Canna Connect Brainerd Is Bringing Minnesota’s Cannabis Space Together

Jul 13, 2026

Minnesota’s cannabis market is still being built.

Across the state, cultivators are developing facilities, retailers are preparing to serve new customers, tribal enterprises are expanding their operations, and future license holders are working to understand what it will take to build sustainable businesses.

At the same time, many of the people doing that work are spread across Minnesota and may not regularly attend events in Minneapolis or St. Paul.

That is why Canna Connect is heading back to Brainerd.

On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Canna Connect Brainerd will bring together operators, entrepreneurs, professional service providers, technology companies, cultivators, retailers, and community leaders at the Northern Pacific Center.

The event is designed to create practical conversations, meaningful introductions, and a stronger sense of connection between the people building Minnesota’s cannabis space.

A Different Kind of Cannabis Event

Canna Connect Brainerd is not designed to feel like a traditional trade show.

Instead of lining the room with isolated booths, the event will be organized around four curated Pods:

  • CONNECT

  • EDUCATE

  • LEARN

  • GROW

Each Pod will include a moderated panel discussion followed by opportunities for attendees to continue the conversation directly with the participating organizations.

The goal is to move beyond the usual “listen and leave” format.

Attendees will be able to hear from experienced professionals, ask questions, compare perspectives, and then continue those conversations in a more personal setting throughout the day.

CONNECT: Building the Systems Behind the Business

The CONNECT Pod will focus on the technology, communications, software, security, and infrastructure that cannabis businesses need to operate effectively.

Participating organizations include:

  • Comcast Business

  • Cure8

  • Dutchie

  • Solink

Together, these organizations bring experience across internet and communications infrastructure, cybersecurity, surveillance, point-of-sale systems, ecommerce, payments, data, and operational technology.

The conversation will help operators think more carefully about the systems they need before opening, the mistakes they can avoid, and how to build technology infrastructure that can grow alongside their businesses.

EDUCATE: Turning Expertise Into Better Decisions

The EDUCATE Pod will bring together professionals working across risk management, cannabis education, product knowledge, retail insights, and cultivation science.

Participating organizations include:

  • Cannasure

  • Ganjier Guild

  • Surfside

  • Thrive Agritech

This conversation will connect several disciplines that are often discussed separately.

Cannasure will bring an insurance and risk-management perspective. The Ganjier Guild will contribute expertise in cannabis quality, sensory education, and product knowledge. Surfside will discuss retail intelligence, advertising, customer behavior, and measurable business growth. Thrive Agritech will bring experience in efficient and sustainable lighting for indoor agriculture.

The purpose of the Pod is not to provide one narrow lesson. It is to demonstrate how operators can make stronger decisions when they draw from multiple areas of expertise.

LEARN: Real Lessons From Building in Minnesota

The LEARN Pod will focus on the experiences of people actively operating, advising, and supporting businesses in Minnesota.

Participating organizations include:

  • Beyond the Pines Tax & Accounting

  • Local 49

  • Trailhead Cannabis Co.

Adams Independent Testing has also been invited to participate, bringing its experience testing grain, hemp, and now cannabis into the conversation.

The LEARN discussion will explore the realities of building a cannabis business, including accounting, tax planning, workforce development, retail operations, testing, quality assurance, customer experience, and business growth.

Beyond the Pines Tax & Accounting will help explain the financial systems and tax considerations that operators need to take seriously from the beginning.

Local 49 will contribute to the workforce conversation, including the people, training, and skilled labor required to build and operate cannabis facilities.

Trailhead Cannabis Co. will bring the perspective of an operating Minnesota cannabis business, with experience spanning retail, cultivation, manufacturing, product development, facility planning, compliance, and wholesale relationships.

If confirmed, Adams Independent Testing will add an important laboratory perspective based on its evolution from agricultural and hemp testing into Minnesota’s regulated cannabis market.

This Pod is built around one central question:

What have you learned that could help the next Minnesota cannabis business make a better decision?

GROW: Building Productive Cultivation Operations

The GROW Pod will focus on cultivation, lighting, facility development, environmental controls, energy efficiency, manufacturing, and production.

Participating organizations include:

  • Lake Leaf Cultivation

  • NorthStar Cultivation Supply

  • TSRgrow

  • What Rebates

Lake Leaf Cultivation will bring the experience of a tribal cultivation operation using advanced technology, sustainable practices, plant-health monitoring, and water-reclamation systems.

NorthStar Cultivation Supply will contribute local knowledge of commercial cultivation, agricultural inputs, pest management, grow media, post-harvest solutions, logistics, and operator support.

TSRgrow will discuss lighting, remote power, environmental strategy, facility efficiency, crop steering, and the technologies that help cultivators better understand and control their operations.

What Rebates will help attendees understand how energy planning, lighting decisions, equipment selection, and utility incentives can influence the cost of developing and operating a cultivation facility.

This conversation is intended to help growers think beyond individual pieces of equipment and consider the full system required to produce consistently, efficiently, and profitably.

Bringing the Conversation Closer to Operators

Canna Connect has spent the past several years building relationships throughout Minnesota’s cannabis space.

One of the clearest lessons from that work is that the market does not begin and end in the Twin Cities.

Many cultivators, entrepreneurs, and future operators across Central and Northern Minnesota are focused on building their businesses. They may not have the time, resources, or desire to travel to every large conference in Minneapolis or St. Paul.

Canna Connect Brainerd is designed to bring education, trusted partners, and practical conversations closer to them.

The event will also create opportunities for national organizations to better understand Minnesota by meeting the people who are actually building businesses throughout the state.

More Than a Panel Discussion

The formal programming will begin with registration and coffee before moving through the four Pod discussions.

Lunch will provide additional networking time, and attendees will be encouraged to visit each Pod, meet participating organizations, and continue conversations that begin on stage.

Following the educational program, attendees will be invited to continue networking during an optional evening gathering featuring live music and a seafood boil at Notch 8.

The entire day is being designed around one goal:

Create one of the most useful rooms in Minnesota’s cannabis space.

Who Should Attend?

Canna Connect Brainerd is intended for:

  • Licensed cannabis businesses

  • Pre-licensed operators

  • Cultivators and manufacturers

  • Retailers and dispensary teams

  • Tribal cannabis enterprises

  • Hemp businesses entering the regulated market

  • Entrepreneurs and future license holders

  • Professional service providers

  • Technology and infrastructure companies

  • Investors, advisors, and community leaders

Whether you are actively operating or still preparing to enter the market, the event will provide an opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and meet the people who may help you take the next step.

Join Us in Brainerd

Canna Connect Brainerd takes place on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd, Minnesota.

As Minnesota’s cannabis space continues to develop, the need for practical education and trusted relationships is only becoming more important.

We hope you will join us as we bring the conversation to Central Minnesota and continue connecting the people building this market.

Connecting Minnesotans Over Cannabis.