Tag Archives: Podcasts

Susan Ameel on RegTech’s Role in Managing Risk and Compliance in the Cannabis Industry

Susan Ameel, Partner at Global Regulatory Risk Advisors LLC, recently sat down with Grace Pedota during #WeedWeek to highlight how her firm is leveraging technology to keep up with the rapidly evolving regulatory framework for cannabis (3:45), juxtapose the “.com” bubble with the current boom in cannabis (10:45), and outline the important balance of having regulation that doesn’t curb industry innovation (14:30). Listen until the end to hear Susan’s impression of Hell’s Kitchen in New York City and how she used to regularly swim to Canada from her home in Michigan!

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Matt Nordgren on Cannabis Investment and the Lessons Learned from Pro Football

#WeedWeek spills over into its second week! Arcadian Fund Founder and CEO Matt Nordgren sat down with Phillip Shum (ed. debut host!) to chat about his experience as a pro quarterback and his perspective on team building and investments (3:15), his funds’ criteria for cannabis investments (7:00), and defining the consumer opportunity in Cannabis (e.g. akin to the early days of Apple Computer) (15:00). Listen until the end of the pod to hear Matt’s thoughts on the use-case for cannabis for athletes, life-lessons learned as the star of “Most Eligible Dallas” and his seven-day challenge for all listeners and viewers!

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Joseph Lusardi on How Cannabis is Helping America Recover from the War on Drugs | #HashtagFinance

Curaleaf CEO Joseph Lusardi recently sat down with Barrington Miller during #WeedWeek to discuss why vertical integration is integral to controlling the quality and consistency of their product (4:00), how Curaleaf’s biggest advantage might be in its boardroom (6:00), and how evolving legislation is helping America recover from the “war on drugs” (10:30). Listen to the entire podcast to hear why Joseph Lusardi defines himself as a “reluctant pioneer” of the cannabis industry and how the industry is evolving in “dog years”.

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Charles Bachtell and Joe Caltabiano on the Fundamentals of Becoming a Top 3 MSO

A #HashtagFinance first, Barrington Miller hosts a three-way conversation with Cresco Labs’ (CSE:CL) Charles Bachtell and Joe Caltabiano during #WeedWeek. Both gentlemen share the lessons they learned from a previous life in the mortgage industry (1:30), how they distinguish the differences between traditional and non-traditional cannabis consumers (3:45), and the thinking behind Cresco’s acquisition of Origin House (8:15). Listen until the end to lean about Charles’ appointment to the Cannabis Legalization Subcommittee of Illinois Governor-elect JB Pritzker’s transition team and the importance of social equity in state transitions from medical to recreational cannabis.

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Chuck Smith on Expanding his House of Brands for Infused Cannabis Products | #HashtagFinance

Industry “OG” and CEO of Dixie Brands, Chuck Smith, recently sat down with Barrington Miller as part of Public Entrepreneur’s #WeedWeek podcast series. In this discussion Chuck shares why Dixie decided to focus on infused products and stay away from farming and cultivation (3:15), how the early origins of the company in medical cannabis have been integral to their efforts to build a portfolio of recreational product offerings (7:30) and the recent launch of CBD products for dogs AND cats! Listen until the end to learn about Chuck’s pioneering work on the Cannabis Trade Federation, his thoughts on cannabis taxation (ed. more interesting than it sounds), and their “transformative” JV with Khiron Life Sciences in Latin America.

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Billy Levy on How Branding and Distribution are the Keys to Defining the Cannabis Opportunity | #HashtagFinance

Billy Levy, President of SLANG Worldwide (CSE:SLNG) sat down with Barrington Miller to share his insights from the pioneering “boot camp” days with Mettrum Health (0:30), how he is defining the cannabis opportunity in terms of consumer branding and distribution (3:30), and the important reasons why SLANG does not operate as a retailer (7:00). Listen until the end to hear how SLANG is applying tried-and-true sales methodologies from “boring” industries and the (somewhat accidental) marketing magic that happened when SLANG’s products were advertised in LAX.

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Kim Rivers on Emulating the Whole Foods Retail Model in Cannabis | #HashtagFinance

Trulieve (CSE:TRUL) CEO Kim Rivers joined Grace Pedota during #WeedWeek to discuss the importance of inclusion as a value for the company and it’s “Trulievers” (3:00), the lessons learned becoming the first company approved to sell flower in Florida (8:00), and taking their expertise into new, competitive states in the U.S. (12:30). Listen until the end to hear how Trulieve is emulating the Whole Foods retail model, the importance of loyalty programs and data, and her pivot to the Cannabis industry as a recovering lawyer.

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Jai Waterman on Building Fair and Compliant Securities Markets with Blockchain | #HashtagFinance

Blockstation’s Jai Waterman sat down with Barrington Miller to discuss the inherent flaws of initial coin offerings (ICOs) (3:30), how his team is working hard to evolve the capabilities of stock exchanges by introducing blockchain-enabled securities (8:45), and the promise of unparalleled security through security tokens (15:15). Listen until the end to hear Jai’s thoughts on how traditionally illiquid assets (e.g. publishing rights) can achieve liquidity with the help of blockchain technology, and Blockstation’s recent announcements with the Barbados and Jamaica Stock Exchanges.

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David MacMillan on Digitizing the Agriculture Industry with Drones | #HashtagFinance

David Macmillan, CEO of Deveron UAS (CSE:DVR) recently sat down with Grace Pedota to discuss how drones are changing the manner in which farmers are collecting and using data (5:00), the important similarities shared by farmers and Bay St. bankers, (10:15) and an explanation of why Deveron is laser focused on the agricultural industry (for now) (15:00). Listen until the end to learn how a visit to Silicon Valley was the catalyst to focus on agriculture, what to wear (and not wear) to a farm meeting, and David’s unfortunate run-in with a turkey vulture in the field.

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Russ Patterson on Using Everyday Spaces to Create One-of-a-Kind Experiences | #HashtagFinance

Spacefy (CSE:SPFY) CEO Russ Patterson recently sat down with Barrington Miller to explain how Spacefy is building the “Airbnb” for creative spaces (3:15), the weirdest booking he’s seen (so far) on their platform (11:00), and ambitions for expansion into global, world-class cities (15:30). Listen until the end to hear about Russ’ favourite creative space and his idea of the ultimate location in Toronto.

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