Innovating Cannabis Podcast

Today we meet Kate Miller, CEO of the popular Miss Grass pre-roll brand which is now in 5 states and moving across the country as they continue to build national brand awareness. I talk to Kate about their recent move to NJ. She tells us you need to be boots on the ground developing relationships in the store with budtenders, buyers, the community, and the end customer to build a brand successfull...

Lisa Weser had a long career in the alcohol industry as a public relations professional. She transitioned into the cannabis industry and is making a name for herself as the CEO of TrailBlaze Public Relations. Lisa and I talk about the different PR tactics working for her clients, tips on working with reporters, and how psychedelics are outpacing cannabis in media interest. Lisa gave us great insig...

Our guest today is a contributing writer to the very popular HighThailand.com and goes by the pen name Mendel Menachem. High Thailand is quickly becoming the go-to for reviews of dispensaries and strains in the country. We talk about the government's position on cannabis, how the first legal harvest produced great weed, how legacy farmers are flourishing LEGALLY, the cannabis culture in Thailand a...

Today we talk to Terry Buffalo from Buffalo Cannabis Advisors to discuss the serious issue of debt financing and how it may cause widespread consolidation if the Safe Banking Act doesn't pass to provide refinancing solutions. Terry has over seven years of hands-on experience in the cannabis industry and a long career as a Wall Street junk bond trader in his previous life. Terry believes cannabis c...

Consumption lounges are emerging as the next step in normalizing the cannabis industry. Entrepreneurs and innovators are trying to figure out the concept based on vague and unwritten laws governing the lounges. But, one company is forging ahead to set the standard for how you consume cannabis in a lounge. Today we meet Wendy Forwell, CEO of Zenco, to find out why consumption lounges around the WOR...

Seattle-based vape company HEYLO was recently named one of the top cannabis brands in the country by data company Pioneer Intelligence. Heylo is led by chemist Lo Friesen who started the company when she was 25. Heylo specializes in high-terpene, full-spectrum cannabis extracts for their well-known vapes. Lo and I talked about Extraction, chemistry, the dangers of vapes, how to start an extraction...

Our guest is Mike Zaytsev. He is the Director of Cannabis Degree Programs At LIM College in NYC. Mike is at the helm of one of the country's first cannabis college degree programs, and he recently published a book called How to Succeed in Weed According to 50 Industry Insiders. And his wildly popular networking event, High New York, draws a huge crowd in the NYC cannabis scene. Meet one of NY's ca...

Our guest today is Elana Cohen, she is a 13-year public relations practitioner who worked for various agencies and is starting her own PR firm specializing in the cannabis industry called Tree Of Life PR. Today, Elana gives us great insights into how she approaches working with clients and the different public relations strategies available. Let's meet Elana to learn the ins and outs of launching...

Michael Sassano, CEO of Somai Pharmaceuticals, a European pharmaceutical, and biotech company centered on manufacturing in Lisbon, Portugal says the data is clear. The US may have more research funds, but they are stymied by the lack of legalization and Europe is about to take the lead on testing and clinical trials. Michael is one of the most respected executives in the pharmaceutical cannabis sp...

If you are following cannabis news in NY, you probably have heard of Brad Racino, he is the editor for NY Cannabis Insider, It's the go-to publication to learn what's happening in NY. With a background as an investigative reporter, he covers everything and everyone that has to do with the launch of the industry in NY. Brad is an early mover in the state and has his finger on the pulse. Not only is...

Today we meet Lara Fordis, a cannabis market research expert and CEO of Fordis Consulting. Lara explains how cannabis companies rely on retail data alone for market research, but it doesn't tell the whole story. She tells us the additional market research you need to make informed decisions about your product development. Lara claims bad research is worse than no research because it gives you a fa...

Are you a cultivator or extractor looking to build brand awareness? Consider launching a pre-roll brand. According to Harrison Bard, CEO of Custom Cones USA, it's easier than you think and pre-rolls are the most customizable product categories in cannabis. Harrison gives us many tips and tricks on how to turn a simple pre-roll into a brand-building catalyst by adding a unique type of filter or sha...

Dre Neumann is a Grammy-winning photographer and the Chief Creative Director for multi-state operator Jushi Holdings. Dre uses his experience as a photographer, filmmaker, and collaborator in the rock n roll industry to influence his creative approach at Jushi. He likes to mix cannabis with art, performance, and curated designer products to make Jushi dispensaries the heart of the cannabis culture...

According to Interpol, South Africa is the 4th largest illegal cannabis exporter in the world. And if the country can get it together, they have the potential to legally supply the world with high-quality cannabis AND save its crumbling economy. Helping the country get in the game is Trenton Birch, a former music and advertising executive who, aside from Oaksterdam, has started one of the first fu...

You may have heard about the “The North American Weed Tour" put on by the marketing agency, Respect My Region. I interviewed its co-founder, Mitch Pfeifer, to find out how they assembled a network of judges to review hundreds of cannabis products across the country to help consumers connect with brands. Respect My Region has worked with clients in both the music and cannabis industry includin...

As the government lags behind on regulating consumption lounges, infused cannabis events are quietly becoming the hottest ticket in town. Chef Jordan Wagman is a James Beard nominee who is using his professional talent to experiment with cannabis as an ingredient. He curates and creates infused food and drinks experiences for brand activations and other events. Jordon also has a sixth book on the...

Cash was the most common way to buy weed before Covid hit...then everything changed. Stores closed and we were forced to buy online. We went from no one wanting to shop online for weed to everyone HAVING to shop online. Dispensaries were not technologically capable of seamlessly merging retail and eCommerce sales because of issues specific to the industry like compliance and inventory. Today we me...

Are You Looking to Fund Your Cannabis Business? I speak to Scott Jordan, founder of the Alternative Finance Network for the low-down on who is loaning money and investing in the mom-and-pop cannabis entrepreneurs. Spoiler alert- not many. Scott has been brokering finance deals for the cannabis industry since 2013 and has relationships with all types of lenders, public and private. He has witnessed...

Today we meet Corey Burchman, Chief Medical Officer at Acreage Holdings, a multi-state operator acquired by Canopy Growth in 2019. Corey is a nationally recognized expert on clinical cannabinoid therapeutics and has chaired multiple national conferences on the use of medical cannabis. He is an anesthesiologist and pain management physician with a career that spans over 35 years. We talk about ever...

Jordan Lams, CEO of the popular brand Moxie, became aware of cannabis as an alternative medicine when his younger sister fought for her life battling Leukemia as a child and ultimately succumbed to the disease. Later, Jordan began to work in the medical side of the industry in California during the early days when he became an advocate for the plant and its medicinal powers. Today Moxie is winning...

Polly Lieberman and Liz Wald have impressive backgrounds in the technology world and are using their expertise to create a cannabis community at the intersection of cannabis 2.0 and web 3.0. They are the founders of thric3.io and are on a mission to normalize and help everyone navigate this new world of legalized cannabis. Let's meet Polly and Liz to learn how they are actively taking on the chall...

Merideth Mahoney is the CEO and co-founder of Lantern, a startup cannabis marketplace with an order-on-demand delivery service that was first launched in Boston and is quickly expanding to other cities across the country. She partners with local dispensaries and delivery services to offer a wide selection of cannabis products available for purchase and delivery from the Lantern marketplace. Meride...

Today we are talking to social media expert Amy Donohue. She co-founded Hybrid Social in 2015 to help cannabis entrepreneurs build their brands on social media. She has been a guest speaker at MJBizCon, Emerge, and Imperious Expo trade shows, sharing her passion and expertise in building brands through social media. Today Amy and I talk about how social media is the place to build brand recognitio...

Guild Extracts is a California-based, artisanal producer of award-winning concentrates for the cannabis connoisseur. They specialize in small-batch, handcrafted “exotic” extracts that are known for their unrivaled potency, flavor, and aromatics. I interviewed Claudio Miranda, the CEO of Guild Extracts, to learn about their patented extraction process, expansion plans, and how they are navigating t...

Today we meet Lisa Jordan, VP of Marketing for Canna Advisors. They help entrepreneurs apply for license applications and have a big focus on the NY marketplace. Lisa joined me at the MJUnpacked show in NY to talk about the Pitch Deck contest they held and the entrepreneurs who participated in the Shark Tank-style event. The lucky winner walked away with a sizeable investment as well as $150,000 w...