TAMPA, Fla. — Last weekend in Tampa it was Comic Con —his weekend, it’s Kush Con.

More than 150 vendors with the growing cannabis industry set up at the Tampa Convention Center this weekend for Kush Con — a trade show to help the public and folks in the industry to learn more about cannabis in Florida.


What You Need To Know

  • More than 150 vendors with the growing cannabis industry set up at the Tampa Convention Center this weekend for Kush Con

  • The trade show is chance for the public and folks in the industry to learn more about cannabis in Florida

  • Kush Con is hosted by Kush.com, a cannabis marketplace that recently relocated from Seattle to Tampa

Kylie Werk, the director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture, also attended the convention and spoke about regulations in Florida.

“I think the importance of a conference like this is consumer education,” Werk said. “It is such a confusing industry if you don’t know too much about it, because there are a lot of regulations. But there’s also a lot of regulations due to how new the industry is.”

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and gubernatorial candidate, Nikki Fried, also spoke at the convention.

Everything from edibles to oils were on display, which are legal hemp products. Medical marijuana can be only be sold at legal dispensaries in Florida.

Kush Con is hosted by Kush.com, a cannabis marketplace that recently relocated from Seattle to Tampa.

The website merged with TradeCraft Origin and named its founder John Lynch as the new CEO of Kush.com.

“Florida is an exciting place for cannabis right now," Lynch said. "If it was a country, it would be the third largest cannabis market in the world."

Even though recreational marijuana use is not legal in Florida, Lynch said it’s becoming one of the best places to be for the cannabis industry.

“There’s a high number of seniors on prescription medication looking for natural alternatives," he said. "That’s a big part of the audience."

Kush Con will continue at the Tampa Convention Center through Sunday.