Cannabis Expo 2021 to light up the Sandton Convention Centre as its set to host four days of festivities

The Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre next week. Picture by Justin Lee.

The Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre next week. Picture by Justin Lee.

Published Nov 13, 2021

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Johannesburg - Following an over two year hiatus, the local cannabis industry is ready to re-enter the live exhibition market once again.

This year’s Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from next week in a four-day extravaganza which is set to feature an array of marijuana inspired entertainment and education.

“It is so exciting to be able to host The Cannabis Expo again and to be the first major exhibition to do so,” the event’s director, Silas Howarth, told the Saturday Star this week.

“The cannabis industry has been waiting to have this opportunity to get together and showcase all of the advancements and new products that are on offer.”

The Cannabis Expo was somewhat still in its infancy when it was first officially launched in late 2018. But while it gained momentum, the novel coronavirus erupted in South Africa as well as almost every part of the world in March last year, forcing organisers to postpone their plans.

The Cannabis Expo will feature an array of exhibitions. Picture by Justin Lee.

But Howarth said that they used this time wisely and promised a bigger and better Cannabis Expo than ever before.

“The event preparation is going well and we have been planning and organising this for many months, especially with the addition of the festival elements, but are very excited about how it has come together,” Howarth said.

This year’s expo is presented by JuicyFields, a medicinal cannabis crowd-growing platform and Howarth described the innovative event as “the global marketplace for education and innovative products and businesses serving the cannabis industry and its medicinal, agricultural, financial and lifestyle aspects”.

“The cannabis industry is exploding and The Cannabis Expo provides the perfect platform for international and local medical health professionals, agricultural providers and lifestyle brands to engage with industry experts and the public around this versatile plant,” Howarth said.

Despite the country still being on level one of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, Howarth said the Cannabis Expo has already garnered a significant amount of interest.

“There is already huge interest from the public in the event and ticket sales are already strong, which proves that people are ready to come out and enjoy themselves again in a safe environment.”

He believes that attendees will leave the Cannabis Expo satisfied as the interest in the local cannabis industry has been widespread and increasing for years.

“When we launched The Cannabis Expo in South Africa in late 2018, we knew there was an emerging cannabis industry, but even we were surprised at how big and how broad the local industry already was at that stage.

“The cannabis industry as a whole is far broader than most people realise, and in Africa it is one of the most exciting industries to be in right now.”

This years’s expo will also feature The Cannabis Food Market. Picture by Justin Lee.

Howarth added that millions of dollars of international funding are being poured into the African cannabis industry, creating a cannabis boom and steam-rolling an already fast-growing local industry.

For this reason, he urged the South African government to get on board with the local cannabis industry.

“The cannabis industry is already growing rapidly organically, but there is no doubt that the government plays a crucial part in opening up the industry for the benefit of all,” Howarth said.

He believes that events such as The Cannabis Expo are an important way to showcase the potential of the highly profitable cannabis industry.

“We provide a platform for government and industry leaders as well as activists and representatives of all affected sectors as well as the public to engage with and take part in panel discussions around how best to forge ahead on this exciting journey.”

In a bid to further enhance the South African cannabis industry’s presence on the global market, this year’s expo will feature more than 100 exhibitor stands representing the full spectrum of the cannabis industry.

“The workshop and convention stages will have an incredible line-up of presentations from industry experts and cannabis business leaders and panel discussions.”

The Cannabis Expo will host a line-up of presentations from industry experts and cannabis business leaders and panel discussions. Picture by Justin Lee.

But for those who are simply curious about cannabis or looking to blow off some steam, the 2021 Cannabis Expo will also stage other amenities and highlights.

This includes The Cannabis Food Market which will feature an impressive selection of cannabis-infused food and drinks for attendees to enjoy.

It will also stage The Freedom Festival, which Howarth reckons is “the ultimate event for cannabis enthusiasts”.

“This festival provides a vibrant outdoor festival environment where visitors, delegates and exhibitors to the accompanying cannabis expo and convention events congregate throughout the four days,” he said.

The Festival Stage will also host some of South Africa’s best musical talents.

Meanwhile, The JuicyFields Private Cannabis Lounge will provide a private space for attendees to legally enjoy THC cannabis products in the heart of Sandton.

“Take a break from the exhibitor stands and the festival and blaze up a joint or enjoy edibles in a comfortable private lounge courtesy of medicinal cannabis crowd-growing platform JuicyFields,” Howarth suggested.

The Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre next week. Picture by Justin Lee.

The Cannabis Expo director hopes that this event as well as others of its kind will be able to elevate the local cannabis industry, which he believes is highly profitable as it holds the potential to strengthen the local economy.

“Southern Africa and South Africa in particular have the potential to supply the world with quality cannabis and cannabis products at competitive prices.

“We also have affordable and available land and the skills and workforce coupled with favourable weather and growing conditions, which together positions this region perfectly to be able to take advantage of and satisfy the ever-growing demand from the international cannabis market.”

In order for this to be achieved, Howarth urged the government to get involved in order for the local cannabis industry to reach its full potential.

“With the South African government seemingly moving in the right direction on further opening up the local cannabis sector, we are extremely optimistic about the potential for growth in this already booming industry,” Howarth said.

“International medicinal cannabis financing companies like JuicyFields intend on bringing millions of dollars of foreign funds to projects across Southern Africa so the future looks extremely bright for the local cannabis industry.”

The 2021 Cannabis Expo will be held at The Sandton Convention Centre from November 18 to 21.

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