This week, Joe Gerrity, CEO of Crescent Canna joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss the existential threat facing the hemp industry, why he believes Senator Mitch McConnell is on a "warpath" to undo the Farm Bill's accidental cannabis legalization, how it's hard to keep your foot on the gas (and people/media/the world interested in your plight) when you face constant attacks, and the sheer amount of money that goes into lobbying—as well as why it's time for the $40 billion to $50 billion industry to spend more than 0.01% on those efforts.

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

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This week, Vince Ning, co-founder and CEO of Nabis (think can-Nabis), joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss the regulations that could fix the cannabis supply chain, his thoughts on interstate commerce, how he secured Y Combinator backing, the state of the legal and illicit markets in California and how he is improving commerce for operators by building a cannabis wholesaling platform with the largest portfolio of cannabis brands in the world.

Nabis has a significant presence in California (30% of market), Nevada (50%) and New York (15%) and does more than $1 billion in wholesale transactions (about 5% of the U.S. market) each year, according to Ning. 

We also discuss the threatened excise tax in California and Michigan's 24% wholesale tax set to begin January 1, 2026.

This week, Bethany Breitland, founder of Green Mountain High joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss why she traded Vermont's artisanal cheese industry for cannabis, why she only works with Tier 1 cultivators, the equipment she uses to make pre-rolls and gummies, and how she carefully curates her brand to compete in a competitive market.

We also talk about the complications she faces over the confusion with Green Mountain High Growers, an unrelated company, that was recently suspended by Vermont's Cannabis Control Board.

As she says on the company's website, "We are in good standing with our license (#Manu0121). We are not associated with Green Mountain High Growers."

 Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

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This week, David Frasier, CEO of Muskegon Ventures, which owns Michigrown, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss why he stresses quality over everything, the equipment he can't live without, and the qualities he looks for in potential partners. 

We also talk about the state of the Michigan cannabis market following the new (and additional) 24% wholesale cannabis tax Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law to pay for her plan to "fix the damn roads." 

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

This week, Cullen Raichart, CEO of GreenBroz, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss how to reduce labor while improving quality and output, machine whisperers, and his new M1 GBZ fully-automated trimming machines engineered for modern cannabis processors.

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

Editor's Note: Download the audio version below and click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

This week, Barron Lutz, founder of Nasha Hash, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss how he makes premium cold-water hash, the equipment he can't live without, what it takes to become a Nasha Hash partner farm, the current state of California cannabis, and how he stays in business by "doing it the right way."

 Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

This week, Will Breakell, CEO of Blazy Susan, joins the Cannabis Equipment News (CEN) podcast to discuss how he set out to clean up coffee tables with a novel smoking accessory and wound up launching one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.—and it all started with a little product placement on CNN during the New Year's Eve Ball drop. 

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

This week, John Shute, CEO of PufCreative, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss how he creates marketing programs that move the needle for cannabis operators and the disruptive marketing tactics the industry can use to stand above the fray.  

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

This week, Aundre Speciale, owner of Cannabis Buyer's Club Berkley (CBCB), joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss her legacy in the industry, which spans some 35 years of advocacy, retail, research and community building.

Speciale was turned on to the cannabis industry by Jack Herer, author of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes." Herer was Speciale's neighbor, and she began her advocacy aboard Herer's H.E.M.P. (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) Bus. She has spent decades in the industry, building community-based dispensaries, working on the Marijuana Policy Project's board of directors, launching businesses with Montel Williams, and finally settling into her role as owner of Cannabis Buyer's Club Berkeley, America's oldest dispensary—which her children now run as Speciale slides into semi-retirement. 

Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].

This week, Charlie Weiler, banking sales manager at LeafLink joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss his journey from slinging shaved ice at Taylor Swift concerts (and pretty much every major event in the greater Kansas City area) to becoming a cannabis finance pro at Dama Finanancial, which LeafLink acquired in July 2024.