Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

One thing that certainly was unprecedented was the major sweep that occured, with one up-and-coming technology company taking the Laurels in five different categories, including the top-level awards. This company had a small team of employees to vote, but hundreds of supporters, customers and fans throughout the cannabis community.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Flowhub

Winner of the 2015 Laurels for:

Most Disruptive Technology

Best Enterprise Technology

Cannabis Product of the Year

Cannabis Company of the Year

AND

Kyle Sherman

CEO & Co-Founder of Flowhub

Winner of the Laurel Award for Cannabis Entrepreneur of the Year

Sweeping both the Disruptive and Enterprise technology categories, as well as ALL THREE of the top-level 2015 Laurel Awards, Denver-based Flowhub was the software that made the biggest splash during 2015, and a great example of growth and success as a cannabis company.

Essential Technology

Flowhub is a seed-to-sale software solution, meaning it helps growers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers accurately track the complete life cycle of a cannabis plant, from the day its seed is planted to the day it is plucked off the shelf and sold to a patient or recreational customer.

The entire solution runs on a system of bar codes, which can then be scanned by Flowhub’s signature NUG device. It snaps onto a smartphone for easy scanning and uploading into the corresponding mobile app, creating a giant database of cannabis plants that can be updated in real time.

Using the personalized bar code, a plant’s growth and flowering progress can be easily tracked via mobile app – every time the barcode is scanned, it updates that plant’s profile. Then, once it’s harvested, its bar code will follow it through transportation, manufacturing, and retail process, making it easy for all parties to stay compliant and track inventory much better than with paper and pen.

Fully integrated and compliant wherever medical or recreational cannabis is legal, Flowhub is the community favorite for streamlined, high-tech seed to sale tracking. It’s loved by cultivators and retailers alike and has saved countless hours of needless work.

Good People = Good Times

Started just under two years ago, Flowhub is a young company that has already made a huge imprint on the history of cannabis.

Its CEO and co-founder, Kyle Sherman, was inspired to create Flowhub after experiencing life on a grow, and struggling with the capabilities of existing technologies.

A tech-savvy problem solver, Kyle searched everywhere for a software that could handle the demands of a large grow operation. When he didn’t find it, he set out to create it himself – the ultimate startup entrepreneur move.

Together with co-founder Chase Wiseman, Kyle built Flowhub up from the ground, and they now boast a downtown Denver office and a stellar team of 18 employees.

When it comes to a great company, the culture and employees are huge factors. Flowhub’s entire team worked diligently to nominate, vote, and tell their friends to support their company over the course of these awards.

Flowhub was also recently covered in CNN Money’s fun feature on companies that allow toke breaks during the workday.

His words: “Our philosophy at Flowhub is to get s*** done. If it helps our employees get work done, then we don’t care if they consume at work.”

With this policy in place, they’ve seen top results. Clearly, it pays to have a little fun in this industry.

Congratulations to Kyle and the entire Flowhub team – an outstanding example of a cannabis company moving toward the future.

The post Laurel Awards: Flowhub is the Ultimate Cannabis Company Entering 2016 appeared first on .

Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Leafly

Winner of the Laurel for Best Cannabis Consumer App

Anyone who has ever looked up information on a particular strain of cannabis has probably ended up on the Leafly website or mobile app.

Founded in 2010, Leafly has been around through the thick of the cannabis “boom.” It’s one of, if not THE largest cannabis websites in the world, and the most linked-back-to website in the space by far.

While it used to be touted in the media as the “Yelp for weed,” Leafly’s expertise has expanded to serve both cannabis consumers on the front end, and dispensaries on the back end. Searching for specific products by geographic area changes the way that patients and adult-use customers find their next dispensary to visit.

The site crowdsources user data on hundreds of cannabis strains, based on the overall feeling of each unique “high” and the specific ailments of symptoms that a particular strain can help relieve. A user interested in that strain can then easily locate it at a nearby dispensary, making Leafly a valuable business tool. There are also featured dispensary lists to ensure that users of the app get the very best in quality cannabis.

Leafly also runs a blog that is updated daily with new information for businesses about the cannabis industry, as well as great consumer and general interest content. Overall, the app is a trusted resource for people of all ages to find a variety of solid cannabis information.

To get in on all the cannabis data, visit Leafly.com or download it from the iOS App Store.

The post Leafly: Best Cannabis Consumer App of 2015 appeared first on .

Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

WE HAVE A TIE!

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Dixie Brands

and

IVXX

Both Winners of the Laurel for Best Infused Product Brand

Dixie

Undisputedly, the fan favorite in the realm of cannabis-infused products is Dixie. The company made national headlines throughout 2015 as one to watch in the global cannabis space.

Then, CEO Tripp Keber announced that Dixie Brands would be expanding out of its home state of Colorado in order to serve medical cannabis dispensaries in California, then announced in November that its edibles line would be coming to Australia, New Zealand, Oregon and Arizona as well.

Due to the federal legal status of cannabis, interstate commerce is always a sensitive subject, and Dixie shows that out-of-state, or even international expansion is an attainable goal with hard work and compliance.

Dixie infuses cannabis into dozens of different confections and delivery methods, from medicated mints and chocolate bars in multiple craft flavors, to signature beverages, to disposable vape pens, tinctures, and topicals. Dixie’s two new CBD brands, announced over the holidays, include Aceso for humans and Therabis for pets.

To find out more, go to DixieElixirs.com.

IVXX

A subsidiary of Terra Tech Corp, one of the more well-known publicly traded companies in the cannabis space, the IVXX cannabis brand had a strong showing of support during both nominations and voting.

We’re not entirely sure that it counts as an “infused product,” but leaving out an actual cannabis brand didn’t feel right – especially in the case of a tie.

IVXX is famous for its signature line of organic cannabis, concentrates, and pre-rolled joints. All available in California, the products prove that spectacular branding is already underway, even in states where adult use is not yet legalized. The brand will be coming to Nevada and other states soon.

From IVXX’s website and social media profiles, it’s clear that their sugar waxes and shatters are some of the best that the industry has seen. Cannabis concentrates are an emerging trend and will be a profitable and exciting market for years to come.

For more information, visit IVXX.com.

The post Laurel Awards: Dixie, IVXX Tie for Best Cannabis-Infused Product appeared first on .

Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

CannaBrand

Winner of the Laurel for Best Creative / Media Agency

When starting a cannabis business, hiring a marketing or creative agency is one of the most expensive and important decisions an entrepreneur can ever make.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, CannaBrand is one of the original cannabis marketing and branding agencies. The company was founded by Olivia Mannix and Jennifer DeFalco, and specializes in brand strategy, advertising, design, public relations, and analytics.

Prominent client case studies on the agency’s website include Mindful, MJ Wellness, and Neos.

The team comes with over 30 years of combined work experience in the cannabis space – a perfect example of skilled professionals who also have close personal histories with the plant. It’s obvious that the team is passionate about what they do, simply from browsing through the company’s website, which features blog posts with general marketing insight for cannabis entrepreneurs as well as client work examples.

Getting proper attention in the mainstream media can be difficult and competitive for cannabis businesses. With placements this year in popular mainstream publications such as The New York Times, NPR, The Denver Post and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, this agency is setting a positive example for the cannabis space and doing it with style and panache that the business world expects of a world-class marketing firm.

For more information, visit Cannabrand.co.

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Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, Las Vegas

Winner of the Laurel for Best Cannabis Industry Trade Show

After hearing all the buzz about the event for weeks afterward, it’s clear: Marijuana Business Daily, one of the original B2B cannabis industry publications, certainly knows how to throw one heck of a party.

The largest and oldest cannabis trade show running, Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (or MJBiz for short) brought thousands of industry professionals and enthusiasts out to the off-strip Rio casino hotel in November, for a weekend of networking, conference sessions, investor pitches, and of course, exquisite branded product launch celebrations and swanky after-parties. Secret invite-only lists and rooftop VIP venues were standard as the cannabis community’s biggest players somehow managed to strike amazing new deals and partnerships over the course of the weekend.

Featuring thousands of attendees from across the country, an expo floor featuring over 200 exhibitors, and former presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader as one of the keynote speakers, this trade show was highly anticipated, got tons of media attention, and rounded out one of the most event-filled calendar years the cannabis space has ever seen.

This year, MJBiz travels to the unlikely locale of Orlando, Florida where cannabis is still controversial, but close to making its official debut. Though the southeastern United States is far from a hotspot for the cannabis industry, this huge conference could really leave its mark and build some momentum for reform.

For more information on this year’s event, visit mjbizconference.com.

The post MJBizCon Las Vegas 2015 Wins Laurel Award for Best Expo appeared first on .

Starting in November of 2015, we asked the cannabis community to nominate and vote for their favorite individuals, products, and organizations in the field for the inaugural Laurel Awards.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but we quickly took stock of the major players in the industry as more than 1,100 initial nominations and well over 7,500 official votes were submitted. The top winner by people’s choice in each of the ten categories will hold the honor for one year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Winner of the Laurel for Most Influential Cannabis Industry Advocacy Group

It’s no surprise that this organization still holds relevance with the cannabis community. NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, is the longest-running and largest cannabis advocacy group in the world. The group focuses specifically on working to change cannabis and hemp laws at the local, state, and federal level.

Last year, NORML was involved in or closely followed several landmark reforms and upsets that influenced the cannabis community, bringing much-needed information from the front lines of the courts and legislature to the masses.

Keith Stroup, an Illinois attorney, founded the organization in the 1970s after being inspired by Ralph Nader’s fundraising prowess. Stroup’s work laid the foundation for cannabis activists for years to come, and the organization has grown to include nearly 200 of chapters worldwide. He still does advocacy work and blogs for the organization.

NORML is now headed by Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, with headquarters and staff in the Washington, D.C. area.

The nonprofit consists of several subsidiaries, including NORML PAC, NORML Foundation and NORML Business Network, all working to fund and tackle cannabis reform in different ways. The organization’s advisory board consists of celebrities and public figures who support legalization and advance the message in the media.

Though local chapters of any national organization are bound to experience flux and tension over time, NORML has been a steadfast resource for the community for longer than many of us have been around, and in an industry that is constantly changing and evolving, there’s something to be said for that.

To get involved, visit NORML.org.

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