5 Things We Didn't Expect To Find At LA's Cannabis Convention

One of the big cannabis conventions is back in town. In fact, It's called the BIG Industry Show.

Because it's strictly for manufacturers and wholesalers, it's not somewhere most people can go. But we drove downtown to give you a sneak peek of what you can spend your next hard-earned paycheck on.

We didn't test the products ourselves, and some sound a little far-fetched.

But there's no question that the industry has exploded to include products far beyond the marijuana itself.

Here are five of the most surprising products we found.

SCENT CONCEALER

Serena Terrones from Shatter Batter says their product that hides the smell of marijuana is most popular in states where recreational use is still illegal. (Photo by Caleigh Wells/LAist)

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Chances are if you're vaping marijuana, everyone around you knows about it.

Employee Layla Berglund says their Shatter Batter product aims to solve that.

"It really masks and covers the smell, and so you can vape in public discreetly or around people that you might not want to know you're vaping weed," she says.

Basically it's a flavored liquid added to the concentrate. Berglund recommends pink lemonade as one of their most effective flavors.

"You still get that cloud puff, but it smells sweet, just like somebody vaping nicotine. So nobody knows what you're smoking," she says.

POT FOR PETS?

Is your rabbit suffering from anxiety or chronic pain? Cannabis can help with that too. (Photo by Caleigh Wells)

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I know what you're thinking. It's not what it sounds like.

These pet treats don't have the whole herb in them, just the CBD. Basically, it's the part of the drug that makes you feel relaxed or relieves pain. Not to be confused with THC, which is the part that gives you that giggly, hungry, high feeling.

Chris Medley of Hemp Health says these treats are quickly becoming their best-selling product.

"We have a lot of veterinarians that use our products and offer them to pet owners," he says.

And Medley claims to have seen the difference in his 17-year-old dog.

"She has a lot more mobility," he says. "She has hip dysplasia and I notice her getting up and down a lot easier."

They offer a bunch of flavors, and the bigger treats have about 4mg of CBD. If you're a medium-sized person with medium-sized pain, that's about a fifth of what you'd take.

But pain relief comes at a premium -- the treats sell for about $28 a bag.

CANDY KUSH

Handmade marijuana-laced treats are so last year. (Photo by Caleigh Wells/LAist)

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Vincent Gueret says when Truffly Made started 7 years ago, they just sold silicone molds for homemade weed candy. But now they have a machine that takes out a big part of the manual labor, too.

"You drop your product into the hopper, you would adjust the weight that you want, and it will precisely drop 3 to 12 grams per unit," he says.

By unit, he means per piece of chocolate, or caramel, or hard candy. The machine makes up to 1,000 units per hour.

And it can be yours for the low, low price of $12,000.

But if that sounds a bit steep, there's a compact version that makes half the product and costs less than $5,000.

HEMP HUMIDIFIER

Terpenes have that distinctive cannabis smell, and Alex Hoover believes it's the next craze. (Photo by Caleigh Wells/LAist)

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This one stems from a new craze: terpenes. That's the part of cannabis that gives it its distinct smell. So the consumer buys terpene oil, puts it in the humidifier and breathes it in for its much-touted benefits.

Goodfellas Group claims its humidifier can calm users and even get rid of headaches.

Sellers at several booths said terpenes are the next big thing in the cannabis industry. They can be used in cooking, topical creams and aromatherapy.

BUD BOX

CVault claims fresher cannabis makes for a smoother taste. (Photo by Caleigh Wells/LAist)

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Herbs degrade over time, and you don't have to be a chef to know fresh basil is better than the dried spice. Apparently, it's the same with marijuana.

Jon Lambert is in the business of keeping cannabis fresh. He claims his containers have solved the issue of dry weed.

"It keeps your bud fresh for literally as long as you have it," he says. "After six months, zero loss in THC, zero loss in weight."

The options range from big tubs for growers to small, personalized ones for users.

A GROWING INDUSTRY

The BIG Industry conference was last in California in January 2017, before marijuana legalization. Nicole Naar, the convention's market and sales event manager, says she's seen its popularity -- and the popularity of marijuana -- explode since then.

"It's becoming more widely accepted. People are seeing the benefit of our industry. People are seeing that it's not this taboo that it used to be," she says. "Now it's the green rush; the big cannabis boom."

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