Send us a text Rama Mayo, co-founder of Hall of Flowers, shares how he transformed his experience in music, art, and fashion into creating one of cannabis's most respected trade shows focused on high-quality brand and buyer connections. • Building successful cannabis brands requires clear mission, vision, and values as foundation • The tension between "money people" and "cannabis operators" creates challenges that require mutual respect to overcome • Cannabis companies need both business exp...
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Send us a text Rama Mayo, co-founder of Hall of Flowers, shares how he transformed his experience in music, art, and fashion into creating one of cannabis's most respected trade shows focused on high-quality brand and buyer connections. • Building successful cannabis brands requires clear mission, vision, and values as foundation • The tension between "money people" and "cannabis operators" creates challenges that require mutual respect to overcome • Cannabis companies need both business exp...
Send us a text Cannabis industry experts discuss the stark contrast between Texas's recent ban on hemp-derived THC products and New York's efforts to strengthen its regulatory framework through a new track and trace program. Mark Hauser shares insights on market maturity, regulatory challenges, and the uncertain future facing both hemp and cannabis businesses. • Texas just passed SB3, banning hemp THC products despite an estimated $8 billion marketplace • Lieutenant Governor leveraged teache...
Send us a text Convenience stores are positioned to introduce cannabis to a new wave of consumers with their unmatched retail footprint of 150,000 locations nationwide and accessibility to 90% of Americans within a 10-minute drive. • Convenience stores have evolved from selling "gas, cokes, and smokes" to embracing new categories as tobacco sales decline • Lower-dose (5mg) THC products outperform higher-dose options in convenience, indicating these stores attract cannabis newcomers • The Nat...
Send us a text Jesse Redmond, Head of Investor Relations and Business Development at Leaf Brands, brings his unique perspective as a former Wall Street investor and cannabis dispensary owner to discuss the challenging landscape of public cannabis companies. His insights reveal why certain companies are weathering the storm better than others and how innovative strategies like Bitcoin treasury reserves and strategic farm investments are positioning some for future growth despite industry headw...
Send us a text Ben and AnnaRae explore the latest cannabis market developments across multiple states and at the federal level, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges. They dissect New York's comprehensive market report showing local brands outperforming multi-state operators while California cannabis businesses organize against impending tax increases. • Ben shares insights from Atlantic City's MJ Unpacked conference where New Jersey operators display optimism while cautious v...
Send us a text Kris Walker from Hoodie Analytics joins us to decode cannabis market trends following 4/20, revealing how competing holidays, demographic shifts, and pricing strategies impacted this year's sales performance. Data shows 4/20 sales dipped 12% year-over-year, highlighting the industry's need for smarter decision-making beyond reflexive discounting. • 4/20 fell on Sunday this year, competing with Easter and Passover celebrations • Retailers spread promotions across the entire wee...
Send us a text Mitchell Osak, veteran cannabis consultant and founder of Cannabis Management Review, joins us to share insights on navigating the complex cannabis business landscape and finding success through fundamental business principles. • Hemp and cannabis policy debates highlight the challenges of finding middle ground in an increasingly polarized environment • Cannabis business dynamics parallel historical precedents from Renaissance trading states to modern boom-bust cycles • Compan...
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 • Navigating the evolution from a single-product company to a full accessories line • Making the transition f...
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 and Anna Rae unpack the paradox at the heart of cannabis economics: an industry that already achieves the "domest...
🌿🎙️ 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 alcohol regulatory framework, spotlighting new challenges and opportunities within the industry, and b...
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 sets them apart in a saturated market. 💬 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭’𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘌𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: ‣ Tr...
🌿🎙️ 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 market. In this episode, we explore the journey of launching Hippie Water, a brand co-founded by best f...
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 should be top of mind for you. For this episode, that includes the following: 🏛️ Tariff Impacts: With increasing C...
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 market. 🚀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: In this deep dive, Kate will share her strategies for cultivating a dedicated...
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. Christopher Violas shares his insights on a range of topics including: 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺: ...
🌿 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 regions. 🌞 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: In an industry that's rapidly evolving, there's a growing appreciation for the art...
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 companies in the cannabis industry often have to navigate, particularly focusing on why traditional bankruptcy isn't ...
🌿 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 the volatile cannabis industry.🚀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲: Melanie Curtis brings her unique expertise from...
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, the cannabis operator’s production design partner. Use code HIGHSPIRITS when you sign up and get 10% off your fir...
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 gather at Ben's festive office, we discuss the potential ripple effects of these no-cash deals and specu...
🌿 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 future of cannabis trends they witnessed.📅 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗻? Whether you're a cannabis industry professional who missed ...
Send us a text Rama Mayo, co-founder of Hall of Flowers, shares how he transformed his experience in music, art, and fashion into creating one of cannabis's most respected trade shows focused on high-quality brand and buyer connections. • Building successful cannabis brands requires clear mission, vision, and values as foundation • The tension between "money people" and "cannabis operators" creates challenges that require mutual respect to overcome • Cannabis companies need both business exp...
