Location: Varies by month.

Hosted by one of the industry’s highly respected & connected individuals, Sam Zartoshty & Paragon, Blunt Talks definitely takes the cake when juxtaposing networking events that occur in Los Angeles. Paragon is a company that provides a way of recruiting talent for the cannabis industry that uses proprietary technology to eliminate race, class, and gender discrimination throughout the hiring process. Discrimination runs rampant throughout a multitude of industries with cannabis being no different—and Paragon wants to change that.

Running with a similar format to the educational “Ted Talks” held around the world, Blunt Talks capitalizes on a plethora of talented individuals that represent various sectors of the cannabis industry. Previous speakers include figures like Christopher Dell’Olio (WebJoint), Matthew Morgan (Reef Dispensaries, Ignite Cannabis Co.), Mario Sherbinski (Sherbinskis), James Victor (James Henry SF), Kimberly Dillon (Papa & Barkley), and Nick Kovacevich (KushCo Holdings). Each event is sure to provide you with new information about the status of new projects in the industry while bringing light to the current state of the industry.

You’ll want to arrive early to network before the event begins and enjoy booths arranged by brands that highlight their products. Blunt Talks is typically an open-open-consumption event so don’t be surprised when you see someone openly smoke a vape or spark a blunt. If you’re worried about running late, don’t fret! Blunt Talks usually has a pair of speakers start the evening, followed by a brief networking break before continuing with another pair of speakers—following this format until the evening is over.

Don’t be surprised to see this event travel to San Francisco and Colorado! Paragon Space and Bevel have been the recent homes of Blunt Talks, but other events have been held in various art galleries and collaborative spaces. The vibe of this event is definitely one you need to experience in person to get a full understanding of just how many thought leaders can be placed in one space.

Bring a few business cards, a notebook, and plenty of smiles to share with thought leaders in the industry! Blunt Talks is easily one of the best, most accessible cannabis events in all of Los Angeles.

Related: A Definitive Guide to Compliance — California Cannabis Dispensaries

Location: WeWork, Varies by month.

This is an event that will change the way you understand cannabis science…forever. Bring a pen and your favorite notepad as Kristen Yoder gets ready to rock your world with information on cannabis terpenes! Using the normalized terms for categorizing cannabis—Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid? Think again—Kristen Yoder will be sure to change the way you talk about cannabis.

With a LinkedIn network of over 20,000 meaningful connections and over 10 years of experience in the industry, Kristen Yoder is at the top of cannabis influencers. If it’s a part of the supply chain, she’s been involved with it. Kristen has taken pride in “calling out” brands & companies for dispersing false information and propping up the cannabis industry as a “green rush.” She makes it clear that the soul of the industry departed with the implementation of Prop 64, which legalized cannabis and in her opinion, has made consolidation the go-to business model for the industry while ignoring what has grounded cannabis forever – culture. Within the last year, Kristen has propped herself up to be the CannaBS Detector, starting a podcast to discuss the granular details of a post-legalization market.

What you’ll get out of this workshop/networking opportunity is not only an educational breakdown of terpenes in cannabis but an overall incredible educational experience that is lead by a high-energy, passion-driven cannabis veteran who isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. This event is typically small in scale, allowing for intimate discussion to take place with like-minded individuals who are interested in the way that cannabis works in correlation with the human olfactory system.

You can expect to be in the same room as fellow entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, budtenders, dispensary managers, compliance officers, attorneys, you name it! Get your questions ready and ramp up for a classic workshop on one of the most underrated aspects of cannabis—terpenes!

Check out Kristen’s content by visiting her website or engaging her on LinkedIn.

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service