We talk about Having Cannabis As a Houseplant with Kat Betty, founder of home grow planting party event business Cannabis Houseplant. 

How many people walking into dispensaries have never been close to a live cannabis plant? Kat Betty, founder of event business Cannabis Houseplant, believes that now is the time in history to grow cannabis primarily for fun and education. That’s why she’s taking the cannabis plant out of the basement and putting her in the living room! 

After producing renowned flowers in the California Bay Area for a decade and learning countless approaches to growing cannabis, she has removed as many barriers as possible to make that joy easy and accessible for the home grower. 

Her signature Planting Parties bring professionals, parents, cannabis enthusiasts and patients together to find community, have fun, and get everything they need to grow one plant indoors or outdoors at home with just water. No tents, home alterations, or reliance on south-facing windows. For Kat Betty and Cannabis Houseplant, this is what activism looks like now.

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We talk about Pest Management, Organic Pesticides and More For Cannabis and Hemp with Aaron Appleby, Owner of White Coat Laboratories.

Aaron recently Spoke on "Understanding Cannabis Ecology to Better Manipulate Secondary Metabolites and Pest Populations" at NoCo Hemp Expo 2023. 

Aaron has consulted the cannabis industry since 2017, after earning a B.S. in organic agriculture from Washington State University. He has since earned a M.S. from WSU specializing in organic pesticides and is currently pursuing a Ph.D at WSU again specializing in organic pesticides, with an added chapter of his dissertation focusing on the hemp russet mite and another on fiber hemp. Aaron was the first to grow Cannabis, both in a greenhouse and outside on the organic farm at Washington State University’s flagship campus (Pullman, Washington). In 2021, Aaron became a licensed certified crop advisor with all of his required field experience in Cannabis, a feat that he may have been the first to achieve.

 Recognizing the lack of research and dissemination of information from universities and extension agents to the cannabis industry, Aaron created White Coat Laboratories a Cannabis research and consulting business focused on solving industry wide problems at a farm scale. As a Certified Crop Adviser, Aaron is licensed to consult on all aspects of Cannabis production, but a special interest and talent of his is creating custom integrated pest management programs specific to each company’s site of production and cultural practices. Aaron utilizes conservation biocontrol tactics, to create habitats including native plants that are attractive to native beneficial arthropods and deter pest species in a push/pull approach to combating pests. Working with several cannabis producers, White Coat Laboratories is also studying plant volatiles (including several terpenes commonly associated with cannabis) and their involvement in plant defenses as well as arthropod attraction or deterrence.

  

 Scientific experimentation and data collection with appropriate analysis and application remain essential elements to all successful agricultural endeavors. By applying his understanding of chemical and ecological interactions occurring throughout the growth cycle of Cannabis sativa and knowing how these interactions contribute to specific selected characteristics of the plant, Aaron aims to bring the best available science to the cannabis industry. Aaron also believes that proper vocabulary and nomenclature around the C. sativa plant is important and something that everyone should rally around with proper training and the sharing of information to drive public perception and further normalize the plant.

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We talk about Boveda's Two-way Humidity Control Solutions for Cannabis and Cigars with Shannon Klick, the VP of Global Sales at Boveda.

Boveda Inc., the global leader in two-way humidity control solutions for cannabis, cigars, musical instruments, and other items, is helping cannabis consumers maximize their flower purchases with its patented Original Terpene Shield™ sachets. Made in the USA with all-natural salts and purified water, the brand’s ready-to-use packets maintain the quality, consistency and freshness of moisture sensitive products for up to 6 months.

According to Shannon Klick, VP of Global Sales at the company, Boveda safeguards flower integrity from cure to consumption, protecting terpenes, character, flavor, potency, and aroma. “Nobody wants to smoke less than stellar cannabis. When overly dried, cannabis can lose the rich flavors, delicious aromas and effects that consumers have spent their hard-earned money on,” stated Klick.

Boveda has pioneered humidity control solutions for the past 25 years. Their innovative products, available in a variety of sizes for different quantities, extend the life of cannabis flower by keeping their flower purchases at the optimal storage environment, between 58-62% relative humidity (RH). Preferred relative humidity levels vary depending on personal preference, different regions and climates.

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We discuss the State of Cannabis Vaping After The Vaping Crisis of 2019 with Michael Brosgart, Chief Operating Officer of AVD. The US International Trade Commission recently ruled definitively in favor of US cannabis vaporization leader AVD (Advanced Vapor Devices) in a year-long patent infringement investigation initiated by Chinese e-cigarette maker Shenzhen Smoore Technology Limited, which owns CCELL.

AVD is a leading vertically integrated manufacturer and distributor of cannabis vaporizer technology, recognized for best-in-class hardware designed exclusively for the cannabis extract industry. Decades of experience working with the cannabis plant informs AVD’s personalized solutions for their Client Partners based on a deep understanding of the nuanced interplay between extraction methods, formulation, absorption, heating, and vaporization delivery. Oil-touching parts are non-toxic, and AVD cartridges are constructed with the highest quality and safest materials available to comply with stringent heavy-metal regulations. AVD controls its entire supply chain and is the partner of choice for leading oil brands, known for producing products that do not easily leak or break. Advanced design—including a proprietary ceramic core and No-Burn Technology™—gives consumers a premium flavor experience. AVD complies with HACCP, cGMP 820, and 110 standards, and is ISO 9001, 14001, 13485, and 45001 certified.

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We learn about the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum and The Seed Dispensary with April Arrasate, Executive Directo of the Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum, and the Founder & CEO of Seed Dispensary.

Decriminalized cannabis, the number of arrests for possession and distribution are still alarmingly high and Thousands of humans are currently incarcerated for cannabis related offenses. These facts are disturbingly juxtaposed against the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry that currently benefits industry giants as well as state and federal tax authorities.

Despite being home to only 5% of the world’s population, America houses 25% of the world’s inmates. This fact lends the exhibition its title and is accompanied by a stark visual representation of how race impacts incarceration rates. It culminates in the alarming reality that any American male born after 2001, regardless of race, has a 1:13 chance of ending up behind bars. 

The heart of the museum's recent exhibition is the story of Jawara Tosh, youngest son of legendary reggae artist and founding member of the Wailers, Peter Tosh. In a story so poetic it defies reality, his sister Niambe McIntosh recounts how Jawara lost his life to the inequitable system his father so urgently railed against in his music.

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Standards for Coast to Coast Cannabis Lab Testing as West Coast-based BelCosta Labs and U.S. Cannalytics Merge in Key East Coast Cannabis Markets. We talk about this, fungus testing, THC Potency and more with Myron Ronay, CEO of BelCosta Labs.

 BelCosta Labs, a leading California third-party cannabis testing lab, today announced the company is expanding its operations beyond California. BelCosta is combining businesses with independent testing labs US Cannalytics (“USC”) and Pinnacle CT Labs (“PCT”). USC currently services Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and PCT services Maryland. All laboratories will be rebranded and operate as BelCosta Labs.

The merger combines over ten years of cannabis-specific, analytical testing expertise from five different state markets to create a national laboratory group rooted in quality, transparency, and innovation. The new lab group is positioned to lead the evolution of the cannabis testing industry with best-in-class methodologies providing operators, patients, and consumers alike with detailed and accurate data to more effectively understand the cannabis experience.

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We learn about Mosaic a company that is redefining the digital user experience for dispensary customers with Jack Blaeser, Founder and CEO of Mosaic.

Built to boost and grow dispensary finances, Mosaic allows cannabis retailers to fully express the look and feel of their brand while offering loyalty rewards programs and seamless payments for customers. Mosaic's digital experience platform supports the entire customer digital lifecycle with powerful marketing and analytics tools and provides cannabis consumers with the same quality of shopping experiences seen in more mature industries. Mosaic's digital customer platform allows dispensaries to create their own branded app and online store all in one place. Operators can take advantage of several features in the digital storefront including showcasing products in rich detail and positioning top-selling products more prominently. With Mosaic, dispensaries can fully control their brand, data and digital storefront while offering unique customer experiences and leveraging integrations to technologies like their newest Aeropay, to boost sales and ROI.

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Cannabis Brand Strategies for The Booming Cannabis Operator as we speak with Laurie Parfitt, CEO & Principal of LKP Impact Consulting.

Laurie Parfitt is an accomplished executive, leader & coach who inspires companies with her vision for what's possible and her ability to execute and drive results. She has over two decades of driving innovation & execution across multiple functional areas within companies from start-up to Fortune 500. Laurie has honed her skills at organizations such as Kraft Foods, Beam Suntory, Topco Associates, Mizkan & Mission Dispensaries.

 Through her company, LKP Impact Consulting, Laurie works with cannabis and consumer products companies on brand strategy/design, consumer insights and commercial go-to-market strategy. Parfitt’s background includes experience in large-scale, integrated cross-channel marketing and experience campaigns, including a background in traditional marketing, category development and sales strategy in an omni-channel environment. Parfitt served as the Vice President of Customer Engagement and Marketing for Mission Dispensaries, which currently owns or manages nine retail locations in six states. In that role, she oversaw consumer experience and marketing/brand strategies for the booming cannabis dispensary operator, as well as developed the concept of joint business planning, which includes strategic sourcing, assortment optimization and activation.

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We learn about OKAY Cannabis and the Fifty/50 Group with Maura McCabe, General Manager of OKAY Cannabis . We learn about the recent opening of Okay Cannabis  in a building shared with West Town Bakery Cafe & Lounge in Wheeling, Illinois just outside of Chicago.  

OKAY dispensaries are for the experienced and cannabis-curious seeking to reset their state-of-mind, treasure friends, and celebrate equity.

While offering curiously curated recreational THC products, OKAY experience stores engage guests in a wonderland of primal shapes and colorful environments that reframe the ordinary and rekindle wonder. Our majority diverse and minority ownership brings the bounty of cannabis to all. In these challenging times, we believe that you’re okay, and I’m okay, and together—we’re all okay. Indeed, everyone has their own experience with cannabis—imagine we’re all unique colors under one cannabis flag, expressing ourselves as individuals while belonging to a colorful cannabis nation.

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moodRXtreats Cannabis Vacation Retreats are showcased and we learn more from Holly Teegarden, Chief Mood Dealer and founder of Moodporium, Cannamood, and most recently her newest venture moodRXtreats.

The retreats are positioned at a mature female demographic, looking for escapism from their busy worlds, whether it be a tedious 9-5 office job, or tiring days at home entertaining kids, it aims to be the ultimate getaway for ladies who are tired of the stigma around cannabis and want to hang out in a safe space with judgment-free people.

With this trending movement in the cannabis space, moodRXtreats has found a niche with the demographic, with a clear goal of wanting to fill the gap and ensure representation of such.

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