The 2026 Vermont Cannabis Convention Is Coming to South Burlington — Here's What You Need to Know
Vermont's biggest cannabis event returns to the Burlington area on May 8–9, 2026 — and it's shaping up to be the best one yet.
Vermont's cannabis community has a yearly ritual, and it's a heady one: gathering together to celebrate the plant, the industry, and the people growing it here in the Green Mountains. The 7th Annual Vermont Cannabis Convention, presented by NECANN (the New England Cannabis Convention), is back — and this year it's moved to a brand-new venue, brought in a world-class keynote speaker, and is hosting the inaugural Best in Show Cannabis Competition, with actual Vermont cannabis flower on the show floor for the first time in the convention's history! For Vermont cannabis consumers, home growers, medical patients, and industry professionals alike, this is the event of the year.
Here at Sunset Lake Cannabis, we're proud to be part of the Vermont cannabis community and will be exhibiting at Booth #303. To help you prepare for the festivities, we put together this complete guide to the 2026 NECANN Vermont Cannabis Convention.
Key Takeaways
What: The 7th Annual Vermont Cannabis Convention, presented by NECANN (also known as the Vermont Cannabis & Hemp Convention)
When: Friday, May 8, 2026, 2:30PM–6:30 PM and Saturday, May 9, 2026, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT 05403
Cost: Free to attend (registration required); must be 21+
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Riley Kirk, Ph.D. — cannabis researcher, professor, and author of Reefer Wellness
New in 2026: The inaugural Best in Show Cannabis Competition — attendees vote on Vermont cannabis flower across nine categories, with winners announced Saturday at 2:45 PM
Who Should Attend: Vermont cannabis consumers, home growers, medical cannabis patients, cannabis industry professionals, cannabis retailers, cultivators, and anyone curious about Vermont's legal marijuana market
Registration: Free registration available at necann.com/vermont
What Is the Vermont Cannabis Convention?
The Vermont Cannabis Convention is the signature annual gathering of Vermont's cannabis industry. Organized by NECANN (the New England Cannabis Convention network) and Eli Harrington (Greenbridge Consulting), it's the largest cannabis convention focused exclusively on the Vermont market. Over the past six years, it has grown into the premier professional and community gathering for everyone from craft cultivators and dispensary operators to curious consumers and medical marijuana patients.
The convention features a full trade show floor with exhibitors from across the Vermont cannabis ecosystem — cultivators (a.k.a. growers), processors, retailers (a.k.a. dispensaries), ancillary businesses, and service providers — along with a packed two-day programming schedule of educational panels, speaker presentations, and interactive demonstrations. And in 2026, it's free for the public to attend!
Vermont cannabis brands will be displaying their newest crop and most exciting products including our hand-trimmed flower, BTV Blunts prerolls, Cosmic Cones infused joints, cannabis concentrates, THC drinks, pot gummies, and more. While attendees won’t be able to sample any actual weed, you’ll be able to see and sniff Vermont-grown cannabis flower and taste un-infused edibles. More on that below.
If you've been asking yourself what's happening in Vermont cannabis this spring or where can I learn about Vermont weed, this is your answer.
What's on the Schedule
Beyond the keynote, the 2026 Vermont Cannabis Convention programming is built to serve a wide range of attendees. Planned programming includes:
Multiple cultivation panels covering everything Vermont home growers and professional cultivators need heading into the spring planting season. (The early May timing is intentional — organizers specifically chose it to align with when growers throughout New England are thinking hard about cannabis genetics, nutrients, and the upcoming outdoor season.)
Hash and concentrate education, including panels on understanding and manufacturing hash and other concentrate products. If you've ever been curious about Vermont hash, live rosin, hashish temple balls, or how concentrate products are made, this is a great entry point.
Panels for medical cannabis patients covering topics relevant to Vermont's medical cannabis program, product selection, and safe consumption.
Consumer and home grower programming designed to help everyday Vermonters get more out of the state's legal cannabis market.
The Best in Show Cannabis Competition, where attendees serve as judges evaluating Vermont cannabis flower across nine categories.
The full speaker schedule is still being finalized, so check necann.com/vermont/schedule for updates as May approaches.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Riley Kirk, Ph.D.
The 2026 Vermont Cannabis Convention is headlined by a keynote address from Dr. Riley Kirk, Ph.D. — a cannabis researcher, professor, and author of Reefer Wellness: Understanding Cannabis Science, Culture, and Medicine.
Vermont has always attracted thoughtful, science-driven cannabis culture. Having a researcher of Dr. Kirk's caliber take the stage reflects the maturity of the Vermont cannabis market and the community's appetite for evidence-based conversations about the plant. Whether you're a medical cannabis patient curious about the pharmacology of cannabinoids and the entourage effect, a home grower trying to understand terpene profiles, or an industry professional following cannabis policy, this is the kind of keynote that delivers real value.
If you can’t make it to NECANN Vermont this year, Dr. Kirk will be presenting the evening before the conference at Phoenix Books in Burlington, VT.
New in 2026: The Best in Show Cannabis Competition
This is the news that has the Vermont cannabis industry buzzing. For the first time in the Vermont Cannabis Convention's seven-year history, cannabis will actually be on display. NECANN Vermont organizer Eli Harrington worked closely with Vermont's Cannabis Control Board to create the inaugural Best in Show Cannabis Competition, a new competition where attendees are the judges.
Here's how it works: exhibiting dispensaries and growers from across Vermont can submit up to six entries across nine categories, displaying up to one ounce of cannabis at their booth. Attendees walk the floor, view and smell the entries, and vote on what they believe is the best cannabis in each category. But, sorry–sampling is not allowed due to Vermont state law. However, samples of un-infused edibles will also be available. Voting closes at 1:30 PM on Saturday, May 9, with winners announced at the convention at 2:45 PM.
In plain terms: there will be actual Vermont cannabis at the cannabis convention, and you get a say in who wins.
A New Home: The DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington
The 2026 convention marks a return to the Burlington area for the first time since the very first Vermont Cannabis Convention in 2018. After several years at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, VT, NECANN Vermont is moving to the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington.
The greater Burlington area is the center of Vermont's cannabis retail landscape. It's where a significant share of Vermont's licensed cannabis retailers operate, and where Vermont cannabis consumers are most concentrated.. Holding the state's signature cannabis event here puts it squarely in the heart of the community it serves.
Organizers are expecting a big turnout this year with around 75 exhibitors on the floor and free tickets for members of the public. For out-of-town attendees, the DoubleTree is a convenient, professional venue with hotel accommodations on-site. The South Burlington location is easy to reach from anywhere in Vermont, and Burlington proper is just minutes away with plenty to do before and after convention hours — from the Church Street Marketplace to the waterfront, and no shortage of Vermont dispensaries nearby if you want to stock up on Vermont cannabis products while you're in town.
Who Should Come
The Vermont Cannabis Convention has always done a good job of serving multiple audiences under one roof, and 2026 is no exception. Here's who will get the most out of attending:
Vermont cannabis consumers who want to learn more about the products they're buying, meet the farmers and makers behind them, and understand the Vermont cannabis market better.
Home growers looking to level up their craft, find new genetics for the 2026 outdoor season and ongoing indoor grows, and connect with other Vermont home growers and cultivation experts.
Medical cannabis patients in Vermont seeking education on medical marijuana products, consumption methods, and how to navigate the Vermont medical cannabis program.
Cannabis industry professionals — including Vermont cannabis retailers, cultivators, processors, and ancillary businesses — looking to network, find new vendors and partners, and stay current on Vermont cannabis regulations and market trends.
Curious newcomers who want to understand what Vermont weed is all about, ask questions in a welcoming environment, and see what Vermont's legal cannabis market has to offer.
The convention has always had the feel of Vermont itself: world-class quality with small-scale accessibility. Attendees can expect genuine conversations with some of the best cannabis minds in New England.
FAQs About the 2026 Vermont Cannabis Convention
Is the Vermont Cannabis Convention free? Yes — general admission is free to people over 21 years of age. Registration is required and available at necann.com/vermont.
Do I need a medical card to attend? No. The Vermont Cannabis Convention is open to all adults 21 and older.
Will cannabis be for sale at the event? No. Cannabis cannot be sold at the convention. However, 2026 marks the first time in the convention's history that actual cannabis will be on site — licensed Vermont dispensaries and growers will be displaying their pot and un-infused edibles as part of the inaugural Best in Show Cannabis Competition, which attendees vote on. That said, we put together a list of dispensaries in the Greater Burlington area where you can buy Vermont weed.
Is the event accessible? Yes — to the best of our knowledge, the DoubleTree by Hilton South Burlington is disability-accessible. Please contact the venue with any specific accessibility questions.
Can I take photos? Photos are permitted on the exhibit floor (with people's permission), but videotaping in any speaker or programming session is not allowed. Please remember to ask if it’s ok before taking someone’s photo.
What if I want to exhibit? Exhibitor registration is open at necann.com/vermont.
Who are the presenting sponsors? NECANN Vermont is presented by Higher Elevation. Additional sponsors include: Vermont Federal Credit Union, White River GrowPro, CannaPlanners, Ledyard Bank, Highly Rooted, Magic Mann, Somewhere on the Mountain, and Seven Days.
Growing A Vibrant Vermont Cannabis Community Together
Every year, the Vermont Cannabis Convention is a snapshot of where Vermont's cannabis industry stands — and a preview of where it's going. Vermont began legalized adult-use cannabis sales in 2022, and the market has been growing steadily since, with hundreds of licensed cultivators, retailers, and processors now operating across the Green Mountain State.
Events like this one are part of what makes Vermont cannabis different from larger, more impersonal pot markets. There's a directness to the Vermont cannabis community — a culture where farmers, processors, retailers, and consumers actually know each other, and where the plant itself is treated with the respect it deserves. The Vermont Cannabis Convention, at its best, is a physical manifestation of that culture.
For us at Sunset Lake Cannabis — a sungrown Vermont cannabis farm growing outdoors in the Champlain Islands — community is everything. We grow cannabis the way true Vermont farmers grow food: with care, with accountability to the land, and with a deep commitment to quality that doesn't take shortcuts. Events like NECANN Vermont are where that ethos gets celebrated and carried forward.
If you're heading to the Greater Burlington area this May, we hope to see you there. Be sure to swing by Booth #303 to say “high!” And if you want to explore Vermont cannabis before or after the convention, you can find our sungrown flower and handcrafted products at Vermont dispensaries across the state. Check our Vermont dispensary finder to find Sunset Lake Cannabis at a pot shop near you.
The 7th Annual Vermont Cannabis Convention takes place May 8–9, 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington, Vermont. Free registration and up-to-date full event details are available atnecann.com/vermont. Must be 21+ to attend.
