The BudTrader Ball Elevates the Red Carpet Cannabis Event Experience

The inaugural BudTrader Ball is coming to the San Diego area, and it’s a star-studded red carpet event for the cannabis industry—so look sharp and don the appropriate attire. The invitation-only event will be held at Shelter in Encinitas and feature DJ Prestige, and an impressive VIP guest list that includes Marvin Washington and other professional sports figures, musical performances and lawmakers—even  Gov. Jerry Brown was invited to the event.

A cocktail bar will quench your thirst, and each attendee will walk away with a generous goodie bag valued at over $500. A retractable roof will accommodate temperatures, and the venue is armed with a state-of-the-art audio and video system.

Brad McLaughlin is CEO of BudTrader and is spearheading the event. “There is a bit of a stigma around the legal marijuana industry especially with some people in government [and] politics,” McLaughlin told CULTURE. “They always question if the legal marijuana industry has their act together—we always respond back that [the industry] completely has its act together. The industry as a whole, knows we need to hold ourselves to a higher level because we do and will face additional scrutiny that other business owners in other industries won’t have to face.”

The idea of this red carpet event stemmed from McLaughlin and his team’s vision to present the cannabis industry in a classy and mature way. This presentation of our industry gives some of the most influential members of our society a first-hand experience of how legitimate cannabis culture has become. “The way we kept describing the event internally was ‘The Academy Awards for Weed’ was kind of the vibe we were going for,” McLaughlin shared.

McLaughlin even took the opportunity to send an invite to Gov. Jerry Brown. “He’s the governor but he’s also a businessman,” McLaughlin said. “Recreational marijuana is good for business, it’s good for California, it’s good for tax payers, it’s good for healthcare, and it’s good for our schools and infrastructure.”

The BudTrader Ball is an event that you shouldn’t miss. For more information go to budtraderpromo.com.