Cannabinoid Connect

#353: Elevated Wellness' COO & Formulation Specialist Ross Anderson on what makes a quality cannabis product

Ross Anderson is the COO and Formulation Specialist at Elevated Wellness, a cannabis (hemp) manufacturer in Austin, TX, founded by medical professionals and cannabis savants. Elevated Wellness products contain purely US-grown, organic hemp, and each product is formulated within our state-of-the-art USP-800 / ISO-5 certified laboratories here in Austin, Texas. All products are non-GMO, gluten-free, organic, and mostly vegan, as well as come backed with a full money-back guarantee.

#352: Proteus 420's Dawne Morris on enhanced proficiency in product and software development

Dawne Morris is the Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder of PROTEUS Business Solution, Inc., an online enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for businesses in e-commerce, retail, healthcare, and highly regulated industries, including alcohol and cannabis. PROTEUS 420 is considered one of the first and most trusted cannabis seed-to-sale software systems focused on business growth and a streamlined user experience while addressing the complexities of industry compliance. Dawne was in...

#351: John McLeod on Cloud Cannabis' SSO Recipe that’s making Michigan happier and healthier

John McLeod is the Co-Founder and Head of New Markets at Cloud Cannabis, Co., the leading vertically integrated Michigan operator that curates high-quality cannabis products to help customers live healthier, happier and higher lives. John's journey into the cannabis industry began over 14 years ago while working as a police officer with the Detroit Police Department. After sustaining a career-ending injury, John was prescribed opioids but quickly began to endure the adverse side effects of...

#350: Drop Delivery's Vanessa Gabriel on eliminating logistical issues with all-in-one delivery technology solution

Vanessa Gabriel is the CEO and Co-Founder at Drop Delivery, the cannabis industry’s only all-in-one delivery technology solution for delivery companies and retailers. Vanessa is a thirty-year-old, self-described serial entrepreneur, who previously co-founded Greenlight Technologies, a leading order-ahead and digital loyalty software in the cannabis industry, which was acquired in 2018. She’s been recognized by Forbes Next 1000, Marijuana Venture 40 under 40, and is a part of the Rolling St...

#349: Milan Patel on the regulatory landscape is falling short in terms of protecting consumer health

Milan Patel is the CEO and CO-Founder at PathogenDx, an Arizona-based company providing disruptive DNA-based pathogen testing technology and solutions for the human diagnostics, botanical, food and agricultural industries. Previously, Mr. Patel spent over 25 years working with large public, small private and entrepreneurial companies in numerous fields from the life sciences, to biotechnology, to government services and the automotive industry. Milan served as COO/CFO of GMSbiotech. He als...

#348: On The Revel's Lulu Tsui on cannabis tech and the macro societal impacts of plant medicine

Lulu Tsui is the Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at On The Revel, he parent company for a collection of curated educational and networking experiences democratizing information for those interested in the regulated cannabis industry. Lulu is seasoned in Experience Design (XD) and User Experience (UX) with 15+ years of experience leading research, strategy, and design for enterprise software, Software as a Service (SaaS), mobile, and touchscreen technologies.

#347: Paul Weaver & Seng Robertson on Boston Beer Co. testing THC-infused drinks in Canada

Paul Weaver is the Head of Cannabis and Seng Robertson is the Technical Director of Cannabis Research and Development at Boston Beer Co. (BBC). Boston Beer Company’s new line of THC-infused drinks, aims to set the new gold standard with its first varietal -- Good Day Iced Tea.

#346: DoubleBlind's Shelby Hartman on tapping into therapeutic & spiritual seekerdom with informative content

Shelby Hartman is the Co-Founder and CEO of DoubleBlind, a media company and education platform at the forefront of the rapidly growing psychedelic movement. With contributors around the globe, DoubleBlind covers stories from South America’s ayahuasca tourism industry to the microdosing trend and the groundbreaking research at leading universities.

#345: Success Centers' Angela White on the importance of protecting & empowering the equity community

Angela White is the Equity for Industry Program Manager at Success Centers. Her focus is developing sustainable career and entrepreneurial paths previously less accessible to communities impacted by inequality and the War on Drugs. Angela offers community members career assessments and coaching, job placement, access to on-the-job training, and job training for employment in the cannabis industry. Success Centers was founded by Superior Court Judges 36 years ago to provide education and ...

#344: KushKards' CEO Lauren Miele on fulfilling the need of gifting cannabis

Lauren Miele is Founder and CEO of KushKards, the first cannabis greeting card where “one can strike a match and light what is attached.” Standard greeting cards lacked the form and function, so Miele created a niche market of innovative cannabis gifting for young professionals like herself looking for “the perfect gift with a lift.” Miele quickly grew KushKards into a national brand — KushKards’s just won Best New Product in the Lifestyle Category at The National Stationery Show in 2022, ...

#343: Rena Sherbill on psychedelics and cannabis, mental health, federal reform and pot stocks

Rena Sherbill is the host of the Cannabis Investing Podcast and Director of Video content for Seeking Alpha.

#342: Mack Hueber on Beak & Skiff diversifying its 100-yr-old apple orchard by embracing hemp & THC

Mack Hueber is Chief Financial Officer of Beak & Skiff, and President of Ayrloom/Gen V Labs. Beak & Skiff is a 100+-year-old, family-run apple orchard and producer of cider, hard cider, spirits, and wine based in Lafayette, NY. Gen V Labs is a cannabis company founded by Beak & Skiff ownership, cultivating and process some of the first legal cannabis in New York’s adult-use market. Mack acts as President, overseeing all operations, including the building of the brand’s new THC bottling f...

#341: Cannador CEO Zane Witzel on keeping cannabis stylish, fresh and organized

Zane Witzel is the CEO of Cannador, a premium storage brand that focuses on functional design and balanced humidity for the home. As an entrepreneur and cannabis enthusiast, Zane founded Cannador in 2014 to help keep cannabis fresh and organized. He acquired US Patent Nos. 7,892,327 and 8,211,209, formerly owned by a cigar accessories company to regulate humidity in humidors and then rebranded to VaporBeads in order to serve both the cannabis and tobacco industry. Today, Cannador product...

#340: Poplar Founder Beryl Solomon Jackowitz on Mom's advocating for Long Island to embrace cannabis

Beryl Solomon Jackowitz is the Founder of Poplar, an online platform and e-commerce site offering the best selection of must-have hemp-derived CBD products and educational resources and experiences to demystify plant medicine. Beryl is leading the charge in the efforts to urge Long Island communities to opt-in to cannabis retail. She recently spoke at a Long Beach City Council meeting about how cannabis can be a positive economic benefit for the community and actually keep cannabis out of ...

#339: SpookyGirl's Andi Astra on celebrating creative self expression & questioning the status quo

Andi Astra is the Founder and Creative Director at SpookyGirl, a colorful home decor, art, and apparel for everyday use, celebrating creative self expression, questioning of the status quo, and creating the place you belong. SpookyGirl encourages people to connect with their highest selves and inspire their inner child through art and color. ======================= Links and Mentions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spookygirlart  https://www.instagram.com/shopspookygirl   https...

#338: RESET Vegas Founder Christopher LaPorte on cannabis tourism in Las Vegas and beyond

Christopher LaPorte is the Founder of RESET Vegas, a cannabis hospitality management company specializing in the development and operation of unique experiential venues and events with a focus on videogame culture, esports, skill-based gaming, and the implementation of VR/AR technologies. ================== Links and Mentions LinkedIn (Chris): https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-laporte-52471b52/ Instagram (Chris): https://www.instagram.com/chrisofcoins/ Instagram (Thrive Dispe...

#337: Ayr Wellness CMO Jeff Finnerty on data and consumer behavior trends

Jeff Finnerty is the Chief Marketing Officer at Ayr Wellness. As Chief Marketing Officer at Ayr, Jeff is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of all marketing and advertising strategies. Prior to Ayr, he served as the Head of Marketing & Sales for Grow Healthy, a Florida based cannabis operator. Before Cannabis, Jeff was instrumental in repositioning the Firehouse Subs brand, and developing a first time national, multi-channel marketing and advertising strategy as a Fra...

#336: Theory Wellness' Brandon Pollock on managing and growing mission-driven companies

Brandon Pollock is the Co-Founder and CEO of Theory Wellness. Theory Wellness was founded in Massachusetts in 2015 and has quickly become a top performing privately owned, vertically integrated cannabis company. As CEO, Brandon is committed to building a world-class cannabis organization that is a great place to work, produces high quality products, and leads by example with progressive initiatives such as our social equity program and our outdoor cannabis farm. ====================== ...

#335: House of Puff Founder Kristina Lopez Adduci on leveraging the power of art as a vehicle for social change

Kristina Lopez Adduci is the Founder and CEO of House of Puff, a woman and Latina-owned brand that sells art-inspired cannabis accessories and produces educational content that makes cannabis consumption easy, accessible and chic. Kristina is an entrepreneur, speaker, art collector, and curator. House of Puff started with her conception of the cannabis consumption devices she wanted for herself. ===================== Links and Mentions House of Puff Instagram: https://www.instagram...

#334: Vicente Sederberg's Brandon Kurtzman on regulatory and compliance due diligence

Brandon Kurtzman is a Partner at Vicente Sederberg, a cannabis law firm that has been at the cutting edge of cannabis law and policy since 2010 right at the inception of the regulated cannabis industry. As a Partner at Vicente Sederberg LLP, Brandon focuses his practice on regulatory and licensing matters in Massachusetts and New York. He is also a member of VS's national merit licensing team, where he served as the lead attorney for competitive marijuana licensing projects in New York, Ne...

#333: Jim Cacioppo on building a strong foundation for growth at Jushi Holdings

Jim Cacioppo is the Chairman, CEO and Founder of Jushi Holdings Inc. Prior to founding Jushi, Jim spent over two decades managing the business and allocating capital in senior management positions at several large hedge funds; two of which were early stage success stories.

#332: Rob Sechrist on Navigating Cannabis Capital Markets as Interest Rates Continue to Rise

Rob Sechrist is the Co-Founder and President of Pelorus Equity Group. Under Rob’s leadership, Pelorus Equity Group saw 434% growth year-over-year in 2021 and currently has more than $250 million assets under management (“AUM”) and $200 million of equity – more equity than any other privately held or publicly traded commercial real estate lender in the cannabis space.

#331: Spekr Founder and CEO Amir Zen on biohacking with breathwork to boost performance

Amir Zen is the Founder and CEO of Spekr (SpekrHealth.com), a cryptocurrency-friendly health optimization company that focuses on modulating and balancing the endocannabinoid system. Amir has over 10 years of experience in cannabis, politics, cryptocurrency, health optimization, and fitness, which he has built into Spekr’s business model. In his pursuit of innovation and freedom, Amir has been self-experimenting with his theories on health, curing disease, and longevity through diet, bioha...

#330: Stillwater Hemp's Melanie Kossan on the misconceptions about cannabis

Melanie Kossan is the Founder of Stillwater Hemp, a Montana-based Organic health and CBD company. Stillwater Hemp ships tinctures, topicals, edibles, and pet products to all 50 states, as well as allows other entrepreneurs to white-label their products to start their own CBD brand. Melanie is a lifelong entrepreneur and natural healthcare advocate. She initially launched Stillwater Hemp to provide safe, 100% organic hemp products to her family and friends.

#329: Texas Cannabis Collective's Austin Zamhariri on showing up for cannabis activism & advocacy work

Austin Zamhariri is the Executive Director of the Texas Cannabis Collective, a nonprofit focused on breaking news, advocacy, and community events in the Texas cannabis space. Since 2016, Austin has served DFW and the Texas marijuana reform movement by lobbying legislators in Austin and testifying for decriminalization and medical bills. He has also worked on several campaigns to decriminalize marijuana at the local level across the state. His goal is to bring Texas marijuana industry and a...

#328: Hoodie's Wes Shepherd on building the largest and highest quality source of insights for the cannabis industry

Wes Shepherd is the Chairman and CEO of Hoodie, a cannabis analytics platform that tracks over 3.6MM daily unique offers in over 8,000+ dispensaries in the US & Canada. Hoodie is the largest and most impactful platform for next day insights into leading sales metrics such as cannabis pricing, promotion, stocking status, distribution and share of shelf.  Prior to Hoodie, Wes was the sole founder of Channel IQ, an E-commerce Analytics firm he founded in 2010 which was the leading provider of...

#327: MXXN Founder and CEO Darnell Smith on evolving the cocktail culture

Darnell Smith is the Founder and CEO of MXXN, a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits brand that is evolving today’s cocktail culture and disrupting the alcohol and cannabis industry.  Darnell is A CPG and alcohol industry veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, innovator and advocate. Prior to founding MXXN and MOJO, Smith was a senior digital transformation lead at Infosys Consulting working with the likes of Adidas, Ralph Lauren, AB InBev, Novartis, GSK, Pfizer, AMEX and more. Prior to tha...

#326: Chris "Gramps" Grisolia on the potential of cannabis treating epilepsy

Chris "Gramps" Grisolia is the Treasure of Texas Cannabis Collective and Creator of Something has to change, and NOW!!!

#325: Cannaspire's Warren Harasz on business planning for long-term compliance

Warren Harasz is the VP of Regulatory Compliance at Cannaspire, a team of cannabis experts help entrepreneurs secure success for their businesses in the legal industry.

#324: Jacobi Holland on democratizing information with education and networking experiences

Jacobi is the Co-Founder of On The Revel, the parent company for a collection of curated educational and networking experiences democratizing information for those interested in the regulated cannabis industry. On The Revel events, known as Revelry, are conferences aimed at fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and flourishing cannabis sector. These regular in-person events along with On The Revel’s Dope People online membership community, podcast, and virtual experiences, celebrate the d...

#323: LeafLink's Ryan G. Smith and Harish Mukhami on B2B Cannabis Technology

Ryan G. Smith is the Co-Founder and CEO of LeafLink and Harish Mukhami is the Chief Product Officer at LeafLink. LeafLink is the cannabis industry’s B2B platform and has revolutionized how thousands of brands, distributors, and retailers manage their operations. Ryan brings experience in creating and managing B2B firms and online marketplace investment in highly-regulated spaces as LeafLink’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2016, Smith was the first technology CEO in the cannabis industry to b...

#322: Juliana Whitney on social equity and competitive licensing applications

Juliana Whitney is the Founder and president of Cann Strategy, a consulting firm helping cannabis business investors and operators win licenses, start up operations, expand to multiple states and develop competitive strategies.

#321: Jesse Campoamor on negotiating the MRTA, NY’s cannabis legislation bill

Jesse Campoamor, is the owner of Campoamor & Sons, a creative, mission-driven Latino-owned consulting firm fueled by a passion for social justice and creating economic opportunity for historically excluded communities. Jesse is a veteran political operative and cannabis equity advocate with more than a decade of experience in New York State and City government. He worked with Governor Cuomo’s office during the battle to legalize cannabis and served as chief architect and negotiator of the ...

#320: Lewis Koski on developing and implementing cannabis policy

Lewis Koski is the Chief Strategy Officer of Metrc. Metrc’s approach to cannabis regulation helps state governments establish secure regulatory environments, allowing businesses in those jurisdictions to plan and prosper. Metrc’s track-and-trace system helps state governments establish secure regulatory environments, allowing businesses in those jurisdictions to plan and prosper. Metrc is engaged in 21 government contracts and serves more than 300,000 users, including growers, testing fa...

#319: Jill Ellsworth on Cannabis Decontamination Technology

Jill Ellsworth is the Founder and CEO of Willow Industries, the industry-leading organic cannabis kill step. WillowPure, the company's patented, organic ozone-based technology is scientifically proven to reduce or eliminate contaminants such as yeast, mold and bacteria from cannabis while protecting the medicinal properties of the plant. Prior to launching Willow Industries, Jill founded Vibrant Earth Juices (VEJ), a Santa Barbara-based cold-pressed organic juice company. Jill became passi...

#318: Nohtal Partansky on Industrial Cannabis AI and Computer Vision Technologies

Nohtal Partansky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sorting Robotics, the premier industrial automation technology company for the cannabis industry. Nohtal is a serial entrepreneur and former NASA-JPL engineer. During his time at NASA-JPL, Nohtal was assigned to a project called the Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE), and the mission to develop a device that can take in the atmosphere of Mars and produce oxygen for people to breathe was successfully accomplished. Whil...

#317: Daulton O’Neill on the Texas Round Up and Dallas Startup Week

Daulton O’Neill is the President of Green Light Events, an event consultancy and production company that brings the industry together. Green Light also owns Texas cannabis TV and hemp business builder. Daulton O’Neill is a freethinking thought provoker looking to make maximum impact in the hemp industry. He leverages industry insights and relationships to push the ball forward to create unique memorable events for clients and sponsors. Daulton has helped facilitate multiple event contracts...

316: FundCanna CEO Adam Stettner on the State of Lending in the Cannabis Sector

Adam Stettner is the Founder and CEO of FundCanna, one of the leading lender in the cannabis industry. With over the past 20+ years, the FundCanna team of financial experts has provided nearly $20 Billion in funding to underserved businesses and individuals across the country. Adam has nearly 30 years of business, strategy and leadership experience in both Private and Public Companies. Among other recognitions, Adam won the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019 a...

#316: FundCanna CEO Adam Stettner on the State of Lending in the Cannabis Sector

Adam Stettner is the Founder and CEO of FundCanna, one of the leading lender in the cannabis industry. With over the past 20+ years, the FundCanna team of financial experts has provided nearly $20 Billion in funding to underserved businesses and individuals across the country. Adam has nearly 30 years of business, strategy and leadership experience in both Private and Public Companies. Among other recognitions, Adam won the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019 a...

#315: TILT Holdings CEO Gary Santo on Company Milestones and 2022 Accomplishments

Gary Santo is the CEO of TILT Holdings, an MSO helping cannabis companies build brands within specific markets. Mr. Santo brings more than 24 years of experience leading lean, high-performance teams in Consumer Credit, Financial Services, Gaming and Technology, Higher Education and Specialty-Pharma. He has held a variety of senior-level positions at The First Marblehead Corporation, Fitch Ratings, International Game Technology, Lantheus Medical Imaging and, most recently, Columbia Care Inc.,...

#314: Petalfast's Jason Vegotsky on Route-to-Market Cannabis Distribution

Jason Vegotsky is the CEO of Petalfast, the first-of-its-kind full spectrum sales and marketing agency for the cannabis industry. Prior to Petalfast, Vegotsky was the co-founder of Summit Innovations, Inc. and the driver of the company’s business development where he expanded the business to over 600+ customers & 25 employees in its first year of operations.

#313: Matt Hawkins on Cannabis Investing in a Bear Market

Matt Hawkins is the Founder and Managing Principal, Entourage Effect Capital, a venture capital firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry. Since 2014, the firm has made close to 70 investments out of three funds, co-investment vehicles and special purpose entities.

#312: Ben Britton, Agrify

Ben Britton is the VP of Innovation at Agrify, a developer of premium grow solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace. Previously, Ben was the Founder and CEO of PurePressure, the leading solventless equipment manufacturer in the cannabis industry, which was purchased by Agrify in January 2022.  Ben has worked with over 7,000 clients and has developed a superior reputation for quality, reliability, precision, control, and exceptional customer service. At Agrify, Ben leverages his d...

#311: Scott Solomon, Operational Security Solutions (OSS)

#310: Rose Elliot, Komplyd

Rose Elliott is the Co-Founder and CEO of Komplyd, an API-first cannabis compliance-as-a-service platform.

#309: Ron Gershoni, Jetty Extracts

Ron Gershoni is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jetty Extracts, one of the true originals in the California cannabis market. Canopy Growth Corporation and Jetty Extracts (“Jetty”) recently announced a plan for the acquisition of Jetty by the Company. 

#308: Congresswoman Nancy Mace

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is a Republican congresswoman who championed the States Reform Act - a federal cannabis reform bill that would remove cannabis from Schedule I drug classification to allow states the right to determine the level of cannabis reform they want to implement.⁣

#307: Walter Moore, Cognitive Harmony Technologies

Walter Moore is the Co-founder, CEO, and CTO of Cognitive Harmony Technologies, new digital platform that levels the playing field for cannabis business licenses, making it as simple as filing taxes online. Walter is an accomplished software architect, financial engineer, and entrepreneur who has a Masters of Science in Financial Engineering and undergraduate degrees in Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics. Prior to Cognitive Harmony Technologies, Walter co-founded Perception Farms,...

#306: Eddie Velez, Oak Cliff Cultivators

Eddie Velez is the Owner of Oak Cliff Cultivators, a family and veteran-owned Texas hemp company that cultivates premium Texas hemp flower for their clients' alternative health solutions and culinary needs. Eddie was born and raised in Oak Cliff, TX. Cannabis has always been part of his life in some way shape or form and he wants to break the cannabis stigma through education and introduce hemp as an alternative solution to everyday life.

#305: Thom Brodeur, N2 Packaging Systems

Thom Brodeur is the CEO of N2 Packaging Systems, a patented packaging solutions company for the cannabis industry that uses liquid nitrogen technology to preserve product freshness/shelf life. Thom has extensive experience in the cannabis and CBD industry and has played a key role in a CBD venture. He is also the CEO of Sky Wellness – a company that makes, markets, and sells premium THC free, Broad Spectrum, Full Spectrum and THC free Isolate Hemp-derived CBD products for people and their ...