ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – We’re about a month away from legal recreational marijuana here in New Mexico and an event at the Albuquerque Convention Center wanted to get entrepreneurs ready for the launch. The Lucky Leaf Expo brought in more than 100 vendors and at least 50 speakers from the top cannabis brands to help get ready for the kick-off on April 1.

The expo featured a crash course for people looking to enter the industry, complete with panels on how to get a license, tax codes, marketing, and what products are designed to do. “Everybody is coming out and representing, you know, working together – networking – to bring products to the market and collabing together for wholesale products. You know, getting ready to go,” says John Fisher from CBD Pros and FCI Manufacturing Wholesale and Distribution.

The sale of legal marijuana is expected to bring in roughly $350 million in the first year of sales alone. Financial analysts believe the New Mexico cannabis industry could be worth a billion dollars by 2026.