High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast

Dave Daly, founder of Grav Labs, shares his 20-year journey from creating the original Gravitron in his parents' garage to building an iconic cannabis accessories brand that's now expanding into THC beverages. • Building a differentiated product with the original all-glass gravity bong in 2004 • Growing through innovation when a simple taster product helped save the company from debt • N...

The world of cannabis isn't isolated from global economic shifts—it's deeply embedded in them. When the Trump administration announced sweeping new tariffs against major trading partners, from China to Canada, few analysts considered how these protectionist measures would impact an industry that's already entirely domestic by legal necessity. In this deep-diving conversation, Ben an...

🌿🎙️ Join us on High Spirits as Ben & AnnaRae dive into a hot topic that's reshaping the landscape of the cannabis beverage industry. As states begin to align hemp beverage regulations with those governing alcohol, the implications for brands, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers are significant. This episode explores the legislative shift that is integrating hemp beverages into the...

In today’s discussion, we explore the evolution of Bengal Capital from a hedge fund to a more hands-on private equity firm that doesn't just invest but actively participates in steering companies towards success. We'll unravel the layers of Bengal’s unique approach to cannabis investing, focusing on smaller, often overlooked entities rather than the larger MSOs, and how this strategy set...

🌿🎙️ 𝟏𝟏 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟕 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬?! 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! 🌼🌈✌️ Join hosts Ben & AnnaRae on High Spirits as they dive into the world of launching a THC-infused beverage company with the founders of Hippie Water . We're thrilled to welcome Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer and Taylor Eileen Sewell to discuss the dynamic launch and rapid expansion of their brand in the competitive hemp beverage...

Note to our listeners: Apologies for the poor sound quality on this episode. We experienced a bit of a technical snafu in the recording. We will be back on track next week! 🎙𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐩!🌿 It's been another eventful month in the world of cannabis, and we're excited to talk about it. Tune-in to find out what's top of mind for us, thus what shoul...

Join Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein on High Spirits as they explore the journey of transforming a hemp marketplace and media site into a multi-state cannabis brand with a strong community focus. We'll be joined by Kate Miller , co-founder and CEO of Miss Grass , who has masterfully steered the brand from its roots as a hemp marketplace to a prominent player in the regulated cannabis marke...

Join Ben & AnnaRae on High Spirits as we delve into the world of cannabis retail with Christopher Violas , CEO of BLAZE® . This episode explores how cutting-edge technology and strategic market insights are reshaping the cannabis industry from the ground up. 🚀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: In this discussion, we'll cover the impact of technology and operational efficiency in cannabis retail. Chris...

🌿 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬 🌿 Join us on this week's episode of High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast , where we delve deep into the verdant fields of Humboldt County with Scott Vasterling , the visionary founder of Humboldt Family Farms . Discover the rich legacy of cannabis cultivation and the promising future of sungrown cannabis in one of the industry's most storied reg...

Tune in to our next episode of 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀 as we unravel the complexities of receivership and the intricacies of bankruptcy within the cannabis and hemp industries. We're joined by Ted Lanes , the "𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧" of finance, to shed light on what these financial states mean for businesses and creditors alike. 🚀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: We delve deep into the financial mechanisms that co...

🌿 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬 🌿 Dive into a thrilling new episode of 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀 as we explore the intersection of peak performance in high-stakes environments with Melanie Curtis, a professional skydiver, world record holder, and acclaimed performance coach. Join us as we unravel the parallels between excelling in extreme sports and thriving in...

𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘦'𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘤𝘬! Join us for the first episode of the year on 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙨, where we scope out the evolving world of cannabis beverages through the lens of Craig (Lewie) Lewis 🥃🏆, the CEO & Co-Founder of Flyers Cocktail Company. We're kicking off 2025 by diving into the category dominating our minds and the airwaves. 📣 Quick shout out to our title sponsor, KitPrint, th...

What if the latest moves by a major cannabis company could set off a chain reaction across the entire industry? Unravel the implications of Vireo's strategic transformation under the astute leadership of Tyson McDonald. We dive into the latest maneuvers by Vireo, who is making headlines with a game-changing capital influx and the acquisition of four profitable single-state operators. As we ga...

🌿 𝐌𝐉𝐁𝐢𝐳𝐂𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩: 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 🌿 Join us for a special episode of High Spirits, where your hosts Ben & AnnaRae share their experiences and insights from MJBizCon 2024 in Las Vegas. Fresh from hosting the High Spirits Morning Mixer, they're ready to dive deep into the event's highlights, key takeaways, and the futur...

🎙𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝-𝐮𝐩!🌿 It's been another eventful week in the world of cannabis, and we're excited to talk about it.  In this week's episode, we discuss... 🚨  Minnesota's botched social equity lottery application (read robbery) 🍸  GTI's big bet on beverage through Agrify's acquisition of Señorita 🌿  What the new Senate dra...

Explore the cutting-edge world of cannabis technology with Socrates Rosenfeld, the CEO and co-founder of Jane Technologies. Prepare to be intrigued by the potential shifts in federal cannabis reform as we discuss the surprising nomination of Matt Gaetz for US Attorney General by President-elect Trump. Join AnnaRae Grabstein as she recounts the latest developments in the cannabis industry from the...

Join Ben and AnnaRae on Thursday for a special post-election recording of High Spirits as we unpack Tuesday's election results, focusing specifically on the presidential race, various state ballot measures related to cannabis, and the broader implications for hemp and cannabis policy. We're thrilled to welcome back Hirsh Jain , one of our industry's brightest policy minds, for an in...

Join us for this week's recording of 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀, where we're diving into the intricate world of Wana Brands , North America's leading edibles brand. We're sitting down with Joe Hodas , the recently appointed President of Wana, to discuss the brand's innovative strategies and his journey from Chief Marketing Officer to President. 🚀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: In this discussion,...

Curious about the exciting world of cannabis beverages and how it's reshaping consumer habits? We sit down with Diana Eberlein, a leading figure in the industry and current president of the Cannabis Beverage Association. Diana shares her journey from cannabis beverage consumer to chair of the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives, shedding light on the strategic moves being made to align...

Seth Yakatan, a key player and influencer in cannabis finance and M&A, joins us to unravel the financial intricacies of the cannabis industry. Gain invaluable insights as Seth shares his extraordinary journey from health and wellness to becoming a significant figure in raising capital and selling companies within the cannabis sector. Discover how his unique experiences provide a fresh perspect...

What if cannabis businesses could harness the power of AI to revolutionize their operations? Join us as we uncover this fascinating intersection and other topics in our first CEO roundtable following the close of Benzinga Chicago with industry leaders Cameron Clarke of Sunderstorm, Michael Murphy of Prelude, Heather Molloy of Speedwell Partners, and your hosts, Ben Larson of Vertosa and AnnaRae Gr...

Let's be honest, it's been a solid run of shows this year for two busy CEO's self-producing and coordinating (and writing these descriptions). Travel schedule has definitely ramped back up and we somehow got to the beginning of this week and hadn't really thought about it! So we're falling back to our original inspiration for the show and recording our weekly check-in on a...

Jeremy Berke, founder and editor-in-chief of Cultivated Media, joins us this week as our guest co-host. Despite juggling cannabis news coverage and MBA studies, Jeremy takes time out to share his experience and expertise in the space. Jeremy gives listeners an inside look at Cultivated, a daily newsletter dedicated to cannabis industry professionals, detailing how his journey from Business Insider...

🌱 🎙️ Join Ben & AnnaRae as we saddle up for another deep dive into the Texas cannabis scene. This time, we're exploring the booming hemp market with Benjamin Meggs , CEO of Bayou City Hemp Company and the beverage brand HOWDY . Ben's unique journey from the Oil and Gas industry to hemp cultivation and CBD retail has positioned him as a pivotal figure in shaping Texas's hemp lan...

🌿🎙️ Join Ben & AnnaRae this week as we explore the intricate world of cannabis compliance with Michael Johnson , CEO of Metrc . Now synonymous with seed-to-sale tracking, Metrc stands at the forefront of regulatory compliance in the cannabis industry. In this episode, we'll uncover the human element behind the platform, the challenges of balancing diverse stakeholder needs, and the futur...