Cultured Cannabis

In the latest episode of "Cultured Cannabis," host Tony Arce delves into the inspiring journey of Victoria Ruiz, the co-founder of Rollin' Rosa, a brand revolutionizing the cannabis industry with a touch of elegance and a strong commitment to empowerment.

Victoria's story is more than a narrative of business success; it's a tapestry woven from resilience, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of redefining norms. 

Born and raised in Chicago's diverse neighborhoods, her experiences range from the humbling streets of Wicker Park to the contrasting dynamics of the city's south side. This rich tapestry of life laid the foundation for her extraordinary path.

Reflecting on her past, Victoria doesn't shy away from acknowledging the tumultuous times. "I've always been a hustler," she says, illustrating her journey from a rebellious teenager to an entrepreneur making waves in a male-dominated industry. Her story isn't just about overcoming adversity; it's about transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

The inception of Rollin' Rosa is a testament to Victoria's vision and Vanessa's partnership. Disappointed by discovering a beloved brand's misleading marketing, they asked, "Why can't we do it if he can?" This pivotal moment sparked the birth of Rollin' Rosa, a venture that stands as a beacon of empowerment, especially for women and the Latino community in the cannabis world.

Their signature product, the origami rose filter tip, is not just an accessory – it's a symbol. It represents the elegance and class long denied to cannabis enthusiasts, particularly women. 

"We wanted to create something that made us feel classy," Victoria emphasizes, challenging the stigma associated with cannabis use. This dedication to craftsmanship and community is palpable in every aspect of Rollin' Rosa.

As Victoria shares, "You don't want to burn any bridges," a philosophy that has guided her in establishing meaningful partnerships. This focus on genuine connections, rather than purely transactional relationships, is what sets Rollin' Rosa apart in the burgeoning cannabis market.

Victoria's journey is more than a business case study; it's a beacon of hope and inspiration. Her story urges us to embrace our past, harness our unique experiences, and channel them into something transformative. It's a call to action for anyone aspiring to make a mark – be authentic, be resilient, and, above all, be true to your vision.

In the latest episode of "Cultured Cannabis," host Tony Arce delves into the inspiring journey of Victoria Ruiz, the co-founder of Rollin' Rosa, a brand revolutionizing the cannabis industry with a touch of elegance and a strong commitment to empowerment.

Victoria's story is more than a narrative of business success; it's a tapestry woven from resilience, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of redefining norms. 

Born and raised in Chicago's diverse neighborhoods, her experiences range from the humbling streets of Wicker Park to the contrasting dynamics of the city's south side. This rich tapestry of life laid the foundation for her extraordinary path.

Reflecting on her past, Victoria doesn't shy away from acknowledging the tumultuous times. "I've always been a hustler," she says, illustrating her journey from a rebellious teenager to an entrepreneur making waves in a male-dominated industry. Her story isn't just about overcoming adversity; it's about transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

The inception of Rollin' Rosa is a testament to Victoria's vision and Vanessa's partnership. Disappointed by discovering a beloved brand's misleading marketing, they asked, "Why can't we do it if he can?" This pivotal moment sparked the birth of Rollin' Rosa, a venture that stands as a beacon of empowerment, especially for women and the Latino community in the cannabis world.

Their signature product, the origami rose filter tip, is not just an accessory – it's a symbol. It represents the elegance and class long denied to cannabis enthusiasts, particularly women. 

"We wanted to create something that made us feel classy," Victoria emphasizes, challenging the stigma associated with cannabis use. This dedication to craftsmanship and community is palpable in every aspect of Rollin' Rosa.

As Victoria shares, "You don't want to burn any bridges," a philosophy that has guided her in establishing meaningful partnerships. This focus on genuine connections, rather than purely transactional relationships, is what sets Rollin' Rosa apart in the burgeoning cannabis market.

Victoria's journey is more than a business case study; it's a beacon of hope and inspiration. Her story urges us to embrace our past, harness our unique experiences, and channel them into something transformative. It's a call to action for anyone aspiring to make a mark – be authentic, be resilient, and, above all, be true to your vision.

An event planner by trade, Phil Cooper’s designs have been featured in Town and Country Magazine, Modern Luxury Magazine, and on Windy City Live.

Phil soon noted that most events tend to focus on alcohol as part of the overall guest experience, leaving virtually no options for non-drinkers like himself. When the adult use of recreational cannabis became legal in the state of Illinois, he saw an opportunity to finally introduce cannabis to the event world as an alternative to alcohol.

By combining an elevated, approachable guest experience with cannabis education and responsible dosing, Phil hopes to de-stigmatize this plant for good—and throw fabulous events while doing so!

Patrick McSherry wasn’t born a chef. In fact, for the most part of his teenage years and his twenties, he saw himself as a painter. But this changed when he wanted to do something that could “pay the bills.” For this reason, he attended the Florence University of Arts, later becoming a chef.

“I was a painter and I did a lot of abstracts. I did portraits though, too. I mean, I could draw anybody; famous people look like photographs. And I was in my teen years and I took that up into my early twenties as I was overlapping to becoming a chef. But I felt I needed a job title, am I a painter on the street? What am I going to tell my father? Even though my father is an awesome guy. I wanted to impress as anybody would with something that could pay the bills. And I noticed after I had gone into that for that reason, that took away from it a little bit. And so, while that was occurring, I found it in food. And so here I am now as a chef.”

It will be fair to say that Patrick accomplished all great things in his occupation, achieving many of the reasons most people would want to become a chef. He lived in Italy and got involved in amazing experiences globally.

“I didn't have to waste my time with those normal card hours. So I'm in school doing food, making good grades, going to Italy, and getting asked to do James Beard in New York City. So I'm walking around Florence, I'm working at one of the best restaurants in Florence, living next to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. And the following year I'm flying to New York City to cook two meals at James Beard's House. Yeah. Wow. So it was an amazing opportunity that I think all came from my passion and I guess my networking skills too because I don't know how I met all these amazing people that I ended up being next to.”

After coming back from Italy, he found himself in the world of Cannabis after suffering from chronic pain that was never ending. He tried everything to deal with it, including moving to Scottsdale, Arizona just to experience a change of weather, changing diet, losing weight, and cutting all the alcohol consumption. But all these proved futile. Only cannabis made the difference.

“There's something about when you partake in cannabis, if you're doing it for the right reasons. If you're doing it not to escape something in life, but to enjoy life. I think it adds to life and in every way, if you're using it for the right reason.”

After 3 years of treating himself with the Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), Patrick is now on a mission to help others find healing through the plant free of charge. He remembers the “spiritual event” with the mother of a cerebral palsy son, who experienced the healing within minutes. 

“She asked if I would come in and talk with her and if I had any ideas for her son and we went over there and it loosened his joints and got rid of his seizure disorder. And you were able to see the onset of this in 45 minutes. It was a spiritual event for me, watching a boy locked in his own body, able to move, smile, and laugh with his mother and father because of a plant.  And it just set off light bulbs and I kind of got into it even more, learned more, and treated more people. I treated breast cancer, Parkinson's, and autism.

But why is Patrick doing this for free? 

“It's not something you can even really put a price on. I mean how, when you see the profound changes that this stuff puts on a PTSD veteran. And I'm telling you this RSO is kept in the back of the dispensaries for a reason. It's the medicine.”

Tune in to learn more about Patrick’s story and truly understand the medical capabilities of cannabis and how it connects to his career as a chef.

Meet Madeline Scanlon, cannabis insights analyst and content creator.

Originally from Chicagoland, cannabis was about to legalize as she was finishing up her master’s degree, so she began speaking about how she loved research and cannabis. She started working at Brightfield Group doing marketing content, and eventually moved to the insights side of the company to work on cannabis insights. 

Scanlon goes deep into the kind of data she works on at Brightfield, ranging from consumer insights, market forecasting, and distribution trends. When it comes to consumer insights, Scanlon shares that currently about 50% of cannabis consumers are between the age of 30-50 - it’s not just college students using cannabis. There are baby boomer mothers whose children are outside of the home and who uses her cannabis to relax with friends. Normalization is about including all of these people.

Also good for the normalization of cannabis is more interest in cannabis drinks and alternative formatting. “It’s not just all about getting stoned,” Scanlon says. She mentions drinks like Cann with only a few milligrams of THC. She says “that's really what's going to move the needle on normalization - where it's not all just about big clouds of smoke, but it's about this feeling.” 

Outside of her day job, Scanlon has an Instagram (@made_content) where she celebrates and helps normalize cannabis use, hoping to make content for the everyday consumer. She wants to provide value by filling the hole for content for moderate cannabis consumers - where it isn’t about just quitting cannabis forever or doing 1 gram dabs.

She talks about cannabis science - people are right when they say cannabis is stronger now than it was in the 1970’s. And people are beginning to understand that THC isn’t everything - brands have gummies with minor cannabinoids. 

For people who want to get into using cannabis, Scanlon recommends using non-psychoactive cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, or CBN first. “You're able to have a wellness experience,” she says, “without having to worry about having a negative time.” 

Events will be important for normalization. People were closeted stoners for decades - she’s a third generation cannabis user and is the first one who can say - yes I smoke weed and I am a normal adult! Where you can smoke cannabis is  limited in Illinois, but no matter what on-premise smoking is going to happen. People don’t want to be smoking in their closets, but there’s no legal place for them to use cannabis. People are finding a way, through the limited scope of the Illinois law, and in ways that are “unregulated” - so imagine how the community could thrive with better laws of cannabis events. 

Scanlon leaves you with this: 'We’re hardly in the second inning of cannabis - there’s a lot of game left to play."

Though cooking has been a passion for Manny Mendoza since middle school, Cannabis wouldn’t become a part of that identity until later in life. The CEO and Founder of Herbal Notes joins us to share his story around the cannabis community he’s embraced. 

Upon graduating high school, Manny attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde park, New York. It was there that he formalized his craft, but it was his later experiences on the west coast that would prepare him to infuse cannabis in his cooking. 

“I set out to go to California with the intention that it's going to be legalized in Chicago at some point, so I should get ahead of it. I should go to a place where cannabis has already been embedded in the culture. So I went over there and did everything from cooking to cold press, organic juice, manufacturing, to attending farm school.

California was only a starting point. Making the most of his time out west, Manny traveled throughout California and Mexico; including Baja California. Riding the wave of demand for cannabis infused dining, he gained a lot of experience in space that had yet to be paved. 

“I had a certain type of experience I wanted to create that was not necessarily fine dining, but that's kind of what I was classically training for. I didn't want an experience that was as pretentious; as some or most of them.

I started thinking about how I can infuse cannabis with that experience, because cannabis is something that brings people together. It's a common denominator, so I've once I started realizing, even though it was illegal then, and very much high stigma, but I knew it was going to be something that everybody was going to lean into. 

At the time, there were so many closet stoners and they weren't ready to let the world know, but I knew that that day was going to change.”

Anticipating the acceptance of cannabis in society, Manny worked to position himself as a a leader in the elevated cannabis-infused-dining space. Having found incredible success, Manny has been featured on cooking competitions on Netflix, amongst several other guest media appearances. 

Tune in to hear more on Manny’s story of trailblazing a movement to normalize the use of cannabis, while building a community around it.

Fabian Limon is an Associate Attorney with Greenspoon Marder’s Cannabis Practice Group. Though a lawyer by trade, Fabian’s passion for cannabis borders on an obsession fueled by curiosity and community. He joins us to share his journey into the cannabis industry. 

“I think for me the impetus coming into this space and trying to get more involved, stemmed from my passion from when I started smoking, consuming cannabis when I was about 17 and more so in college. Back then I had less of an understanding of how to consume for my own benefit, but it still created a very deep level of intrigue for me. When I started looking at cannabis and seeing some of the ways it brought benefits, back then, it just sparked my curiosity.

Seeking more information than what was readily available, found limited content through forums on Reddit. Once he found it though, it set him on a path that would lead him down one of in depth discovery and appreciation for cannabis. 

Yet despite his passion, for not only the health and wellness benefits associated with pot, his father’s dream of 

“I do look back and ultimately realize, one of the things he always told me, he was like:

‘Listen, go to law school, get a law degree. You can play the piano, you can play the band, you could do anything, but you can always rely and fall back on your law degree.’

And I will say now having gone through the process, gone through law school, where I am at today, a lot of the opportunities and the positions I found myself in are as a result of being a lawyer.”

Regardless of how he’s arrived at this place in his journey, Fabian truly finds purpose in his work. As cannabis becomes legal across the US, it’s about “bridging lines of communication where people are willing to listen,” that Fabian focuses on changing the perception of cannabis. 

“Sometimes it's whether it's through a close, personal relationship or it's because we've created these preconceived notions about people who may be, are in categories of certain professions where it's like, oh, they do that. I'm certainly not the only one I've got tons of friends, some of my, my brightest, most intelligent friends that use cannabis on a regular basis.”

Tune in to hear more on Fabian’s story with cannabis, in which he’s seen the industry evolve from an illicit community to one hopeful of legalization and access for those who need it most.

On this episode of the Cultured Cannabis Podcast, we’re joined by Arianne Richards of Chicago Cannabis Concierge.

“I am a certified cannabis interpreter which basically is the science of evaluating cannabis flower through physical inspection and aroma. The prime reason for interpreting is to inspect the cannabis to make sure you're getting a good product.”

Arianne has loved cannabis for a long time. After doing work with youth and non-profits for years, she decided to take a different turn in her life, taking something she loves and turning it into a profession. 

She spent a while getting more educated on cannabis and getting involved with different expos, taking workshops, and networking in the space. 

“One of the most important things to me was to make sure that I aligned myself with organizations. I have the same thoughts and outlooks that I do, you know, especially with social justice.”

A medicinal user herself, Arianne discusses what it was like for her to have easy access to medicinal cannabis when she lived in California for a few years versus moving back to Chicago and finding it much more difficult to be treated. She talks about how there are so many reasons people need cannabis to help them through whatever ailments or conditions they’re dealing with from mental to physical health. 

“It's funny because I've always used it recreationally, you know, but realizing that this is actual medicine and that it actually keeps me from being anxious if I'm feeling anxious is mind blowing.”

Listen in to this special inaugural episode of the Cultured Cannabis Podcast to hear more about the process Arianne uses to inspect flower, how she determines what makes the cut, how cannabis is truly helping people, and much more.

Laurie Parfitt sits down with us on this episode of the Cultured Cannabis Podcast. A corporate America veteran, Laurie now owns her own company, LKP Impact Consulting LLC. 

Like many of us, Laurie grew up with parents who had 30+ years of career experience working for corporations. “I always believed that W2 income was incredibly important,” she explains. Then one day she woke up and realized she wasn’t happy with that life.

“Instead of taking all of my talent and time and energy to make other companies really successful, I wanted to form my own and utilize my talents across multiple companies to help them out.“

Thus LKP Impact Consulting was born to help cannabis and consumer product companies with everything from marketing and strategy to the implementation and execution side of their business. 

Laurie tells us what it’s like to be involved in such a new and emerging industry where there isn’t an existing blueprint of what makes a successful cannabis company. 

“That's the most exciting part about it is that it is so new and we're basically all forming it together. Back in 2019, one of my coworkers there said, ``Whatever we do now is going to shape this industry.’”

Laurie, who used to work in the liquor industry, likens the experience to when America was coming out of the prohibition era. She asks herself, ‘how did that work back then?’ Navigating the shame and stigma of cannabis is a big part of that. 

Listen in on this episode to hear more about how Laurie is working to help change the minds of consumers, paving the way for the future of the cannabis industry, what it takes to break into this new market, and more.

We’re kicking off our first episode of the Cultured Cannabis Podcast in style produced live at Tony P’s Networking Event at the Electric Hotel in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

Our host, Alexis Rodriguez, sits down with various guests to chat about all things cannabis. With the Electric Hotel brimming with excitement to hear from Keynote Speakers and network with like-minded people in the industry, it wasn’t difficult to find individuals with inspiring stories to tell. 

Craig Cesal, formerly incarcerated in federal prison for 19 years, tells his story of going from a life sentence without the possibility of parole to being pardoned by President Donald Trump. As Craig said “they decided the punishment didn’t fit the crime.” He shares with us the uphill battle he’s fighting to help his fellow inmates facing extreme sentences over cannabis get the justice they deserve. 

Lisbeth Vargas Jaimes is a first-generation Mexican woman working tirelessly to empower other women and the BIPOC community to find their voice in the cannabis movement. She tells us the importance of educating others on the “ancillary” aspects of the cannabis industry; things they’re already passionate about and translating that into the cannabis space. With a background in marketing, Lisbeth says, “Marketing came about as a way to really democratize folks’ idea of what it meant to be in cannabis.”

Jenny Cohen, co-founder of Flame Princess Confections talks about all things edibles. Both Jenny and her business partner, Becky, come from the food and catering industry. When the pandemic hit, they decided to marry their long time love of cannabis with their love of food. Flame Princess Confections makes delicious treats, both savory and sweet, and they specialize in catering events. “I want to make sure that we can create these higher-end foods and edibles and introduce people to it in a more comfortable way, with stuff they're more familiar with.”

Casey Mulligan and her co-founder, Kathy, of Open Dør Dispensaries are creating a ready-made franchise model to help those who want to delve into dispensaries get up and running. With her expertise in cannabis and Kathy’s knowledge of the franchise space, it was the perfect marriage to create a “business in a box” as Casey puts it. “You can go to Starbucks in any city and you know exactly what you're going to get the experience. You're going to get all of those things.” Casey and her team help people with everything from getting their licenses to marketing and branding and everything in between. 

Vincent E. Norment is bringing to cannabis what we didn’t realize was missing: the Marijuana Hall of Fame. Inspired by a song, Vincent noticed that there wasn’t a place where we could pay homage to those who have paved the way for the Cannabis industry to take off. Studying the likes of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other museums, Vincent is working on bringing a unique spin to showcasing the legends of marijuana and give them the recognition they deserve. 

Founder of Growmentum Labs, Amy Nathan is helping cannabis startups take flight. “We accelerate new business owners and help them really launch and sustain their businesses in the space of cannabis and all the ancillary supporting services.” She shares some of the legal challenges they’ve faced helping those in Illinois and what the landscape of opportunity looks like for those trying to break ground. “We help a business get all those things under their belt so that they can open up within 16 weeks.”

Adelia Carrillo, Chief Marketing Officer of EventHi, is working on bringing women in cannabis together. While she works for EventHi full-time, an event platform for businesses who want to throw cannabis events, she also started Blunt Brunch, a social event where women executives in the cannabis space can come together. A clever play on the word ‘blunt’, Adelia explains, “it's more for the blunt conversation. Talking about imposter syndrome, being a woman executive, those challenges that we can't talk about in front of our male counterparts.”

An amazing event filled with inspiring people, we were lucky to sit down with these pioneers in the world of cannabis. From fighting for justice, elevating others in the space, to helping people build the businesses of their dreams, these folks are laying the foundation of what’s to come for the cannabis industry. Tune in to hear more about all of these stories on the Cultured Cannabis Podcast.