Grassroots Marketing

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grassroots Marketing Catches Up with Autumn Brands with Autumn Shelton, the Owner and CFO. Autumn Brands takes a pesticide-free approach allowing beneficial bugs to thrive, and the PURE guarantee marks a product that provides a clean, potent cannabis experience.

They have created a modern, artisanal approach to sustainable cannabis cultivation and raise their crops without insecticide sprays. It’s all possible with the native California ladybug doing its part. 

Montel Williams is a former television talk show host who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. He was at the Benzinga conference in Miami and was speaking with Daron Babin, founder of Cannabis Radio, about his personal journey with MS. He discussed how he used cannabis to help with his own healing process. 

He decided to get a second opinion before announcing his diagnosis to the world. He has been living with MS for the past 19 years and is a strong advocate for medical cannabis and its potential to help those suffering from chronic illnesses.

In 2000, after a full year of seeing doctors, Montell was finally diagnosed with MS. He recalls back in 1999, he had extreme neuropathic pain and was flying to Utah to shoot an episode of Touch by an Angel. He was playing a rogue minister and the angel didn't help him, he was sent to hell. Going back to old pictures, he weighed much more, squatting 600 pounds and deadlifting 600 off the floor. 

On the flight to Utah, he experienced the most debilitating pain he had ever felt and his friend, who was a doctor, suspected MS. The next day, the doctor confirmed the diagnosis.

Andrew Thut is a small-cap growth investor who has been involved in cannabis finance for the past 20 years. He has a unique orientation to the cannabis industry, and he is currently attending the Cannabis Capital Conference at the Fountain Blue Hotel. He began his career in finance and left his job in investment management at a crossroads in his career. 

He has been able to use his knowledge of the cannabis industry to help other companies succeed. He believes that cannabis has the potential to revolutionize the economy, and he envisions a future where cannabis is widely accepted. He is dedicated to helping the industry progress and succeed.