An Inside Look at How MJBizCon and NuWu Forge a New Cannabis Retail Partnership

MJBizCon exists to connect cannabis entrepreneurs with the people and ideas that move markets. This December, we’re taking that mission off the exhibit hall floor and onto sovereign land—partnering with NuWu Cannabis Marketplace, the first and largest tribal-owned dispensary in the United States. Together, we’re transforming after-hours networking into an immersive, community-driven experience that embodies our 2025 theme: Rooted in Community: Flower Power.

For years, MJBizCon attendees have navigated hallways, meeting rooms, and crowded booth aisles in search of the next deal or insight. Yet the real action — the retail floor, the consumer lounge, the moment a product is sampled — happens elsewhere. We saw an opportunity to bridge that divide. 

“By activating NuWu’s five-acre campus each evening of MJBizCon Week, we offer brands a live-market laboratory and attendees an intimate setting to forge genuine connections,” shared  Harrison Radie, VP Sales & Partnerships, “No sterile table displays. No time-boxed appointments. Instead, open-air sampling, pop-up demonstrations, and conversations flowing as freely as the desert breeze.”

How The Partnership Developed

In August, MJBiz Brand Leader Emilie Lewis toured NuWu’s flagship dispensary and immediately recognized its potential. Framed by towering glass walls and tribal art installations, the showroom showcased more than 900 curated products. Outside, a landscaped courtyard hinted at the possibilities of an experiential activation.

“Long before we all meet in Las Vegas,” Emilie explained, “we are hard at work behind the scenes seeking creative avenues to improve attendee and exhibitor experiences and access to the ever-evolving cannabis industry. We are really excited to partner with NuWu to give our retail brands even greater access to share their products directly with buyers and consumers.”

NuWu itself sprang from a bold exercise in tribal sovereignty. In 2017, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe leveraged Nevada’s SB 375 tribal-state compact to open NuWu Cannabis Marketplace—instantly the state’s largest retail cannabis facility and the only drive-thru dispensary exempt from local bans. Tribal Chairman Benny Tso describes the venture as “a means to prolong our tribe by three to four more generations,” funding healthcare, education, and cultural programs through cannabis-generated revenues.

These two organizations — MJBiz with its decades of convening power, and NuWu with its pioneering tribal-sovereign model — share a commitment to innovation, sovereignty, and community reinvestment. It was only natural to bring them together, crafting a nightly takeover that would feel seamless, purposeful, and distinctly “Flower Power.”

Flower Hour & Night at NuWu

Flower Hour | Tue–Thu, 5–7 pm

• 40+ pop-ups: Brands showcase and sell the latest cultivars, edibles, and extracts in an open-air courtyard.
• Sampling allowed: Attendees can legally sample live flower and edibles—an experience not possible inside the Convention Center.
• Education focus: Mini-seminars on cultivation, extraction methods, and compliance run alongside pop-ups, led by industry veterans.

Night at NuWu | Wed–Sat after 7 pm

• Official after-party: Themed evenings spotlight sponsor activations, live music, gourmet food pairings, and VIP lounges.
• Direct-to-consumer networking: Mingle with brands and fellow attendees in a relaxed, sovereign setting—no exhibit-hall badge required.
• Free access: All four nights are included with any MJBizCon ticket; shuttles run continuously between the Convention Center and Paiute Circle.

Looking Beyond the Convention Floor

This collaboration isn’t just an “after-hours” add-on—it’s a statement: the cannabis industry flourishes when innovation, sovereignty, and community reinvestment converge. As MJBizCon and NuWu write this next chapter together, they invite you to witness how tribal leadership is shaping the future of cannabis commerce—and to carry those lessons back to your own communities. Join us December 2–5, 2025, for Flower Hour and Night at NuWu—where the next generation of cannabis business is already in bloom. Access is included in all ticket types.