Voting & Judging Process
Only contracted 2026 MJBizCon exhibitors are eligible to submit.
Internal Review: MJBizCon will conduct an initial internal evaluation of all submissions. During this phase, each category will be reviewed for eligibility, completeness, and alignment with program criteria. Following this assessment, MJBizCon will shortlist five applications per category to advance to the judging stage.
External Judging: The remaining applications will then be evaluated by members of the MJBizCon Editorial, Attendee & Exhibitor Board. Judges will be assigned only to categories in which they have no personal, professional, or financial connection, ensuring impartiality and maintaining the integrity of the judging process. Each judge will independently review and score the assigned category based on the established evaluation criteria.
Finalists: Each award category will have two finalists (including the winner). These finalists will be invited to display their product onsite at MJBizCon, where the winners will be announced during the show.
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Judging Criteria - Products
Judging will be conducted on four criteria, each on a 1-5 scale for a total of 20 points:
- Originality – How unique is the product compared to what exists in the market? Consider whether the product introduces new technology, design, functionality or a novel approach that differentiates it from current offerings.
- Industry Impact – How significant is the problem the innovation addresses and how effective is the solution? Evaluate the scale and urgency of the challenge, the degree to which the product meaningfully resolves it and the potential for measurable advancement within the cannabis industry.
- Functionality – How well does the product work? Is it reliable, practical and well-executed? Consider the product’s durability, practicality, and overall performance.
- User Experience + Design - How welldesigned is the product, and does its interface support an intuitive user experience? Examine the product’s design excellence, accessibility, and overall user experience.
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Judging Criteria - Innovator of the Year
Judging will be conducted on four criteria, each on a 1-5 scale for a total of 20 points:
- Innovation & Original Thinking: Does the nominee demonstrate original and creative thinking? Has the nominee introduced new ideas, products or processes into the cannabis industry in the last 12 months?
- Challenge Navigation: What challenges did the nominee face when pursuing innovation? How effectively did they navigate these setbacks? Did overcoming these challenges strengthen the overall impact of their innovation?
- Personal Impact: What measurable results or meaningful outcomes has this person achieved? How significant is the value created by their work?
- Influence & Leadership: How has the nominee inspired others to innovate within their field? Does the nominee actively promote a culture of creativity and innovation?