Lit And Lucid

Welcome to the final episode of Season 16! Joining us is Caroline Yeh, CEO & Co-Founder of TSUMo Snacks. TSUMo is a savory edible company in CA known for its munchable cannabis-infused salty snacks offering some flavor profiles like fiery hot crunchers, salsa verde tortilla rounds and more. Caroline shares more about her background in the cannabis industry and how those experiences led her to TSUMo Snacks. We learn more about this salty edible line that is sure to make consumers excited! I mean who doesn't want to try a bag of infused chips? Caroline tells us more about their flavor offerings, how they infused the chips, and more on what's to come for TSUMo. They also recently released a 100mg bag offering a fun and sessionable snacking experiences for cannabis enthusiasts. If you are in California check this brand out --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lit-and-lucid/support

Tune in to E.168 ft. Steve Morigee, Olio’s Original Extraction Expert. Olio is an industry leader in cannabis extract innovation, crafting products of the highest quality since 2016. They specialize in both butane and solventless extraction to create beautiful, clean and potent concentrates that consumers have known to love. Steve shares more about his background in the cannabis industry and how he got started working at Olio. We learn more about Olio's mission including their commitment to clean concentrates with a strong understanding of the cannabis culture here in Colorado. Recently they launched their first edible line in collaboration with Day Three Labs pharma-grade technology. These live edibles are made with live rosin and offer all-natural ingredients. Steve provides insight into how these live rosin edibles came to be including extensive R&D and consumer research. We also learn more about Day Three Lab's innovative technology that was utilized to create this unique experience. If you

On today's episode of Lit & Lucid is Darnell Smith, Founder & CEO of MXXN. Pronounced "moon" MXXN, is a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits brand that is evolving today’s cocktail culture. Darnell shares more about his professional background and how his experience working with companies like Diageo and Pernod Ricard, where he focused on innovation and commercialization, that provided him with the insight needed to create an infused beverage. We learn more about MXXN's offerings which currently include Kentucky Oak, Jalisco Agave, and London Dry which are meant to mimimic some of your favorite spirits. We chat in-depth about the benefits of having a cannabis-infused mixer available to those who would like to be part of the social scene without the need to consume alcohol. While the infused beverage market is becoming more popular, Darnell was candid with us about some of the difficulties his brand has faced when pitching the product to dispensaries. We all agree that with more time and education t

Joining us today is Kris Walker, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Hoodie Analytics. Hoodie Analytics is a U.S. based cannabis data and technology firm that delivers insights into market performance and competitive intelligence.Hoodie tracks over 3.5MM daily unique offers in over 8,000+ dispensaries in the US and Canada, making Hoodie the largest and most impactful platform in cannabis for leading sales metrics such as pricing, promotion, stocking status, distribution and share of shelf. Kris shares with us more about his background and how his professional experience working at Nielsen, S&P 500 firm, led him to Hoodie Analytics. We learn more about the problems Hoodie solves for the cannabis industry such as product distribution and stock levels for brands and dispensaries, as well as providing valuable data on competitive pricing analysis. They also have a consumer facing database, Ask Hoodie, that allows you to search via a specific product to determine which dispensary you can find it in

Tune in to E.165 ft. Ron Gershoni, Co-Founder and CEO of Jetty Extracts. Since 2013, Jetty Extracts has been a California-based producer of high-quality cannabis extracts and pioneer of clean vape technology. Backed by award-winning technology, Jetty has paved the way for the most authentic and natural vape experience available to consumers. Ron has been in the industry since the early days of legalization in California. We learn more about his journey into cannabis and more about what Jetty Extracts has learned over the years and the need to continue to innovate in the space. Jetty has a strong focus on their clean, consistent vape technology that has evolved from CO2 extraction to solventless vaping technology that has become more popular amongst consumers today. Because of their consistency Jetty has continued to see strong growth over the years, even seeing their greatest sales to date in June. Due to that commitment they were recently acquired by Canopy Growth Corporation. This acquisition will allow the

Tune in to E.164 featuring Lewis Koski, Chief Strategy Officer of Metrc. Metrc has combined advanced software and RFID tags to create a secure database used to track cannabis from growth, harvest, and processing to testing, transport, and sale. Metrc is engaged in 21 government contracts and serves more than 300,000 users, including growers, testing facilities, dispensaries, state regulators, and law enforcement officials across the U.S. Lewis’ early days in the cannabis industry started in Colorado where he served as the Director of the Colorado MED. Lewis tells us more about how regulators tackled those early years of writing cannabis regulations; working together with stakeholders to create many of the laws we still have in place today. We learn more about Metrc’s tracking system and the technology in place to create this seed-to-sale software that is being utilized in many legal states today. Lewis shares more about the extensive data that is being created by using this system, a lot of which is being use

Tune in to E.163 featuring Skip Motsenbocker, CEO of Pacific Stone in Santa Barbara, California. Skip shares with us his journey into the cannabis industry including his past professional experience with asset management and CPG that helped him in his early days in the industry scaling Urbn Leaf Dispensary. Skip also has a personal connection and passion for the plant after losing his mother to opioids. As a result he spent a lot of time an advocate for cannabis' medicinal properties working on the 2018 New Approach Amendment in Missouri. Today Skip is the CEO of Pacific Stone, a family-owned-and-operated business, focused on selling high quality cannabis at an affordable price. We learn more about the 6th Generation Dutch Greenhouse Growing practices at the cultivation and more about what sets this brand apart from others on the market. Pacific Stone is currently a leader in the California market having been recognized by Weedmaps, LeafLink and Treez as a best selling flower brand in the state. We also

Joining us on today's show is Jacobi Holland Co-Founder of On The Revel. On The Revel, is 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. Jacobi shares more about his humble beginnings in the cannabis industry starting in maintenance for a cannabis company in CO eventually moving to NY, Co-Founding On The Revel. We learn more about On The Revel and the impact this organization is having on the local communities offering actionable cannabis conferences with guests from diverse backgrounds that provide real-world, useful information for its attendees. They also have an online membership community called Dope People that offers various resources through podcasts, virtual experiences and more. Jacobi tells us more about New York Legalization and what effect tha

Joining us today is David Miller and Erich Maelzer of Flow Gardens. Flow Gardens is an indoor cultivation specializing in premium CBD flower in East Tennessee, they even won a High Times Cannabis Cup award this year for their Blue Cheese #12. We had the opportunity to try out their premium CBD flower and let us tell you it's amazing, some of the best CBD flower we've ever seen! Erich has been cultivating cannabis for decades and shares with us insight into the different growing practices they are R&Ding at Flow Gardens from living soil to hydroponics and how different cultivation techniques have an effect on the CBD flower. David shares more with us about the business of cultivating CBD flower in Tennessee and some of the challenges they have faced as a business. We all talk about the benefits of CBD and the positive impact it could have on one's wellbeing. David and Erich share more about the legalization efforts in Tennessee teaching us about how the state could hopefully move forward with medical

Welcome to Season 16 of the podcast. Kicking off the new season is Tim Egan and Matt Simon to talk to us about the cannabis legalization efforts taking place in New Hampshire. Tim Egan has been a New Hampshire Representative representing the Grafton District #2 since 2018. He is also the Principal at Sugar Hill Associates, a forward thinking media firm specializing in broadcast and web based video content services in marketing and media affairs. Matt Simon founded the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy in 2007, expanding his work into other states, when in 2011 he was hired by the national Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Matt has since moved on from MPP and began working with Prime ATC, a non-profit medical cannabis business that operates two dispensaries in New Hampshire. We discuss the legalization efforts in New Hampshire including the latest bill HB-1598 that died in the Senate this session. Tim and Matt also provide insight into why cannabis legalization is a good mo

Tune in to the final episode of our HomeGrown Series: Made in Colorado. On Episode 159 we are chatting with Chris Chiari, CEO of 420 Hotels and Owner of the Patterson Inn. The 420 Hotels just became the first hospitality business in the country to receive a provisional license allowing it to operate a cannabis consumption lounge as an amenity to its hotel located in Denver, CO. Chris shares his background and the synchronicities that led him to buying the Patterson Inn, cleverly located at 420 E 11th in Denver, Colorado. We learn more about the Patterson Inn and the rich history this space provides to the local community. Chris tells us more about 420 Hotels and the cannabis hospitality guests can expect from this consumption lounge. We also talk in depth about the legislative and regulatory hurdles Chris has had to go through over the years to make his dreams of a social consumption lounge a reality. Through Chris' diligence and perserverance The 420 Hotels and the Patterson Inn will be a one-of-a-

Joining us for today's episode is Mike Hennesy, VP of Innovation at Wana Brands. With roots in Boulder, CO, and expansion across the U.S. Wana has been named North America’s most trusted edible brand. It’s easy to see why, for over a decade Wana has focused on high-quality ingredients, innovation, as well as focusing on impacting the communities in which they serve. Learn more about Mike's educational background including being one of the first to graduate with a Master’s Program for Cannabis Science and Therapeutics at The University of Maryland. We talk more about the online interactive training program for budtenders and employees Mike helped create that covers the science of the endocannabinoid system as well as Wana’s propriety terpene blends. Wana recently launched Live Rosin Gummies in Colorado which have become a huge hit amongst customers. Mike educates us on the difference between live rosin and resin and what this product offers to consumers. We also learn more about Wana's efforts to impact t

Baked goods have always been a passion for Karin Lazarus, Founder of Sweet Mary Jane Co., based in Boulder, Colorado.  In 2009 Karin won the Tutti Foodie-Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure contest for her chocolate-filled pandan dumplings. After receiving the prize money she saw an opportunity in the cannabis industry and decided to test her luck with infused baked goods.  Without having much experience in baking with cannabis Karin  started using cannabis infused butter to start familiarizing herself  with different ratios and flavor profiles to determine the best pairing  for her treats. Since 2010 Sweet Mary Jane Co. has been providing small batch, custom made, artisanal infused desserts to consumers in Colorado. We sit down with Karin to learn more about how Sweet Mary Jane got started and the inspiration behind some of her best selling treats including an OG pot brownie and infused popcorn. Sweet Mary Jane is truly hom

Welcome to 420 week listeners! Today we are chatting with Lauren Gockley, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Coda Signature. After completing her culinary training in France Lauren was named one of the Dessert Professional’s Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America. She also has extensive industry experience in Parisian pastry shops and even worked in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in New York. Today Lauren is responsible for driving product development, establishing best practices, and maintaining strict quality standards across all of Coda’s award winning product lines. Lauren shares her journey through culinary arts with us from her formal training in France, to working in Texas and New York eventually finding her way to the cannabis industry. Lauren tell us more about how her experience as a pastry chef and vegan raw chocolatier helped her work with cannabis as an ingredient. She's used the skills she's learned over the years to truly enhance the consumer's cannabis experience through Coda Signature's c

Tune in to E.155 ft. Patrick Rea, Managing Director at Poseidon. Prior to his role at Poseidon, Patrick founded and was the CEO of CanopyBoulder for 6 years. During his time at Canopy Patrick raised and managed five funds and led investments for 115 companies in the cannabis industry. Today, Patrick works with Poseidon Asset Management, which was started in 2013 making their first fund one of the longest running dedicated cannabis investment funds. Patrick discusses how he got started in the cannabis industry and more on the work he's done with CanopyBoulder. CanopyBoulder has invested in many of the companies we've had on the show, so it was fun to chat with someone who was inherently involved in the early years of their successes. We had a detailed conversation about investing in cannabis, what types of companies Poseidon invests in and what opportunities their firm is looking for in the future. Patrick provides his thoughts on federal legalization and what impact that may or may not have on both investors

On today’s episode of the HomeGrown Series: Made in Colorado we have Debbie McHugh, Chief of Staff with Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency joining us. Grasslands was started by Ricardo Baca in Denver, CO specializing in PR, content marketing, and thought leadership work amongst many other services serving clients from highly-regulated industries like cannabis. Today Grasslands focuses on supporting clients through product launches, acquisitions and IPOs, crisis management and more. Debbie shared her earliest professional experience as a cannabis consumer entering the workforce in New York City and the stigmas around her consumption. We also talk about the misconceptions she faced as a cannabis professional and the action she took in educating colleagues and older family members on the widespread benefits of the plant. We talked more about the good work Grasslands is providing across the U.S. and Canada and some of the strategies the Grasslands team puts in place for its clients. We discuss the importance

Episode 153 features Lucas Targos, VP of Controlled Environment Agriculture at urban-gro Inc. Colorado-based Urban-gro specializes in fully integrated facility design, cultivation systems integration and operational support for cannabis and food-focused indoor controlled environmental agriculture. They have completed over 500 indoor builds encompassing over 11.5 million square feet of cultivation since 2014. Lucas tells us more about his background in horticulture and sustainable agriculture and how that knowledge base from agriculture led him to working for L'Eagle in Denver, CO and now urban-gro. We discuss the all-in-one solution's urban-gro provides for clients from architecture design, engineering and managed services. urban-gro recently acquired Emerald Construction which will allow the company to hone in on mid-sized design builds for CEA facilities. Lucas provides insight into today's consumers and the most common growing practices of cultivators today. We even touch on the international market learni

Tune in to E.152 featuring Brian Vicente, Founding Partner of Vicente Sederberg Law Firm.Vicente Sederberg isn’t just a cannabis law firm, they have been trailblazers in cannabis law and policy since the inception of the regulated industry representing a wide range of cannabis and hemp businesses. In fact, Brian and his team were leaders in drafting Amendment 64 here in CO. We chat with Brian about how he got started in the cannabis industry and how his law firm has become a well-respected leader in establishing framework and regulations for cannabis both here in CO and now across the U.S. Brian provides insight into the services his law firm provides to clients and the value they offer due to their wide-spread experience in regulated cannabis markets. Brian gives his candid insight into what went right in Colorado and how regulations could be strengthened in the future. We talk about the future of the cannabis industry and more on the emerging popularity of psychedelics in Denver and other states across the

Tune in to E.151 featuring Colton Keluche, Director of Marketing at Würk. Würk allows cannabis companies to manage payroll, human resources, timekeeping, scheduling and tax compliance, and minimizes compliance risks in the ever-changing cannabis regulatory environment. Colton shares more about Würk's mission that was started by Keegan Peterson in 2015 in Denver, CO. The inspiration behind Würk was to create technology solutions for the industry that could help a company grow and stabilize in order to maximize their profits. Today Würk works with both small companies and large MSO's across the U.S. handling HR, payroll, and compliance demands. Due to Würk's large client base they have expertise in many areas of the industry from cultivation, ancillary businesses and more. Colton provides insight into Colorado's industry as he's watched it grown since it's infancy into what we all agree is currently in its teenage years. As a Colorado native himself it was fun to chat with Colton about Colorado's market an

We are kicking off this season with Jon Spadafora, Head of Marketing and Sales with Veritas Fine Cannabis. Since 2014 Veritas has made a name for itself in Colorado as a leading craft cultivator and one of America’s first premium cannabis wholesalers. Veritas prides itself on curating the cannabis experience for consumers growing over 90 high-demand strains, with a special focus on preserving the terpene profile of each strain. Jon chatted with us about his background in entertainment and hospitality and how those experiences led him to marketing and sales at Veritas. He also shared with us more about what makes Veritas a top cannabis cultivator in Colorado and how that attention to detail led them to partnering with some pretty amazing companies like Cookies and most recently Oskar Blues. We talk about the importance of Colorado culture and how Veritas being engrained in that culture has led them to success. You can often times find Veritas sponsoring a Red Rocks show or supporting local artists like Morgan