Skip to main contentIf you want a preview of how big the economic boom of legal weed is going to get in Oregon, look no further than a federally owned cruise-ship dock in Seattle.
That was the site of last weekend's CannaCon, a trade show that bills itself as the nation's biggest expo for marijuana businesses. More than 150 vendors set up shop on two floors, all selling products related to the recreational weed Washington state voters approved in 2012.
But few of the vendors were selling pot or weed products. Instead, they were hawking mechanized trimmers and sifters, grow lights, packaging, commercial insurance, warehouse design and construction, security guards and branding.
Brands were the big trend—and the nagging worry—of the trade show.
Seminars taught growers how to design logos and draw attention to their farms. Seed, soil and equipment companies flashed their cartoon icons (including "D.B. Cooper LED Grow Lights," with a day-glow hijacker). Comedian Tommy Chong plastered his face on vape pens, bud grinders and a hemp-infused energy drink called "Chongwater."
But some vendors worried about the specter of deep-pocketed investors—including Big Tobacco—invading the market.
"I'm seeing a lot of twenty-somethings getting jobs in this industry," said Ben Talmage, who works for Mr. Nice Seeds, a Seattle-based pot seed bank. "It can either go great, or go really south with this scary corporate nightmare."
Below are photos of a few of the CannaCon exhibitors. The duo dressed as a baggie and a blunt were advertising a weed delivery service—which lawmakers in Tacoma have banned. We never confirmed who the wizard was.
WWeek 2015