Cannabis Economy

In today’s episode, we streamline through Rob Kampia’s story as co-founder of the MPP (Marijuana Policy Project) and discuss the necessity for public involvement in the upcoming voting initiatives. Kampia takes us through his three-bucket lens of marijuana public policy work; state bills, state initiatives and congress, and urges cannabis supporters to stay active even as the old tides change.

In today’s episode, we go through an exhilarating discussion with none other than the fantastic Lynn Honderd. She takes us on an exciting journey of how she came into the industry with Mary’s Medicinals, and how her passion to help others has helped push them to the top of medical cannabis. From gel pens to transdermal patches, Honderd paints us an illustrious picture of how Mary’s Medicinals further expanded into Mary’s Nutritionals and Mary’s Pets, and attributes much of her industry success to a fundamental core set of values: Accurate dosing, clean delivery and quality medicine.

In this episode we are joined by AC Braddock. Braddock is the CEO of Eden Labs, a company that designs and manufactures some of the highest quality CO2 extraction systems on the market. She tells us all about the different career paths she started on before she turned her entrepreneurial instincts to cannabis, and all about how the corporate culture of Eden Labs is the key to their success. It's a pivotal time for all who use extractions to make concentrates and infused products, and AC is a big reason Eden Labs remains ahead of the curve. Enjoy!

In this clip, we talk to Roger Martin, a veteran of the United States Army and founder of Grow for Vets, an organization that provides free medical cannabis to American veterans as an alternative to prescription drug treatments. Roger tells us about the many reasons he is passionate about his cause, and in general about how medical cannabis can help those who have served. We also touch on the hot-button issue of getting PTSD approved as a cannabis-qualifying condition, the quest for more research on the subject, and about what's in store for Grow for Vets in coming months. Enjoy!

We have another "Audio Tour" episode for you this week, and we're taking you inside of Inyo Fine Cannabis in Las Vegas, NV. Inyo Fine Cannabis is one of the first dispensaries to open in Nevada, as the state rolls out their medical marijuana market. [Store Manager?] David Goldwater shows us the ins and outs of the facility, explaining all the effort the company has put in to make sure their patients feel, safe, respected, and comfortable. He tells us what has happened in the first two weeks of business, and the plans they have for the future to vertically integrate and incorporate edibles into their retail offerings. Enjoy! FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES FROM THE TOUR!

This episode comes to you straight from the Cannabis Economy workshop in Las Vegas last week. We checked in with the one and only Tripp Keber, one of the first ever speakers at Cannabis Economy in 2014, who gives us his take on all that has happened in the world of Cannabis since he first joined us over a year ago. A lot has changed from 2014 to 2015, but it's good to hear how the "movement" of cannabis, as Tripp puts it, has only grown bigger and better. Enjoy!

We have a very special episode for you this week, as we check in with our old friend Jamie Shaw, President of the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, on the recent Canadian election. The results stunned and elated cannabis champions in Canada, as a Liberal Party Majority Government formed in front of their eyes, despite predictions to the contrary. Justin Trudeau, now Prime Minister of Canada, was elected on a platform of federally legalizing cannabis, and we are eager to see what happens when he takes the reins. So, we ask Jamie what the reality of this promise looks like, what to expect in coming months, and how this all has changed the future of cannabis in Canada. Enjoy!

In this episode, we take a look to our neighbor in the north, and check in with Deepak Anand on the state of cannabis in Canada. Deepak Anand is the Executive Director of the Canadian National Medical Marijuana Association, an organization committed to being a voice for licensed cannabis producers, physicians, and the general public who are passionate about cannabis as a cure. Anand weighs in on the upcoming federal elections in Canada, the recent rulings by their supreme court, and on what's happening over in Vancouver. Enjoy!

As Oregon opened the doors of its medical marijuana dispensaries to adult-use customers state-wide on October 1st of this year, we had to check in with our friend-of-the-program and cannabis business leader Jesce Horton to hear how it happened on the ground. He gives us some more detailed insight on the draft rules their state legislature has in effect for the time being, and a heads up on what to expect in the coming months. Enjoy!

In this episode, we chat with Horatio Delbert, cannabis concentrate master and industry luminary. Delbert's professional life began in a very different arena - he was an accomplished visual effects artist who worked on high profile projects such as Hellboy, the Harry Potter Series, and the Air-Bud franchise. He tells us what drove him to start experimenting with cannabis extractions, and the trial and error and determination that helped him discover his breakthrough method. His limonene and water based extractions are perhaps the most effective and safe products of their kind out in the market today, and Delbert gives us not only the science behind them, but also shares some powerful testimonials from patients he's helped. Enjoy!

Though he has been a lifelong lover of the plant, Travis Howard worked in technology and as a lawyer before eventually finding his way into the cannabis industry. When he was brought in 2010 to facilitate a merger between two dispensaries, he found himself faced with an opportunity to jump headfirst into the "green rush" as a Managing Member of Green Dream Health Services, and he's never looked back since. In addition to Green Dream, Travis is a founder of Shift Cannabis Company, a consultancy devoted to helping cannabis businesses grow and succeed. Travis gives us all the details on his story, and explains how a commitment to principles, and a desire to grow one's company through culture, are the keys to success. Enjoy!

Patrick McManamon founded Cannasure back in 2009, which by this industry standards, makes him one of the old guard. As by far the leading provider of insurance for cannabis businesses since that time, he very much has his pulse on the industry as it has matured. He tells us how a Jesuit-educated, midwestern insurance professional found himself as a cannabis pioneer. Along the way, we get insight into markets all across the US, feedback on who he thinks is doing it best, and some speculation on the future of cannabis in Ohio and across the nation. Enjoy!

In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Hamilton, CEO of Wam Oil. Wam Oil is known across the nation for setting a high standard for all other vape pen companies, and Hamilton gives us an inside view of the how they found themselves at the top. After ACL injuries dashed his hopes of playing professional soccer, and the economy did a number on his career as an architect, Hamilton decided to jump into the cannabis movement. As a long time recreational user himself, and as someone who watched the positive effects the plant had on his cancer-patient girlfriend, he was well aware of the power the plant had and the great potential it held as an industry. He tells us about the legislative battles he fought with his fellow Washingtonians to get regulations passed, and updates us on what to expect in the market in 2016. As Hamilton puts it, it's a big investment to take the high road in this industry, but we're glad he is taking the lead in doing so. Enjoy!

In the cannabis industry, we have grown used to hearing about the wide variety of jobs, careers, and passions people were following before their path led to cannabis. Still, we are in for a surprise every now and then, as is the case with Shane Terry, who was a Top Gun instructor, and one of the finest F-16 pilots in the world until he retired his military career to become an entrepreneur. Interestingly enough, he says the Air Force was ideal preparation for the cannabis industry in many ways, and we hear firsthand how he and his business partners at NuVeda are navigating the legislative landscape of Nevada, and what projects the company has in store going forward. Enjoy!

In this episode, we sit down with Jesce Horton. You may know him as the founder of the growing facility/edibles manufacturer Panacea Valley Gardens, proudly at home in the state of Oregon, but he is equally well known as the founder of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, an association dedicated to supporting minorities in the cannabis industry. Horton tells us how, after a car accident, growing his own medicine helped him manage his own pain, and how that eventually led to him growing for other patients in his community. Encouraged by this, a year and a half ago he felt ready to leave the corporate world he had spent most of his professional life in to focus solely on cannabis. He offers enlightening perspectives on how the cannabis industry should be focusing on energy efficiency, and how minority empowerment lies at the core of cannabis's overarching message of social justice, economic opportunity, and universal patient access. Enjoy!

We sit down with Mark Passerini in this episode, known best as the founder of Om of Medicine, largely regarded as one of the finest medical cannabis dispensaries in Michigan. He tells us about his journey from the green industry to the "green industry," and the principles on which he founded Om of Medicine. He also fills us in on how and why he got the Illinois Cannabis Industry Association up and running, and the current regulatory problems facing Michigan. Mark credits a lot of Om of Medicine's success to their commitment to the community of Ann Arbor, and it's plain to see how the community could benefit from a knowledgeable and caring voice like Mark's. Enjoy!

Robert Jacob has certainly earned his nickname of the "The Cannabis Mayor." He is the current CEO of SPARC dispensaries, and founder of the Peace & Medicine dispensaries, a business that he is currently merging with the SPARC dispensary system, but on top of that, he is a dedicated public servant, and currently holds a seat on the city council in his home of Sebastopol, CA. He tell us about founding Peace & Medicine, and establishing the set of practices and principles that led SPARC to come and observe his model, and eventually tap Robert to lead their organization. He also, like many other business leaders in California we have talked to, weighs in on the recent passing of AB 266 and the future of cannabis regulation in California. Enjoy!

In this episode we sit down with Kenny Morrison, founder of the Venice Cookie Company. After a youth spent acting in film and television, he eventually branched out into photography, directing and producing. However, It was his involvement in a couple Los Angeles county medical marijuana dispensaries that sparked his interest in the cannabis edibles industry. Nowadays, the Venice Cookie Company is well-regarded as a leader in the industry, and are as known for their stewardship in industry associations as they are for their high quality edibles. Morrison weighs in on California's recent legislative promise to regulate their medical cannabis market, the risks currently associated with operating in the cannabis industry in California, and what he sees on the horizon for cannabis nationwide. Despite all of his success in business, he still maintains that the best word to describe him would be "surfer." We look forward to seeing what this surfer has in store next!

In this episode, we give you the full Hempfest experience. The Audio Archives was on the scene talking to various cannabis dignitaries and the crowd at large at the 24th annual gathering of the world's largest "protestival," in the words of co-founder Viv McPeak. If you've never been before, this is a great way to get sense of what you've been missing, and if you have, then you'll be able to tell firsthand how much bigger and better the event has gotten year by year. Listen in for interviews with John Davis, Sue Sisley, Ed Rosenthal, Alison Holcomb, Charlo Greene, the one and only Tommy Chong, and many other of cannabis's best. Enjoy!

In this episode, we sit down with both Sabrina Fendrick and Victor Pinho from the Berkeley Patients Group. The Berkeley Patients Group is a well known and respected name in the cannabis industry, as the longest continuously running medical cannabis dispensary. It was founded by activists Jim McClellan and Debby Goldsberry, as a way to provide quality access to quality medicine for patients, and to this day the core mission remains the same. Sabrina and Victor tell us a little bit about how they wound up at BPG, give us a tour of their facility, and catch us up on everything the BPG has been working on as California looks poised to consider new regulations for their medical marijuana market.