Proud To Work In Cannabis

Put away your notions of what should have happened with cannabis at the federal level in 2022 and jump into the realities of what really did happen, because cannabis legalization is not a moment; it’s a process. Saphira Galoob , Executive Director of the National Cannabis Roundtable and Principal & CEO of The Liaison Group , joined Vangst’s CEO & Founder, Karson Humiston , on this week’s episode o...

What happens when two Buffalo Bills fans get together to talk cannabis?  Vangst Founder and CEO Karson Humiston is joined by New York Cannabis attorney, Joe Schafer from Lippes & Mathias LLP , for an update on what’s happening in the New York cannabis market, in real-time. With the recent release of the regulations for the non-conditional licenses, in January 2023, there felt like no better time t...

How a former NASA engineer built a cannabis robotics firm. Things are moving fast in the world of cannabis, and Nohtal Partansky is helping  both manufacturers and vertically integrated brands automate previously manual tasks — like infusing joints with live resin. The bonus for the workforce?  It provides the opportunity for upskilling, the Founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics told Vangst Founder...

Cannabis technology company Lantern's CEO Meredith Mahoney  Lantern is an ecommerce marketplace built for cannabis delivery, and CEO Meredith Mahoney joins Vangst CEO Karson Humiston to chat about the challenges and benefits of building a startup in the industry. And as federal legalization is among the hottest topics in the country, the discussion gets interesting: Is federal prohibition holding...

Two prominent cannabis investors explain how the macroeconomy is affecting the industry. Cannabis VC deals have slowed dramatically in 2022. So far this year, only 41  cannabis-related companies — globally — have raised venture capital, making 2022 on track to see the smallest amount of deals and funding since 2017. $300 million has been raised in venture capital in 2022, while $1.6 billion was ra...

Key to getting  a great job with an multistate cannabis company You don't need a resume to get a  job at  one of the nation's largest cannabis multistate operators — you just have to show you have the skills and personality to get the job done. "Meeting people where they're at" is just one way that Verano looks to differentiate itself from the competition.  And it's also one way that a brand new i...

An hour after the Heritage Club's first sale in Boston  It all started through conversations with her mom. Nike John 's entrepreneurial streak was made evident when she launched her first real estate brokerage in 2015, but she entered a brand new world when she became Boston's first Black woman owner of a cannabis dispensary. And she did it after being encouraged to give it a shot by her mother. N...

Chasing the cannabis industry's "North Star" (and a Benzinga preview) Rivalries. Competition. Camaraderie. Despite seemingly infinite verticals and intense competition, the cannabis industry is united and guided by its own "North Star," or shared goal: Legalization of the plant. And perhaps no journalist has covered the business side of this industry as intently and intensely as Javier Hasse . The...

 Marketing is a tough job — tougher in cannabis.  And a lot has changed in the industry over the past decade. One thing that hasn't changed? The fundamentals. Wana Brands Chief Marketing Officer Joe Hodas sat down and chatted with Vangst CEO,   Karson Humiston about his journey from the "traditional" advertising industry to leading the marketing of some of the biggest brands in cannabis.   His wor...

How to get a cannabis license.  Point Seven Group Founder and CEO Ashley Picillo talks with Vangst CEO Karson Humiston about the early days of legal cannabis and how she leveraged her experience as a cannabis employee into the creation of a thriving consulting business. Ashley and Karson take a deep dive into the messy New York adult-use market and try to get to the bottom of when we can expect so...

The past, present, and future of cannabis with Christian Sederberg  As cannabis legalization spreads rapidly across the U.S. and the Senate prepares to introduce a federal bill that would end prohibition, the law firm that spearheaded Colorado's groundbreaking legalization initiative continues to grow and help cannabis businesses nationwide. Christian Sederberg , Founding Partner of Denver-based l...

Cresco Labs and the state of institutional cannabis investing Fewer than 95% of investors today are able to invest in the cannabis industry. Cresco Lab's SVP of Investor Relations, Megan Kulic k, sees this as one of the most exciting opportunities for the cannabis sector. Megan joins Vangst CEO Karson Humiston to discuss the state of institutional cannabis investing over the past five years as wel...

The positive impact that cannabis companies are having on their communities.   Copperstate Farms is one of the largest cannabis companies in the state of Arizona and the largest employers in Navajo County Arizona.   General Manager,   Barb Hansen joins Karson Humiston to talk about how converting an abandoned tomato growing facility and hiring locally has helped Snowflake AZ transition from an eco...

Transporting a quarter-million dollars in your mom's Prius is not a good idea    Customers must purchase cannabis with cash because federal laws prevent credit card companies from processing cannabis sales.   Excess cash is a serious security risk in the dispensary and while it is being transported.    Abbe Schnibbe the Co-Founder and CEO of   Plymouth Armor Group, New England’s Leading Cannabis C...

Helping to drive policy and consulting emerging businesses across the world.   Jay Czarkowski & Diane Czarkowski the founding partners of Canna Advisors join Karson Humiston to share their amazing cannabis journey.  They explain how they entered the industry before adult-use was legal in 2009 with a dispensary and a cultivation facility in Boulder Colorado.  They discuss helping cannabis entrepren...

Lessons learned while working for a startup.  Meet Claire Moloney , the first woman to work in cannabis tech and the first employee at LeafLink . Claire joins Karson Humiston to share her story and discuss her journey as LeafLink's first hire and all of the lessons she has learned along the way. Claire shares advice for other women looking to break into the cannabis industry and shares tips for ho...

Building a sense of community within an organization    Maintaining an inclusive atmosphere is one of the biggest challenges for growing companies.   Ciera Parks, the Head of People Operations & Culture at Vangst is an expert at building diverse organizations.  She joins Karson Humiston to share techniques for companies to use to create an inclusive environment for their employees. Produced by Pod...

 Taking a step back to move forward   Unlike other seasoned professionals who move to cannabis, Natasha Lannerd understood that to fully understand how to apply her CPG expertise she first needed to understand the cannabis industry.   As the Director of Business Development at 1906 New Highs she joins Karson Humiston to discuss why she started her cannabis career by taking overqualified positions....

The journal entry that led to a dream job.     Director of Social Impact at Green Thumb Industries, Jai Kensey joins Karson Humiston to explain why it is necessary to assist communities that have been devastated by The War On Drugs. She shares personal stories of how members of the black and brown communities have been torn apart.   They discuss the important work being done at GTI and how listene...

An ordained rabbi finds his calling in cannabis.  Rabbi James Kahn was responsible for developing Holistic Industries corporate responsibility, a platform built upon 4 central pillars: social equity (repairing damage caused by the War on Drugs), diversity, cannabis education, and community service/philanthropy.  As Executive Director of Liberty Cannabis Cares (LCC), he joins Karson Humiston to exp...

 The cannabis industry's leading female cannabis investor  Meet Emily Paxhia , the Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Poseidon Asset Management . When Emily Paxhia co-founded Poseidon with her brother Morgan Paxhia in 2013, they were some of the first investors bringing much needed capital to the cannabis sector. Hear how Emily started her own fund and went onto investing in dozens of leading cannab...

Meet the first African American dispensary owner in the United States   When Wanda James  joined the cannabis industry 13 years ago, she and her husband were the first African American dispensary owners in America. She joins Karson Humiston to share stories about her brother's unjust 10 year cannabis prison sentence, her experiences in the early days of the industry, and what keeps her motivated d...