What to Expect at Cannabis & Community in Duluth

On Thursday, October 15, Canna Connect is bringing Cannabis & Community: A Cultivation Celebration to Clyde Iron Works in Duluth.

This is not meant to feel like a traditional cannabis trade show.

There will be exhibitors. There will be technology. There will be cannabis operators, cultivators, professional service providers and brands throughout the building.

But the idea behind Cannabis & Community is bigger than putting companies behind tables.

We want to create a place where people can actually understand who is building Minnesota’s cannabis industry, how these businesses work together, and what the market looks like as it continues to develop across the state.

From 4:00 PM through 10:00 PM, Clyde Iron Works will become a gathering place for Minnesota cannabis, cultivation, business, food, hospitality and community.

Here’s what you can expect.

A Different Kind of Cannabis Event

The idea guiding Cannabis & Community is something we call Better Together.

Cannabis businesses do not grow in isolation.

A cultivator needs lighting, mechanical systems, engineering, nutrients, controls, banking, insurance, accounting and dozens of other relationships to get from an idea to an operating facility.

Dispensaries need technology, payroll, professional services, vendors, community relationships and trusted partners of their own.

Instead of treating every participating company as an unrelated exhibitor, we have been intentionally building the event around those connections.

Throughout Clyde Iron Works, attendees will see operators alongside the businesses that support them, cultivation technology alongside the people using it, and professional partners who are actively participating in Minnesota’s cannabis market.

The goal is to make the room useful.

Meet the People Building Minnesota Cannabis

Cannabis & Community will bring together a mix of licensed cannabis operators, cultivators, dispensary teams, tribal cannabis enterprises, cultivation technology companies, facility and construction partners, financial institutions, professional service firms, workforce organizations, cannabis technology providers, community organizations and consumers.

Some attendees will have spent years working in cannabis.

Others may simply want to understand what is happening in Minnesota and meet the people behind the businesses opening around the state.

Both belong in the room.

Cultivation Takes Center Stage

One of the biggest differences between Cannabis & Community and many consumer-facing cannabis events will be the amount of real cultivation technology represented inside the building.

Minnesota is still in the early stages of building its cultivation infrastructure, and we want attendees to be able to see and understand some of the systems that go into producing cannabis at scale.

Participating companies represent areas including commercial LED lighting, environmental controls, fertigation and irrigation, nutrients, HVAC and mechanical systems, engineering, facility design, cultivation supplies, energy efficiency, infrastructure, data and controls.

Several participants are being encouraged to bring actual equipment, lights, controls and displays rather than simply setting up promotional materials.

That means attendees should expect more than brochures.

We want people to see the technology, ask questions and understand how these systems fit together inside a cultivation facility.

Explore More Than One Floor

Clyde Iron Works gives us the opportunity to use the building differently than we could in a traditional convention hall.

The mezzanine level overlooking the main floor will become part of the cultivation experience, with companies demonstrating technology and discussing the systems behind modern cannabis production.

Instead of walking through one flat trade-show floor, attendees will be able to move throughout the building and discover different parts of the industry along the way.

Minnesota Operators Are Part of the Story

We do not want Cannabis & Community to become an event dominated by national ancillary companies talking to one another.

Minnesota operators need to be part of the story.

Licensed businesses, cultivators, dispensaries and tribal cannabis organizations are being integrated throughout the event so attendees can meet the people actually navigating Minnesota’s new market.

For service providers and technology companies, that creates more meaningful conversations.

For consumers, it provides an opportunity to learn who is operating in Minnesota and how these businesses are being built.

Tribal Cannabis and Community

Tribal nations are already playing an important role in the development of Minnesota cannabis.

Cannabis & Community is being built with an awareness that Duluth and Northern Minnesota have deep relationships with tribal communities and tribal economic development.

We have been working to build relationships with tribal cannabis enterprises and community leaders while respecting the sovereignty, leadership and individual approach of each nation.

Those voices belong in the broader conversation about where Minnesota cannabis is headed.

Food Is Part of the Experience

We also want people to stay.

Too many business events unintentionally encourage attendees to leave after an hour because there is nowhere to sit, eat or continue a conversation.

Clyde Iron Works allows us to build hospitality directly into the evening.

During the public event, attendees can expect wood-fired pizza and access to Clyde Iron Works’ food and beverage environment.

The idea is simple: grab some food, have a beer, meet someone new and stay awhile.

Beer at Clyde Iron Works

Clyde Iron Works is also home to Clyde Restaurant & Brewery.

Beer will be available during the public event, with service handled through the venue and in accordance with applicable alcohol-service requirements.

The brewery atmosphere is one of the reasons we chose Clyde.

Cannabis & Community is supposed to feel social.

You should be able to walk around the expo, look at technology, talk with an operator and then sit down with someone over pizza and a beer.

4:00–8:00 PM: Cannabis & Community

The primary public expo runs from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

This is when the entire Cannabis & Community experience will be active throughout Clyde Iron Works.

Attendees can explore the venue, meet participating businesses, learn about cultivation, discover Minnesota cannabis companies and connect with the broader community.

You do not need to work in cannabis to attend.

Industry professionals will find businesses, resources and relationships relevant to their work.

Consumers and community members will get an inside look at the people and infrastructure behind Minnesota’s developing cannabis industry.

8:00–10:00 PM: Stay With Us

At 8:00 PM, we do not want everyone rushing for the exit.

The event will transition into evening hospitality and the official After Party at Clyde Iron Works through 10:00 PM.

This is the part of the night when conversations can continue after the expo winds down.

Grab another slice, reconnect with someone you met earlier in the evening, and enjoy the final two hours together.

Cannabis Will Not Be Sold at the Event

Cannabis sales are not currently planned as part of Cannabis & Community.

The event is focused on education, business relationships, cultivation, hospitality and community.

Any policies regarding cannabis consumption or designated areas will be communicated clearly before the event in accordance with venue requirements and applicable regulations.

Guests should not assume consumption is permitted simply because this is a cannabis-industry event.

Cameras Will Be Rolling

Canna Connect is a media company as well as an events organization.

Photography, video and recorded conversations will be happening throughout Cannabis & Community.

We plan to capture stories from operators, experts, participating companies and members of the Minnesota cannabis community so the conversations happening in Duluth can continue long after October 15.

Attendees should expect photography and video production throughout the venue.

Come for an Hour. Stay for the Night.

You do not need to arrive at exactly 4:00 PM.

The public event is designed so attendees can arrive when it works for them, explore the building and stay for as much of the evening as they would like.

Come to meet an operator.

Come to see cultivation technology.

Come because you are curious about cannabis.

Come because your business is trying to understand this new market.

Or just come to meet the people helping build something new in Minnesota.

That is really what Cannabis & Community is about.

Not booths.

Not badges.

Not another convention.

People, businesses and communities getting better together.

Cannabis & Community: A Cultivation Celebration
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Clyde Iron Works | Duluth, Minnesota
Public Event: 4:00–8:00 PM
After Party: 8:00–10:00 PM