Selection workshop, with optional Oaksterdam Certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attendees report generating $500,000/year in new business from a single MJ Unpacked event (RIOCOCO sales rep)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oaksterdam UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Oaksterdam University provides pre-conference education at MJ Unpacked Kansas City 2026, including a Retail Intensive for Management & Budtenders (Oct. 13, 9:30am–12:30pm) and Cultivar Selection workshop (Oct. 13, 2–5pm). Participants can earn Oaksterdam Certification.
• Hoodie AnalyticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hoodie Analytics is the Official Data Partner of MJ Unpacked, providing market intelligence and data analytics support for the event.
• MoCannTrade (Missouri Cannabis Trade Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025MoCannTrade is Missouri's state cannabis trade association and strategic partner for MJ Unpacked's St. Louis events. MJ Unpacked donated $25,000 to the MoCannTrade PAC and partnered on the MJU Cup for Missouri-licensed products. MoCannTrade members received access to the Opening Night Reception.
• ACT LaboratoriesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2025ACT Laboratories is a cannabis testing lab and sponsor of MJ Unpacked events. ACT Labs co-conducted a drying room microbial contamination study referenced in an MJU On Point webinar.
• Poseidon (VC & CEO Mixer host)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2025Poseidon hosts the invite-only VC & CEO Mixer at MJ Unpacked events, bringing together cannabis investors, founders, and CEOs for networking.
• Ganjier (Certified Ganjiers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025Ganjier is the exclusive judging body for the MJU MoCann Cup. Level 2+ Certified Ganjiers evaluate all entries using the Systematic Assessment Protocol (SAP), scoring appearance, aroma, flavor, and experience on a 100-point scale. Ganjier is a rigorous multi-tiered cannabis trade certification program.
• Farechild EventscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025Farechild Events co-produces the MJU MoCann Cup awards ceremony and also produces the Official Afterparty at MJ Unpacked events. Farechild is a cannabis event production company.
• New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025The New Jersey CannaBusiness Association co-presented the MJU Cup and partners with MJ Unpacked on the Marshall Ogen Community Builder Award. NJCBA is New Jersey's first and largest cannabis industry group.
• Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025MCBA is a member organization and sponsor of MJ Unpacked, advocating for minority participation in the cannabis industry.
• Jage Media (parent company)coreOthers · 1 January 2020MJ Unpacked is produced by Jage Media, founded in early 2020 by George Jage (former president of MJBizDaily/MJBizCon) and Kim Jage (former EVP & CMO of World Tea Media). Jage Media is headquartered in the greater Seattle area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa: Global B2B events, media, and intelligence group operating hundreds of trade shows. Has cannabis-adjacent events and would be a natural strategic acquirer or competitor if it expands its cannabis vertical. Comparable as a broader incumbent B2B events platform rather than a direct cannabis competitor.
• Emerald Holding: Large publicly listed B2B trade show operator that owns MJBizDaily/MJBizCon. Competes directly with MJ Unpacked for cannabis sponsorships and exhibitor dollars as a broader incumbent in the B2B events space with significantly greater scale and cross-vertical reach.

Direct peers

• Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo (CWCBExpo): Multi-city cannabis B2B trade show and conference targeting licensed operators, investors, and service providers. Closely comparable format — exhibition floor plus educational tracks — and overlapping sponsor base with MJ Unpacked.
• Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference: Cannabis-focused finance and investment event produced by Benzinga. Targets a similar audience of accredited investors, MSO executives, and brand operators, with a heavier tilt toward capital-markets content. Competes with MJ Unpacked's Finance & Investment track for sponsor dollars.
• Cannabis Conference (by Cannabis Business Times): Annual cannabis cultivation and dispensary conference produced by Cannabis Business Times (GTB/B2B media brand). Targets the same licensed operator and brand executive audience with comparable education + expo format and overlapping sponsorship pool.
• Hall of Flowers: Invite-only cannabis trade show originally launched in California, focused on branded flower, extracts, and infused products. Operates with a curated, retail+brand audience similar to MJ Unpacked, though more California-centric in its geographic footprint.
• MJBizCon (MJBizDaily): The largest B2B cannabis trade show in North America. Founded by George Jage before he left to start MJ Unpacked, MJBizCon is the most direct comparison: same operator/investor audience, same cannabis vertical, same expo + conference format, but at significantly greater scale.
• The Emerald Conference: Cannabis science and cultivation conference for researchers, cultivators, and extraction professionals. Overlaps with MJ Unpacked's Cultivation & Science track and shared ancillary sponsors, though it is more narrowly focused on the scientific/research segment.
• ICBC (International Cannabis Business Conference): International B2B cannabis conference focused on policy, investment, and industry networking. Comparable audience (operators, investors, policymakers) and conference-plus-expo format, but with a stronger European and policy orientation than MJ Unpacked.

Regional players

• NECANN (New England Cannabis Convention): A multi-state cannabis B2B and consumer-facing convention series operating primarily across the Northeast US. Comparable in that it sells exhibitor booths and sponsorships to cannabis brands and serves operator audiences, but operates in different geographies than MJ Unpacked.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkfts-2VyI7BL8LZ8MOlp-Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mjunpacked
• Instagraminstagram.com/mjunpacked
• Xx.com/MJunpacked
• Facebookfacebook.com/MJUnpackedSummit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MJ Unpacked