In the cannabis industry, we have grown used to hearing about the wide variety of jobs, careers, and passions people were following before their path led to cannabis. Still, we are in for a surprise every now and then, as is the case with Shane Terry, who was a Top Gun instructor, and one of the finest F-16 pilots in the world until he retired his military career to become an entrepreneur. Interestingly enough, he says the Air Force was ideal preparation for the cannabis industry in many ways, and we hear firsthand how he and his business partners at NuVeda are navigating the legislative landscape of Nevada, and what projects the company has in store going forward. Enjoy!
In this episode, we sit down with Jesce Horton. You may know him as the founder of the growing facility/edibles manufacturer Panacea Valley Gardens, proudly at home in the state of Oregon, but he is equally well known as the founder of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, an association dedicated to supporting minorities in the cannabis industry. Horton tells us how, after a car accident, growing his own medicine helped him manage his own pain, and how that eventually led to him growing for other patients in his community. Encouraged by this, a year and a half ago he felt ready to leave the corporate world he had spent most of his professional life in to focus solely on cannabis. He offers enlightening perspectives on how the cannabis industry should be focusing on energy efficiency, and how minority empowerment lies at the core of cannabis's overarching message of social justice, economic opportunity, and universal patient access. Enjoy!
We sit down with Mark Passerini in this episode, known best as the founder of Om of Medicine, largely regarded as one of the finest medical cannabis dispensaries in Michigan. He tells us about his journey from the green industry to the "green industry," and the principles on which he founded Om of Medicine. He also fills us in on how and why he got the Illinois Cannabis Industry Association up and running, and the current regulatory problems facing Michigan. Mark credits a lot of Om of Medicine's success to their commitment to the community of Ann Arbor, and it's plain to see how the community could benefit from a knowledgeable and caring voice like Mark's. Enjoy!
Robert Jacob has certainly earned his nickname of the "The Cannabis Mayor." He is the current CEO of SPARC dispensaries, and founder of the Peace & Medicine dispensaries, a business that he is currently merging with the SPARC dispensary system, but on top of that, he is a dedicated public servant, and currently holds a seat on the city council in his home of Sebastopol, CA. He tell us about founding Peace & Medicine, and establishing the set of practices and principles that led SPARC to come and observe his model, and eventually tap Robert to lead their organization. He also, like many other business leaders in California we have talked to, weighs in on the recent passing of AB 266 and the future of cannabis regulation in California. Enjoy!
In this episode we sit down with Kenny Morrison, founder of the Venice Cookie Company. After a youth spent acting in film and television, he eventually branched out into photography, directing and producing. However, It was his involvement in a couple Los Angeles county medical marijuana dispensaries that sparked his interest in the cannabis edibles industry. Nowadays, the Venice Cookie Company is well-regarded as a leader in the industry, and are as known for their stewardship in industry associations as they are for their high quality edibles. Morrison weighs in on California's recent legislative promise to regulate their medical cannabis market, the risks currently associated with operating in the cannabis industry in California, and what he sees on the horizon for cannabis nationwide. Despite all of his success in business, he still maintains that the best word to describe him would be "surfer." We look forward to seeing what this surfer has in store next!
In this episode, we give you the full Hempfest experience. The Audio Archives was on the scene talking to various cannabis dignitaries and the crowd at large at the 24th annual gathering of the world's largest "protestival," in the words of co-founder Viv McPeak. If you've never been before, this is a great way to get sense of what you've been missing, and if you have, then you'll be able to tell firsthand how much bigger and better the event has gotten year by year. Listen in for interviews with John Davis, Sue Sisley, Ed Rosenthal, Alison Holcomb, Charlo Greene, the one and only Tommy Chong, and many other of cannabis's best. Enjoy!
In this episode, we sit down with both Sabrina Fendrick and Victor Pinho from the Berkeley Patients Group. The Berkeley Patients Group is a well known and respected name in the cannabis industry, as the longest continuously running medical cannabis dispensary. It was founded by activists Jim McClellan and Debby Goldsberry, as a way to provide quality access to quality medicine for patients, and to this day the core mission remains the same. Sabrina and Victor tell us a little bit about how they wound up at BPG, give us a tour of their facility, and catch us up on everything the BPG has been working on as California looks poised to consider new regulations for their medical marijuana market.
When you ask people in the cannabis industry, from the US and across the world, what a model dispensary would look and operate like, almost all point to the Harborside Health Center. Since day one, Harborside has sought to establish this reputation, not out of any vanity or pride, but for the sake of their patients and for the sake of the plant. In this episode, we are given a tour of this world-renowned facility by none other than Harborside Executive Director and industry luminary Steve DeAngelo himself. He details the intricate security systems in place, talks about their genetics and grow operations, and explains Harborside's commitment to their community of patients and employees. Places like Harborside are raising the bar higher and higher for cannabis businesses everywhere - enjoy the tour!