Assessing Cannabis’ $15 Billion Dollar a Year Industry at the World’s Largest Marijuana Conference MJBizCon - From Products to Parties Weed Is Now Mainstream

Erin Baltsar in The Green Light District
Photo by Cova Software

Assessing Cannabis’ $15 Billion Dollar a Year Industry at the World’s Largest Marijuana Conference MJBizCon - From Products to Parties Weed Is Now Mainstream 
By Kat Thomas

Photo by Cova Software

I know you’re supposed to tell kids not to do drugs, but, kids, do it!  Do Weed!  Don’t do the other stuff, but Weed is good!
--Kevin Smith

The world of drugs is much different than it was even a decade ago.  In 2012, Colorado legalized Recreational Marijuana.  Eight years later, Cannabis is now legal in 11 states for adults over the age of 21, and legal for medical use in 33 states (which means we’re over the 50% tipping point).  This makes the Cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in the history of our modern economy.  The end of this decade found Marijuana to have reached $15 Billion dollars a year in the United States alone.  It’s safe to say: the world of Green, has become mainstream.

Tonya Kay Making a Splash
Photo by Cova Software

So with all this in mind, last week Edible Skinny was lucky enough to experience the expansive growth of the Cannabis industry at MJBizCon, sponsored by Marijuana Business Daily.  Founded in early 2011, Marijuana Business Daily focuses solely on Cannabusiness and the investors who back them.  Because this industry infinitely expands every year, a natural extension is the expansion of the largest Cannabis conference out there.  When the conference began in 2012 there were 400 people in attendance; flash forward 7 years with 2019 seeing 35,000 Cannabis business leaders and investors from 75 plus countries represented.

While bouncing around MJBizCon this year, ES experienced some fun products such as Mary Natural’s Boost Bomb (which we reviewed in our Art Basel Product Review article) and the CBD brand October Biosciences.  October Biosciences’ patent-pending water-soluble formula absorbs more readily than most other CBD products in the market (their absorption rate is a whopping 80%!).  The result, is the end consumer gaining a whole lot more CBD in their system.  Which is AWESOME, because this means you can actually use less of October Biosciences to achieve your desired effect on muscular, nerve, or joint pain.  All Hail Marijuana Technology!

Faai Steuer and Guest
Photo By Cova Software

The majority of our MJBizCon conference experience was focused on Cova Software’s prohibition themed party where The Green Light District (of which yours truly is a Co-Creator) was the featured entertainment.  This Gatsby inspired party was hosted by the Cova Software team, along with event partners UNOapp, Headset, Point7, SevenPoint Interiors, springbig, merrco, and media partner mg Magazine.  Their prohibition party was planned and executed with Jay Gatsby perfection by Cova’s Vice President of Marketing Faai Steuer.

Absinthe Station
Photo by Cova Software

The Soiree featured The Green Light District Band, which performs your favorite Cannabis songs covered in 1920s vintage style (think if Snoop Dogg was sung by Ella Fitzgerald).  Fronted by Sultry Songstress Erin Baltsar and accompanied by musicians Kevin Stewart, Jay Yaskin, and Nate Yeasley, this cover band was accented by plucky tap dancer Becky Fullington in a fusion of percussive shoe rhythm and live music.  Other delights including a pair of alpacas, roulette and craps gaming tables, and two Absinthe stations, one via a hand sculpted butterfly ice luge.  The speakeasy effect of the night was crowned with a burlesque floor show featuring “the Most Dangerous Woman in Hollywood” Tonya Kay playful splashing around into a six-foot-tall martini glass.  It was a party fit for Daisy Buchanan, if she smoked the Flower!

So here’s to life being delicious, all your moments being postcard worthy, and doing drugs (legally).

Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy.  She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures.  You can find more about both brands at
http://www.thiswayadventures.com

Prepping for Art Basel in Style: A Miami Beach Product Review

Art Basel in Miami Beach 2018 - Courtesy Art Basel

Prepping for Art Basel in Style: A Miami Beach Product Review

By Letty Thomas and Kat Thomas

Edible Skinny is lucky enough to be hanging out in sunny Miami Beach for Art Basel in America this weekend (where our sister brand The Zelda Fitzgeralds will be creating on-demand typewritten poetry at the Basel House).  Art Basel ranks as the premier art show in the U.S. of A., offering a colorfully neon platform for renowned artists and galleries.  Along all that art pomp and circumstance, it’s also a FAB excuse for the New York City art world to get a tan at the beach when their hometown is usually drab, freezing, and covered in some level of sluzy gray ice (NYC snow stays white for the length of a New York minute)!  Not to be outdone by their East Coast counterparts, the LA art world is usually ready to escape from the Santa Anas and whatever massive fire has overtaken the city reigning down fire and brimstone into their Golden Turmeric Oat Milk Lattes.

So with that in mind Edible Skinny decided to hop a flight to Art Basel with its colorfully lit Art Deco architecture and "Fun in the Sun" shorelines.  And in honor of this, we're product reviewing some AMAZING things we've thrown in our travel bags.

But to prep for this adventure, we first headed over to Burke Williams Santa Monica for a Salt and Sugar Glo in their Wetroom.  These exfoliating body treatments thoroughly and effectively removed all the dead surface skin cells (gross) leaving our skin simply sparkling.  Normally the treatment is either Salt (the more aggressive of the two) or Sugar (gentler for those with more sensitive skin), but never one to make up our mind, we opted for a bit of both as we wanted our skin perfectly prepped for the beaches of MIA.

So here's to life being delicious, all your moments being postcard worthy, and SPARKLING in style on the beaches of MIAMI!!!


BLUE LAGOON ICELAND - HYDRATING CREAM
It's like a Marine Layer for your skin!  Formulated with mineral rich geothermal seawater this moisturizer gives your skin nourishment and sun protection (with Broad Spectrum SPF 30) all in one product.  We found this moisturizer absorbed quickly and left the perfect amount of shimmer on your skin allowing you to look like your were glowing from within.  The convenient 1.7 oz size can fit easily in a carry-on or beach bag.  We recommend using every morning to start your day shining right!
https://shop-usa.bluelagoon.com

BLOCK ISLAND ORGANICS - PURIFYING FACIAL CLEANSER
Named for a remote island off the Rhode Island coast with crystal water, this lightly foaming cleanser goes on easily and clear.  This daily wash features no harsh ingredients and is packed with antioxidant rich organic and natural botanicals to remove build-up.  The result is a face that is fresh and happy to be clean.  Packaged in a handy 4 oz size with pump applicator this product is great for travel or everyday.  The perfect way to prep for a day on Block Island's crisp blue water or night on Ocean Drive!
https://www.blockislandorganics.com

TYPE A DEODORANT - THE VISIONARY

Nobody likes to be smelly (seriously, like NOBODY!).  So to prep for those crazy art adventures in one of the most humid climates in the country, we plan to be on our olfactory A-Game with our favorite award winning, aluminum-free deodorant: Type-A.  This B.O. fighter gives you all the benefits, with none of the nasty chemically tradeoffs.  Their sweat-activated technology mimics a time-release effect for long-lasting odor and wetness protection.  Plus it's non-irritating consisting of a cream that glides on smoothly and won't drag your skin.  Their ultra-sheer formula is clothing-friendly and absorbs instantly.  Honestly, you'll forget it's there!  Which is EXACTLY what you want when you're in the humid jungles of South Florida!
https://typeadeodorant.com

ECRU - SILK NOURISHING SPRAY
Nothing can fry your hair like "Sun and Fun" on the Beach (tragic, but true!).  But to your frazzled strand's rescue is Ecru's Silk Nourishing Spray, a weightless, nutrient rich, leave-in conditioning mist that instantly conditions, protects, and detangles hair.  This write up has been a long time coming, as we've been ABSOLUTELY in LOVE with this product since the summer!!!  Just mist on damp hair and comb through for ultimate non-fried style.  And with over a 100 applications per bottle, the longevity of this product doesn't hurt the bottom line either! ;-)
https://www.ecrunewyork.com

EXFOLIMATE - MAGIC EXFOLIATING SHOWER CLOTH
This simple lightweight exfoliator is the perfect solution for cracked skin after a day at the beach (and the lack of space in your carry-on bag)!  Reveal that fresh glow with better than a loofah scrubbing power of the Magic Exfoliating Shower Cloth.   The cloth's unique weave pattern feels soft on your skin, yet magically removes environmental build-up and dead skin that contributes to an uneven skin tone.  Their foam-boosting loofah-loops increase lather, making your soap and body wash go the extra mile.  And this uber long cloth will help you reach to touch to treat those pesky spots like back, butt, and shoulders for the perfect finish! ;-)
https://www.greenheartlabs.com

MARY'S CBD - BOOST BOMB

A delight to the senses, Mary's Bath Bombs create an oasis in any bathtub!  Full-Spectrum Hemp Extract with naturally occurring Cannabinoids melt away worries and energize the senses as you soak in the tub.  A perfect complement to the land of orange groves, Mary's CBD Boost Bomb's invigorating citrus aroma clears the mind and awakens the senses, while the effervescent Epsom salt and full-spectrum hemp extract with naturally occurring CBD provide balance.  This Bomb is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E leaving your skin looking and feeling nourished.
https://marysnutritionals.com


Letty Thomas was born and raised in multiple towns in NJ.  She attended college in Vermont and Connecticut.  She dreamed of working for Vogue or Glamour magazine.  Her love of salt water and boating got in the way.  She happily managed a yacht club "down the shore" for almost 20 years before jumping into the world of beauty and travel writing.  She has two grown daughters that make her smile.

Kat Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Edible Skinny, a site dedicated to making your life postcard worthy.  She is also the CEO of the creative media company This Way Adventures.  You can find more about both brands at
http://www.thiswayadventures.com