Blunt Business

The first ISO accredited cannabis lab with Antonio Frazier, President of CannaSafe. Our next guest oversees the first ISO accredited cannabis lab in the world, and the #1 accredited cannabis testing lab in California. He is also an Executive Committee Board Member of The American Council of Independent Laboratories Cannabis Working Group. Antonio recently co-wrote a letter on behalf of the ACIL outlining the deficiencies in California cannabis regulations and suggestions for no-cost improvements. So he lays out what he's looking for to help improve California's cannabis industry to make it safer for consumers without increasing costs. The ACIL has noticed cannabis companies trending away from a focus on quality and safety and towards receiving favorable results, such as a lack of contaminants and higher potency, and lower pricing. In more mature markets, this trend has already led to the suffering of honest laboratories and the questioning of the cannabis industry as a whole. An FDA report on the CBD

CanaFarma with Frank Barone, Chief Operating Officer. With CBD widely popular in many consumer products due to the passing of the Farm Bill in 2018 that legalized industrial hemp, the industry still faces legal challenges and gray areas. The FDA is thoroughly reviewing CBD in an effort to release regulations and guidelines soon once there is a better understanding. CanaFarma is a burgeoning company that has effectively re-arranged the vector of pop culture in only a few months. The executives at the New York-based firm (which is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange: CNFA) decided to court one of the entertainment industry´s biggest power brokers. By successfully recruiting Gibson Kagni – an award-winning music producer and the strategist behind some of the most successful consumer brands of the last decade - CanaFarma effectively acquired an all-access pass to modern popular culture. Through Mr. Kagni´s connections and his proactive involvement as a shareholder, the company has been able to secure marqu

Maintain compliance in cannabis with James Minutello, CEO of LeafLogix. Our next guest has 25 years of experience building high growth tech and logistics companies. He represents an ERP solution company servicing many of the largest MSOs in the cannabis industry. Leaflogix is available across 37 states and three continents, allowing clients to maintain compliance with business growth, and have remained 100% compliant since inception. James spoke with New Cannabis Ventures about the company’s seed-to-sale software platform and thinking globally. They reported during the pandemic, your company has worked closely with its customers and focused on remaining agile. He also added approximately 15 to 20 full-time team members during the pandemic to help handle its growth. They added that the company has created an agile, robust platform that is designed to handle a high volume and cater to its customers across the globe in an industry characterized by constant change. Forbes reported that “Considering the potential

The Valens Company with Everett Knight EVP, Corporate Development & Capital Markets. Our next guest works at the largest publicly traded extraction company in the world with a broad expanding international footprint. HealthEuropa recently described The Valens Company as “one of the few companies in the world that can facilitate the utilization of five extraction techniques using customized and proprietary methods and technology, with further research and development always ongoing. This flexibility and technical expertise allow The Valens Company to produce almost any cannabis product imaginable, which means its clients can make their vision of a unique and differentiated cannabis-infused product a reality". When talking about building a brand, our guest believes the main goal for any company is to achieve profitability. Everett said this about what was attributed to Valens’ success in achieving profitability. Everett's team recently announced its participation in a Medical Cannabis Real-World Evi

Cashless Payment For The Cannabis Industry with Chris Rentner, Spence Labs, co-founder, and CEO. Our next guest operates an innovative financial technology startup developing cashless payment and customer relationship platforms for the cannabis industry. The innovative platform lets dispensary customers pay for cannabis purchases with their mobile phones, eliminating the need to carry cash or visit an ATM inside the dispensary. Spence is a turn-key national system for both dispensaries and technology companies in the cannabis industry, offering two solutions: First, mobile payments for retail customers and cannabis delivery; and second, a simple API allows dispensaries or cannabis tech companies to quickly embed digital payments in their own platforms. Working with Chicago-based Burling Bank, who will manage payment clearances from buyer to seller. Rather than rely on credit card rails or an ATM system, Spence utilizes Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments, the system typically used for transfers between ba

Marijuana Opportunity Today with Adam Goers, VP of Corporate Affairs at Columbia Care. Our next guest is here representing one of the nation's largest fully-integrated, multi-state, medical cannabis companies. This includes pharmacies, dispensaries, home delivery, cultivation, and manufacturing facilities. Columbia Care operates one of the largest portfolios (16 U.S. states + the EU) of highly regulated, licensed medical cannabis product development, research, manufacturing, and dispensing operations in the United States. The company produces industry-leading pharmaceutical quality products and has research and clinical partnerships with top academic and medical institutions including Columbia University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Adam was a long-time Senior Advisor to then-Governor O’Malley of Maryland as well as a Senior Advisor to the Democratic Governors Association. Amongst others, he worked for then-Governor Tim Kaine, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Congresswoman Tubbs Jones. We talk about

The 8th Annual Marijuana Business Factbook with Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier, Editorial Director at MJBizDaily. MJBiz recently published the 8th Annual Marijuana Business Factbook and we look at the overall scope of findings. “Though the long-term outlook for the recreational side of the industry is more bullish than for medical, MMJ sales are expected to grow at roughly the same pace in 2020. New MMJ markets including—but not limited to—Florida, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania are booming, more than offsetting lost medical sales in markets that have legalized adult-use sales, such as Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan. “ Four states are voting on adult-use (recreational) cannabis legalization: Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. However, the medical cannabis industry’s upside is limited, as more than two-thirds of U.S. states have legalized medical markets; only around one-fifth currently allow adult-use sales. Programs in states that have recently legalized medical marijuana are restrictive i

Tax and CFO Services for Cannabusiness with Jason Brown Founder and CEO of Foresight Financial CPA. Our next guest has over 20 years of experience in the accounting profession, specializing in providing customized tax, accounting, CFO, and consulting services and solutions for businesses, startups, venture-backed companies, estate and trusts, and high net-worth individuals. He has been serving the Cannabis Industry with Tax and CFO Services for Dispensaries, Growers, Technology, CBD, & PEO Companies across the US. Extensive knowledge in 280E. We understand the unique challenges in this industry. We talk about when he decided to take on clients in the sector and what led to the new direction. These factors create an enormous need for CPAs who are excited about entering a fast-growing and intricate niche, which consists of farming, chemical manufacturing, food production, and retail. Equipped with a specialized skill set and sophisticated financial knowledge, CPAs have the opportunity to enter a burgeoning

Cutting edge retail technology with Jeremy Jacobs, CEO & Chairman of Enlighten Dispensary Solutions. Our next guest manages the first full-scale enterprise solution in the cannabis space and is already working with over 700 cannabis businesses, including dispensaries, cultivators and producers, head shops, cannabis lounges, and medical facilities. Enlighten is a full spectrum enterprise solution managed by a team with a collective 20 years of experience serving Fortune 500 companies, first-class retailers, and top-end brands all over the world, bringing cutting edge retail technology to the cannabis industry. Jeremy recently added to his suite of products with the launch of Enlighten SMARTHUB, a first-of-its-kind centralized management platform that allows retailers to sync real-time product updates to in-store digital displays and their eCommerce suite. The platform seamlessly integrates information across major POS providers and gives dispensaries the ability to automatically push standardized inventory

4Front Ventures with CEO and Co-Founder, Kris Kane. Our next guest runs one of the leading multi-state operators ushering in cannabis and fierce public advocate for cannabis decriminalization and legalization. He believes the correlation between ending prohibition and legalizing cannabis is undeniable. Having founded 4Front Advisors in 2011, Kris now serves as president of 4Front. Prior to forming 4Front, Kris served as director of client services for CannBe, a pioneer in developing best practices within the medical cannabis industry. Kris has dedicated his career to reforming the nation’s misguided drug policies, having previously served as associate director of NORML (2000-2005) and executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (2006-2009). He currently serves on the National Cannabis Industry Association board of directors and pens a column about the cannabis industry for Forbes. Kris’ pioneering roots in cannabis advocacy and policy provides a deep understanding of the evolving regulatory enviro

Virtual Versus In-Person Conferences with Matt Hawkins Founder/Managing Partner at Entourage Effect Capital. Our next guest has over 20 years of private equity experience and has founded multiple $500+mm alternative firms. He has an extensive background in building large alternative investment firms and scaling the companies he invests in. Matt brings an extensive background in building large alternative investment firms and scaling the companies he invests in. In 2014, Matt had the vision to create the leading private equity firm focused specifically on investing in the legalized cannabis industry.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Ever Booming Cannabis Business with Nick Tennant, Founder & CTO of Precision Extraction Solutions. Our next guest is a cannabis entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience developing and operating companies in the cannabis industry. His expertise is in cannabis and hemp extraction, code regulation, lab design, extract product and process development, and extraction equipment engineering. Precision is actually the world's only provider of turn-key extraction labs, and more award-winning concentrates are made with Precision than any other brand. Precision recently unveiled two new hemp and cannabis extraction technologies- patent-pending T-SEP and L-SEP processes that provide scalable and cost-effective solutions to manufacturers that optimize the extraction and purification of cannabis and hemp oil. Nick recently spoke at Benzinga’s Virtual Cannabis Capital Conference about the current state of the industry and the obstacles extraction companies are currently facing. He told Benzinga you’re still

The many uses of industrial hemp with Luke Dandrea, founder of DRIHP. Our next guest’s mission is to educate the consumer one product at a time on how industrial hemp is the game changing component in the science of global warming. He recently launched a new environmentally-safe hemp line and he has signed on actress/philanthropist, Bella Thorne, influencer Rachel Cook and model and social media personality, Jay Alvarrez to serve as brand ambassadors for DRIHP.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The impacts of legal cannabis sales with Cy Scott, Founder, and CEO of Headset. Today we welcome the Founder of CEO of Headset, the leading provider of data and analytics to the cannabis industry, who recently announced the launch of an ongoing weekly report to make sense of the impacts of legal cannabis sales. The report provides a week-to-week overview, of how cannabis sales are affected by changes in regulations, consumer sentiments, and economic trends. Cy said "The COVID-19 pandemic has created a dynamic and shifting cannabis retail landscape. We felt the best way we could help our clients was to provide them with a better understanding of changing customer purchasing behaviors in order for them to supply their needs safely."Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The first all organic herbal wrap company with Paola Fernandez, Founder & CEO of High Hemp. The hemp industry as a whole has faced tremendous economic pressures and worries in recent months, but now, the industry – like many others – faces doubt, economic distress, and overall concern due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our next guest represents the first all organic herbal wrap company. Paola started High Hemp-based primarily on the need for organic products within the industry with the goal of providing consumers with tobacco-free organic hemp wraps that contain zero traces of nicotine, tobacco, or toxic additives.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Exposing the "Plandemic" and Exploring Benefits of Cannabis with Dr. Judy Mikovits. Dr. Mikovits is the author of Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science and joins us on Blunt Business to discuss the explosive response to her appearance in the viral Plandemic documentary that was viewed by millions on social media. We also talked to her about her current focus in Cannabis research with her newest project lookingforcbd.com. Dr. Judy Mikovits is best known for her appearance in a controversial documentary called "Plandemic" that ultimate got censored and banned from all of the social media over claims made that the Washington Post reported that “the doctors and experts shaping public policy in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic have silenced dissenting voices and misled the public for sinister reasons.”Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alternate ways of consumption during COVID with Jay Rush, Co-Founder of Moose Labs. Our next guest’s company has developed a unique product allowing users to smoke safer by reducing the spread of germs and reducing coughing. A typical bong contains more bacteria per square inch than a toilet seat in a public restroom, and according to the first study of contamination on shared smoking devices, a bong after a ten-minute smoke session between four people carries 600X the germs it had before the session. The device your team has developed is called the MouthPeace. It’s a silicone personal and universal mouthpiece with an activated carbon filter for pipes, vaporizers, and joints, preventing direct human contact. Tell me about it. Leafly reports that the coronavirus has disrupted cannabis commerce across North America, triggering runs on stores, closures, and the adoption of curbside pickup and delivery orders.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

NuggMD with CMO and Co-founder Alex Milligan. Our next guest’s company, NuggMD, the nation's leading cannabis-focused telemedicine platform, recently announced the launch of Nugg Club, a cannabis subscription box featuring full-sized products curated by experts and personalized to each customer. The service is currently available to med and rec customers in LA and Orange County and will expand to more cities in the coming months. Every Nugg Club Box is priced at $99, excluding tax, and contains 5-7 premium cannabis products worth over $225 in retail value. Products inside each member’s box are uniquely chosen for them based on their tastes, curated by a team of experts. Each month's selections improve based on customer feedback, and delivery is offered everyone, two or three months depending on customer preference.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Connecting producers and users of hydroponic supplies with Justin Pierce, Principal at Hydroponics, Inc. Our next guest’s company is a premier provider of global agricultural supplies, logistics, and procurement for large scale, commercial farms. Hydroponics, Inc. is connecting producers and users of hydroponic supplies around the world through origination, trading, and distribution, as well as offering a range of analytics and financial solutions. CEO Ken Alston stated to CannabisTech “before this became a crisis we had started to see that ports were closing and factories were laying off workers in China. What we anticipated is that there were going to be material shortages or backorders of some non-critical grow components.” We talk about if Justin thinks China can still play a role in the cannabis supply chain going forward post-pandemic.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The emulsification process of cannabis with Tyler Peterson Director of Business Development at SōRSE Technology. Our next guest’s company focuses on the emulsification process of cannabis and CBD products and they have come up with a process (that over 30 brands on the market currently use) to ensure edibles and beverages are shelf-stable and have consistent dosing of the active ingredient from the first bite or sip to the last. SōRSE Technology sells and licenses a proprietary water-soluble cannabinoid emulsion technology (patent-pending) that enables increased bioavailability, accurate dosing, and over 12 months of shelf stability. His company has explained that the telltale signs of liquid separation and sour odor will have you lunging for the door.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy