In this episode, Felipe Recalde (CEO of Compound Genetics and Fartech Ventures) joins today’s host Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners). Felipe shares his journey from South-Texas patient to multi-brand cannabis entrepreneur and investor. 

The conversation opens with Felipe’s early home-grow experiments, his move into California cultivation, and his advocacy work on the California Growers Association board. Then, Felipe and Jordan dissect the market downturn, licensing delays, 280E taxes, and an entrenched illicit supply chain. 

Next, we debate what it will take for the legal market to out-compete the black market. Felipe describes his various responsibilities, including CEO of Compound Genetics and of investment firm Fartech Ventures, and CTO of OOG.Health. We cover the hunt for good cultivators and supporting “picks-and-shovels” tech . The episode closes with an outlook on federal rescheduling, hemp regulation, the MAHA movement’s views on cannabis, and the emerging global market. 

Please enjoy the episode!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Guy Rocourt (Founder of GR Consulting and Co-Founder of Papa & Barkley) sits down with Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to talk about the evolution of cannabis product formulation, the history of legalization, and the power of plant medicine. The conversations starts with Guy’s journey into cannabis from the early days of California's care giver program all the way to opening one of the first extraction labs in Colorado, leading to his realization of the importance of full spectrum products and label transparency. Guy and Jordan move on to talk through the head winds the cannabis industry has faced, the opportunities hemp presents and the current political landscape around cannabis. The episode wraps up with Guy’s perspectives on cannabis meditation, his consultancy GR Cannabis, and his product brand CLEA Mid Life. Please enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Jason Beck (Founder and Host of High at 9 News) sits down with Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to talk about running a cannabis news platform, the rescheduling to level 3, and the history of California's market. The conversations starts with Chuck's path into the cannabis industry, from a man with a pager to an early operator telling us what it was like getting raided by the DEA 3 separate times. Jason and Jordan move on to learn about his varied political work as a point man for congressman Rohrabacher and cannabis messaging correspondent for the 2016 Trump campaign. The episode wraps up with Jason's thoughts on Trump's current cabinet picks regarding cannabis and his ongoing work with Cannabis intelligence alliance, American Kind Foundation and Parody Gummy. Please enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Chris O’Ferrell (Author of Greater Than 100 grams per Foot) sits down with Tiby Erdely (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to discuss his new book, what inspired the book, and how vital great cultivation practices are. The conversation kicks off with Chris’ journey from the Military to cannabis cultivation where he’s become an industry leading expert. From here Chris and Tiby dive into Chris’ cannabis cultivation book, Greater Than 100 Grams per Foot. The episode finishes up with Chris’ perspective on the importance of genetic variety, what to look for when investing in a cannabis cultivator, and the future of cannabis cultivation. Please Enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Chuck Smith (Founder and CEO of Bellrock Brands) sits down with Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to discuss the early days of cannabis, the struggles of smaller public cannabis companies and Chucks recent endeavors from Bellrock Brands to Colorado Leads. The conversations starts with Chuck's path into the cannabis industry, from realtor in Alabama to early investor and executive at Dixie Elixirs and now CEO of Bellrock Brands. From here Chuck and Jordan touch on the trials and tribulations of working a smaller public cannabis company amidst public and private money drying up. The episode wraps up with Chuck's thoughts on cannabis product categories and his current work with Colorado Leads, a coalition of business leaders who advocate for progressive cannabis reform in Colorado. Please enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Josh Kappel (Partner at Vicente LPP and Co-Founder of Microdosing Collective) joins Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to dive into the state of cannabis and psychedelic legalization. The conversation kicks off with Josh’s background in cannabis law, his exposure to psychedelic law, and the future of psychedelic legality. From here Josh and Jordan touch upon the argument between natural and synthetic substances' medical applications and the FDA’s difficulty to regulate the new wave of alternative medicines. The episode wraps up with a synopsis of what The Microdosing Collective is, how they began, and what the upcoming election could mean for cannabis and psychedelic legalization. Please enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Jill Ellsworth (Founder of Willow Industries) joins Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to dive into the critical issues of cannabis safety, regulatory challenges and the importance of product safety. The conversation kicks off with Jill's transition from running a Juice business to cannabis, highlighting her pioneering efforts in cannabis decontamination with Willow Industries. Jill shares insights on consumer misconceptions regarding cannabis safety and the rigorous testing it undergoes. The discussion then explores the evolution of safety measures from reactive to proactive strategies across the industry and the implications of disjointed state regulations and the potential for federal oversight in the future. The episode wraps up with a look at Willow's latest innovation, Willow Air, which tackles air contamination in cultivation facilities. Please enjoy!

In this episode of Cannabis Unlocked, Kelly Coyne (Partner at D4 Investments) sits down with Jordan Youkilis (Founding Partner at KEY Investment Partners) to discuss the current state of cannabis investing, opportunities for growth, and the shift in buyer demographics being seen nationwide. The conversation begins with a dive into Kelly's background, her path towards D4 Investments, an overview of D4 investments investing strategies and their investment in Talarya. From there, Kelly talks through D4’s experience merging distressed assets to create a stronger business and how that experience lends itself to success in the battered cannabis industry. The talk continues with Kelly and Jordans perspectives around cannabis brands, their successes and how they represent a strong growth path for the cannabis industry. This episode concludes with an overview of the demographics of cannabis buyers and how the buyer persona of a “cannabis user” is changing. Please enjoy!

In this episode we welcome back Dave Nuendorfer, CEO of Open Book Extracts, a cannabinoid ingredients, formulations and finished goods manufacturing company and KEY portfolio company. Dave has spent the better part of the past decade in cannabis and recently celebrated 5-years at Open Book. We discuss the history of Open Book, the growth and trends of the cannabis industry and the rise of the hemp derived cannabinoid industry. Stay tuned for some exciting news and developments as Open Book takes cannabis into the future! Enjoy!

In this episode, we welcome back an old friend of KEY, David Culver, who recently headed up Canopy Growths Global Government Relations. David Culver is now at the US Cannabis Council (USCC) as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. David is arguably one of the most plugged-in regulatory experts in Washington D.C. and in this episode we discuss what is the USCC, and then we move over to the regulatory topics: SAFE Banking and Re-Scheduling. Stay tuned as we have some exciting regulatory developments and predictions to share!