News & Articles

From November 16th - December 1st, Canopy's cannabis entrepreneurs are on the road, showcasing their Next Big Idea products and services for the marijuana industry at Demo Days in Las Vegas and the Bay Area.

Nine weeks ago, we launched 9 new companies in our new Berkeley, CA, location. This class is one of the strongest to graduate from the accelerator, poised to change the cannabis industry in retail, community and networking platforms, cutting-edge accessories, commerce, data aggregation and more. Expanding Canopy's accelerator program into the California market from our Boulder, CO, basecamp was quite seamless, thanks in no small part to a supportive and well-developed local cannabis community ready to help these teams create connections that will help them evolve and grow their businesses. With less than two months to go in the program, and less than two weeks until the Berkeley cohort's public Demo Day debut, we're winding down our successful Bay Area cohort just as we see the industry taking off.

It's an incredibly significant time to launch a cannabis company. Not only is California's Adult Use Act expected to pass by a relatively strong margin, 8 other states will also vote on marijuana legalization measures. A recent New York Times piece suggests the passage of California's Prop 64 could "blow the doors open" for legalization in the United States, creating a domino effect and ultimately, the end of prohibition.  The cannabis industry - always dynamic, ever-evolving - is experiencing a particularly exciting time in history.

One week after Election Day, the Fall 2016 class of entrepreneurs will give their first stage pitches at the MJ Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, the industry's oldest and largest trade show and conference. Soon after, these founders will engage with cannabis investors and the public in a three-day run of pitch events in the San Francisco area. These days are long, physically and mentally draining, and incredibly exhilarating. Months of long office hours, pitch practice and pivots culminate as founders present their cannabis startups  - this time, in a newly expanded legal and regulatory landscape for the marijuana industry.

Demo Day has alway been celebratory - a look into the future of the fastest-growing industry in the nation, and the launch of cannabis entrepreneurs brave enough to take it on. This year it takes on new significance: a celebration of expanded freedom and incredible possibilities. We hope you'll be part of it!

Please join us at one of our Demo Day events in Las Vegas or the Bay Area.

• Las Vegas, NV - Wednesday, November 15th Open to Public 5:30 - 9pm

• San Francisco - Tuesday, November 29th Public Session 5 - 8:30pm

• Berkeley - Wednesday, November 30th Public Session 5 - 8:30pm
  

• San Jose - Thursday, December 1st Public Session 5 - 8:30pm
  

The Canopy Accelerator, founded in Colorado in 2014, is a cannabis investment fund and the leading early stage business accelerator in the marijuana industry focused on tech and product innovations.  Canopy's 16-week bootcamp directs marijuana startup funding efforts, business development, team-building and more.  Canopy companies do not touch the plant, but instead focus on software, data, media, and hardware that serve the consumers and businesses in the legal cannabis industry.

Get a first look at the future of cannabis as Canopy's Berkeley cohort presents their innovative products and services for the nation's fastest-growing industry.

If you’re in today’s legal cannabis industry you’re aware that tax code 280E restricts you from operating like a traditional business. Simply put, even though you are operating a state-legal business, cannabis is still considered illegal federally. At the end of the day, this changes which expenses you are allowed to deduct for tax purposes.