The Ganjapreneur.com Podcast

Beth Stavola is a serial cannabis industry entrepreneur who owns dispensaries in Arizona and Nevada; she is also the founder and CEO of Stavola Medical Marijuana Holdings and CBD For Life, and is a member of the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association‘s Board of Trustees. Beth recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt to talk about her experience six years ago transitioning from a career in the upper echelons of Wall Street to the “wild west” of the burgeoning cannabis industry. They discuss the differences among state markets, how to work with politicians who still need to learn the benefits of legalization (and the countless drawbacks of prohibition), the ongoing reform progress in Beth’s home state of New Jersey, how she balances the workload of being a mother with six children and multi-state cannabis entrepreneur, and more. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/beth-stravola-operating-multi-state-cannabis-company/

Doug Esposito is the Cannabis Practice Leader for Owen-Dunn Insurance Services, a Sacramento-based shared partners brokerage. In the following interview, Doug joins our podcast host TG Branfalt to talk about insurance options for the cannabis industry as it continues to take root and grow into the mainstream. We hear from Doug what typical cannabis industry insurance options might look like, what hurdles cannabis companies can expect to face in the pursuit of smart insurance coverage, what insurance carriers and brokers can and can’t do to help alleviate some of those issues, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/doug-esposito-business-insurance-for-the-cannabis-industry/

Ryan Smith is the CEO and co-founder of LeafLink, a business-to-business digital marketplace for cannabis retailers, producers, and processors to trade wholesale cannabis products. Ryan recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt for an interview about LeafLink’s founding, the success they have found so far, and the difficulties and goals that still lie ahead. He also shares his thoughts about the state of the industry (including which states he is eyeing for future expansion), which professional qualities he looks for when hiring for Leaflink, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/ryan-smith-creating-b2b-wholesale-cannabis-marketplace/

Kristina “Kay” Garcia is the CEO of Women Grow, an international organization created in 2014 to be a catalyst for women to influence and succeed in the cannabis industry. In this Ganjapreneur.com podcast interview, Kay joined our host TG Branfalt to discuss her role at Women Grow and to weigh in on the state of the cannabis industry. Kay shares what she brought to Women Grow when she joined the team in 2015, including lessons she learned from a wide spread of professional experience that ranges from the corporate atmospheres of New York and London to humble farm work, raising cattle and chickens. She also discusses the organization’s growth and accomplishments since she took the helm, offers insight into the industry’s future and the difficulties ahead, and much, much more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/kristina-kay-garcia-fostering-cannabis-industry-leaders-women-grow/

Derek Cloutier is the president and co-founder of the New England Veterans Alliance, a non-profit organization that helps veterans reduce their dependency on pharmaceuticals and advocates on behalf of veterans for improved access to medical cannabis therapies. In the following interview, Derek joins our host TG Branfalt to talk about the experience of veterans in the U.S., his own story of turning to medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD, how the New England Veteran’s Alliance — which started as just a local group of veterans — has expanded to a community encompassing all of New England, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/derek-cloutier-veterans-ptsd-and-medical-cannabis/

Tim Fair is a Vermont-based cannabis consultant and the owner/founder of Vermont Cannabis Solutions, the state’s first cannabis law practice. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Tim joins our podcast host TG Branfalt in his Vermont studio for a conversation about the landmark cannabis reform law passed earlier this year by Vermont’s legislature, the differences between legalization and decriminalization, the state’s vibrant hemp and CBD industry, and what the industry might look like when a tax-and-regulate system is eventually put in place. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/tim-fair-launching-vermonts-first-cannabis-law-firm/

Emma Chasen is the Director of Education for Sativa Science Club, an organization that encourages industry-wide quality standards. She also, in 2016, received the Willamette Week‘s Portland, Oregon Best Budtender award. In this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode, Emma joined our host TG Branfalt for a conversation about the creation process behind her educational courses for individuals seeking careers in the cannabis space and why she thinks the cannabis industry should move away from the indica/sativa binary of categorizing cannabis cultivars. The interview also covers how she became a budtender for Farma (a Portland, Oregon-based dispensary that emphasizes a scientific definition and understanding of cannabis), her rise through the ranks of the cannabis space to eventually become the dispensary’s general manager, and what advice she would offer to somebody who is working in — or interested in — the retail side of the cannabis industry. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/emma-chasen-educati

Brittny Anderson and Brian Farmer are co-founders of the Cannabis Conservancy, a sustainability certification group that helps consumers identify cannabis growers and producers who use responsible agricultural practices. In this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode, Brittny and Brian join our host TG Branfalt to talk about the founding and goals of the Cannabis Conservancy, the positive response they’ve seen from both growers and consumers, new markets opening up in Canada and the U.S., how they are expanding cannabis research and education through the Conservancy, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/brittny-anderson-brian-farmer-encouraging-sustainable-cannabis/

Stacey Mulvey is the founder of Marijuasana, a company that has her traveling between major cities around the country — from Anchorage, Alaska to Boston, Massachusetts and everywhere in between — to teach cannabis- and hemp CBD-infused yoga classes. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Stacey joins our host TG Branfalt to talk about the intersection of cannabis and mindful movement exercise, what a typical cannabis yoga class looks like, how cannabis and CBD can help one achieve a more internal perspective while exercising, and more. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/stacey-mulvey-cannabis-yoga-community-building/

Brian Applegarth is the CEO and founder of Emerald Country Tours, founder of the Cannabis Trail, and founder of the California Cannabis Tourism Association. Brian recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt to talk about California's rich relationship with cannabis, how his company captures and shares that experience, the future of cannabis tourism in California and beyond, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/brian-applegarth-cannabis-tourism-california/

Michael Brubeck is the founder and CEO of Centuria Foods and author of Tipping the Scales, a book about cannabis industry financing that helps canna-curious investors identify characteristics of a successful venture. For this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode, Michael joined our host TG Branfalt for an interview that covers his early time in the industry — where he encountered the very real threat of federal enforcement and a lengthy prison sentence — to today, where he has grown his company into a multinational and powerhouse provider of high-quality CBD hemp oil. The two also talk about Tipping the Scales, seeking to clarify some of the book’s more controversial points. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/michael-brubeck-how-identify-winning-cannabis-investment/

Ean Seeb is co-founder and partner at Denver Relief Consulting and has been navigating Colorado’s medical and adult-use cannabis industries since the beginning. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, our host TG Branfalt sits down with Ean for a chat about Colorado’s early days, his two-time role as chairman for the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), how he has balanced smart business practices with an instinct for philanthropy, and some of the other cannabis-themed projects that he has recently gotten involved in — including the recent buyout of High Times and his strategic involvement in cannabis brands throughout several different states. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/ean-seeb-balancing-business-philanthropy-cannabis-space/

Jesse Peters is the owner and CEO of Eco Firma Farms and is a founding member of the Oregon Cannabis Association. In this Ganjapreneur.com podcast interview, Jesse joins our host TG Branfalt for a discussion about Eco Firma's long-term goal of becoming a 100% carbon neutral company, how cannabis entrepreneurs need to take responsibility in the industry and lobby for better regulations, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/jesse-peters-responsible-cannabis-business-practices/

Darcy Bomford is the CEO of True Leaf Medicine International, a Canadian company with one department in the national medical cannabis program and another that manufactures hemp-based wellness products for pets. In this interview, Ganjapreneur.com podcast host TG Branfalt talks with Darcy about Canada’s medical cannabis program, the strict licensing process that producers undergo there, and what the country’s impending adult-use marketplace is expected to look like. Darcy, a career entrepreneur who launched his first company in the pet supplements industry, also explains how he has applied his experience in the pet products industry to the cannabis space and how he was inspired by the devotion of pets to “return the love” by creating wellness products for both people and their four-legged friends. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/darcy-bomford-acquiring-a-cannabis-license-in-canada/

Patricia Rosi is CEO of the Wellness Connection, a medical cannabis company operating four dispensary locations throughout Maine and which serves more than 11,000 patients. Patricia joined our podcast host TG Branfalt last month to talk about her experience at the head of one of Maine’s most progressive new companies, what the future of adult-use cannabis looks like in Maine, and why the Americans for Safe Access advocacy group has lauded Maine’s medical cannabis program as perhaps the best regime for patients. The two also discuss the work that members of the Wellness Connection team have put into making a positive impact in their local communities via donations, volunteer work, and/or partnerships with local nonprofits — all in the name of debunking cannabis myths and shedding the stigma that has stalked the plant for decades. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/patricia-rosi-the-wellness-connection/

Michael Senderovich is the founder and president of Zeyger Insurance Services, a California insurance brokerage working with cannabis companies despite the industry’s ongoing federal prohibition. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Michael joins our host TG Branfalt to explain the nuances of insurance and how the mainstream industry generally operates, how insurers are beginning to interact with cannabis professionals, what cannabis business owners should be looking for in the insurance agents and brokers they choose to partner with, and a whole lot more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/michael-senderovich-identifying-insuring-cannabis-risks/

Russ Hudson is a cannabis consultant and author of the children’s book "What’s That Weed?," which helps parents provide a normalized perspective of cannabis to their children, and the autobiography Weed Deeds: From Seed to Sage. Russ recently joined our podcast host TG Branfalt in his Burlington, Vermont studio for an interview that covers the inspiration behind his books, the state of cannabis policy in his home state of Maine (and his other home in Barcelona, Spain), why strain names aren’t the best way to categorize cannabis, which subjects we can expect his future books to tackle, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/russ-hudson-debunking-cannabis-lies-literature/

Dr. Perry Solomon is the Chief Medical Officer of HelloMD, a telemedicine firm that connects would-be medical cannabis patients with canna-friendly doctors in California and New York. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Dr. Solomon joins our podcast host TG Branfalt for a discussion about the results of HelloMD’s recent patient surveys (which have led to some revolutionary findings regarding the plant’s effectiveness as an opioid exit drug), what continues to hold the medical cannabis movement back from consolidating with the mainstream medical industry, why and how telehealth is important for increasing patient access to the plant, and more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/dr-perry-solomon-cannabis-education-for-the-mainstream-medical-industry/

Kyle Speidell is the co-CEO of The Green Solution, a popular cannabis retailer chain in Colorado. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, Kyle joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss Colorado’s retail cannabis market and share what it’s been like as one of the state’s earliest and most successful dispensary enterprises. This interview covers what changes Kyle would like to see to Colorado’s strict cannabis regulatory regime, the early migration from a medical to an adult-use market, and more. For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/kyle-speidell-the-business-of-cannabis-retail/

James Yagielo is the CEO of HempStaff, a cannabis industry staffing agency that offers recruitment services to cannabis companies and educational courses to prospective cannabis employees. In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, James joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss the cannabis education and training courses that HempStaff has made available across the country and how recruitment services benefit both employers and potential employees. They also discuss which jobs in the cannabis industry are the most popular vs. the most difficult to fill, which upcoming cannabis markets are expected to make the biggest splash (and when), which cannabis industry positions tend to earn the highest salaries, and much more! For a full transcript: https://www.ganjapreneur.com/james-yagielo-cannabis-industry-staffing-and-recruitment/