Benzinga Awards Ceremony: Meet The Winners from Chicago 2023

The prestigious Benzinga Cannabis Awards, now in their second year, were recently unveiled during the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference held in Chicago on September 27-28. These awards serve as a beacon, illuminating the luminaries of the cannabis industry—individuals and entities whose contributions span a wide spectrum, encompassing trailblazing innovation and tireless advocacy across sectors such as media, technology, research, and beyond.

The notable recipients of this year’s awards include:

• Brett Roper Award for Lifetime Achievement: Presented to Ed Perlmutter, Former US Representative.
• Best Social Equity Award Success Story: Recognized as 40Tons, emblematic of their remarkable journey.
• Bob Fireman Award For Entrepreneurship: Presented to Shanel Lindsay, the visionary founder of Ardent Life.
• Cannabis Advocate of the Year: Weldon Angelos, distinguished as the President and Co-founder of Mission Green.
• Most Impactful Cannabis Executive of the Year: Acknowledging the significant contributions of Amber Senter, the driving force behind Supernova Women.
• Most Innovative Cannabis Brand: Celebrating the innovative spirit of Grön.
• Best Cannabis Accounting Firm: Recognized as PKF O’Connor Davies, emblematic of their excellence in the industry.
• Best Cannabis Credit Fund: Lauding the accomplishments of Sweet Leaf Madison Capital.
• Best Cannabis Industry Analyst: Presented to Aaron Grey, AGP, for insightful analysis and guidance.
• Best Cannabis Law Firm: Recognizing the excellence of Clark Hill.
• Best Business Matchmaker: Celebrating the achievements of Greenlife Business Group.
• Best Cannabis REIT: Awarded to MJ Reit via Rainbow Realty Group, highlighting their contributions to the industry.
• Best Retail Expansion Strategy: Presented to TerrAscend (TRSSF) for their remarkable strategy.
• Best Canadian Cannabis Company: Recognized as Village Farms (VFF) for their outstanding contributions.
• Most Innovative Cannabis Small Business: Celebrating the ingenuity of “It’s All About Choices.”
• Best End-User Technology: Presented to iSpire Technology (ISPR) for their groundbreaking tech.
• Best Research & Data: Awarded to Headset, recognizing their invaluable contributions to industry insights.
• Best Tech Platform: B2B: Lauding the excellence of Green Check Verified.
• Best Tech Platform: B2C: Recognizing Leafly Holdings (LFLY) for their exceptional consumer-facing platform.
• Best cannabis M&A Deal: Highlighting the impactful Leaf Trade and Sweed merger.

Furthermore, special congratulations are extended to:

• Best African Cannabis Company: Southern Sky.
• Best European Cannabis Company: Bloomwell Group.
• Best Latin American Cannabis Company: Prich Biotech.
• US State With Biggest Growth Potential: Maryland.
• Cannabis Business Reporter: Will Yakowicz of Forbes.
• Cannabis Lifestyle Reporter: Jackie Bryant of San Diego Magazine.
• Most Effective Celebrity Cannabis Brands: Honoring Hempacco, Snoop Dogg, Cheech & Chong, and Rick Ross for their significant contributions to the industry.

These awards not only celebrate excellence but also provide insight into the dynamic and ever-evolving cannabis landscape. Congratulations to all the winners for their remarkable achievements in the burgeoning world of cannabis.