The inaugural cannabis industry Awards for Australia and New Zealand were presented last week before a sold-out crowd in Melbourne. Co-founder and chief growth officer Martin Lane reflects on the key takeaways and what can be improved heading into next year.
When the Awards were launched earlier this year, there was no clear sense of just how much traction they would gain.
The early response from sponsors and judges was strongly positive, and as entries came flooding in, it became apparent that the appetite to recognise industry achievements had been underestimated all along.
Selling out the venue a full 10 days before the event was not something anyone anticipated, but it has made one thing very clear: finding a larger space will be a top priority when planning gets underway for 2024.
There are several other lessons from this first year worth sharing — and since others in the industry will likely have their own views, hearing that feedback would be welcome.
The judging process
This year, each category was scored independently by at least four judges. Considerable effort went into avoiding conflicts of interest, and the 36 judges were assigned categories that matched their areas of expertise.
The process held up well — most winners were chosen with broad consensus, not every entrant made the shortlist, and the entry numbers were strong enough to keep each category genuinely competitive.
That said, a number of judges indicated they would have valued the chance to discuss entries with fellow jury members before submitting their scores — both to pressure-test their thinking and to flag information they may not have had access to independently.
In response, next year's process will run in two stages. In the first, judges will independently select their top six entries in each assigned category to produce a shortlist. In the second, each jury will convene via Zoom to talk through the shortlist before voting.
The voting itself will remain confidential and independent — juries won't be required to reach a unanimous decision — but the overall approach will be more collaborative, giving judges the ability to share knowledge and work through issues such as regulatory compliance. Which brings us to the next point.
Regulatory compliance
This was one of the thorniest issues when drafting the entry guidelines.
Should companies that have received a TGA fine within the past 12 months be barred from entering?
If so, should that exclusion apply across all categories, or only those where compliance is directly relevant — such as Company of the Year?
If entries remain open to everyone, how should judges be guided when assessing companies found guilty of a breach?
Should judges award points to companies that have acted responsibly — or should that be treated as a baseline expectation?
That gives a sense of the complexity involved in trying to get this right. Whether year one got it exactly right is debatable, but the effort was genuine.
Ultimately, the decision was to leave entries open to all, while specifying in certain categories: "In its deliberations, the jury will consider regulatory compliance, or what remedial steps have been taken in the event of any breach."
The intent was clear: if a company has broken the rules, it needs to show it took that seriously and explain what has been done to prevent a recurrence.
Looking at the scores, most jurors did factor this in when assessing the relevant categories.
Even so, the fact that two companies fined by the TGA during the judging period made the Company of the Year shortlist left more than a few people puzzled.
Next year, judges will be able to discuss these situations with one another before voting. If a company has been fined, how serious was the alleged breach? And what has the company done to make sure it doesn't happen again?
The position remains that a TGA or ODC fine should not automatically disqualify a company from entering any category. Not every regulatory breach is equivalent, and how a business responds when it falls short of the rules matters considerably.
That said, this is still a work in progress — there are strongly held views on both sides — and feedback on this point is particularly welcome.
Categories
Some categories drew more entries than others, but the general response was positive, with 20 categories considered broadly appropriate. Suggestions received so far include:
1. Cultivator or Manufacturer of the Year should be split into two separate categories.
2. R&D Project of the Year and the Award for Innovation could be merged into one.
3. Patient Advocate of the Year and the Award for Industry Advancement could also be combined.
4. An International Company of the Year category could be added.
There are likely other additions or cuts worth considering.
UPDATE: Since this article was first published, strong feedback has come in opposing suggestions two and three. Hearing what others think on this would be valuable — please do get in touch.
Host city
This is another question without a clear answer yet. This year, the decision on where to hold the presentation ceremony was deliberately held until entries had been assessed, with the goal of identifying where the industry's centre of gravity lay and minimising the need for interstate travel.
Melbourne emerged as the clear choice for 2023, but a significant number of guests still travelled from other states. The late announcement left those guests scrambling for flights and accommodation at short notice — something that won't be repeated.
Next year, the ceremony location will be announced when the awards are launched. The remaining question is whether the event should rotate between cities or settle permanently in Melbourne.
As noted at the outset, not all the answers are in hand — and probably not all the right questions have been identified yet. There are surely many other ways to strengthen the program from year to year, and suggestions on how to do that are very much encouraged.
These are the industry's awards, and they should continue to earn the industry's support.
Premium members can share thoughts in the comment box below. Others can sign up here to receive a discount on entries and tickets to next year's awards as well as future events. Alternatively, reach out via email via this link.
To see all this year's winners and highlights from the evening, click here.
