It’s already looking like 2025 is going to be very interesting indeed. Nationally, we have a new president and huge changes are already taking place. Now, I know there will be those who sigh when they read this, but it has to be said that for a guy with a track record of tax fraud, hiring illegal immigrants, bankruptcies and a well-documented history of crappy schemes like Trump University to be taking on fraud and inefficiency in government is a bit laughable. No, actually very laughable.
I guess we’ll see. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are off to a big start, and I suppose we’ll find out if they discover any real fraud or if it’s just another one of Trump’s smoke-and-mirror moves designed to keep people from actually looking at him and his own questionable track record (of fraud!).
Okay, enough with that.
When this magazine comes out, it will be right around the time of our first Interchange in 2025. We’re moving it to a smaller space (initially, anyway), and we’re excited to welcome the many retailers and vendors who look forward to our business events. We’re confident it will be another big success. Our track record is something we’re very proud of and the feedback we get is pretty consistent in that participants almost always say Interchange is the best trade event of its kind. “Marketing money well spent” to quote a friend and producer/processor.
What will the industry look like in 2025? That’s hard to say. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I genuinely hope it’s an improvement over the past few years, where prices and margins have been down. However, not all the news is bad. Lots of business owners have drilled down into their operations and taken a hard look at their model and how they operate. This has led to increased efficiencies and the lowering of overall costs. No, I don’t think we’re going to see a sudden massive increase in profits industry-wide, but it does seem to me that if business owners stay the path, listen to experts and focus on numbers (as opposed to opinions), the outlook will likely be sunny, or at least not as stormy as in the past.
As I’ve said so many times before, cannabis is no different from any other consumer products industry and the winners will have good brands, great products, smart marketing, attractive packaging and a keen eye on overhead. On the retail side, it’s mostly the same: great customer service, big selection, sharp pricing, ample parking (duh!), friendly budtenders and the same sort of stuff that helped WalMart crush K-Mart or Nordstrom beat Macy’s. Call it Business 101 or whatever you want, but in the end, it’s about delivering a good or service to a consumer at a price they like with a smile on your face.
Finally, Marijuana Venture is a survivor. I believe we’ve emerged out of the vast array of cannabis magazines that once existed (Dope, THC, Culture, Pineapple, Fox & Nug, MJ Lifestyle, Weed World, Sativa, etc.) because we practice what we preach and do our best to deliver value. Simple.
Greg James
Publisher