To Be Blunt

“It's time for legalization. We are normalizing the plant and things are moving. And people are learning about it and educating themselves. And that's what's most important.” -  David Paleschuck Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes David Paleschuck, author and Founder of PALESCHUCK LLC, to expound his insights about branding for the cannac...

“[Customers] have said CBD didn't work. For me, that's a lost customer, that's money down the toilet. That's a lost opportunity because either they didn't know how to best use your products, or they didn't know how to tailor their experience with the plant.” - Lauren Wilson Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Lauren Wilson,...

“The majority of people that qualify for social equity didn't qualify like myself. And one of these licenses, they didn't qualify because they were arrested for cannabis or their immediate family members have and they qualify based on where they live. Now, there's some truth to that, that neighborhoods have been targeted and people suffer because of that.” - Mike Malcolm Welcome bac...

“When we build this [position in the cannabis industry], we're building it for the future, you know, we're building it for the long haul, and we're taking a bold position on what we think the future will hold.” - Matthew Cohen Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Matthew Cohen, CEO of purejuana to talk about the journey to pioneering the s...

“Bear through obstacles. Everything is a speed bump, nothing is a brick wall. And I think if you have an optimistic attitude and you're not willing to take no for an answer, it's not about ‘it's never gonna happen’, it's ‘when is it going to happen?’.” - Ryan Crandall Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Ryan Crandall, co-founder of B...

“So whenever you just get the chance to, you know, kind of be a little creative, be scrappy, and take your own photos. I make my own content. I make content for my channels that we use. And that's definitely the route like marketing you can totally make happen.” - Elizabeth Udell Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Elizabeth Udell, Digital Marketin...

“This war on drugs is like really trying to turn lives upside down. It's like they're almost creating this criminal out of thin air... You're creating people to be criminals. And I didn't want to be a statistic. I just don't want to be another black man who goes to jail, comes back out, and goes back to jail again.” - Earl Carruthers Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast...

“People buy products from companies that believe what they believe. If you don't start off with a strong belief system, then it's really difficult to create an authentic brand. In this internet world where people see through everything and have access to everything, authenticity is really essential.” - Shawn Gold Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi wel...

“Everybody has sort of a different perspective on what's going on in the industry and where the industry's going from here. So we want to get as many different voices in the magazine and on the website as we can.” - Kathee Brewer   Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Kathee Brewer, award-winning journalist, and author, to discuss how large of...

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi chats with Geroge Jage on maximizing the benefits of trade shows for your unique goals and what makes a great CPG Brand.   [00:01 – 16:09] George’s Story, Getting Started in the Trade Show Space, and MJ Unpacked [16:10 – 33:42] MJ Unpacked’s Role in Bringing Brands to Market and The Benefits of Trade Shows [33:43 – 43:30] Elev...

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi chats with Justin Lipchitz about the nuances of the cannabis regulations, especially its interpretation, the predatory nature of cannabis consultants, THC and CBD technology, and so much more!   [00:01 – 14:29] Justin’s Background and Consulting is a 4-Letter Word in the Industry [14:30 – 26:09] Regulation in Oregon Today and...

“Go back to the basics, learn your history, learn the rules, so that you can break them properly.” - Etienne Fontan Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi talks with Etienne Fontan about the Cannabis industry’s rich history, BPG medical cannabis, using hemp fiber and hemp textiles, and so much more.    [00:01 – 15:14] Etienne Shares His Experience in Cannabis   [15...

In this episode of To Be Blunt, Shayda Torabi and Anita Sommers, aka the CBD Genie, get a little nerdy and get into the science of how cannabis functions with our bodies, and reacts to our biochemistries. Our convo crucial for anybody who is selling a cannabis product and communicating the value of cannabis to a consumer. [00:01 – 05:49] Anita Introduces Herself and Her Journey Into Cannabis [05:5...

In this episode of the To Be Blunt Podcast, Shayda Torabi and Craig Lyon discuss Craig’s expertise from Nike and brand building, understanding the psychosis of what makes someone want to buy something, and so much more. [00:01 – 10:09] Introducing Craig Lyon and Why He Landed at Connected Cannabis Co [10:10 – 25:59] What It Takes to Build a Brand of Luxury Weed [26:00 – 39:07] Pushing Every Part o...

On this episode of the To Be Blunt Podcast, Shayda Torabi and Anthony Dutcher discuss what’s it’s like to work through and around the unknowns of Cannabis in the medical industry, getting Physicians and Pharma to take Cannabis seriously and the value of moving, thought-provoking and high-quality content as an art form   [00:01 – 08:57] Introducing Anthony Dutcher and Diving into Veriheal [08:57 –...

On this episode of the To Be Blunt Podcast, Shayda Torabi welcomes Tyler Prough, the West Coast Sales Manager for Rokin, Inc, to talk about everything vape related from Nicotine or THC vapes, to legislative laws and regulations against vaping, to the Texas smokeable ban and more!  You don’t want to miss this episode! It’s packed with juuls and golden nuggets.  [00:01 – 09:44] Introducing Tyler Pro...

On this episode of the To Be Blunt Podcast, Shayda Torabi has on Blair Markell, the Head of Strategy for Cann, one of the best-selling cannabis beverages in the country, to talk all about the cannabis beverage space, D2C channels and navigating delivery, and how social tonics are changing the landscape of cannabis beverages.   There is so much attention, excitement, and consumption for cannabis ca...

The truth ain’t pretty. Today, Brett Puffenbarger, and I are bringing the truth, in all its ugliness. Brett tolerates no b******t, he speaks his mind, he challenges opinions, and he knows Cannabis. We talked about a ton of stuff that's going to blow your mind regarding MSO’s, federal legalization, and how it might not be a good thing for small business owners like myself and cryptocurrency.  ...

There are over 160 different cannabinoids, multiple ways to consume CBD and various factors that contribute to the benefits, effectiveness, and experience of the Cannabis products you consume. That’s why Leaf411.org , a nurse-staffed, free cannabis hotline for anyone in America to reach out, gets me so excited. On this episode, with my guest, nurse and CEO of Leaf411.org , Katherine Golden, we dis...

Jonathan Schwartz is the Sales Executive Rep for Boveda. In this episode Jonathan walks us through Boveda's journey and we talk all about terpenes and get a good understanding about how as the industry evolves we will evolve by creating products that help support and create longevity for our cannabis consumption.    [00:01 – 05:34] Delta-8 and Other Cannabinoids Are Threatened To Be Banned   ...

Matthew Herrold is the Director of Marketing for Good Feels, a health and wellness cannabis brand, and the Founder of Headstash Marketing. In this episode we discuss the cannabis landscape in Massachusetts, what it’s been like building and operating cannabis brands, As well as branding; how to create Sentiment, and how to attract and build a loyal customer base.  [00:01 – 15:40] Matthew Herrold Sh...

Greg Autry, a Texas hill country native, has been cultivating cannabis since 1996. Since 2001 he has been building and managing commercial indoor grow from 400 plants up to his most recent largest facility of 20000 square feet in Desert Hot Springs which totaled 8000 plants and several thousand cuttings and mothers. [00:01 – 13:33] Greg Autry’s Background and Sweet Sensi       [13:34 – 30:58] The...

You can’t spell cannabis without the BS. That’s just a part of it.   Kristen Yoder, featured in Vanity Fair, Forbes, USA Today and named one of Marijuana Venture Magazine's “40 Under 40 Rising Stars of Cannabis”, is a 15 year Los Angeles industry veteran, strategic advisor, and radio and podcast personality who has managed successful businesses in every sector of the cannabis industry.  In th...

Alexis Mora is the head of marketing at Harborside Group . Harborside Group was one of the first operating dispensaries in the state of California. They have since grown to be a leader in cannabis in California and beyond, evolving their business model to be vertically integrated.   In this episode, Alexis and I will be discussing vertical integration; What it takes to be a vertically integrated b...

Robbie Wroblewski currently manages company branding, marketing, and community involvement for Seed & Smith Cannabis. Focused on humanizing cannabis, Robbie has made it his mission to empower consumers with knowledge.   [00:01 – 06:00] Guest Introduction and Events Coming Up on 4/20   [06:01 – 11:43] Robbie’s Background & The Brand That Seed & Smith Has Built   [11:44 – 25:52] Educatin...