How to Plan & Host An Epic 4/20 Cannabis Event
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1. Event Planning Is A Whole Job In Itself
2. Lack of Cannabis Friendly Establishments in Canada Perpetuate The Stigma
3. 7 Tips on How to Plan A Successful Cannabis Event
4. How to Create Immersive Cannabis Activations
5. Extra Touches That Will Make Your Cannabis Event Stand Out
6. 3 Things I Learned From Hosting A Cannabis Event
7. Final Thoughts From Cannabinista
On April 20th, I hosted my first-ever private event in Toronto in celebration of cannabis culture and community. With over 12+ activations, the event offered diverse activities where over 350+ guests had the opportunity to learn about cannabis from a variety of different categories (infused drinks, topicals, concentrates, flower), and explore products in a safe, welcoming, and educational environment.
Event Planning Is A Whole Job In Itself
Prior to this event, I had organized just one event in 2023 called Mindful Consumption — which was an infused mocktails workshop paired with joint rolling, but it was on a much smaller scale, 40 people to be exact. Looking back, I didn’t even bat an eye at the idea of executing an event on a much larger scale. Maybe I was being delulu, or maybe it was my overly ambitious attitude kicking in. Little did I know, an event of this scale would result in 4+ months of work, over 1500+ hours of meticulous planning and execution, and tons of coordination, pivoting, and decision making with multiple stakeholders. It was overwhelming and exhausting, but ended up being one of the most intense projects I’ve ever worked on in my career as Cannabinista.
I’ve learnt so much during this whole event planning process, and at the end of the day, doing something like this for the Toronto cannabis community is not only unique and trailblazing the path for new opportunities, but also something that needed to be done. Cannabis events are the key to destigmatizing cannabis culture, providing a safe space for the cannabis community to connect and grow, while also using this as an opportunity to discuss safe consumption practices such as starting low and going slow with dose, ways to consumer safer, and so forth.
Lack of Cannabis Friendly Establishments in Canada Perpetuate The Stigma
Despite Toronto having tons of cannabis shops, 5 years into legalization in Canada, the stigma is still alive and well. There are maybe only a handful of establishments in the city where people can come together and share their passion for the plant, and even then, they don’t offer immersive or elevated experiences for guests. Why is this? Quite simply put — this isn’t legal yet. British Columbia just announced cannabis lounges in the beginning of the year, so hopefully Ontario will follow suit. But until then, cannabis enthusiasts don’t have public spaces to consume or connect with other cannabis consumers, other than lighting up a joint at Trinity Bellwoods. And even then, you might get some odd looks here and there from non-partakers.
When I look at other countries with cannabis lounges, such as Los Angelos with The Woods and Bangkok with almost every dispensary also offering a consumption space, Canada seriously needs to step up their game. Not only is it great for tourism, but it also is great for community building. Why can people go out to a bar or club and drink alcohol, but they can’t go to a cannabis lounge and enjoy an infused mocktail? Talk about double standards. We forget that everyday substances like caffeine, which is technically a psychoactive drug, is so normalized in our society. People wake up every morning and drink coffee or go to cafes to do work, study, or meet a friend. Why can’t we wake up every morning and drink an infused cannabis latte and do some remote work or meet a friend? Double standards. Stigmas. I could go on and on about this. But I’ll spare you the rant!
7 Tips on How to Plan A Successful Cannabis Event
I’m no event planning expert, but there are a couple nuggets of information I learned throughout this 4+ month planning process that could be valuable for you, especially if you’re in the cannabis industry looking to host your first, second, or even tenth event!
1. Establish your tools and processes for planning from the start, and stick to it
Asana and Google Suite were my key tools for planning this event. I didn’t make any fancy spreadsheets or templates, I just created simple documents and trackers that would help me keep track of information and help with my planning and coordination. For Asana, I used it mostly for building my event to-do list, and for assigning tasks to cross-functional teams. Google Sheets was the main hero for this whole project. I built a single Google Sheets file with multiple tabs to manage the budget, contact information of brands and staff, deliverables, venue floor plan mapping, and the list goes on. I also created a shared Google Drive folders in order to transfer information and files to different collaborators. It might be tempting to use fancy Notion templates and overly complicate with multiple software options, so I really recommend just using the tools that you’re familiar with so you can work quickly and efficiently.
2. Define your budget and stick to it, but also create a buffer because you will 100% go over budget
I set a hard budget at the beginning of this project and I knew that there needed to be a buffer added to that budget because unexpected expenses always comes up. It is impossible to plan for every possible expense. Even though I sat down for hours brainstorming on all the possible expenses, from lighting to food to decor, even down to toilet paper. You think you’ve captured all the possible expenses - think again. An unplanned expense will definitely pop up because event plans can change during the planning process.
3. Define your vision, goals, and metrics from the beginning
Before you even start planning the event and securing brand partners, define your #1 goal and vision for the event, and specific metrics/KPIs that you want to achieve with the event. Below is an example of this:
Vision
Plan the most epic 4/20 event in Toronto for the cannabis community.
Goals
Create a robust social media campaign pre and post event
Host a successful event for the community where they would want to attend another event in the future
Metrics
Sell 350 tickets by April 15
Achieve 1M+ impressions with all event related digital content
You would also have to break down the specific deliverables that ladder up to this metric. Ie. you will create two Instagram reels, one TikTok, one blog post, etc.
Achieve a 90% rating on the post-event survey
4. Pick the right brands/partners to work with
It is crucial to work with brands at the event that are aligned to your vision and goal for the event. This has the ability to make or break your event planning experience, and could play a huge role on the success of your event. It’s important to vet the partners that you’re working with, whether it’s on an intro call to discuss the vision and goals, and understanding how they work. I like to work with brands that are on their A-game — strong organization and clear communication skills are non-negotiables.
5. Hire lots of people to shoot photo and video content
This was a huge lesson I learned for this event. I thought that having one videographer and one photographer, plus me filming vlog content for the event would “be enough”. But it wasn’t. Especially for the scale of this event. It’s always better to have more content creators than less (as long as it fits within your budget). Having more creators just allows you to choose from a larger variety of content that could be used for different needs. Plus, your brand partners will appreciate this way more. My recommendation is to have one videographer and one photographer for every 80-100 people. This will allow your content team to generate enough brand and lifestyle shots.
6. Hire ample on-the-ground event staff
One of my biggest learnings was not having enough on-the-ground event staff to manage flow of traffic and working as general helpers to assist guests with questions or concerns. You might think that it’s a “waste of labour” but it’s really not. General event staff role is critical to ensure smooth operations and providing an additional layer of customer experience. Looking back, I would have hired two staff just for directing flow of traffic and two staff for walking around, answering questions and engaging with guests.
7. Allocate more time to planning and execution than you think you need
Originally heading into the planning of this event, I thought that it was going to be a 3 month process. And of course, my expectations were proved wrong, as it ended up being a 4+ month process from ideation to execution. I spent way more hours than I ever thought I would on this event — it essentially became my full time job. Looking back, if you have the budget, hire a professional event planner. The reason why I didn’t is because there’s alot of nuances within the cannabis industry that only I know how to navigate, so hiring an external planner would have slowed down the process and added additional costs. In the future, I would most likely hire an event planner to help with the decor, venue mapping, and food/beverage vendor sourcing to ease some of the workload on my end. But again, it depends on your budget and what you have to work with.
How to Create Immersive Cannabis Activations
I’ve probably use the word immersive way too many times in the post already, but it’s truly the word that I use to define the experiences that I created for my cannabis event. I’ve been to a good amount of cannabis events and I’ve never encountered one where I felt like it was a perfect combination of offering a safe, educational, and experiential, while making the experience look and feel elevated. These 4 traits was the foundation of what I wanted my event to be like.
Every activation was ideated by me, and ultimately executed by the brand. My number one priority was ensuring every activation was interactive, as this is the key to generating lasting impressions with guests. My other top priority was to ensure every activation was aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. The more attractive the activation is, the more engaged the guest will be, and ultimately lead to increased user generated content opportunities. UGC is very important as it allows events to tap into local audiences and reach new consumers.
1. Experience BC Bud with Simply Bare x 1964
Creating the most aesthetic front of the house activation is the key to making a great first impression. I wanted the room to incite emotions like “wow this is so pretty” — and it did just that. Luckily, the venue was already a beautifully designed with aesthetic furniture, so that really helped me on the decor cost side of things. Simply Bare Organic took over the front of house, which I thought matched incredibly well with the aesthetics of their brand. Guests had the opportunity to cozy up in our lounge where they learned about top-tier bud from British Columbia, and explored new and exciting strains, such as Fruit Loopz — which is a crossbreed between Blue Dream and White Widow.
Side note, I’ve been noticing that there’s a resurgence of traditional strains, whereas last year the industry was pushing more unique genetics. It’s interesting how trends in various industries work the same, they come and go, and the good ones always come back as they end up being classics.
2. Elevated Mocktails with Aspire Infusions x Dope Mocktails
As you may know, I love cannabis infused mocktails. I love making them, I love drinking them, and I love sharing them with my friends and community. Having a handcrafted mocktail activation was the key differentiator of my event compared to what I’ve seen in the cannabis industry. Often times, you just see vendors handing out cans of a drink and calling it a day, but I wanted to take this activation up a notch. By creating an activation that normalizes cannabis mocktails, it creates a familiarity and parallel with the world of alcohol, opening up some of the stigmas in our society. It’s so normal to go to a house party or a bar and get a cocktail, so why can’t it be the same for cannabis infused drinks?
I knew I had to hire an expert for this mocktail activation, and that’s when I reached out to Adrian from Dope Mocktails. I’ve always admired Adrian’s crafted beverages on social media and I knew one day I had to have him bring his mixology skill set to one of my events. Aside from hiring the right mixologist for the job, I knew I needed to incorporate an innovative cannabis emulsion solution to actually craft the mocktails — and that’s where Aspire Infusions Moon Shots came in. I’ve used Aspire Infusions in the past for my own mocktail workshop event, so I already knew the product was good and easy to use. Plus, their product has an innovative bottle technology where it was accurately doses 10mg each time — and I wanted my guests to experience this themselves. Making cannabis drinks at home can be tough, especially if you don’t know how to dose. That’s why I think it’s so important to have technology that can provide accurate dosing in the comfort of your own home.
Dope Mocktails developed two unique mocktail recipes — a lychee grapefruit “high” ball made with grapefruit, yuzu, and thai basil, and a friendly fire, which featured guava, blood orange, coconut habanero and lime. Mocktails were offered in non-infused, 5mg or 10mg options. Having non-infused and low dose options was very important as starting low and going slow is a key theme that I frequently talk about on social media, and is the key to creating a safe and enjoyable cannabis experience.
3. Zèlebrate with Zèle
The infused drinks didn’t stop there! Out on the backyard deck, I had Zèle showcase their collection of handbrewed craft sodas made with simple ingredients. Zèle was serving up a variety of different infused sodas, such as black cherry, sarsaparilla, peach haze, orange, lemon lime and cherry limeade. What I love about Zèle is that they also have stevia options for guests who may have a sugar or intolerance. Zèle is one of those brands that really inspires me, specifically because the folks who started it actually have a history of brewing craft sodas when they were youth (non-cannabis of course). I think it’s pretty dope when the makers behind Zèle have such a deep passion for their craft.
4. TeaPong with TeaPot
I’m telling you, we had infused drinks EVERYWHERE! Out on our backyard lounge, we had TeaPot with the cutest tea-themed display paired with teapong — a twist on the beloved beer pong game, but with the alcohol! TeaPot is a tea-based cannabis beverage that I’ve personally loved for as long as they’ve been launched. Their teas reminds me of drinking an iced cold lemon tea on a summer day. Their flavours include mango black tea, lemon green team, and blueberry chamomile — all which are super delicious and refreshing.
While in our backyard, guests got to engage in a unique spin on the classic pong game while sipping on iced tea. Both infused and non-infused options were available.
5. Sesh Time With Montrose x Kronic Relief
In the backyard, we also had an outdoor consumption lounge for guests to roll up, hang out, and experience Kronic Relief pre-rolls with the Montrose team. We had six podiums loaded with rolling accessories provided by RAW, where guests could chill out and get to know one of the dopest flower shops in Toronto. Montrose also had the Stundenglass rotating throughout the night — providing guests with another opportunity to enjoy the plant.
6. Unwind and Relax with ufeelu
On the lower level of the venue, we created a calming oasis for guests to unwind and relax with ufeelu. I hired three massage therapists to provide cannabis infused topical massages for guests on their hands and forearms, providing the ultimate relaxation for those tight thumbs and wrists from all the doom-scrolling and computer work that we’re inundated with nowadays. Warm amber mood lighting, eucalyptus candles and fresh flowers created the perfect ambiance for guests as they melted into their massages.
ufeelu is one of my go-to cannabis topical brands because of two things: ingredient list and formulation. They use natural and simple ingredients on their products (ones that I can feel good about putting directly onto my skin that won’t cause irritation) and their products incorporate minor cannabinoids that I love and use, such as CBC, CBN and CBG.
We surveyed half of the guests about their usage of cannabis topicals and the results were surprising. Majority of guests had never used topicals before, but after learning about topicals and experiencing the massage, they were very curious and wanted to try incorporating it into their routines, whether it was for muscle relaxation or addressing a specific concern. What I love about topicals is that they are a gentle way to introduce cannabis to the general consumer. Topicals don’t get you “high” because they target the epidermal layer of your skin which does not travel to your bloodstream, so this feature may be more palatable for guests who are not looking for psychoactive experiences. But what topicals do a great job of is offering anti-inflammatory, anti-itching, analgesics, wound healing and anti-proliferative effects on the skin.
7. Refresh with Sense and Purpose Sparkling Juices
Sense and Purpose has been one of my favourite infused beverages since they launched in Ontario. I’m obsessed with natural fruit juices and simple ingredients, and this is exactly what these beverages offer. I also love how their dose formulation is so intentional — they’ve created products that fit any occasion, whether you’re looking to refocus your energy, recharge your mind and body, or simply relax. I’m also a sparkling and fizzy gal at heart. Anything with bubbles, I’m in love. I find that fizzy drinks just add that extra “oomph” that I’m sometimes looking for. We placed this activation right across from our Dab Room, as we had a feeling guests would also want some refreshing bubbles after hitting a dab.
8. Live Rosin Pressing and Mindful Dabs with Pistol and Paris x Dymond Concentrates
For the past few months, I’ve really dived into the world of concentrates and started to learn more about dabbing — specifically how to dose and consume safely. Dabs sometimes get a bad wrap because they’re associated with “getting too high” — but i’m here to debunk this myth.
With the Dab Room at my event, my number one priority was to create a safe and controlled environment for new and experienced dabbers. We created guides for each guests to review which included information about dabbing, how to safely consume, and the appropriate dosage depending on the type of user. We also only offered small dabs (the size of a quinoa grain) to enforce our message about starting low and going slow. It’s easy to increase dose, but it’s more difficult to decrease the dose after consumption. That’s why we also had CBD isolate and peppercorn ready and available on site to help counteract the effects of THC if a guest consumed too much.
Dabs and use of concentrates go wrong for three main reasons: the dose is too high for the user, the temperature is set too high, and the concentrate is not of high quality. There’s a whole subculture of concentrates and dabbing, but here are my personal preferences when it comes to dabbing:
Start low and go slow. With everything in life, cannabis or not, it’s always best to try a little bit than to overdo it on your first few experiences. For new dabbers, the general guidance is to try a 0.03-0.05 gram of concentrate, waiting 1-2 hours to feel the effects, and then evaluating how you feel before consuming more.
Use low temperatures. I’m personally not a torch and rig kind of gal. I love how they look and can appreciate their beauty, but it’s not my method of consumption for concentrates. I strictly consume concentrates using my PuffCo or Carta electronic rig. These devices electronically heat up your concentrates to a desired temperature, and then produce vapour for the user to inhale. Whereas with the traditional torch and rig method, it is harder to control the temperature, and it also combusts the concentrate which creates smoke instead of vapour. I like to hover between 400-420F as I find this temperature allows me to get the most flavour and terpene extraction from my concentrate, while also reducing the “harshness” of inhalation. I almost never cough when I use concentrates or have phlegm.
Invest in high quality concentrates. I’m pretty strict with the concentrates that I use because there’s alot of garbage out there that may contain ingredients that impact the extraction. My go-to is typically live rosin or flash frozen hash live rosin, simply because these are the most pure forms of concentrates, meaning there is nothing else added to the extraction. Occasionally I’ll try live resin, but note that these formulations often are extracted with solvents like butane or propane. At the end of the day, i’m not here to say what you should or should not consume. Everyone has their preferences and these are mine.
We had expert dab technicians on site demonstrating live rosin pressing of Pink Panties by Pistol and Paris, providing an educational “farm-to-table” experience for guests. Imagine watching a nug of cannabis flower get pressed right before your eyes! Because this was an indoor activation, we only had electronic rigs in use. I brought my Stundenglass with the Modul attachment for the show-stopping piece, and we had several other electric rigs. Plus, the windows were open to ensure air flow and we also had an air filter to provide the best air quality for our guests.
9. Canna Topicals with fauna & Furry Friend
On the top floor, I had a room dedicated to highlighting local small business and non-for-profits within the cannabis industry. fauna was one of the brands in this room — an Ottawa woman-owned and operated micro processor who makes cannabis topicals, from bath bombs to bath salts to creams! Not only does fauna have a stellar collection of natural infused topicals, but they are also extremely passionate about what they do — helping people improve their well-being with canna topicals. fauna also had their beloved mascot, Saorsa at the event, who definitely won the hearts of all the guests.
10. Energize with jublee Infused Fruit Bites
Edibles have always been my favourite way to consume cannabis because it does not involve any inhalation and is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy the ancient plant. jublee is a brand that has created a full suite of infused fruit bites made with premium ingredients like blueberries from Quebec, lavender powder, while paired with a thoughtful cannabinoid profile.
11. A Cannabis Sensory Experience with Noodz
At most cannabis events, guests usually just get some cannabis flower, smoke it, and move on. I wanted to do things differently, by also having the guests learn about the flower they are consuming. Noodz is a craft flower brand that has skillfully cultivated flower with exceptional aromas. They have an incredible portfolio of strains and genetics grown in a state-of-the-art facility.
At this activation, we had Tamara, an expert cannabis sommelier, guide our guests on the science of terpenes, cannabis smells and aromas, and inspecting the trichomes on cannabis flower. This educational experience helped enhance our guests’ cannabis knowledge, paired with experiencing the flower right on our rooftop consumption space.
12. Elevating Your Stoner Accessories with Frankie Smoke
I came across Frankie Smoke on social media and I immediately fell in love with her accessories for the elevated stoner. Sam, the owner of Frankie Smokie, is a woman-owned business operator changing stereotypes with her beautiful collection of modernized cannabis accessories. I wanted to showcase Sam’s beautiful creations and brand with my guests, and it’s extremely important for me to give back to local small businesses. Elevate your stoner essentials with Frankie Smoke here.
13. Changing the “Normal” with NORML
Last year I joined NORML’s volunteer board of directors, a non-for-profit advocacy group aimed to reform and speak on cannabis laws in Canada. Advocacy is extremely important to me because the cannabis industry in Canada has so much room to improve and grow, and there needs to be a group of passionate individuals that can influence the top decision makers at local government and drive impactful change. As a NFP, raising funds is the key to continue advocacy efforts — and that’s exactly what we did at my event. Our volunteer board of directors connected with each guests and shared our vision for NORML, and added memberships to our roster, to strengthen our advocacy in Canada. For only $4.20, you can support NORML and be part of our advocacy efforts.
Extra Touches That Will Make Your Cannabis Event Stand Out
Mind the details. I hear this alot but I never really knew what it meant until planning this event. Being meticulous and having an eye for little details that can make a huge impact can be very beneficial for your event. I wanted my event to really stand out from everything else that has ever been done in the history of cannabis events. Besides from creating unique activations, I wanted the “secondary details” of the event to also stand out. Here are the 3 unique touches that made my cannabis event stand out.
1. Give prizes that people actually want
Often times you go to events where there will be giveaways, but it’s often stuff that people don’t really want, or they have to buy a raffle ticket in order to be entered. This is the exact opposite of what I did. I wanted every guest to have a high chance of winning at no cost, and I wanted the prizes to be so epic and valuable that everyone would be itching to win.
Luckily, I had amazing partners that graciously provided the best of the best cannabis accessories for me to share with my community. I gave away two Stundenglass, two LEVO oil infusion machines, an Ongrok stoner essentials bundle, a handful of RedEyeTek bongs, another handful of MJ Arsenal glass bongs and rigs, two PAX dried herb vaporizers, SESH storage boxes in all colours of the rainbow, RAW bundle pack, Frankie Smoke bundle, and a The Highway Supply Co bundle. There was a 10% chance that each guest would win something — now talk about those odds!
2. Make Munchies & Food An Experience In Itself
Pizza Pizza fed us all night with their delicious pizza and limited-time pizza pre-rolls. Guests also had the opportunity to spoil their sweet tooth with COPS donuts hotbox activation — COPS literally rolled up into our backyard with a G-Wagon paired with a smoke machine! Now that’s a hotbox!
3. Foster Community Building & Social Interactions
With many guests joining the party to connect with other like-minded plant lovers, we got to experience a very welcoming and loving experience with many even making new friends! 17% of guests indicated that their primary motivation for attending the event was to meet new people, of that, 30% of guests came alone. These data points are incredible, because it shows how the cannabis community is yearning for connection and meeting other like minded enthusiasts.
3 Things I Learned From Hosting A Cannabis Event
The overall guest experience was incredibly positive, with many expressing a deep appreciation for an event of this nature centered around cannabis in the city. It underscored the significant demand for party-themed gatherings where guests can feel at ease, forging connections and enjoying themselves in an environment that embraces the plant. Furthermore, guests conveyed sincere gratitude for the opportunity to both indulge and expand their knowledge about various products without the pressure to make additional purchases.
For our upcoming event, we're implementing some exciting changes to enhance the overall experience:
I’m adopting a strategy of maintaining lower attendance limits in each area, promoting a more intimate atmosphere. This could involve smaller, more private gatherings or timed experiences to ensure everyone has ample space to enjoy themselves comfortably.
I’m introducing guided experiences with additional staff on-site to assist and orient new attendees, ensuring everyone feels welcomed and informed about what the event has to offer.
I’m focusing on creating simpler experiences. Majority of the guests indicated that they would be interested in a more casual meet-and-greet style event in the future. At the end of the day, the Cannabinista community is also looking to enjoy the plant with me, and that is an opportunity that I haven’t fully tapped into yet (because I’ve been working at all my events).
Final Thoughts From Cannabinista
In conclusion, our recent event celebrating cannabis was a resounding success, leaving a lasting impact on all who attended. From the vibrant activations to the insightful conversations, it was a true celebration of the plant and its community.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, partners, and attendees whose support and enthusiasm made this event possible. Your contributions were instrumental in creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
As we look to the future, we're excited to continue this journey together and explore new opportunities for connection and education. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming events and cannabis-focused experiences by following me on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know about all the latest news and developments.
Let's keep the conversation going and continue to celebrate the wonders of cannabis together!
