The Ohio Classic — Driving the Cannabis Community Forward
The Ohio Classic, part of the popular strain of gatherings known as “The Classic Events,” isn’t just another full-swing networking event—it’s the full-spectrum culmination of resilience, connection, and determination. The Ohio Classic began as a golf event but quickly grew deep roots in the cannabis community. Now it’s a national series hosted at premier venues across the country — gathering purpose-driven brands, highlighting meaningful stories, and creating a space for real, lasting collaboration.
Let’s take a look at why this event is important to our industry, explore its origins, and discover who founded the Ohio-based gathering of industry professionals and enthusiasts.
James “Bo” Keyes
More than two decades ago, James “Bo” Keyes began his relationship with cannabis. In those days, Bo was in the midst of earning his MBA and launching BudBasics, an early cannabis tech venture designed to bring order and direction to an industry that was just finding its feet. As the industry blossomed, Bo’s personal journey took an unexpected turn.
After welcoming his fourth daughter into the world, Bo’s life quickly shifted due to a challenging change of events. What began as persistent vertigo soon revealed itself as something far more serious—a rare brain tumor known as a hemangioblastoma growing on his cerebellum.
The diagnosis was life-altering. What followed were multiple surgeries followed by a grueling recovery. During all this, cannabis transformed from a business venture contributing to the cannabis community into a personal and medical lifeline.
By supplementing his medicinal regimen with cannabis, Bo managed to drastically reduce the overwhelming load of pharmaceuticals—and in doing so, he found a new calling. He would go on to create a space where the cannabis community could converge not merely to exchange business cards, but also to build genuine relationships, exchange vital knowledge, and support each other through both challenges and triumphs. Thus, The Ohio Classic was born.
What Are The Classics?
The Classics are about building community in unforgettable places. “Every Classic event is built around one core idea: connection,” Bo shares. “When you connect people, you create momentum — for businesses, for healing, and for community.” In a time where cannabis is still disputed at the federal level, The Classics (especially and including The Ohio Classic) is exactly what the modern cannabis industry needs.
Teeing Up The Ohio Classic
The flagship event of The Classics is rooted in one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing cannabis markets, Ohio. The event is designed to blend an industry expo, educational sessions, and a competitive golf tournament with a deep-rooted philanthropic purpose: raising funds for brain tumor research. Amid gorgeous fairways and spirited competition, cultivators, dispensary owners, manufacturers, and fellow advocates will share stories, explore innovations, and demonstrate that every plant in the field of cannabis is grown on a foundation of hard-won experience and heartfelt passion.
The Ohio Classic isn’t just an event — it’s a movement. We’re building bridges across the cannabis community by creating spaces where meaningful conversations and real relationships can grow.” – James (Bo) Keyes, Founder of The Ohio Classic
Bo’s personal transformation—from supplier to medicinal patient, from industry insider to cause-driven advocate—fuels this event. James (Bo) Keyes statement, “Through trauma comes the urge to demand answers, and those answers are built by working together,” encapsulates the spirit of The Ohio Classic.
It is an invitation to reexamine the business of cannabis as not only a trade but also a transformative life journey.
From Mindful Event to Industry Emulsion
The Ohio Classic quickly grew into something deeper than 18 holes of golf. Now it’s a national series hosted at premier venues across the country — gatherings that advance purpose-driven cannabis brands, highlight meaningful stories, and create a space for real, lasting collaboration. Whether it’s a B2B roundtable, a medical panel, or a local brand showcase, each event carries the same spirit: bring people together to move the cannabis industry forward.
The Classics don’t just galvanize cannabis professionals and advocates in the state of Ohio. Other Classic events are being held later this year in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. All these events around the country build a connection between cannabis industry leaders looking to forward progress in the inherent benefits of cannabinoids and advocate for increased awareness.
Each Classic has its own vibe, but they all carry the same intention: create spaces where people can truly connect, build together, and celebrate this plant and this industry with heart.” – James (Bo) Keyes, Founder of The Ohio Classic
Supporting The Ohio Classic
You don’t have to live in Ohio or even attend The Ohio Classic to support its mission. Share the event on your social media channels, tell your friends and family, and share the story of how it was founded and what it stands for. Everything you do to spread the word helps. Cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, retail operations, medicinal patients, those partaking in adult-use, and the entire cannabis community are in this together to break down walls, dissipate taboo, and encourage botanical medicine and healing.
If you’re a fan of golf, cannabis, and connecting with the community, check out The Ohio Classic taking place this year at the NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, on July 13th, 2026. Come for the golf, engaged conversations, and the experience—but stay for the community, the cause, and the shared conviction that together, we’re more than just industry professionals and enthusiasts. We’re pioneers driven by a purpose.
