National Cannabis Research Conference

The National Cannabis Research Conference is the science-first cannabis event — three days of peer-reviewed research, not sales pitches — and its 10th annual edition runs October 19–21, 2026 at the DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego – Mission Valley. This is where the people doing the actual research show their work. Scientists, clinicians, policymakers, legal experts, and operators who care about data all end up in the same room for 200+ presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions covering pharmacology, cultivation science, chemical analysis, public health, and the policy frameworks shaping the plant's future. The 2026 lineup is anchored by a plenary keynote from Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, with Melanie Kelly delivering the Mechoulam Lecture — names that signal how seriously this conference takes the science. What separates it from a trade show is the standard of proof. Nobody's on stage claiming a miracle; they're presenting studies, methods, and results that get scrutinized by peers. For anyone tired of marketing dressed up as fact, that rigor is the whole draw. There's culture in it too — the conference reception this year happens on the flight deck of the USS Midway, which is a hard venue to top. Who should be there: academic researchers, healthcare and public-health professionals, lab scientists, regulators, and industry operators who want their decisions grounded in evidence instead of vibes. If your work depends on understanding what the research actually says — on cultivation, chemistry, compliance, or clinical questions — this is three days that pay for themselves. Marking a decade, this edition brings together the people who built the field and the ones pushing it forward. It's held in San Diego at the DoubleTree Mission Valley (7450 Hazard Center Drive), October 19–21, 2026. Registration and the full program are on the official conference site. This is a 21+ industry and academic event. If you take cannabis science seriously, San Diego in October is where the field gathers.