This is the episode you’ve been waiting for, with possibly one of our most highly-requested guests, talking about the dirt, grime, poor legislation, break-ins, and incredibly tough decisions of the industry that no one else has the cajones to say with their chest, let alone on camera. Grab your popcorn for this one.

Blackleaf sits down in the FSOTD studio with the Elliot Lewis, the notoriously outspoken CEO of Catalyst Co, a vertically integrated operation with over 33+ dispensaries statewide, plus a consumption lounge, who also produce a slew of in-house brands, to get down to the nitty gritty of the Glass House Farms fiasco, where industry tax money REALLY goes, getting raided multiple times by the DCC, the prominence of dirty or poisonous products at smoke shops/trap shops, receiving death threats, owning 25% of Cali Plug, why Elliot has his CCW and stays strapped, and so much more.

If you thought you knew the whole story with Glass House Farms dating back to Elliot’s initial lawsuit against them, buckle up, because we really get into the entire debacle from start to finish. Elliot dives into deep detail about his inherent issues with Glass Houses’s operations, segwaying into assertions that 90% of Black Market products come from the legal market, and for those like Glass House that’ve claimed clean noses throughout, and to be caught red-handed back-dooring product…their behavior only damages the playing field on both sides.

You might be thinking this is just another episode with a very vocal guest, but Elliot goes so much further than rocking the boat. You’ll hear him talk about the real efforts he’s been making with his team to lobby for change at the legislative level in California, his “tax strike,” and how he found a loophole that enabled him to potentially save millions on his taxes, much to the dismay of the DCC.

On top of all the crazy stories that Elliot lets loose during this pod, there’s also multiple conversations about what might happen when big money enters the industry and how many players may sell and exit, how our tax money goes straight into the pockets of politicians and super PACs, where all the homeless and fire relief money has ACTUALLY gone in CA, and how he hopes that someday the people will put the right individuals in position, but if it’s up to the current powers-that-be, nothing will ever change in terms of taxation, safe banking, and general profitability and longevity in the space.

If you’ve ever wondered the full story on how Catalyst came into prominence, the partnership between Caleb at Connected and Elliot, how brands grew with them as they expanded locations, the grocery store model that have to implement these days to protect margins, as well as what it really takes to get your brand on their shelves, you have to sit through to the end to truly soak up all of Elliot’s game and candid responses.

It’s almost impossible to detail every vital knowledge-drop, never-before-heard background story, and tokens of wisdom that Elliot lets loose throughout this extended episode. By the end, you’ll understand why his slogan, “Weed for the people,” is basically tatted on his chest. If you’ve ever felt like it’s impossible to build an empire in the industry off honesty, grit, and never once “selling out,” you can’t miss a minute of this pod with one of California’s most resilient retail operators.

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