The 2026 NECANN cannabis industry convention in the Atlantic City Convention Center is coming up Friday, September 18th to 19th and will feature its 2nd annual NJ Cup.
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NECANN CEO Marc Sherpard explained it in an email to Heady NJ:
New Jersey Was Always Ready
When NECANN began planning its first New Jersey event over eight years ago, plenty of people told us that the market wasn’t ready for its own cannabis convention.
In all fairness, recreational cannabis wasn’t even legal in the state yet. So, I can’t blame anyone for thinking that. Luckily, we didn’t listen. We started reaching out to local advocacy groups and cannabis industry veterans: the people working to normalize and legalize in New Jersey, and got the ball rolling.
We finally hosted our first NJ convention in September 2019 with about 75 exhibitors and over 1,250 attendees. It was the largest 1st-year show we had ever done at that point. It was pretty basic. There were two speaker tracks, no networking events, and only one after-party. Just a room full of people who believed and were ready to work to make it happen. As soon as the doors opened and we saw the talent, the drive, and the passion, we knew this event would become something special.
Fast forward to 2026, and over 5,000 cannabis industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors will be returning to Atlantic City for the 7th Annual New Jersey Cannabis Convention September 18-19. The Garden State’s market has grown up fast, and this year’s event reflects that.
That includes having NJ native and rap legend REDMAN on-site promoting his new line of THC drinks and speaking on Saturday. Jim Belushi will also be on-site Friday to sign autographs and talk about the great product line from Belushi’s Farm.
The 2nd Annual NJ NECANN Cannabis Cup
Here are some of the things I’m most excited about:
The NJ NECANN CUP is back. It’s still the thing I love most about this show. The Cup is open to every licensed cultivator and brand in the state. So, it’s not a “best of our exhibitors” or a handful of insiders. Instead, it’s a real, open competition blind-judged by a third party.
NECANN is not involved in the competition at all, other than hosting the awards show.
When we hand out those awards at 2 pm Saturday on the main stage, it’s a snapshot of the best cannabis in New Jersey. That matters to me. This industry was built by people who bet on themselves. So, the Cup is our way of putting them center stage.
NJ Cannabis Industry Education and Networking
On the education side, we’ve got four programming tracks and more than 35 sessions. Branding. Cultivation. Business and regulatory. Energy Efficiency. Social Equity and Empowerment. The stuff that moves a business forward, taught by local people who’ve done it here, not consultants who read about it.
Over 200 businesses will be on the exhibit floor. If past years are any guide, more deals get made in those aisles than in any conference room.
The highlight will be the Beast Media Stage, with two days of ultra-local panels on policy, business, leadership, and culture in New Jersey. Special guest entertainer and entrepreneur Max B will be there, sharing his cannabis journey.
As always, 10% of our exhibitor floor space has been donated to NJ Social Equity recipients. NECANN will always do our part to make the industry as accessible and inclusive as possible for those who were victimized during cannabis prohibition.
We’re also running the free expungement clinic again this year, helping New Jersey residents clear cannabis-related convictions off their records. Think about that for a second. We built an entire legal industry on top of the same plant that put people in handcuffs a few years ago. The least we can do is help the folks who got caught in that machine get a clean slate. If you know someone who could use it, pre-registration is required, link here: bit.ly/necannNJexpunge
Meet Me in Atlantic City at After-parties
There’s LOTS going on outside of convention hours as well:
- “The Afters” will be our official after-party at Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall on Friday night, hosted by MPX. Live music, dabs, good food, live music and the kind of hallway conversations that turn into partnerships. Special guest Jim Belushi will have his harmonica with him & will join the band for a few Blues tunes. (Add-on ticket required).
- The NECANN Women’s Lounge, hosted by Blunt Brunch, with programming and networking both days. Open to everyone.
- A Thursday night exhibitor and licensee reception at the ACCC Treehouse, hosted by the New Jersey Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.
- The Accelerate NJ mixer – a post-day one gathering at the ACCC Treehouse that always sells out (add-on ticket required).
- A free shuttle from High Rollers, our official show dispensary, running to their store and consumption lounge both days.
In the end, what makes this event special is that it brings everyone together. It’s literally the Annual Meeting of the New Jersey cannabis industry and community. That’s why we intentionally price admission at a small fraction of what other events charge (just $80 for a 2-day pass including all speaker sessions). NECANN is for everyone. Not just those who have already made it.
(Full disclosure this is an advertorial story purchased as part of a deal between NECANN and Heady NJ.)
