High Minded with McCarter

THC gummies are the tried and true weed edible, but Candaze, a Colorado-based cannabis treat brand, is giving gummies the makeover they didn't know they needed. Think about a gummy on bottom with a different sugary stack on top, such as milk chocolate or caramel, the result; a candy (in)fusion. Andy Brody sits down to discuss his journey; in life, the industry and running his own edible company. T...

Small business meets women in cannabis marketing! Episode 120 is joined by Olivia Castaldy, founder of OCM Digital and Women in CannaBusiness podcast. From secretly consuming in high school to founding their own individual cannabis marketing businesses, McCarter and Olivia have a lot to bond over. This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every b...

California-based cannabis industry leaders Jocelyn Sheltraw and Claudio Miranda discuss technology meeting cannabis conscious-consumption. The partners in life and business, with a combined 40+ years in the industry, teamed up to start Budist: the first dedicated social review platform for cannabis products and brands. These back-to-back conversations shed serious light onto culture and connoisseu...

Jon Spadafora, founder of cannabis gummy brand Flower Union, joins the podcast to share some exciting news about the expansion of Flower Union! We discuss how and why water-soluble cannabis is changing the industry and direction of infused products.

Disrupting the Colorado cannabis scene one rosin gram at a time. Karan Patel, owner and founder of In House, joins McCarter for episode 117 to discuss his family's personal history, and how he got into the cannabis industry in Colorado. This episode is sponsored by Bomb Erigs! With precise temperature control, detachable air pathway and big clouds, Bomb's quality erigs are perfect for dab lovers....

Introducing one of the coolest moms you will ever meet: Courtney Mathis! From growing up with nearly nothing in Louisiana, to changing communities for the better in Colorado and companies across the country, Courtney is, simply, the best it gets. We discuss how she has embodied the change she wants to see through connecting cannabis brands to nonprofits and projects benefitting their communities t...

Our favorite hash lord is a dad! Mikey Morris comes on the podcast for a fourth time to share some big life changes: fatherhood, professional changes and so much more. We just couldn't stop talking! This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every blunt is hand-rolled in Denver in custom hemp-wraps, whole bud only — no trim, shake, or tobacco. Jus...

Double Blind psychedelic magazine co-founder Shelby Hartman jolts us with knowledge in episode 114. Hard launching her new book "The Double Blind Guide to Psychedelics," co-wrote with Madison Margolin, we dive into our own experiences with entheogens like psilocybin and acid. This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every blunt is hand-rolled in...

Brad Bogus, cannabis activist, punk, storyteller, and host of Find the Helpers podcast, graces us with some full-stomach laughs and electrifying empathy in episode 113 to chat about getting banned from LinkedIn, standing up to the man and holding people (and companies) accountable. This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every blunt is hand-rol...

A conversation with Max Vansluys, President of Dialed In Gummies, the rosin brand that's taken off! Their products are available in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio, find more information at DialedInGummies.com. This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every blunt is hand-rolled in Denver in custom hemp-wraps, whole bud only —...

Briefly stepping away from cannabis to chat about laser-tattoo removal! McCarter chats with Mike Panic from Removery, the partner for her tattoo removal journey. This episode is brought to you by Gentleman Quinn's Blunt Company, High Class Big Ass Blunts. Every blunt is hand-rolled in Denver in custom hemp-wraps, whole bud only — no trim, shake, or tobacco. Just clean, Colorado grown flower from t...

*Hemp* blunts are back, we mean! With the same nostalgia as a traditional blunt but none of the tobacco, Gentleman Quinns Blunt Co. is celebrating 10 years of bringing the best "blunts" to Colorado. Gage Quinn, head roller of Gentleman Quinns, sits down with McCarter for a lively discussion from moving away from tobacco, what it takes to be in business as a cannabis brand for ten years and McCarte...

John Shute joins the podcast for a serendipitous episode 109, a long way from episode 9 together in 2020! John, Co-Founder and CEO of PufCreativ , an award-winning, community-focused cannabis marketing agency based out of Denver, CO, discusses all the ways the cannabis industry has changed over the last five years, in Colorado and across the country. This episode is sponsored by Healthy Honeys ~ M...

MSU Denver Cannabis professor Shannon Donnelly comes back for a second time to blow McCarter's mind! Hemp is cannabis, cannabis is hemp. This episode is a deep dive on the difference between how the plant is labeled, and how the government will use that to their advantage. This episode is sponsored by Healthy Honeys ~ McCarter's favorite THCA Rosin pens that can be shipped nationwide (certain stat...

In the final episode of 2025, McCarter chats with Orion Hurley, owner of Boulder Built, cannabis dispensary and flower brand based in Boulder, Colorado. Orion explains growing up in Boulder in the 1980s, and the unconventional path that shaped his future. Orion shares what it was like being raised by a father who grew cannabis long before legalization, and how those early experiences sparked his c...

The esteemed Jordan Wellington joins the podcast for episode 106! Jordan is a true scholar, but mainly a Deadhead with a law background who helped Colorado cannabis legalization become what it is today. Jordan is policy consultant and partner at Strategies64, along with Mason Tvert from episode 98. For a deeper dive into cannabis policy with Jordan, check out his podcast "Weed Wonks." High Minded...

Aaron Shaw is back for a FOURTH time on the pod to grace our ears in episode 105! A brilliant guest and long-time cannabis industry veteran, Aaron walks us through what's going on currently in the Colorado cannabis industry; and let me tell you, it's not great! He tells us what it's been like hustling pounds to dispensaries as small shops and grows are closing their doors every week due to the ris...

Ryan Ashby (@ryan_hashby on Instagram) christens the new podcast setup with McCarter and lots of hash! Fun and informative, this conversation flows from Ryan's younger years, to working in the sketchiest of cannabis operations, to helping run and manage one of the most successful dispensaries in Denver: Reefer Madness. A man of the community, he also hosts events to bring stoners together to get h...

In Episode 103, McCarter chats with Ben Owens, a professional cannabis ghostwriter and home grower, who has worked in the illicit Missouri and legal Colorado markets for over a decade. The conversation explores how Ben's journey has evolved from selling weed in college to using his years of accumulated knowledge to help clients in the current cannabis industries tell their stories. Ben talks about...

Bradleigh Turner has one of the most unexpected jobs: she professionally rolls blunts for celebrity rappers and artists that come through Denver on tour. In episode 102, McCarter chats with Bradleigh about how she carved out space in a world that’s usually closed off and male-dominated, what it’s like working behind the scenes with high-profile clients, and how she turned a niche talent into real...

What is your purpose? In episode 101, McCarter sits down with coach and “human awakener” Zachariah Kral for a transformative conversation about what it means to awaken to your purpose and live it every day. Zachariah shares his own journey, how he helps others peel back the layers of conditioning, and why so many of us feel stuck in a world that wants us to be scared. We dive into what it means to...

Episode 100 is joined by Ariana Foote, aka @indicawife on Instagram, for some hilarious commentary on being a content creator. Ariana started her content creation journey on WeedTube with cannabis photos and videos, but it wasn't until she combined cannabis, food and her dry humor that made her go viral. Based in Baltimore, she’s shifted gears into food content — think ASMR, chaotic cravings, and...

Data and numbers are essential to backing up anecdotal evidence, especially when it comes to cannabis medicine. Dr. Jonny Lisano, a cannabis researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, joins High Minded to explore how cannabinoids like THC and CBD affect pain, sleep, recovery, and overall health. Dr. Lisano shares insights from his latest studies, including how different cannabinoids interac...

McCarter sits down with Mason Tvert, longtime cannabis advocate, strategist, and one of the key architects behind Colorado’s landmark Amendment 64, making it the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Mason, now a partner at Strategies 64 based in Denver, takes McCarter through his history in cannabis, the origins of the Colorado legalization movement, political battles behind the scenes,...

Think greener: McCarter chats with Shawn Naughton, founder of Green for Green , Colorado's pioneer cannabis packaging recycling business to dive into the world of cannabis sustainability. As the legal cannabis industry grows, so does its environmental footprint—especially when it comes to single-use plastic and child-resistant packaging. Shawn shares how Green for Green is tackling this issue head...