Empire State of Cannabis

Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville is a theatrical concert exploring the history of cannabis using music, dance and spoken word. The team includes Baba Israel as writer, performer, and co-director, Grace Galu as composer/performer; and dramaturg/co-director Talvin Wilks in collaboration with Soul Inscribed and an ensemble of dancers.

Inspired by Martin A. Lee’s book Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana - Medical, Recreational, and Scientific, this theatrical concert weaves the histories of icons such as Louis Armstrong and Bob Marley and grassroots activists such as Dennis Perron and Brownie Mary with personal narrative. Join us for a time-traveling tale of jubilation, injustice, and transformation.

In addition to managing operations as Bardo’s co-founder & CEO, Erik Carbone is the co-founder and lead grower at Tricolla Farms. Combining his many years of logistics and management experience in the construction industry with his passion for cannabis and horticulture, Erik dove head-first into hemp cultivation in 2017 and hasn’t looked back. His determination and intense desire to help people heal and connect through cannabis has made him a leader in the NYS hemp industry. Focusing on craft cultivation and sustainable practices, he also consults for other farmers looking to transition into hemp, providing assistance in all areas of farm operations; from sourcing genetics and equipment, to implementing irrigation systems and harvest plans, to selling the crop and responsibly bringing products to market. The quality of Bardo’s extracts are a direct reflection of the quality of Tricolla Farms’ flower and the tireless work that Erik puts in to ensure the ethos of quality, sustainability, and reverence for the cannabis plant are present from the very start.

In 1983, Seth Jacobs moved to upstate New York, in the hopes of owning and operating their own sustainable organic farm. Slack Hollow Farm was christened the same year and has provided certified organic vegetables to the capital district of New York through farmer’s markets and local groceries & co-ops ever since. In 2018 Slack Hollow pared the farm crew down to the family and a collection of part-time employees in order to participate in NYS’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. Now, Seth looks forward to the opportunity to finally grow cannabis for adult use. 

Sloane Barbour is the Founder & CEO of engin and was previously Chief Revenue Officer at FlowerHire, a cannabis recruiting firm. Sloane brings over 12 years of experience in the Talent and Recruiting space at companies like Motion Recruitment Partners and Hired.com where he oversaw teams responsible for 10,000+ strategic hires. Sloane is also passionate about equity and inclusion and has served on Boards of several national charities, Mouse.org and Code/Interactive, that focus on educating and empowering the future generation of diverse leaders. Sloane lives in New York City with his wife and pet dog. 

In our latest episode, former police Chief Brendan Cox of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and Kaelan discuss drug prohibition and the war on drugs. LEAP, formerly known as "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition", is a nonprofit organization composed of former criminal justice professionals who are dedicated to criminal justice reform and healing police-community relations. Now retired, Chief Brendan Cox began his 23-year career in law enforcement as a patrol officer with the Albany Police Department. Early on, he was promoted up through detective sergeant in the Children and Family Services Unit and eventually served as Chief of the Albany Police Department. Mr. Cox currently serves as the Director of Policing Strategies at the LEAD National Support Bureau. 

Tyme Ferris (he/him) is a cannabis consultant and co-founder and CEO of The Pantheon Collective. He spent several years operating businesses in legal cannabis states and is now looking to pursue a microbusiness license in his hometown of Boonville. 

He's also championed a pair of bills that would expand the definition of social equity to include the LGBTQ+ community. 

Michael Hiller, the founder of Hiller PC, joins us to discuss federal legalization and the lawsuit he brought against then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to force the US government into legalizing cannabis. 

Jessica Gonzalez is an associate at cannabis law powerhouse Hiller PC and a well-known advocate in New Jersey's cannabis scene. She also serves as the outside General Counsel for Minorities for Medical Cannabis, Social Equity Co-Chair for the International Bar Association, and on the board of New Jersey NORML. 

With two days left before applications are accepted in NJ, we get an in-depth and on-the-ground update on their regulatory program. 

Craig Johnson is a former State Senator from Long Island and New York political guru. He joins the podcast to discuss with Kaelan the dynamic state of New York's politics and what the industry should be thinking about. 

As municipalities weigh opting out of adult-use sales, one city in Western New York is taking an opposite approach. Jamestown has actively marketed itself as an ideal location for cannabis cultivators and processors. Mayor Eddie Sunquist described the many advantages the city offers to cultivators including a municipal-owned electric grid with cheaper than market rates. 

Can former upstate manufacturing cities like Jamestown redevelop as cannabis hubs?