Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis

In the Season 3 finale of Joint Session, host Herb Barbot welcomes back Rick Bashkoff, CEO of Lit Alerts, to take a data-driven look at how New York’s cannabis industry has evolved over the past year. With cumulative sales surpassing $3 billion and the number of licensed dispensaries more than doubling year over year, Rick examines the progress behind the headlines and the challenges emerging as t...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by cannabis husband-and-wife team Mario Guzman and Victorine Deych, co-founders of Voice of the Plant. Better known as Mr. Sherbinski, Mario shares the story of how he went from cultivating cannabis in a San Francisco garage to creating iconic genetics including Sunset Sherbert and Gelato, while Victorine explains how her background in...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Nikki Lawley, a former nurse, traumatic brain injury survivor, cannabis advocate, invisible illness educator, and founder of Nikki and the Plant. Nikki shares the deeply personal story of how a workplace brain injury transformed her from healthcare provider to patient, leaving her with chronic pain and other debilitating symptoms whi...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Vanessa Cuccurullo, founder of Mrs. C Botanicals and the woman behind Leilala and Watson, a cannabis brand built around the idea of “low dose, high trust.” A two-time cancer survivor, Vanessa shares how her experience first as a caregiver for her grandmother and later as a patient herself changed her relationship with cannabis and ul...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by cannabis regulatory attorney and social equity advocate Toni Forge, founder of 4Leaf Consulting, and Whitney Beatty, founder of Josephine & Billie’s, Los Angeles’ first cannabis dispensary created by and for women of color. Drawing on California’s decade of experience with adult-use cannabis, Toni and Whitney examine what New Yor...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Matthew Robinson, CEO of Legacy Dispensary in Albany, New York, for a candid conversation about his journey from the legacy cannabis market and incarceration to becoming a licensed operator and industry advocate. Matthew shares how he navigated New York’s licensing process, funded and built his business, and the lessons he has learne...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Adam Goldner, co-founder and Executive Director of We Grow NYC, for a conversation about home cannabis cultivation, education, and the growing movement to empower New Yorkers to grow their own. A longtime New York City public school educator, Adam shares how his passion for teaching, urban gardening, and cannabis cultivation came tog...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Tiffany Walters, founder of New York State Cannabis Connect, and Floyd Jarvis, Director of Cannabis Workforce and Business Development at Borough of Manhattan Community College, for a wide-ranging conversation about building a skilled, equitable workforce for New York’s growing cannabis industry. Drawing on their work with communitie...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Vanessa Yee-Chan, founder and CEO of Alta Dispensary in New York City's Chinatown, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, community, and reimagining the cannabis retail experience. Vanessa shares her family's remarkable journey from Mozambique to New York, explaining how her grandparents' legacy inspired her to transform their hi...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Dr. June Chin, Chief Medical Officer of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, for an insightful discussion on the evolving role of medical cannabis in New York. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in integrative medicine and cannabis therapeutics, Dr. Chin explains why the medical cannabis program remains an es...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Nicole Ricci, licensed New York cannabis microbusiness operator and President of New York Small Farma, for an in-depth conversation about the realities of cultivating cannabis in one of the country's most complex regulated markets. Drawing on decades of cultivation experience and a unique background as a former U.S. State Department...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Jessica Gonzalez, President of the Latino Cannabis Alliance, and Jason Ortiz, the organization’s Vice President, for a thought-provoking discussion on advocacy, social equity, and the future of Latino leadership in the cannabis industry. Drawing on their extensive experience in policy, law, criminal justice reform, and community orga...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Daniel Sabet of GreenGrowth CPAs and Alex Norman, co-owner of New York dispensary Budega, for a practical deep dive into one of the biggest financial challenges facing cannabis operators: Section 280E. Daniel breaks down how the tax code works in practice, why cannabis businesses can be taxed on gross profit rather than true net inco...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Parisa Mansouri-Rad—widely known as the Marijuana Mama—for a deeply personal conversation about cannabis, caregiving, advocacy, and leadership. Parisa shares how her journey into cannabis began as a mother searching for relief for her daughter, whose severe medical complications following spinal surgery led the family to medical cann...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Sidney Barrett, founder of Dream Days Dispensary and one of the youngest licensed cannabis dispensary owners in New York State. Sidney shares her remarkable journey from studying cannabis and horticultural business management at SUNY Morrisville to opening her own dispensary at just 23 years old. Drawing on her personal experience, i...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Lyla Hunt, Director of Public Health and Education at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, to discuss the findings from OCM’s groundbreaking Listen and Learn initiative. Drawing on conversations with more than 450 New Yorkers—including over 300 young people—Lyla shares what the agency learned about cannabis awareness, mi...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Lulu Tsui, co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of On the Revel, to explore how community, culture, and connection are shaping New York’s cannabis industry. Lulu shares her unique journey—from early exposure to cannabis culture in Oregon to working in one of the first regulated markets in Washington State, and now building one of...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot brings together a powerful panel conversation on veterans and cannabis, featuring Dr. Jaclyn Schneider, former VA physician and palliative care specialist, Ryan “420 Chief” Johnson, a retired Navy chief and founder of Break Stigmas, and Robb Harmon, founder of Veterans Cannabis Care. Together, they explore the evolving relationship between vetera...

In this episode of Joint Session, host Herb Barbot is joined by Chris Kuilan, co-founder of Stoops NYC, one of Manhattan’s first licensed social equity cannabis dispensaries, to share his journey from the Bronx to building a community-driven retail experience in the heart of the Flatiron District. Chris reflects on his early exposure to cannabis culture, his time in California’s legal market, and...

In this episode of Joint Session, host Herb Barbot is joined by Joshua Sanderlin, Commissioner of the Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner, to unpack how Delaware is building its adult-use cannabis market from the ground up. Commissioner Sanderlin shares insights from launching recreational sales, transitioning medical operators, and rolling out a new licensing system designed to balance...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Peter Shafran, founder and publisher of The Other Magazine , and Ranch Guerra, its CEO, to explore the intersection of cannabis, media, and culture in New York. They discuss the vision behind building a publication that brings a more sophisticated, lifestyle-driven perspective to cannabis—moving beyond trade coverage and “stoner” ste...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Axel Bernabe, former Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Director at the New York State Office of Cannabis Management and one of the key architects behind New York’s cannabis regulations. Axel shares a rare insider perspective on how the state’s regulatory framework was built from scratch and how it’s now performing in the real world as...

In this episode of Joint Session , host Herb Barbot is joined by Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc, the leading track-and-trace technology provider for the legal cannabis industry. Michael breaks down how seed-to-sale tracking works in practice, explaining how cannabis is monitored from cultivation through to retail to ensure compliance, transparency, and consumer safety. The conversation explores Met...

In this episode of Joint Session , kicking off Season 3, host Herb Barbot is joined by John Kagia, Acting Executive Director of the NYS Office of Cannabis Management. John discusses the evolution of New York’s legal cannabis market as it moves from its early “startup” phase into a period of rapid growth and maturation, with hundreds of licensed dispensaries now operating and billions in projected...

On this episode of Joint Session, Herb is joined by Rick Bashkoff, CEO of Lit Alerts. They discuss the evolution of the cannabis market in New York, the role of data in empowering cannabis operators, and the challenges faced by social equity applicants. He highlights the importance of understanding market dynamics, product preferences, and the impact of the illicit market on licensed operators. Th...