This September, as summer slips into the harvest season, cannabis leaders from across the country will descend on St. Louis’s Union Station Hotel for one of the industry’s most focused and exclusive gatherings. From September 3–5, 2025, MJ Unpacked will once again offer a high-caliber platform for deal-making, investment, and knowledge exchange in a city that’s quickly emerging as a Midwestern cannabis hub.
Produced by Jage Media and established in 2021, MJ Unpacked isn’t your typical cannabis expo. It’s a business-first event designed solely for licensed THC brand and retail executives, accredited investors, and cannabis researchers. Consumer access is off the table, creating a curated environment where every attendee has decision-making authority. The result is an experience organizers and returning guests alike describe as more productive, more strategic, and more essential than most multi-day cannabis conferences.
A Curated Crowd with Purpose
What sets MJ Unpacked apart is who’s in the room—and who isn’t. General public access is restricted. Instead, the focus is on connecting those actively shaping the trajectory of the industry: C-suite operators, investors with capital to deploy, and scientists pushing boundaries in product development and cannabinoid research. Budtenders and retail teams are welcome—but only on the final day, via a dedicated Budtender Pass, introduced in recent years to increase cross-functional insight between executives and frontline staff.
Attendees have praised the environment for its intentionality.
“Out of all the conferences I go to, this is the one where I actually get deals done,” said private investor Brian Kingsley.
The Experience Hall offers a chance to explore cutting-edge innovations, from vaporization tech and cannabinoid testing systems to brand activations and product launches. Short, high-energy brand pitches unfold directly on the show floor, allowing for quick vetting and nimble conversation.
Union Station Sets the Scene
Hosting the event at St. Louis’s Union Station Hotel—a converted 19th-century train station with sweeping archways and grand architectural detail—reinforces MJ Unpacked’s emphasis on quality over quantity. With a special event rate of $169 per night available through August 15, the venue is accessible yet distinguished, ideal for the brand leaders and capital partners making the trip.
While the hotel bar and lounges will buzz with informal networking, the event schedule offers a robust lineup of conference sessions on potency inflation, emerging cannabinoids, scientific validation, retail trends, and market expansion. Missouri, having quickly matured into one of the country’s more promising adult-use markets, provides timely context for many of these conversations.
Deals, Data, and Direction
At its heart, MJ Unpacked is about strategy. It’s for those serious about growing their companies, their portfolios, and their understanding of the cannabis business. As Corinne Butler of Azuca put it, the event offers “meticulously curated premium networking at its finest.”
For those with a license, capital, or scientific insight—and a desire to move the industry forward—MJ Unpacked is fast becoming a must-attend waypoint. In the heart of America, it offers a clear path to the next stage of growth.
