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.

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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

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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Over 200 members of the cannabis business community offered up their nominations for the first-ever Laurel Awards by Cashinbis. These organizations, people, and products represent the very best of 2015 in the world of cannabis – selected solely by industry insiders. 

Read on to learn about each nominated organization (in alphabetical order), and vote for your favorites here.

ArcView Group

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Best Enterprise Software

CannaScore is the cannabis industry’s first auditing and compliance software that provides real-time scoring and analysis for the overall health of any recreational or medical cannabis dispensary, grow facility, or manufacturer.

California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA)

Most Influential Cannabis Industry Advocacy Group

CCIA was formed to unite the cannabis industry in California and to allow it to speak with one voice at the state and local levels. The group strives to educate and act as a resource to lawmakers regarding all areas of the cannabis industry, and is also dedicated to addressing issues related to driving under the influence, unlawful diversion to minors, and substance abuse.

CMW Media

Best Creative/Media Agency

CMW Media is a full-service public relations firm specializing in promoting innovative businesses from a broad spectrum of industries. Our clients range from publicly traded companies to those in emerging markets, with a special focus on the global cannabis industry.

Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo (CWCBExpo)

Best Cannabis Trade Show

The CWCBExpo is one of the definitive business events for the cannabis industry, held biannually in New York City and Los Angeles. Exhibitors and sponsors bring cutting-edge solutions to owners and managers of businesses in this fast-growing industry, and a wealth of opportunity and knowledge to those looking to enter the market with potential partners and investors. The expo floor features the latest technologies, solutions and resources for cannabis-related companies.

CannaBrand

Best Creative/Media Agency

Best Infused Product Brand

Located in Denver, Dixie Elixirs & Edibles has been producing award-winning THC-infused products since 2009. What began as a single flagship product, the Dixie Elixir (a THC-infused soda), has now expanded to over 30 different products, representing the industry’s finest edibles, mints, energy shots, tinctures, and topicals.

The Emerald Cup, Sonoma County

Best Cannabis Trade Show

The Emerald Cup is celebrating 12 years as California’s preeminent, outdoor, organic, medicinal cannabis competition. With one of the nation’s finest sampling areas, The Emerald Cup has become known as the premier destination and showplace for both cannabis tourists and Northern California organic and sustainable product brands, with many companies on-hand to discuss the latest in hemp and medical cannabis.

Flowhub

Most Disruptive Technology / Best Enterprise Software 

Cannabis Product of the Year / Cannabis Company of the Year

Cannabis Entrepreneur of the Year: CEO Kyle Sherman 

Flowhub has developed the next generation of seed-to-sale software for the legal cannabis industry, enabling growers and dispensaries to streamline their operations and optimize their profit margins. Professional cultivators can use the NUG mobile scanning device to scan plant tags and carry out daily operations within the grow, then use the web or mobile application to confidently oversee every plant and every move that was made using the NUG.

Check out our feature on Kyle Sherman, the company’s Co-Founder and CEO, up for Entrepreneur of the Year.

Freedom Enterprises (Hashman Infused)

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Best Infused Product Brand / Cannabis Product of the Year

IVXX is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terra Tech Corp that produces medical cannabis extracted products for regulated medical cannabis dispensaries throughout California.

Keef Cola

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ancial

Best Enterprise Software / Cannabis Entrepreneur of the Year: CEO David Dinenberg

Cannabis Product of the Year / Cannabis Company of the Year

KIND provides financial technology solutions for cultivators, dispensaries, and regulatory agencies in the cannabis industry to facilitate safe and secure transactions that are in compliance with the rules, regulations, laws and guidelines governing cannabis-related businesses.

KIND’s seed-to-sale cannabis tracking and compliance platform, Agrisoft, integrates seamlessly with Kind’s cash-management and order-taking kiosk as well as KIND Pay – KIND’s convenient and secure platform for cash-free mobile payments and customer loyalty programs. Together, the KIND platform provides an end-to-end solution to close the loop between cannabis-related businesses and financial institutions.

Check out our feature on David Dinenberg, the company’s Founder and CEO, up for Entrepreneur of the Year.

Kush Bottles

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Best Consumer App

Leafly is a leading online information and education resource for cannabis consumers. Through Leafly, millions of visitors per month research strains of cannabis that will best meet their needs, access user-generated reviews of more than 800 cannabis strains and thousands of dispensaries, and follow news and culture content intended for everyone from beginning medical cannabis patients to the sophisticated connoisseur.

Loud Cannabis

Best Consumer App

One of the Green Exchange, Inc.’s latest developments, Loud Cannabis, is the world’s first HIPAA-compliant mobile app that connects cannabis growers directly to patients in order to facilitate delivery of farm-to-table fresh medical cannabis. This newcomer takes the “Uber-ization of cannabis” to a new level by allowing cultivators to get in on the growing on-demand consumer market.

Mary’s Medicinals

Best Infused Product Brand

Mary’s Medicinals is a wellness company innovating at the intersection of engineering and horticulture. Best known as the developer and exclusive distributor of the award-winning Transdermal Cannabis Patch, Mary is transforming how people view and utilize cannabis, developing products that maximize the benefits of cannabinoids, terpenes and other plant nutrients for optimum patient care.

MassRoots

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Most Disruptive Technology / Best Enterprise Software

Best Consumer App / Cannabis Company of the Year

Meadow Care has created an on-demand delivery platform that allows California patients to shop online for medical cannabis from the comfort of home. Patients place an order via mobile device and receive a delivery from a top-tier, compliant dispensary within one hour.

MJ Business Conference & Expo

Best Cannabis Trade Show

Produced by Marijuana Business Daily, the Conference is both the oldest and largest national event for the now $3 billion cannabis industry. This year’s expo in Las Vegas marked its 4th year in operation.

MJ Freeway

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Cannabis Product of the Year: Real Scientific Hemp Oil (RSHO)

Real Scientific Hemp Oil is an award-winning, concentrated, natural hemp oil derived from non-GMO hemp plants grown on family farms, made by Medical Marijuana, Inc., the first publicly held company vested in the cannabis and industrial hemp space in America. The company was the first to develop a significant standardized manufacturing pipeline for CBD-containing products. It was also the first national and international distribution company fully focused on cannabis, and now ships to more than 45 countries through its subsidiary HempMeds.

National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)

Most Influential Cannabis Industry Advocacy Group / Best Cannabis Trade Show

NCIA is the only national trade association advancing the interests of the legitimate and responsible cannabis industry. Our industry supports tens of thousands of jobs, tens of millions in tax revenue, and billions in economic activity in the United States. NCIA is leading the unified and coordinated campaign to ensure this emerging sector is treated fairly under federal law.

New West Summit

Best Cannabis Trade Show

Dubbed the “TechCrunch Disrupt” of the cannabis industry, New West Summit’s expertly curated, two-day, 15-panel conference and exhibition included over 30 exhibitors, 50 speakers, and 1,000 attendees. The Summit forecasted legalization in 2016, funding trends, the next crop of mobile apps, the technologies disrupting cultivation, extraction and vaporization, intellectual property, media and marketing, and more.

National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Most Influential Cannabis Industry Advocacy Group

NORML’s mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.

PAX 2 Vaporizer

Cannabis Product of the Year

Founded in 2007 by two Stanford Design Masters program graduates and headquartered in San Francisco, PAX Labs fuses applied design principles with technology, producing innovative premium vaporizers that provide a cleaner, modern alternative to smoking. PAX 2 is one of the most pocketable and premium loose-leaf vaporizers on the market, revolutionizing the vaping industry and offering consumers a simple smoking alternative.

Potbox

Cannabis Product of the Year

Founded in 2015, Potbox is a premium, subscription-based service that delivers the highest-quality, most ethically-grown cannabis to registered patients in the Bay Area and Los Angeles on a monthly basis, complete with suave, high-end packaging.

Sage Analytics Luminary Beacon

Most Disruptive Technology

The Luminary Beacon by Sage Analytics is a potency measurement system that enhances the current state of potency profiling of Total THC, THCA, Total CBD, CBDA and CBD content by providing rapid, accurate measurements, field portability, convenience and affordability to the entire cannabis ecosystem. This desktop device mitigates inconveniences of potency testing by delivering accurate, spectroscopy-based measurement for real-time, on-site use.

Stock Pot Images

Best Creative/Media Agency / Cannabis Company of the Year

Stock Pot Images is the first stock photo agency to specialize exclusively in cannabis-related imagery, featuring rights-managed and royalty-free photography and illustration. The company’s selection reaches far beyond the small number of stereotypical images currently offered by major stock agencies. Stock Pot Images targets healthcare, ad and branding agencies, as well as corporate and emerging industries that will soon need cannabis images to service a new market of users.

Terra Tech Corp

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Cannabis Entrepreneur of the Year: CEO Ethan Ruby / Cannabis Company of the Year

Theraplant is a Connecticut State-licensed medical cannabis producer, dedicated to helping the state’s qualifying patients live and feel better through the wholesale production of medical cannabis products of the highest quality.

In 2000, Theraplant’s CEO and founder, Ethan Ruby, was struck in a crosswalk by a car that ran a red light, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Despite numerous surgeries and intense rehabilitation, he continued to suffer pain and complications, and was prescribed numerous prescription drugs, leading to undesirable side effects and the risk of physical addiction. After thought and consultation with his father, a pediatrician, and his mother, a physical therapist, Ethan finally decided to try medical cannabis, with life-changing success. Ethan has made it his life’s work to help ensure that the unique benefits of medical cannabis are made accessible to other qualified patients like himself.

Jane

Most Disruptive Technology / Best Consumer App

Jane is a complete cash management solution for medical and recreational cannabis retailers. The company’s mission is to empower cannabis retailers with the financial services tools they need to grow their business, while fulfilling the desire of today’s consumers for greater control over their shopping experience. The Jane self-service kiosk was developed by a team with over 75 years of combined experience in payments, kiosks and cannabis to bring financial maturity to the marijuana industry.

Wana Brands

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Don’t forget to vote for your favorites here by December 31!

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