Budist Newsletter: Expanding the Mission
Dear Friends,
This week, we’re wrapping up three exciting weeks in Colorado, where we’ve been working to launch the MJBowl, meet with our new team of judges and retail partner, Social Dispensary, and introduce the competition to brands across the state.
Expanding into Colorado represents an important milestone for both the MJBowl and Budist. As the first state to launch legal adult-use cannabis sales, Colorado holds a special place in the history of our industry. Its community has spent more than a decade helping shape what a regulated cannabis market can become, making it a meaningful place to bring the Budist mission and continue our work of elevating product standards and building a stronger culture of connoisseurship.
Last year, the MJBowl connected California and New York as the first bi-coastal competition of its kind. With the addition of Colorado, we’re extending that bridge through the center of the country and bringing together three of America’s most influential cannabis markets. While each state will be judged and recognized independently, bringing them together within one national competition creates new opportunities to share knowledge, celebrate regional excellence, and develop a more consistent understanding of quality across the industry.
More broadly, this trip reflects what excites us most about Budist’s continued growth: bringing our mission into new markets and building meaningful relationships with the people shaping cannabis across the country. We’re grateful to everyone who welcomed us to Colorado and proud to have such a passionate group of judges, partners, and brands helping bring the MJBowl to life.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll share more from our time in Colorado and look ahead to upcoming MJBowl gatherings and speaking engagements that will keep us involved in important conversations across the industry.
With Gratitude,
Jocelyn Sheltraw
Co-Founder & CEO
Colorado Welcomes the MJBowl
We officially kicked off the MJBowl in Colorado with a gathering of our new judges at Social Dispensary’s Chambers location. The afternoon gave the team an opportunity to meet one another, connect with the dispensary’s owners, and explore the retail experience that will help bring the competition to life for this year’s Trophy Winners.
That evening, nearly 150 members of the Colorado cannabis community joined us at Stoney’s Bar & Grill for the MJBowl Colorado Launch and August Mixer for the Colorado Chapter of the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. The event brought together judges, brands, partners, and industry leaders to learn more about the competition and celebrate its expansion into Colorado. See highlights from the event on Budist’s Instagram page.
MJBowl Heads Back to New York
Next Thursday, we’ll gather in New York with our new MJBowl judges at Dazed, inviting brands from across the market to meet the judging team, connect with one another, and celebrate the occasion alongside our retail partner. The gathering will give judges and participating brands an opportunity to build relationships, learn more about the competition, and experience the retail environment that will help bring this year’s Trophy Winners to life.
Later that evening, we’ll continue at Third Thursday, the official pre-party for Revelry and one of New York’s leading cannabis industry mixers. Co-founder Sean Scadron, one of this year’s MJBowl judges, will host the gathering, giving our team an opportunity to connect with local brands and industry leaders. See event details.
Drinks with Benefits Summit
On September 16, Budist co-founders Jocelyn Sheltraw and Claudio Miranda will speak at the Drinks with Benefits Summit, a conference exploring the future of alternative beverages. Held at The Maze, New York City’s preeminent alcohol-free club, the summit brings together founders, distributors, investors, and industry professionals shaping this rapidly evolving category.
Jocelyn and Claudio will join The State of Hemp panel to discuss the latest trends in cannabis beverages and the opportunities emerging across the market. They’ll also explore what cannabis and hemp beverages can learn from traditional beverage markets, particularly how product appreciation and consumer education are cultivated and how those best practices can support the category’s growth. Learn more
IgniteIt California Spotlight
On October 7, Budist co-founder and CEO Jocelyn Sheltraw will moderate a panel at the IgniteIt California Market Spotlight in Los Angeles. The event will bring together more than 300 cannabis executives, operators, investors, and policymakers for conversations about the issues and opportunities shaping California’s market.
The panel will explore whether cannabis beverages can achieve meaningful scale while remaining largely confined to dispensaries. Examining everything from manufacturing and distribution to retail adoption and consumer demand, the conversation will consider what it will take for beverages to move from a niche product into a meaningful source of industry growth. Register now
Hall of Flowers - Craft Sungrown Showcase
On November 4-5, Hall of Flowers and Budist are teaming up at Cal Expo in Sacramento to put California craft sungrown cannabis front and center through a dedicated Craft Sungrown Showcase.
The experience will connect participating producers with vetted retail buyers from across the state, with Budist on the floor supporting buyer conversations and providing education to help retailers better understand and appreciate craft sungrown cannabis.
California sungrown flower and hash brands interested in participating can learn more here.
Connect with Us
If you’d like to learn more about our calendar of events, competitions, and content opportunities, reach out to schedule a time to chat.