the lobsterpot< podcast

Often eclipsed by its larger Lat Am neighbours, when it comes to cannabis, Ecuador is firmly on the map. Or at least it should be – and soon will be if Paul and Sebastian Moreno, chairman and CEO, of Ananda have their way. Their efforts to transform rural, indigenous community land into cannabis farms are firmly rooted in altruism, optimism, and a firm belief that cannabis can be a force for good...

As Germany *finally* unveils plans for cannabis legalisation, we speak to Stefan Röhrl, the CPO &amp; Co-Founder of Hemp Group, based in Hamburg, and look more closely at what’s in the offing.

Cannabis retail success is part art, part science. And Krista Raymer, co-founder and CEO of Vetrina Group, knows more than anyone how important it is to align a dispensary’s look and feel with a first class customer experience; alongside solid data and shopper insights. We catch up with her to understand what ‘good’ looks like… and how ‘great’ can be achieved.

With medical cannabis steadily gaining ground in Europe, it’s key that patient care is always the key pillar in its growth. We sat down with the founders of Nurture Nursing, Elly Owen-jones and Sophie Hayes, to find out why nurses play such a vital role in this process and how their expertise is being put to work educating patients and medical professionals alike.

Cannabis and marketing are, well, slippery bedfellows. The market demands one approach; but the law requires another. And the disparity between the two varies enormously – depending on where you are. John Shute, founder and CEO, at Colorado-based cannabis marketing agency, PufCreativ, is no stranger to figuring out how brands of all ilks can make their mark – in spite of the fluff and the flux. Bu...

Delta-8 gets a bad rap. Or does it? Recent news reports about the misuse of the cannabinoid – known as ‘regular THC’s younger sibling’ –&nbsp;have cast a safety shadow over its use and brought its ‘synthetic’ status under scrutiny. But, to give delta-8 a fair hearing, let’s chat to Sam Taylor from Heartland Works in Ohio to better understand the challenges and opportunities. We do know that it tak...

Malta made history back in 2021 by becoming the first European nation to legalise adult-use cannabis. However, other than homegrow, legal ways to procure products have been limited. But that’s all set to change in early 2023, as Malta ushers in a wave of cannabis club licensing applications. Amna Shamim, chief growth officer at Parsl, long-time industry advocate, and island resident gives us the l...

Rebecca Crewe, director of sales at Calgary-based marketing and growth agency, Maggie Jane, has worked in cannabis retail as a buyer, vendor, and sales consultant. But even in Canada, where the recreational market stretches from Nanaimo to Newfoundland, understanding what makes dispensary owners tick is just as crucial as consumer insight.

Cannabis and coffee share something very important – they’re both mind altering substances. People seek them out with varying degrees of interest, and for those passionate for either or even both, there’s a huge amount to learn and even more to gain in that pursuit of knowledge. &nbsp;&nbsp;We speak to Omri Almagor, inventor of Keiko – a cannabis infusion machine, to see how far those parallels go...

Like any other industry, cannabis can’t escape the need for rules and regulations. Whether that’s in how businesses operate in the market or with one another. Bob Hoban is the Co-Chair of the Cannabis Industry Group at Clark Hill law firm and he knows a thing or two about the letter of the law, so we sat down with him to see if we could get up to speed.

California is seen by many as a pioneering state for modern legal cannabis. Because it’s bloomed into such a weed powerhouse, it’s little surprise that more developed parts of other markets are making their roots in the space. Speaking to Brian Applegarth, of the Cannabis Travel Association and The Cannabis Trail, we dig deeper and find out what it really means to be a cannabis tourist.

The cannabis sector needs little persuasion when it comes to embracing edginess and innovation. But building a brand in an emerging market category takes some serious upward punching. Veteran brand marketer, and author of ‘Branding Bud’, David Paleschuck, needs little introduction to the global cannabis fam. He tells us more about the challenges and opportunities weed brands face as they figure ou...

Jamie and Dave meet two proud Canucks whose passion for pot goes above and beyond. Alison Gordon and Amy Weinstein are two passion advocates for their cause. They give us the 411 on Canadian cannabis, creativity, and the Commonwealth (!).

Time for a key change… *stands*. We swap show notes with some guys who definitely feel like old friends now that we’ve met a few times! We chat some good green gossip with KD Khairah from CanMar, Brian Roth from Elevated Signals, and Chris Day from the GCNC.

Given that us thermidorks&lt; were green when it came to MJBizCon, we thought we’d get a steer on what to anticipate from two seasoned pros – whose first rodeo it definitely was not! Big up to Danny Gold at ZolTrain and Juliana Whitney from CannStrategy for tutoring us in the ways of BizCon righteousness.

Cannabis and technology are a curious pairing. But aside from the paraphernalia – the digital dab ribs, vapes, and the like – lies an urgent need for tech that furthers the cause; that gives businesses, governments, and consumers actionable insights. Yup, things like safety, transparency, and accountability are crucial components in cannabis compliance. Orland Yee and James Black from Kanha know t...

South Africa’s quickly making a name for itself in the ever-changing cannabis landscape. And companies like MedCan are looking to get a foothold on the global medical scene. We speak to co-founder Micael Zollman to find out more.

The prospect of broader cannabis legalisation looks to be a certainty across Europe, when you look at what’s happening in Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, and other nations. But one major country that’s strangely quiet on the topic is France. Joanna Weaver-Pelissier, Co-founder and CEO, Be Cann, gives us an insider’s view on all things CBD and THC.

While famous the world over for hygge, Lego, and Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark isn’t exactly known for being at the forefront of cannabis innovation. But Simon Villum Folmann, founder at herb accessories brand, HØJ, is doing his darndest to change that: one Mako shark-inspired pipe at a time.

Sales is a dark art to many, but particularly in cannabis, it has to tread carefully between customer expectations, market limitations, and of course wildly varying legislation. In this episode, Brian Roth, head of international sales of Elevated Signals, helps pull back the curtain, showing us how someone slingin’ cannabis’ ancillary products needs to tackle the particular complexities of the can...

Long-time cannabis advocate, Dustin Hoxworth, is a proud, self-proclaimed ‘Stoner’. &nbsp;As editor of Fat Nugs magazine, he’s keen to give Stoner Culture the platform it deserves and celebrate it in unique and innovative ways. But what exactly is a Stoner? Let’s find out!

Vaping remains a popular consumption method. However, filling and capping cannabis oil cartridges is a fine art. It takes a lot of precision engineering to get the right amount of product into them – and comply with GMP regulations and other international standards Hogan, Managing Director of Portland, Oregon-based Thompson Duke Industrial and sales director, Vlad Valme discuss the joys of one-siz...

Recent news from Germany – in the form of unofficial announcements and early stage leaks – may leave many in the cannabis industry feeling frustrated. We speak to Benjamin Patock, Head of International Relations at Boveda, who is also on the Executive Board of the German Cannabis Industry Association, to get his take on what this might mean for Germany and the wider European market.

Justin Ihnken is CEO and co-founder of QTNM Labs, an advanced analytical laboratory providing research, development, and regulatory compliance services for pharmaceutical companies. What he doesn’t know about testing isn’t worth knowing so what are we all in the dark on when it comes to understanding great product?

Colorado is home to one of the US’ longest established cannabis markets. And Chris Day, CEO at the GCNC – the Global Cannabis Network Collective – has been working in the sector right from the get-go. He gives us the d-lo on this OG market and sheds light on what the rest of the world can learn from the Mile High State.