The Ganjapreneur.com Podcast

Jon O’Connor and Amy Cirincione O’Connor are the co-founders of Humboldt Social, which offers pro-cannabis lodging, dining, and event spaces. As cannabis reforms become more and more widespread, the traditional tourism industry has unfortunately been slow to accept the cannabis community. Even in Humboldt County, California — which is world-famous for its expert cannabis cultivators and cannabis-friendly climate — travelers can find it difficult to legally appreciate the region’s most archetypal crop. In our latest podcast episode, our host TG Branfalt interviews Jon and Amy, who co-founded Humboldt Social earlier this year. This podcast episode covers their company launch, the latest cannabis tourism trends as society emerges from COVID-19 restrictions, California’s limited opportunities for social use, and more! Topics covered in this podcast: www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/tourism www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/california www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/emerald-triangle www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/social-use www.ganj

Luxury cannabis products constitute a peculiar segment for the cannabis industry: where many consumers might scoff at what they consider an overpriced product, there are many others for whom the added charm (and promise of excellence) is worth the extra cost. To learn more about the growing market for luxury cannabis products, we turned to Sebastien Centner, co-founder of Hervé—a Toronto-based, French cuisine-inspired cannabis brand that currently sells its infused edibles in the Nevada cannabis marketplace. In this podcast interview, Sebastien joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss his jump from the hospitality industry to cannabis, what inspired the Hervé brand, launching the company's first product line of handcrafted THC-infused macarons, what attracted Hervé to the Nevada marketplace, the maturation of the edibles market, and more! Topics covered in this podcast: www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/edibles www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/nevada www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/las-vegas www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/canada F

Reginald Stanfield is the CEO and head horticulturist of JustinCredible Cultivation, a Massachusetts cannabis cultivator. To launch a successful cannabis cultivation facility, one requires a significant amount of planning, resources, and initiative. Launching during a worldwide pandemic, however, makes things infinitely harder but that was the unfortunate reality for Massachusetts-based JustinCredible Cultivation when they were finally approved to open last year. Reginald recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt to discuss his entrepreneurial journey toward the cannabis space, the lessons he learned along the way, and stories from the founding and creation of JustinCredible Cultivation, which is the first minority-owned general business applicant to open a cannabis cultivation facility on the East Coast. This interview also covers securing investments, Reginald's tips for building a scrappy and effective C-suite team, what he looks for when hiring new employees, and more! Topics covered in this podcast

With Arizona's recent switch to an adult-use market, cannabis enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and investors are also scrambling to learn as much as possible about the state's new cannabis opportunities. The Open Dør is an Arizona-based cannabis dispensary franchise that specializes in providing a comfort-focused and modern retail experience. In this podcast interview, our host TG Branfalt is joined by The Open Dør's CEO Kathryn Blackwell and COO Chelsea Mulligan to discuss their fateful meeting, translating mainstream franchising experience to the cannabis industry, and The Open Dør's emphasis on providing a clean, welcoming, and vibrant retail experience. They also discuss more broadly the advantages for entrepreneurs who choose to work with a cannabis dispensary franchise, the power of entrepreneurial determination, their advice for cannabis industry startups, and more! Topics covered in this podcast: http://www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/arizona http://www.ganjapreneur.com/topic/retail http://www.ganjapreneur.co

New Jersey's cannabis legalization bid was a long-sought and hard-fought victory, only achieved through the collaboration of advocates, lobbyists, and lawmakers. As President of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association — which works to promote jobs and growth in a sustainable, responsible cannabis industry — Edmund DeVeaux was closely attuned to the process. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Edmund joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss his life and work as a cannabis industry lobbyist, New Jersey's exciting industry prospects, and his efforts to ensure fair and balanced cannabis industry opportunities for all. This interview also covers legalization in neighboring states including New York, the nature of political compromises, his advice for budding cannabis entrepreneurs, and more! (Note: This interview was recorded after the approval of cannabis legalization in New Jersey but before the governor officially signed the bill into law). For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/edmun

Ryan Douglas is the author of the new book From Seed to Success: How to Launch a Great Cannabis Cultivation Business in Record Time, wherein he breaks down the process of starting and growing a successful cannabis cultivation business. Formerly the master grower for Tweed Inc., Ryan pivoted to cannabis industry consulting in 2016 and since then has gotten involved in scaling up the medical cannabis industry in Colombia with sights set on the international cannabis marketplace. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Ryan describes how his years of experience in the horticulture industry growing flowers had made him uniquely qualified to run an industrial cannabis grow operation, tips for entrepreneurs who are considering a cannabis cultivation start-up, his predictions for the international medical cannabis marketplace, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/ryan-douglas-advice-for-planning-scaling-your-cannabis-cultivation-facility/

John McLeod is the co-founder of Michigan-based Cloud Cannabis Co. — which operates brick-and-mortar cannabis retailers in Ann Arbor, Muskegon, and Traverse City — and a former police officer for the city of Detroit. In this podcast interview, John discusses how an on-duty leg injury ultimately opened his eyes to the effectiveness of cannabis medicine, how cannabis saved him from a plummet into opioid dependency, and the fateful founding of Cloud Cannabis Co., whose motto "Live Higher" embodies the company's vision of prioritizing patients over profits. John also talks about the need for more balanced representation in the cannabis industry, his former colleagues' reactions to him having launched a cannabis business, Michigan's rather recent transition into an adult-use marketplace, and more!

Alvin Edwards is the founder of Fruits of Our Labor, which hires former prisoners to provide professional services; David Moss is the chief development officer for cannabis dispensary From the Earth. Together, they have created an equity-building partnership in the cannabis space. In this podcast interview, Alvin and David join our host TG Branfalt to discuss the strategic partnership between their organizations, wherein From the Earth dispensaries purchase and retail glassware made by Fruits of Our Labor; the project's social equity-driven goals; and the importance of driving the industry to focus on giving back to disenfranchised communities that were most heavily affected by the destructive drug war. Their interview covers Alvin's journey as a young entrepreneur, David's insistence on centering philanthropy as a core value for his business, and more! For a full transcript:

Elliot Lewis is the owner and founder of Catalyst Cannabis Co., a competitive chain of cannabis retailers in Southern California. As an entrepreneur, Elliot lives for — and loves — the competition of business. For the latest Ganjapreneur.com Podcast episode, he joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss the business philosophy that drives Catalyst Cannabis Co. and the exhilaration of pursuing and winning a new retail license in So-Cal's limited, competitive marketplace. This interview also covers the company's history, their industry "bad boy" reputation, how they manage to compete with MSOs and other brands with major investor backing despite having a significantly smaller war chest, and more. For a full transcript:

Zappy Zapolin is the filmmaker and activist behind The Reality of Truth, a documentary that follows Hollywood movie star Michelle Rodriguez and several of her friends through a journey of personal discovery fueled by psychedelics. Before finding success as a filmmaker, Zappy was a pioneering entrepreneur and domain name trader during the 1990s. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Zappy joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss the resurgence of psychedelics in American politics and culture, drug decriminalization developments from last November's election, and the latest medicinal discoveries related to psychedelic substances including ketamine, psilocybin, and cannabis. The conversation also covers Zappy's transition from an early digital era pioneer to an activist filmmaker, how psychedelics can help society recover from the collective trauma caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and more! For a full transcript:

Bob Eschino and Derek Cumings are co-founders of Medically Correct, a Colorado-based cannabis edibles firm that was founded in 2010. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com Podcast, Bob (who is also the company's president) and Derek join our host TG Branfalt to discuss their various cannabis edibles brands, the early years of Colorado's cannabis industry, and how they helped shape cannabis regulations in Colorado and (as other states came online) beyond. Tune in to hear about the trials and difficulties that led to the company's founding; how a strong work ethic, an ever-present emphasis on compliance, and a continued focus on cannabis as medicine has driven their success; and more! For a full transcript:

Kenny Wright is the co-owner of High Peaks Glassworks, an independently owned smoke shop in Saranac Lake, New York. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, our host TG Branfalt catches up with Kenny to discuss how the smoke shop industry has adapted to changing times, what cannabis business owners can do to maintain good relationships with local authorities, tips for building a helpful and friendly business environment, Kenny's predictions for the smoke shop business model as cannabis prohibition continues to crumble, and more. Click for a full transcript of this podcast interview:

In any industry, consumer product testing is a key part of maintaining safe and trustworthy operations. While the cannabis industry is no different, there are often (and unfortunately) big differences between the testing labs that conduct consumer safety tests. In this podcast interview, Antonio talks to our host TG Branfalt about the importance of laboratory accreditation — which is when a laboratory and its offerings are evaluated by a highly qualified third party — and what it means for the cannabis industry. Antonio also shares the story of how CannaSafe became the first lab in the country to link vitamin E acetate to last year's vape lung disease crisis, his experience as a Black executive in the predominantly white cannabis industry, and more! For a full transcript:

Will Read is the founder and president of CannaPlanners, a Vermont-based web design and marketing company that specializes in the needs of the cannabis industry. Between strict regulations that vary from state to state and the long-lasting remnants of anti-cannabis rhetoric and stigmas, cannabis marketing is an inherently tricky job. The challenge, however, has prompted experts like Will to prioritize simple aspects of brand building, such as a professional and inclusive brand experience. Will recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt to discuss cannabis marketing strategies, the prospects for an adult-use cannabis market in Vermont and other New England states, Will's advice for what makes a strong cannabis brand, and more! For a full transcript:

Tim Fair is the founder of Vermont Cannabis Solutions and an attorney who advises hemp and cannabis businesses in Vermont and defends individuals accused of cannabis-related crimes. In this podcast interview, Tim joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss prospects for a future Vermont cannabis marketplace after the state became the first to legalize cannabis via the legislature (but stopped short of establishing adult-use sales), the state of its medical cannabis and hemp CBD industries, the meddling of federal law enforcement agencies in local cannabis issues, and more. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/tim-fair-vermonts-path-to-an-adult-use-cannabis-market/

Shawn Gold is the founder and CEO of Pilgrim Soul Creative, a cannabis lifestyle brand based on using cannabis to encourage creative thinking. For this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Shawn joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss the relationship between cannabis and creativity and the recent success of Pilgrim Soul's Creative Thinking Journal, which contains a series of activities and exercises specially designed to encourage creative thinking while under the influence of cannabis. Shawn also shares his experiences transitioning from the corporate tech space to the cannabis industry, offers his advice for entrepreneurs, and more! For a full transcript:

After co-founding and leading Illinois' PharmaCann for several years, Teddy Scott departed to found Ethos Cannabis, a multistate cannabis operator based in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and East Coast regions. Teddy recently spoke with our podcast host TG Branfalt about his experience and the complexities of founding and operating a multi-state cannabis company. Their conversation also explores the co-existence of corporate and craft cannabis, the rapid growth of cannabis business in the Midwest and East Coast regions of the U.S., the importance of effective social equity provisions, Teddy's advice for industry newcomers and entrepreneurs, and more! For a full transcript:

It takes a lot of courage to found your first company — especially if you are leaving behind a comfortable and respected corporate IT position — but that didn't stop Jen Jackson, Founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based CBD brand Be Jubie. In a recent podcast interview, Jen joined our host TG Branfalt to talk about why she founded Be Jubie, what it means to her to be an entrepreneur, and why she chose the tenets of wellness, restoration, and social justice to guide her company. The conversation also covers why Jen chose the CBD space for her first startup venture, how she navigates the stigma against the cannabis plant as a parent, the need for social equity programs in legal cannabis markets, Maryland's current medical cannabis landscape, and more! For a full transcript:

Between regulations and the still-dwindling stigma from decades of prohibition, cannabis companies have an inherently tricky job when it comes to advertising and growing their customer base. In a recent interview, Jon Lowen of Surfside joined our podcast host TG Branfalt to discuss the nature of cannabis advertising, what differentiates cannabis marketing from other industries, and how they use primary data sets to identify and target new potential customers. Jon also describes what first drew him to the cannabis space, offers his advice for industry newcomers, and more! For a full transcript: ganjapreneur.com/jon-lowen-how-to-reach-cannabis-consumers-with-targeted-marketing/

Noel Abbott, CEO of Ganjapreneur, and Graham Abbott, our Chief Editor, are brothers native to the northwestern corner of Washington state who started blogging about cannabis in 2012. In 2014, they partnered with venture capitalist and digital-era entrepreneur Andrew Rosener to found Ganjapreneur.com, which has since grown into a multifaceted resource for cannabis professionals and is relied on for industry news by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Recently, Noel and Graham joined our podcast host TG Branfalt for a retrospective discussion about their backgrounds and Ganjapreneur's origin story. This conversation reveals many behind-the-scenes details: from the website's original conception after a long trek through Spain, to finding success as a fully-remote and digital-first publication, to why conducting business in the cannabis industry comes with a mandate of action against the many injustices of prohibition. They also talk about how witnessing repeated instances of "folly" in the industr