Budist Newsletter: Partnerships Paving the Way
Dear Friends,
This month we’re excited to spotlight several partnerships that expand our work through competitions, consumer education, market insights, and live events. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the Budist vision come to life alongside organizations that are helping shape the future of cannabis, and as our work continues to expand, so does the opportunity to create programs that connect stakeholders across the ecosystem in new and impactful ways.
Last week marked an important milestone with the launch of the 2nd annual MJBowl in partnership with MJBizCon. As the first multi-state cannabis competition in North America, it represents another step toward building a shared national standard for product quality and craftsmanship while celebrating the unique culture and excellence of California, Colorado, and New York. Just weeks earlier, we concluded another successful California Cannabis Awards alongside the California State Fair, continuing our work on the nation’s first state-sanctioned cannabis competition.
That momentum continues this fall with two industry leading event producers: Hall of Flowers and IgniteIt. Both have exciting events on the horizon, and we’re looking forward to supporting their upcoming events while working behind the scenes on new collaborations that we’ll be announcing in the coming month. While these initiatives each serve a unique purpose, they’re connected by a common goal: helping build a more informed, collaborative, and quality-driven cannabis industry.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll celebrate the partners helping bring this work to life, highlight their upcoming events, share new opportunities across the market, and outline how you can get involved. We hope you’ll join us as we continue building the partnerships, programs, and experiences that are helping shape the future of cannabis.
With Gratitude,
Jocelyn Sheltraw
Co-Founder & CEO
IgniteIt California Market Spotlight
IgniteIt’s California Market Spotlight returns to Los Angeles on October 7, bringing together 300+ cannabis executives, operators, investors, and policymakers for two days of networking, deal-making, and discussion around the issues shaping California and the broader market.
Budist is proud to serve as a key media partner and industry collaborator for this year’s event. For cannabis businesses looking to build relationships, explore new opportunities, and connect with industry leaders, California Market Spotlight is one to have on the calendar. Register here.
Hall of Flowers: Sacramento
Hall of Flowers returns to Sacramento on November 4-5, bringing together cannabis brands, cultivators, retailers, and industry leaders from across California. The show is built for business, giving attendees the opportunity to meet buyers, discover new products, and build relationships across the market.
Budist is proud to partner with Hall of Flowers on this year’s Sacramento show, with new programming and experiences that we’ll be announcing soon. If you do business in California cannabis, Hall of Flowers is one of the industry gatherings you won’t want to miss. Register here.
MJBowl: Entries Now Open!
The entry window for the 2nd annual MJBowl is now open to licensed cannabis brands in California, Colorado, and New York. Products can compete across six categories: Flower, Pre-Rolls, Vapes, Concentrates, Edibles, and Wellness Products, with winners selected in each state by panels of experienced judges. Entries are open through September 30, with winners recognized on the national stage at MJBizCon 2026 in Las Vegas.
Interested in entering? Meet the MJBowl team and judges in person, ask questions about the competition, and connect with the community at these upcoming events:
Colorado: MJBowl Launch Event at Stoney’s Bar & Grill in Denver — August 26. Register here.
New York: Third Thursday NYC — August 20 & September 17. Budist co-founders will join the September event. Register here.
California Cannabis Awards Recap
The 2026 California Cannabis Awards are officially in the books, marking the fifth anniversary of the competition and another memorable year at the California State Fair. This year’s awards celebrated standout products and producers from across the state, culminating with the presentation of the coveted Golden Bear trophies in Sacramento.
Check out our full recap featuring all of this year’s Golden Bear winners, highlights from the competition and awards ceremony, and a special thank you to the judges, partners, and organizations who helped make this year’s program possible. Congratulations again to everyone who participated and helped us celebrate the best of California cannabis.
Read our Blog Recap.
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.