Anthony Arline II has crafted a series of budtender events that are much more than the intoxicating whirlwind of free handouts and swag that are common throughout the industry. The Session is a series of consumption-friendly budtender events in Michigan that welcome thousands of budtenders to check out dozens of brands.
The data- and engagement-driven events are focused on budtender education, which is tracked through an app Arline built to incentivize attendees to learn about the products being showcased.
When attendees approach a brand, they scan a QR code, which opens the app and instructs them to answer prewritten questions or complete challenges, such as following the company on Instagram or posting a selfie with the team. Once the questions or challenges are completed, attendees are rewarded — often with a product they can consume right on the spot.
“So there’s that ‘learn, earn, burn,’ right there,” Arline says. “After our event, we do something that’s really cool: we send you a synopsis of your buy, basically a report of your ROI which includes what people scored, their feedback, all the content.”
The events and the app both have secondary functions. The event also hosts what is basically a TED Talk, where brands can take the stage and get in-depth about what they do.
And the app can be used as an information hub for budtenders outside of the events.
Arline hosts The Session twice a year in Michigan and is now working on debut events in New York and Illinois.
Marijuana Venture’s 2026 40 under 40 feature was sponsored by MoonDust USA
MoonDust USA helps pre-roll brands and operators source custom cones, tubes, blunt wraps, and branded packaging with the consistency and speed needed to scale. As a women-owned direct manufacturer, MoonDust focuses on transparent pricing, dependable quality, and repeatable production, giving cannabis teams a supply partner they can count on as volumes grow.