Over the past year, The Cannaverse has grown alongside Minnesota's cannabis industry.
What started as a place to share events has evolved into something more: a weekly look at the people, ideas, and conversations shaping cannabis across our state.
This week's issue reflects that evolution.
We're sharing a powerful conversation with Travis Cullen about justice, second chances, and building a business after prohibition. We're highlighting Green Equity 2026, where entrepreneurs and policymakers will gather to discuss the future of Minnesota's cannabis ecosystem. And we're taking a closer look at the Office of Cannabis Management's decision to rename its Social Equity division as the Division of Community and Economic Development, a change that reflects a broader vision for how opportunity is created.
As always, our goal isn't just to keep you informed. It's to help connect the dots across Minnesota's cannabis community.
Let's dive in.
Travis Cullen sits down for an interview on the Canna Connect Show
The Canna Connect Show
Eight Years Behind Bars. A Second Chance Through Cannabis.
Before cannabis was legal in Minnesota, Travis Cullen paid the ultimate price.
Arrested at 21 and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for cannabis, Travis spent eight years behind bars before returning home to rebuild his life. Today, he's a licensed cannabis operator, owner of Hopkins Dispensary, and one of Minnesota's most outspoken advocates for social equity.
In this powerful episode of The Canna Connect Show, Travis shares the realities of prison, the evolution of cannabis legalization, and why he continues fighting for those who remain incarcerated because of outdated cannabis laws.
This isn't just a cannabis conversation.
It's a story about second chances.
Use code GEPARTNER20 for 20% off your tickets
Green Equity 2026
Building Minnesota's cannabis industry together.
Minnesota's cannabis market is still taking shape, and MCBA Green Equity Summit is designed for the people helping build it.
Hosted by the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), this three-day experience brings together entrepreneurs, operators, regulators, investors, ecosystem partners, and community leaders for practical conversations about policy, business, capital, and long-term growth.
Unlike a traditional conference, Green Equity emphasizes participation, collaboration, and meaningful relationship building. Whether you're preparing to launch a business, looking to expand your network, or hoping to better understand where Minnesota's industry is headed, there's a place for you.
Each day features a different focus:
• Monday: Building Markets That Last | Policy Summit
• Tuesday: Business, Culture & Community Forum
• Wednesday: Capital, Strategy & Growth Mastermind
If you're serious about building your place in Minnesota's cannabis ecosystem, Green Equity is one of the most valuable events of the year.
Use code GEPARTNER20 for 20% off your tickets.
Reimagining Social Equity + Clarifying the Mission
A new name that reflects a broader mission
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management has renamed its Social Equity Division to the Division of Community and Economic Development.
In a recent LinkedIn article, Jess Jackson, Director of Community & Economic Development, explains that the change isn't a shift away from social equity. Instead, it better reflects the division's broader work supporting entrepreneurs, administering grants, providing education and technical assistance, engaging communities, and expanding economic opportunity across Minnesota's emerging cannabis industry.
As Jess writes, social equity remains the mission. Community and economic development are the tools used to achieve it.
It's a thoughtful look at how Minnesota's cannabis ecosystem continues to evolve and how the Office of Cannabis Management is refining its approach as the industry matures.
Every week, Minnesota's cannabis industry becomes a little more real.
New businesses open. New policies take shape. More entrepreneurs find their footing. And conversations that once happened behind closed doors are happening out in the open.
Our goal with The Cannaverse is simple: to document that journey while helping our community stay informed, connected, and engaged.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and helping build Minnesota's cannabis ecosystem alongside us.
We'll see you next week.
Stephen Eigenmann
Founder, Canna Connect
Disclaimer: This email is informational only and not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Please consult your advisors for guidance specific to your business.
