September 3–5, 2025 | Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO
Table of Contents: In case you'd like to jump ahead...
What This Guide Includes
MJ Unpacked isn’t just another industry event—it’s a battlefield for cannabis operators navigating a tightening 2025 market. That’s why we created this guide: to help you walk into St. Louis sharper, prepared, and connected.
Inside, you’ll find:
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Our stance on equity, education, and leadership.
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The full agenda at a glance and resource links.
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Conversation prompts and FAQs to sharpen your networking.
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A breakdown of what to watch for based on your role—whether you’re a retailer, cultivator, manufacturer, ancillary provider, investor, or new licensee.
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Reflections to carry forward after the event.
Think of this as your playbook to survive and thrive at MJ Unpacked—something to save, bookmark, and share with your team. Want to connect with us before, during, or after MJ Unpacked? Check in with us here.
Our Stance, Our Promise
At Paragon Payroll, we don’t just show up to cannabis events to shake hands—we show up to push the industry forward.
Our mission has always been about more than payroll. We are here to make cannabis more equitable through resources and education, to serve with lived experience and years of dedication, and to lead with courage when others hesitate.
For us, leadership isn’t about claiming space—it’s about creating it for others. It’s about ensuring that every operator, from Missouri startups to multi-state veterans, has access to the tools, conversations, and partnerships they need to survive and thrive.
Where to Find Us: Booth #232
If you want real answers—come find us at Booth #232.
We’ll be:
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Sharing resources and education designed to protect operators.
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Talking equity, compliance, and strategy with anyone who’s serious about the future.
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Standing in our lane of service and leadership—because that’s where we’ve always been.
What We’re Looking Forward To
St. Louis is shaping up to be one of the most important gatherings of 2025. We’re excited to:
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Hear real operator stories—lessons in resilience, pivots, and survival.
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Champion equity and education—ensuring those historically shut out of cannabis aren’t left behind.
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Connect with leaders who share our grit and commitment to long-term service.
This isn’t just another stop on the calendar—it’s an opportunity to double down on our role as partners first, providers second.
Helpful Queries, Topics & FAQs to Carry Into St. Louis
We want every operator to arrive sharper than they came in. Here are some questions and prompts you can use to guide conversations, vet partnerships, and set your survival strategy:
Equity & Leadership
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“How are you making cannabis opportunities more equitable—not just profitable?”
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“What resources or educational programs are you putting back into the community?”
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“Who benefits from your solution beyond your bottom line?”
Operational Survival
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“If margins shrink another 5%, how does your solution protect me?”
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“What systems did your team actually build during 2025’s slowdown?”
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“How quickly can your service respond if compliance or tax rules shift overnight?”
Future-Readiness
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“What pivots from 2025 mattered most—and which ones were wasted motion?”
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“How are you using AI and data to reduce risk instead of adding complexity?”
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“What’s your survival plan if federal reform drags another five years?”
FAQs We Often Hear
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Is MJ Unpacked open to the public? → No. Licensed operators, investors, execs, and nonprofit researchers only. Budtenders/aspiring managers: day three access only.
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Where can I get content if I can’t attend? → Past conference content + webinars.
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Why stop by Booth #232? → Because we don’t pitch—we problem-solve.
Operator Toolkit Agenda, Speakers, Schedule, Floor Plan: Bookmark This Before You Arrive
📅 Full Conference Schedule
🎤 Speakers List
🗺️ Floor Plan
📚 Conference Sessions
⚡ Happening Now Tab
Daily Agenda At-A-Glance
Tuesday, Sept 2
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5:00–7:00 PM: Registration Opens
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6:00–8:00 PM: Welcome Mixer
Wednesday, Sept 3
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9:00 AM–12:00 PM: CSQ Pre-Conference QMS Workshop
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1:30–2:10 PM: Cracking the Current Capital Code
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1:30–2:10 PM: Dispensary Playbook: What You Can Learn from Traditional Retail
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1:30–2:10 PM: Paths to Conducting Rigorous and Independent Research on Cannabis Efficacy
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2:20–3:00 PM: Recalibrating Financial Strategy in a Capital-Constrained Industry
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2:20–3:50 PM: Innovations in Disease Detection and Resistance
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3:10–3:50 PM: Building Partnerships That Last: Strategies for Leaders
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3:10–3:50 PM: Tracking Cannabis Market Trends in 2025
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4:00–4:40 PM: Tax Compliance in Cannabis: Navigating 280E, 471 & Beyond
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4:00–4:40 PM: Streamlining Cannabis Manufacturing Through AI
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5:00–7:30 PM: Opening Night Reception + MoCann Q3 Meetup
Thursday, Sept 4
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9:00–10:00 AM: We Are Jaine Morning Meetup
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10:00–10:40 AM: Smarter, Faster, Leaner: How Cannabis Brands Use AI
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10:00–10:40 AM: Protect, Perform, Prosper: Risk Management for Financially Resilient Cannabis Businesses
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10:00–10:40 AM: Navigating the Trade-Offs of Genetic Selection
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10:50–11:30 AM: How Data & Technology Can Solve the $10B Inventory Management Problem
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All Day: 1:1 Engage Platform Meetings
Friday, Sept 5
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Closing sessions + final networking
👉 Use the Happening Now Tab for real-time updates.
See What to Watch For by Your Role
This section exists because every operator comes to MJ Unpacked with different pressures, risks, and goals. If you’re trying to figure out the best questions to ask—based on where you fall in this space—use this as a compass.
👉 Bookmark this section and keep it handy when you’re walking the St. Louis floor. The right question at the right time can separate a meaningful partnership from wasted time.
For Retailers
Relevant sessions: Dispensary Playbook: What You Can Learn from Traditional Retail (Sept 3), Smarter, Faster, Leaner: How Cannabis Brands Use AI (Sept 4)
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“How do you help retailers maintain margins when traffic slows?”
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“What tech integrations have proven ROI for boosting basket size?”
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“What lessons from traditional retail can cannabis retailers actually apply in 2025?”
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“How do you help avoid inventory burn when consumer trends shift overnight?”
For Cultivators
Relevant sessions: Innovations in Disease Detection and Resistance (Sept 3), Navigating the Trade-Offs of Genetic Selection (Sept 4)
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“How do you help stabilize pricing after harvest?”
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“What safeguards do you recommend against supply chain shocks?”
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“How are you adapting genetics for evolving consumer demand?”
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“What post-harvest risks should smaller cultivators prepare for right now?”
For Manufacturers/Processors
Relevant sessions: Streamlining Cannabis Manufacturing Through AI (Sept 3), Tax Compliance in Cannabis: Navigating 280E, 471 & Beyond (Sept 3)
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“If I had to recall a batch tomorrow, how fast could your systems support compliance?”
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“What AI-driven processes are actually cutting costs in manufacturing?”
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“How do you help multi-state processors navigate compliance differences?”
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“What did 2025’s supply chain challenges teach you—and how did you adapt?”
For Ancillary Providers
Relevant sessions: Building Partnerships That Last (Sept 3), Protect, Perform, Prosper: Risk Management (Sept 4)
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“How many cannabis clients survived 2025 with your support?”
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“What ROI do you prove beyond usage stats?”
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“What emergency scenarios have you successfully guided clients through?”
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“How do you adapt your services specifically for cannabis operators, not just general business?”
For Investors
Relevant sessions: Cracking the Current Capital Code (Sept 3), Recalibrating Financial Strategy (Sept 3)
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“How do you vet resilience—not just market size—when backing operators?”
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“What % of your cannabis investments survived the 2025 contraction?”
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“How do you weigh leadership toughness versus pitch-deck polish?”
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“What risk factors do you prioritize when funding expansions in capital-tight markets?”
For New Licensees
Relevant sessions: Paths to Conducting Rigorous Research on Cannabis Efficacy (Sept 3), We Are Jaine Morning Meetup (Sept 4)
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“What licensing delays have you helped clients overcome without burning cash?”
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“What guardrails should I install before opening doors to protect early revenue?”
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“What’s the most common mistake new licensees make—and how do I avoid it?”
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“How do you recommend new operators build credibility with investors in a cautious 2025 market?”
Equity in Action
Our difference is simple: we don’t just talk about supporting cannabis—we live it.
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Fair Pricing: We’ve rejected the “cannabis tax” model that gouges operators.
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Education First: From LMS platforms to compliance guides, we provide tools for businesses at every stage.
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Community Partnership: We show up at events, advocacy circles, and local initiatives not for clout, but for impact.
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Lived Experience: Our team’s years of dedication mean we understand the human side of payroll, compliance, and survival.
This is the work we’ll continue to champion in St. Louis—and beyond.
The 2025 Reality Check
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Margins are down 7% year-over-year (New Frontier Data).
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Only 27% of businesses profitable in 2025 (Whitney Economics).
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Federal reform has stalled again (FinCEN 2025).
This isn’t shared to discourage you—it’s shared so you walk into St. Louis with clarity. If you know the headwinds, you can prepare your sails.
Here’s what we hope you carry forward:
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How am I protecting my margins against further contraction?
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Who are my true partners in resilience—and who disappears when things get tough?
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Am I building strategies that work in today’s reality, not just tomorrow’s hopes?
The data is sobering, but it’s also an invitation: to get sharper, to get more connected, and to remember you’re not navigating this alone.
Post-Event Reflection
MJ Unpacked shouldn’t end when you leave the Union Station Hotel.
Ask yourself:
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Which conversations sharpened my strategy?
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Who felt like a true partner vs. who was just selling?
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What resources did I actually bring home that will move the needle?
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How will I apply what I learned before the market shifts again?
Reflection turns notes into action—and action into survival.
MJ Unpacked: St. Louis is more than an event. It’s a checkpoint. A moment to prove that leadership isn’t about who claims space—it’s about who builds it, protects it, and opens it for others. - Paragon Payroll
So save this article. Bookmark it. Share it with your team. And when you’re ready to talk about building smarter and fairer in cannabis, we’ll be waiting at Booth #232.
Because in this industry, real leadership isn’t claimed—it’s proven.
And more than anything, we hope you walk away from St. Louis reminded that you’re not in this alone. The future of cannabis isn’t just business—it’s human.
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