Company Culture in the Cannabis Industry

Learn more about how company culture within the cannabis industry looks with Cassandra Michaud of Elev8 Cannabis. Cassandra is a marketing professional who has worked in various retail management positions, strategizing business development and sales training to drive record-breaking revenue margins. Since then, she briefly managed Elev8 Cannabis’s Oregon store, before becoming Elev8’s Operational manager; coaching store managers across all locations, while learning about the cannabis industry and the unique and varied needs of cannabis businesses.

As COO, Cassandra offers first-hand experience in each role we offer at Elev8. We discuss Cassandra’s role and some of the values she’s instilling within the company culture, and how company culture within the cannabis industry looks a little different than other industries. Back in the earlier days of cannabis companies, we heard a lot of stories about start-ups hiring friends and family rather than going through formal recruiting and hiring practices. Maybe sometimes that worked out just fine, but in other cases, it caused some issues down the road, so hiring is a huge component of the success of a cannabis company.

Medical Cannabis Access and Insurance with Anne M. Davis, Esq.

Tune in to learn more about Medical Cannabis Access and Insurance with Anne M. Davis, Esq. of Bennabis Health. Anne has been practicing law for 20 years. For the past 12 years, she has been recognized as one of the state’s leading experts in marijuana law and policy. In that role, Davis has presented workshops and seminars nationally about marijuana law reform. Since her diagnosis with MS, she has dedicated her skills and experience to create programs and expand access for medical marijuana patients. As part of that mission, she is a Patient Advocate for Bennabis Health, the first health care company in the nation covering medical marijuana. As a community leader, Anne serves as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) working with foster children; she teaches CCD at her local church and has served as a Girl Scout leader for 11 years. Anne was recognized as a “Woman of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts at their annual Gala in 2020. Working with children, keeping them safe, and giving them the best opportunities possible are some of her top priorities. We review a bit more about her background in cannabis and her personal story.

Anne published a blog with us recently about her journey with MS. Although federal legalization isn’t quite here yet, there are many cannabis patients all across the country whether in medical-only states or full-on adult use. They are replacing certain pharmaceuticals with cannabis products for their well-being. Unfortunately, health insurance isn’t quite there yet. We discuss the progress being made on that from, and how cannabis patients are getting their needs met as a benefit, especially when it is needed for medical reasons and it can become very expensive without insurance.

Dr. Bridget Williams | Green Harvest Health

Each week Khadijah Adams hosts cannabis industry operators, advocates, and allies to discuss issues related to social equity and highlight their experiences, challenges and success stories as people of color in the cannabis industry. This episode, Khadijah is joined by Owner of Green Harvest Health and Green Harvest Health CBD Dr. Bridget Williams, and runs a non-profit called Cannabis Can Ohio and co-hosts Alexis Olive and Margeaux Bruner.

Dr. Bridget Williams is the owner of Green Harvest Health, a medical cannabis clinic located in Pickerington, OH. Green Harvest Health is the only medical cannabis clinic in Ohio with life and wellness coaching incorporated into the practice. Dr. Williams brings nearly 20 years of experience in family and occupational medicine from Cleveland Clinic and training in life and cannabis coaching to her practice. Her practice provides comprehensive and affordable care for the metropolitan Columbus area as well as satellite offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Cannabis Big Data with Henry Finkelstein

Cannabis Big Data with CEO & Founder Henry Finkelstein today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry’s Voice. Henry empowers colleagues and clients by spinning data into gold with intuitive, actionable insights. After working in e-commerce, consulting, healthcare, and government contracting, Henry saw the opportunity to create a modern-day data toolkit for cannabis businesses that connect the data dots with one-click reports & dashboards that help companies earn more and stress less.

We all know the cannabis industry operates in “dog years,” so one year is like 7 years in any other industry, so a lot can happen in just a few years. We talk more about DATA and what we do with it. Data looks great on paper in a fancy report with charts and graphs, but it can be a lot of math. We dive into how do we get over that mental block that keeps us from making the most of using our data in a meaningful way to grow our businesses.

Kevin Greene | Cleveland School of Cannabis

Join NCIA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee Chair Khadijah Adams, and her rotating cast of co-hosts, each week for an update on the policies, practices, and some of the chatter effecting minority ownership and executive leadership in the growing cannabis industry. Laws & regulations need to be designed and implemented with equity and fairness in mind. The NCIA’s DEIC is focused on recommendations that will create access to opportunity for those most adversely affected by cannabis prohibition. Khadijah is joined this week by her co-host Alexis Olive, of OliveYou Media, and guest Kevin Greene, Vice President of the Cleveland School of Cannabis.

The mission of the Cleveland School of Cannabis is to foster adult learning through high-quality, residential and online education that integrates personal development along with career-oriented skills and knowledge related to cannabis, science, and business, to prepare graduates for entry-level employment in the industry.

#BlackLivesMatter

#StopAsianHate

#CannabisIsEssential

Ever-Changing Cannabis Laws with Michael Williamson

Learn more about ever-changing cannabis laws with Michael Williamson of Pipp Horticulture.

Michael currently serves as Director of Cultivation for Pipp Horticulture and Chief Operating Officer for Catalyst BC is a legacy licensed cannabis operator and pioneer in vertical farming. Michael relocated to Denver, Colorado in 2009 and co-founded and operated Kind Love; an award-winning and vertically integrated medical cannabis company. Then in 2013, co-founded Greenhaus Industries which was then acquired by Pipp Horticulture in 2018.

Michael has been in the cannabis game for quite a while compared to many others. 2009 was like a million years ago, back when Colorado and California were many different landscapes, medical-focused, caregiver laws, and then it evolved into vertically integrated adult-use companies, and so on. So we dive into what he’s seen on how the structure of these laws and how they’re changing over the years. Requirements over the years have evolved, and technology and methods have evolved and become more sophisticated. So we’ve gone from busting out of our greenhouses to multiple tiers of plants growing in larger buildings. We talk about how that is impacting the landscape of our industry and much more.

Raising Capital For A Cannabis Business

Tune in to this episode to learn more about raising capital for a cannabis business with Cliff Whatmore and Sumit Mehta from NCIA’s Banking and Financial Services Committee.

Sumit is a cannabis strategist, an internationally recognized speaker, and the author of the MAZAKALI GreenPaper, an authoritative voice on deep industry trends in its sixth year of publication with over 70,000 readers. In addition to his role at MAZAKALI, Sumit serves on several cannabis company boards and is the Chair of the NCIA’s Banking and Financial Services committee.

Cliff Whatmore is the President of MAB Investments, AND Evolv Capital Partners Where he applies the rules of Behavioral Finance and Economics to develop novel investment strategies, and Wealth Governance Solutions. Cliff started early-stage investing in biotechs, and CPG companies; before focusing on the cannabis space in 2014. He has submitted studies on Private companies’ valuations using Behavioral pricing models. He has several successful exits over $500,000,000.00 and taken companies to the public markets. He has a strong background in food science including launching a Nutraceutical MATCHA +, a sports beverage, and is a member of the Institute of Food Technology and the Research Chefs Association.

Both are Members of NCIA’s Banking and Financial Services Committee. So being on the Banking and Finance Committee, their group is taking on various issues ranging from raising capital for your business to the SAFE Banking Act at the federal level. We start with the topic of raising capital for a cannabis business, which is still federally illegal. We walk everyone through the process here starting from having the brilliant idea while brushing your teeth to having a full-fledged business, essentially how we get from A to Z.

Debbi Spranza – Rocky Mountain Cannabis Consulting

Khadijah is joined this week by her co-host Mike Lomuto – NCIA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Manager – and Debbi Spranza. Debbi Spranza, CPLP runs a boutique instructional design and development consulting firm. Instructional Design Solutions . She specializes in delivering services traditionally performed by in-house training departments and larger consulting firms. Debbi partners with clients to deliver performance and learning solutions that integrate, support and complement the client’s existing culture, business goals and curriculum.

#BlackLivesMatter

#StopAsianHate

#CannabisIsEssential

The Nomenclature Project With Jacob Enslein and Paul Coble

Learn more about NCIA’s Cannabis Manufacturing Committee’s nomenclature project with Jacob Enslein from AJ Cannabis Consulting, and Paul Coble at Thalo Technologies. We dive into their subcommittee, Cannabis Nomenclature, and talk about the purpose of the subcommittee. We have seen tons of value in having shared language in our industry. So we talk about the difference between terminology, jargon, and nomenclature — many of us know the basics like cannabinoid or terpene, but there’s a lot more, so we get into the purpose and expected outcome of the nomenclature project.

Jacob Enslein is a knowledgeable occupational safety and compliance expert with real-world experience in cannabis manufacturing. He graduated from Pitzer College with a mathematics degree in 2016 and has seven years of experience in cannabis manufacturing. In 2013, Jacob co-started and ran a prop 215 extraction company and designed and operated closed-loop extraction systems, and helped develop processes for distillation. Consulting since 2013, Jacob co-started AJ Cannabis Consulting LLC in 2019 and has been designing and commissioning hydrocarbon and ethanol cannabis extraction facilities around the country. Jacob is currently NCIA’s cannabis manufacturing committee organizer.

Paul Coble is an intellectual property attorney and cannabis software executive with a deep background in science and technology. He is a registered patent attorney and has litigated complex intellectual property cases across the country. After a decade of practicing law, Paul decided to enter the cannabis industry and launched a startup, Thalo Technologies, to develop software to help cannabis and hemp manufacturers better capture and interpret their lab data to make more profitable decisions. He is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Cannabis Manufacturing Committee and sitting by designation on the Policy Council.

Future-Proofing Hiring In The Cannabis Industry

Learn more about Future-Proofing Hiring In The Cannabis Industry with Kathy Knutson, Ph.D. and Dr. Kathryn Birmingham.

Kathy Knutson is an Independent Contractor with ImEPIK – who sits on NCIA’s Education Committee for a second term. Dr. Knutson consults internationally with food, dietary supplement, and cannabis manufacturers on recall investigations, problem-solving, training, and Food and Drug Administration compliance. She conducts hazard analysis, risk assessments, and recall investigations for the root cause and control of pathogens, specializing in the development of Environmental Monitoring Programs for ready-to-eat foods.

Dr. Kathryn Birmingham, COO of ImEPIK Dr. Birmingham ensures product and service standards for research-based interactive online training. She leads teams that research and design training solutions while tracking impact. She is a former University of Florida professor and Dean of Arts & Sciences for Florida State College with experience overseeing a Biotechnology Degree Program with food testing analytical lab and is certified as a Lead Instructor for the FDA regulated standard curriculum for the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.

We talk about how our industry’s workforce is evolving and maturing and particularly during this COVID-19 pandemic when our industry was deemed an “essential business” in most places dispensaries and manufacturing facilities and grows stayed open but how we’re doing business has changed because of social distancing… including hiring new employees and how to onboard and train them.

We saw an increase in online everything including interviews and training went online as well. One thing I see within our industry, thankfully, and smartly, is to not only prepare for what the bare minimum requirements are in our industry but actually to be forward-thinking and proactive and future-proofing their companies by going above and beyond. We dive into their thoughts on that subject and much more on Future-Proofing The Cannabis Industry with Kathy Knutson, Ph.D., and Dr. Kathryn Birmingham today on NCIA Cannabis Industry Voice.

The Cannabis Business with Author Charlie Alovisetti

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the Cannabis Business with Author Charlie Alovisetti today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice. Charlie is a partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm’s Corporate Department. He is recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top cannabis lawyers in the United States and is the co-author of The Cannabis Business: Understanding Law, Finance, and Governance in America’s Newest Industry (Routledge, 2020).

Prior to joining VS, Charlie worked as an associate in the New York offices of Latham & Watkins and Goodwin, where he represented public companies and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a range of corporate transactions. For companies trying to raise money for their businesses, either startup or bigger expansions, with this federal confusion, we talk about how that impacts the process of raising money in a technically illegal industry. We dive into if there is risk in putting yourself out there that you’re in this industry trying to raise money.

So while we say “states are legalizing” but depending on how that law is written, it might be full-on adult-use like we enjoy in Colorado or California, or medical-only like Florida, and then there’s the unique case of Oklahoma. Maybe just decriminalizing for consumption but not allowing an actual industry, which is confusing. So we talk about how can we start to make sense when legalizing state by state is NOT a cookie-cutter process. As the largely illicit cannabis market transitions to the legal, regulated industry, the “canna-curious” and experienced industry participants alike are experiencing the harsh truth: Making a fortune in the legal cannabis industry is a challenge made even more difficult by a complex patchwork of state and federal laws.

The Cannabis Business clears the confusion around topics such as the distinction between hemp and cannabis and why it matters for consumers and regulators, why CBD isn’t completely legal in the U.S., why and how states differ in their licensing processes, and how to deal with structuring is impacted by state regulations. Written by attorneys from the nation’s leading cannabis law and policy firm, this comprehensive primer on all things cannabis law is a must-have for anyone seeking to understand the major practical legal issues facing the cannabis industry in the U.S.

Compliance In Cannabis With Frank Nisenboum

Learn more about Compliance In Cannabis With Frank Nisenboum, Vice President of ERP Sales/c2b teknologies. Frank is a trusted advisor at c2b technologies who has guided organizations of all sizes enabling them to establish a technology presence and expand their business through technology. His proven ability to analyze the current and future plans of a company and work with team members to subsequently bring technology solutions to the organization result in improved processes and controls that assure continued growth and profitability. Frank has worked in the ERP and CRM software selection, sales, and consulting industry for almost 25 years.

We start by talking about compliance. It’s on our minds in this industry constantly. We’ve seen some common mistakes or infractions that are made on the compliance front, creating some patterns that our industry should take notice of and address. We talk about these common compliance infractions we’re seeing in our industry lately. Having touched on compliance here, which is our industry’s mantra, there’s a lot of documentation involved in staying compliant. Everything from the seed to sale reporting like tracking the plants themselves and even the waste material, to financial reporting of sales for METRC, as well as 280E compliance, good grief. So we dive into managing all that and how to keep it all together.

The Vaping Crisis with Ramon Alarcon and Arnaud Dumas de Rauly

Listen to this episode to learn more about the vaping crisis with Ramon Alarcon and Arnaud Dumas de Rauly on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice.

Arnaud is currently Co-Founder and CEO of The Blinc Group. He is a thought leader in the science, technology, and supply chain of vaping products. Arnaud also serves as Chairman of the ISO (International) Standards Committee on Vaping Products & Chairman of the European Standards Committee on Vapor Products.

Ramon has a career in innovation. As head of engineering and design, he took blu (the e-cig market-maker) through 2 acquisitions and built its portfolio of 80+ patents. He’s also worked in VR at NASA, a patented surgical simulator startup, vehicle tech at Ford, and has degrees in engineering from Stanford.

The Cannabis Manufacturing Committee recently hosted a webinar about future-proofing their business. We chat with them both further about this for listeners who didn’t catch the webinar. Within the Cannabis Manufacturing Committee, which covers both edibles and extractions, for example, there’s certainly a lot to discuss. Vaping products are very popular for a lot of reasons. They’re discreet, and they don’t smell like flower. NCIA published a white paper back in late 2019 about the vaping crisis. So we dive into the big picture concerns that we discovered along the way about vaping and what the big deal is there.

Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry – Part 3

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry Part 3 with Debra Borchardt and Gaynell Rogers. Today we’re going to talk about an important new policy report called Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry. The newly released gender parity report is a partnership effort between NCIA and The Arcview Group, working with a group of amazing individuals across various companies and organizations, who will we will get to know and speak with across a series of about three or so podcasts as we unpack the various sections of this collection of research on gender parity.

Debra Borchardt is the Co-founder and CEO of the cannabis financial news website Green Market Report. Her career as a financial journalist included serving as senior producer and reporter at TheStreet.com. Debra is also a Co-Founder of the women’s cannabis executives networking group, Industry Power Women, and serves on the board of the cannabis newswire, Axiswire.

Gaynell Rogers is Treehouse Global Ventures Founder and Managing Partner. She has been named Influencer of the Year 2018 by Industry Power Women, and the Top 100 Women of Weed by The Green Market Report. She has enjoyed a storied career in media relations & mass communications, in music & film- and now in the cannabis industry for the past 11 years.

Legal Exposure For Cannabis Businesses Post Federal Legalization

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Legal Exposure For Cannabis Businesses Post Federal legalization with Rocco Petrilli and Tamala McBath. Tamala is the Executive Director of the NCRMA, National Cannabis Risk Management Association as the Chief Execution Officer, and Rocco Petrilli, Chairman of the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) Both are members of NCIA’s Risk Management and Insurance Committee.

Now that we are past the inauguration of the Biden-Harris Administration, and we have a friendlier Congress ahead of us, the idea of federal legalization seems even closer, within reach. With legalization around the corner, we talk about their thoughts on the potential legal ramifications to the industry. Currently, companies operate at the state level, and can’t just cross state lines and open another business. It’s an entirely different licensing process in each state, and there are certainly differences. With the prospect of an “umbrella legalization” in America, that could change the legal landscape in how businesses operate. We all discuss if businesses have more or less legal exposure post-legalization. That and much more on federal legalization: How Close Are We? with RMIC, Rocco Petrilli, and Tamala McBath today on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Voice.

Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry – Part 2

Tune in to this episode of Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry – Part 2 with Elise Serbaroli, Debra Borchardt, and Christine De La Rosa. Today we’re going to talk about an important new white paper series called Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry: Creating Gender Parity through Ownership, Leadership, Boards, Pay Equality, Branding, and Capital, but first, let’s talk more about our guests.

Elise Serbaroli leads Global Business Development at Strimo – she brings global experience in software and multinational food operations to the cannabis space. Elise is a member of the NCIA’s State Regulatory Committee, focused on Technology, Compliance, Regulatory Forces, and Informing Local Governments.

Debra Borchardt is the Co-founder and CEO of the cannabis financial news website Green Market Report. She left Wall Street to earn her Master’s Degree in Business and Economic Reporting from New York University, and embarked on a career as a financial journalist, including as a senior producer and reporter at TheStreet.com. Debra is also a Co-Founder of the women’s cannabis executives networking group, Industry Power Women and serves on the board of the cannabis newswire, Axiswire.

Christine De La Rosa is the co-founder and CEO of The People’s Dispensary, and spent 20 years as a system and database architect in tech before coming to cannabis. Christine has her own story and experiences of cannabis as a life-saving wellness medicine, which inspired her to open Benefit Health Collective in 2016, along with her co-founders, to help those who most need access to cannabis. Christine is on NCIA’s DEIC Committee.

Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry – Part 1

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry Part 1 with Elise Serbaroli, Kelly Perez, and Christine De La Rosa. Today we’re going to talk about an important new white paper series called Building New Foundations in the Cannabis Industry: Creating Gender Parity through Ownership, Leadership, Boards, Pay Equality, Branding, and Capital, with some of the co-authors.

Kelly Perez is the President and co-founder of Cannabis Doing Good, the co-Executive Director of the Cannabis Impact Fund, and the CEO/co-founder of KIND Colorado. Kelly was the Human Services Policy Adviser to Colorado Governor, now U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, and led the creation of the Office of Marijuana Coordination in the first legal, adult-use, cannabis market in the world. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social work.

Kelly Perez and Courtney Mathis – Cannabis Doing Good

Cannabis Doing Good is a platform to create opportunities for cannabis and communities to collaborate, to inspire new ways of people, planet, and business engagement, and to showcase companies doing good. Cannabis Doing Good aims to create a purpose-driven cannabis network, showcase companies doing good, and set the standard for social responsibility in the cannabis sector. Courtney Mathis is the CEO and co-founder of Cannabis Doing Good and Kelly Perez is President/co-founder.

Ngaio Bealum

Ngaio Bealum is an American comedian, musician, writer, actor, activist, juggler and publisher. He co-hosted Cannabis Planet and published West Coast Cannabis Magazine. Bealum hosted his own podcast on Cannabis Radio, which was formatted as a travelogue of cannabis events with a discussion on cannabis topics and trends. He writes a column in Sacramento News & Review, answering questions from readers about marijuana and its politics, and currently hosts on cannabis education and trivia app Daily Bonfire. He was also the host of Neflix’s first cannabis show, Cooking on High. Ngaio was born in San Francisco to hippie parents, leading to jokes about how he got his name. As an entertainer and activist, Bealum is often a guest speaker on television and cultural commentary podcasts, notably on topics concerning the cannabis industry. He regularly hosts High Times events, and participates in the annual International Cannabis Business Conference. His debut comedy album “Weed and Sex” was released in 2012. Bealum was also a member of the award winning hip hop band Most Chill Slackmob (vocals, percussion), and 1994 People’s Choice Award winner of the International Jugglers Association Fest. Bealum has a line of cannabis “pre-rolls” through Mothership Farms, where he showcases interesting Cannabis strains through his close relationship with growers. The first release was Tahoe Nebula. He also has a featured strain through Natural Cannabis’ “High Life Celebrities” line.

Post-COVID In Cannabis

Tune in to learn more about life post-COVID in cannabis with Kim Stuck of Allay Consulting. Kim Stuck is the founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, a compliance strategy, and services provider serving the hemp and cannabis industries nationwide. Previously, Kim held a pioneering role as the nation’s first cannabis and hemp specialist for a major metropolitan public health authority. During her tenure with the City of Denver, home to hundreds of cannabis businesses, she worked as an investigator covering cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. Allay Consulting serves the hemp and cannabis industries to ensure regulatory compliance across all operations to develop customized strategies and avoid compliance pitfalls.

We talk about some lessons learned in her realm from going through COVID-19 and all its uncertainty for almost a year of navigating and pivoting and being quick on your feet for clients. We discuss what kinds of changes and adjustments and challenges Kim has seen and experienced throughout all this and what she is doing. We also look to a world post-COVID where there is somewhat less of a global emergency and look to the future and maybe pick up where we left off before the world got thrown into complete uncertainty and many things put to a halt. We talk about where are we going once we “reopen the gates.”

Susan Hwang – Best Dispensary

With a background in biochemistry and microbiology, as well as being the founder, CEO, and market leader for several cannabis companies, Susan Hwang has a solid understanding of the positive impact cannabis can have on the human body. Propelled by the desire to provide people the positive benefits of cannabis without having to compromise mental clarity, Susan founded DailyDose—a luxury online and retail store that focuses on premium, CBD products. When Susan isn’t working at DailyDose or as the CEO and Class A member of Jamestown Center, Inc., founder and CEO of cannabis consulting firm SH Management Services, LLC, and CEO of Susu Holdings, LLC, Susan is heavily involved in philanthropic endeavors. She actively supports causes committed to gender and racial equality, volunteering for Girls who Inspire, Volunteer and Empower (G.I.V.E), and is an advocate for One Community, which supports LGBTQ rights. Within the cannabis community, Susan serves as Market Leader for Women Grow Phoenix and Women Grow Los Angeles, one of the largest national networks for cannabis entrepreneurs. To learn more about Best Dispensary visit https://bestdispensary.com/

Cannabis In The Media

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Cannabis In The Media with Jimmy Young of Pro Cannabis Media. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, and a 1979 graduate of Tufts University, Jimmy Young has over 40 years of experience in commercial television and radio. A former Emmy Award-winning Talk Show host for his sports talk show for kids on NECN in the 90’s, he is one of the rare professionals in that industry who has had success in front of the camera, in production, and in sales management. The founder of Pro Cannabis Media is the current host of In The Weeds with JimmyYoung. Pro Cannabis Media is dedicated to telling the true stories of the emerging cannabis economy and culture through the real voices of those leading the change.

Founded by Emmy Award-winning producer, veteran New England sports journalist, and medical cardholder since 2013, Jimmy Young, PCM produces and distributes cannabis-themed podcasts, videocasts, live streams, and branded content from a diverse array of talented journalists and storytellers, anchored by its industry news and trend reporting, featuring In The Weeds with Jimmy Young, News Dabs, and The Canna Mom Show.

As a news and media person, Jimmy has seen all the cannabis news over the years and it’s exciting to see how the news coverage has become more mainstream and normalized and we’re not seeing as many “stoner jokes” in the media. We dive into his thoughts about the messaging around cannabis in the mainstream and how it’s changed over the years. Also, we talk about how our industry talks about itself in the media.

Andrew Farrior – Digital Venture Partners

Andrew Farrior is the Managing Partner at Digital Venture Partners. He has over 10 years of Marketing, Communications, and Project Management experience. Digital Venture Partners was founded as one of the only minority-owned portfolio companies in the United States and is focused on the intersection of mainstream culture and cannabis. By collaborating with brands and platforms, they create quality cannabis content and branding that raises cannabis awareness in the minds of mainstream audiences from every background. Digital Venture Partners has been featured in Fortune Magazine, The Associated Press, Playboy, REVOLT, Cannabis Business Times, BET and more. To Learn More about Digital Venture Partners visit https://www.digitalventure.partners/

Taxes And Cannabis with Jacques Santucci

Tune in to this episode to learn more about taxes and cannabis with Jacques Santucci of Nucleus One.

Jacques is the President of Nucleus One Consulting, which provides business management consulting specializing in the cannabis industry. Working as a cannabis entrepreneur for over 10 years, Jacques founded the firm on the premise of sharing his experience and proven best practices, helping cannabis businesses succeed at the intersection of finance, operations, and strategy. His focus is on setting up corporate strategy and structure, operations and administration of the business, designing and overseeing construction of facilities and systems as well as creating strong relationships with financing partners and major vendors, with a cross-functional approach to innovation and performance. As the industry is evolving, he has spearheaded cannabis companies in several states including Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Hawaii amongst others. He is a sought-after speaker on the topics of the impact of 280E, the primary business management basics for the recreational market, and the evolution of the New England market.

We start by diving into some of the challenges you might not expect to face when you’re designing or updating your cannabis facility, that would be… taxes. We haven’t talked about 280E in awhile here on the show because the SAFE Banking Act has been stealing the show, but we circle back on this tax provision that is still very much impacting our industry even in the facilities design stage of the process. Since Jacques is working across various states, and each state has its own licensing process, some are medical only, some are adult-use only, some are both. We talk about and compare some of those differences from state to state from Jacques’s perspective

Yoko Miyashita – Leafly

Yoko Miyashita is the CEO of Leafly, the world’s definitive cannabis information resource and a marketplace to connect consumers with cannabis retailers and brands. Miyashita joined Leafly in 2019 as General Counsel, where she led Leafly’s position and policies on key compliance and government affairs issues to maintain and progress the company’s reputation as a trusted and authoritative cannabis resource. Prior to Leafly, Miyashita served as General Counsel at Getty Images. Download the Leafly app on your phone and visit www.leafly.com to learn more.

Extraction Solutions And Trends

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Precision Extraction Solutions with founder, Nick Tennant. Precision Extraction Solutions is a group of passionate and innovative cannabis enthusiasts dedicated to preserving the legacy of one of the world’s most relevant extraction equipment and technology companies.

Nick Tennant is the Founder and CTO of Precision Extraction Solutions, the global leader in cannabis extraction equipment, technology, site planning, compliance, and training. Tennant is a cannabis entrepreneur with almost two decades of experience developing and operating companies in the cannabis industry. Tennant’s work in the industry has been featured in hundreds of publications. His expertise is in cannabis and hemp extraction, code regulation, lab design, extract product and process development, and extraction equipment engineering.

We talk about extraction as a method of consuming cannabis versus smoking flowers out of a glass bowl or pipe or a rolled joint or even baked into edibles. Extraction is relatively new in the grand scheme of cannabis consumption in the last ten years or less. So with this, we dive into why this product is valuable and trending for consumers and how it looks for the producers of extraction products as well and much more.

The Marketing Technology of Cannabis

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the marketing technology for cannabis with John Shearman, Vice President of Marketing and Cannabis Business Lead at Applied DNA Sciences.

John has over 30 years of deep enterprise and advertising agency experience across all marketing, sales, and IT disciplines. John’s experience allows him to advise on structuring sound strategies that address business goals and objectives. His extensive technology background stems from working with several leading technology companies throughout his career.

John spearheads the Applied DNA Sciences cannabis vertical leading the vision, strategy, and product development for this emerging market. John also oversees the marketing for the entire company driving the marketing strategy for its other core verticals.

During these times, and always, customer safety/consumer safety is crucial, and protects the consumer as well as the company or brand producing the product. We talk more about how important it is to know where your product is coming from, if it is authentic from a licensed producer, or if it is from the unregulated illicit market. That brings us to the amazing technology and innovation in our industry we’ve seen over the last few years, and how we miss walking the expo halls to see all the cool exhibitor booths out there. We don’t think the mainstream public knows that there’s more to it than growing the plant and rolling the joint so we talk about how technological innovation has crossed into the cannabis industry and more.

Alphonso “Tucky” Blunt – Blunts + Moore

A child of Yahweh, Husband, Father, Hard Worker, Hustla, Alphonso “Tucky” Blunt Jr., is a true testament to walking your path. The Owner of both Blunts + Moore dispensary, and Proud Papas clothing is a fifth generation Oakland native, that has opened the first dispensary under the City of Oakland’s Equity Program. While growing up in Oakland, California during the war on drugs era, he managed to stay out of trouble and maintain a 4.0 gpa and a full time job while in high school. He was also using and selling cannabis. Cannabis sales to him was another form of employment. In 1999 while on an errand with his grandmother, she had him go to a dispensary, from that day forward his mission was to own one for himself, so he could sale cannabis legally. He worked at and was a vendor for multiple bay area dispensaries from 1999-2004. In 2003 he attempted to become an owner of a dispensary, and was told blacks would never own in this business. In 2004 he was arrested for possession with the intent to sale, and given 10 years of felony probation with a 4 way search clause. Still determined to learn more on the legal side, he attended and graduated from Oaksterdam University in 2008. In true path formation, had he not been arrested, he would not have qualified for the Equity program… Now as the 1st person to open a dispensary under Oakland’s Equity program, he is finally continuing on that path of ownership. His goals and values are still spiritual and family driven. He is looking to change the face of the cannabis industry, one location at a time. Blunts + Moore opened its doors on November 24th, 2018 to a huge crowd, great food, and lifted spirits. A native born son, selling cannabis legally in Oakland!

Kim Napoli, Esq – Parallel

Kim Napoli, Esq is the Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Affairs at Parallel, one of the largest privately-held multi-state cannabis operators in the U.S. Kim served as the Director of Outreach for the successful Yes on 4 Campaign to Regulate and Tax Marijuana in Massachusetts in 2016. Now, as a Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory Board member, Kim helps develop and deliver messaging regarding social justice and equality in the Massachusetts cannabis industry in order to support and bolster equity in ownership amongst disparately impacted communities such as her own. To learn more about Parallel visit https://www.liveparallel.com/

#10YearsofNCIA with Ryan Douglas And Nina Simosko

Tune in to this look-back episode as we wrap up the year 2020 and reflect on #10YearsofNCIA.

Ryan Douglas And Nina Simosko Join us today to help celebrate 10 years of NCIA.

The Hurdles For A Cannabis Startup with Ryan Douglas of Ryan Douglas Cultivation. As Master Grower from 2013 to 2016, he directed cultivation for Tweed Inc., Canada’s largest licensed producer of medical cannabis and the flagship subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation. As one of the company’s first employees, he helped drive the organization’s early success by designing the production facility, selecting the genetics, and hiring and training staff to produce 70,000 plants and process 6 tons of dry cannabis annually. His work at Tweed has been featured in Vice, New York Times, Bloomberg News, and on National Public Radio. The cannabis industry in its current form is relatively new and fresh and still quite entrepreneurial. A lot of “start-ups” being formed and launched, especially with every year, new states legalizing medical or adult-use cannabis. There’s a lot of people listening to this show right now who might be launching cannabis businesses in their states soon. We discuss what advice Ryan has as someone who has worked directly with start-ups in the cannabis space. Also, some common challenges or hurdles that start-up operators might not think about.

The Future Of Cannabis As An Essential Business with Nina Simosko. Nina serves as Chief Revenue Officer for Akerna, a global regulatory compliance technology company in the cannabis space. Akerna’s companies and investments also include MJ Freeway, Ample Organics, Last Call Analytics, Leaf Data Systems, solo sciences, and ZolTrain. Nina brings more than 20 years of technology industry experience to her role. We talk about current events, and the good news during all this is that cannabis businesses have been deemed “essential”. But there are some differences in how we’re operating. There’s delivery and curbside pickup etc so we walk through that customer-to-sale process now and how it’s different. Looking even further into the future here, we ask if she is anticipating any further changes than what we’ve already seen. As well as How will dispensaries reach their customers and what will be new and different in how we’re operating in this new normal. Nina is extremely well suited to her current role with Akerna. She oversees all of the company’s revenue generation streams, builds strategies to drive revenue growth, and plays a pivotal role in aligning revenue generation processes across the entire organization.