High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast
Hosts Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein serve up unfiltered insights, reveal their insiders' perspectives, and illuminate transformative ideas about the cannabis industry for people who want to make sense of it all.
Episodes
The mics take a breather, but the cannabis market doesn’t. We’re wheels up for MJBizCon and our High Spirits Morning Mixer on Thursday, and then straight to BevNET, while state and federal moves reshape the map from Texas to Virginia to Minnesota to California.
We start with Texas, where regulators approved nine new medical licenses in a historically tight program. It’s a modest step with big implications: re...
We unpack the 365-day clock facing hemp-derived THC beverages, why the category exploded, and how a policy rider vaulted prohibition-style limits into law. Martín Caballero of BevNet joins us to map realistic paths forward, where coalition power lives, and what compromises might actually work.
• why hemp-derived THC drinks resonated with mainstream shoppers
• how a funding bill rider created the new 0.4 m...
We unpack the federal push to restrict hemp products, then turn to a grounded model for the future: regenerative organic cannabis. Darren Story from Coastal Sun shares how soil health lowers costs, why OCAL matters, and how compassion and affordability can scale.
• hemp policy shock and what it means for access
• lessons for advocacy and industry unity
• Darren’s path from blueberries to cannabis
...
We explore how local elections shape cannabis policy on the ground, then dive into the real map of cannabis patents with Dr. Ruth Fisher. She explains who holds the IP, why enforcement is scarce for now, and how one big verdict could change the industry overnight.
• grounding in stoicism and local civic action
• breaking news on recalls and lawsuits in New York and Florida
• Dr. Ruth Fisher on 10,000+...
We explore how hemp-derived THC beverages are redefining adult drinking, why big brands hesitate while startups build, and how “vice wellness” turns ritual into wellness-driven status. Jeff Cantalupo of Listen Ventures shares what gets a VC to yes, how portfolios form, and where retail wins.
• consumer demand driving THC beverage mainstream adoption
• integration of life lessons into leadership and team c...
We unpack why cannabis retail still can’t run on normal card rails, how debit and alternative payments increase average tickets, and what federal legality would actually change. Aubrey Amatelli of PayRio shares data, pitfalls, and a playbook for safer, smoother checkout.
• why Visa and Mastercard rules block standard cannabis card payments
• cashless ATM and debit as the current stable rails
• 34% ave...
We dig into the rise of THC beverages from dispensary side racks to big-box end caps, then peel back how Uncle Arnie’s raised $7.5M, built distribution state by state, and scaled a team while staying scrappy. Theo shares lessons on dosage, education, and why focused markets beat scattershot launches.
• Target’s Minnesota pilot and retail data signals
• Ohio’s 90-day hemp ban and policy risks
• Uncle A...
We unpack how a federal shutdown freezes cannabis policy progress, why Michigan’s new 24% tax risks shrinking the legal market, and how a Vireo–Schwazze restructuring signals financial maturity. We close with a live “Ode to California” challenging protectionism and calling for true access and scale.
• federal shutdown halting rescheduling, farm bill momentum and appropriations
• behind the scenes lobbying...
We trace how a headline-grabbing CBD moment collided with the realities of cannabis policy, then dive into Levia’s rare founder buyback to unpack brand trust, dual-channel strategy, and what it takes to build consistent, safe, and truly approachable THC beverages. The conversation blends practical deal lessons, product innovation, and senior-focused education with a call for higher standards across hemp and regulated ...
Elliot Lewis, CEO of Catalyst Cannabis and famously dubbed "the angriest weed CEO in California," pulls no punches in this revealing conversation about the state of California's cannabis industry. Having built Catalyst into one of California's largest retail chains with over 25 stores, Lewis speaks from experience when he describes the maddening reality of operating under excessive regulation and t...
Marianne Cursetjee shares how she transformed from cancer patient to cannabis entrepreneur, building Alibi into a premium brand now expanding from Oregon to New York through strategic licensing partnerships.
• Breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 led to discovering cannabis's healing potential
• Built Alibi Cannabis in Oregon with a focus on premium indoor flower and adventure-focused branding
• Butte...
Cameron Clarke, CEO of Sunderstorm and the Kanha brand, shares his journey of building a global cannabis wellness brand and navigating the complexities of international markets.
• Started in California in 2015, believing that success there would translate to success anywhere
• Expanded nationally in 2019-2020 after becoming a top 10 brand in California
• Entered Thailand in 2022, becoming one of the f...
Lulu Tsui, co-founder of On the Revel, shares her journey from Bloomberg to becoming the "Queen of New York Cannabis" and how she's building authentic community in the East Coast market. She reveals how New York's cannabis industry has developed its own unique business culture focused on directness, accountability, and community standards.
• Raised in Eugene, Oregon by cannabis-friendly &q...
Former NCIA CEO Aaron Smith shares his insights after 20 years leading cannabis policy reform, reflecting on the evolution from medical advocacy to today's complex marketplace and the challenges of federal reform.
• The cannabis industry has seen remarkable progress over two decades, with support for reform growing from just two members of Congress to majorities in both chambers
• Current regulatory ...
Rama Mayo, co-founder of Hall of Flowers, shares how he transformed his experience in music, art, and fashion into creating one of cannabis's most respected trade shows focused on high-quality brand and buyer connections.
• Building successful cannabis brands requires clear mission, vision, and values as foundation
• The tension between "money people" and "cannabis operators" crea...
A hundred episodes in, and the journey has only just begun. This milestone celebration of High Spirits offers a candid look into what we've learned about cannabis entrepreneurship, regulation, and the future of this evolving industry.
When we first started recording our conversations with friends in the cannabis space, we couldn't have predicted the wealth of knowledge that would emerge. Now, as ind...
Mack Hueber from Ayrloom shares the remarkable story of how a 114-year-old apple orchard transformed into New York's leading cannabis brand while navigating the complex regulatory landscape of hemp and THC beverages.
• Ayrloom emerged from Beak & Skiff, a century-old family-run apple orchard that expanded into cider, spirits, coffee, and eventually hemp and cannabis
• Mack explains how the compan...
Kim Gomez shares how her TikTok experiment with her mother turned into Soberish, a multi-million dollar online marketplace for hemp-based and non-alcoholic social alternatives without spending on advertising. Her accidental business journey provides insights into serving cannabis-curious consumers who are intimidated by dispensaries but eager to try low-dose products.
• Building a marketplace to curate qualit...
We dive deep into East Coast cannabis markets with Rick Bashkoff, CEO of Lit Alerts, examining how data is reshaping operations in New York, New Jersey, and beyond as these emerging marketplaces evolve.
• Data accuracy in cannabis typically ranges from 70-90% with most platforms using similar methodology to predict market trends
• New York's cannabis retail scene faces challenges with rampant illicit...
Amy O'Gorman Jenkins, one of California's most influential cannabis lobbyists and director of the California Cannabis Operators Association (CaCOA), breaks down the critical fight to reform cannabis taxes and save the state's struggling legal market. The industry faces a dire situation with legal cannabis sales dropping 30% since 2021 and a recent automatic tax increase from 15% to 19% that represents a...
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