Grassroots Marketing

Grassroots Marketing welcomes Theo Terris, CEO of Uncle Arnies, a rapidly growing THC and hemp-infused beverage brand, recently closed a $7.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate national expansion.

Theo details Uncle Arnie's growth strategy, which included dominating the California market before expanding into 10 new states, securing partnerships with major retailers like Total Wine and Circle K, and relaunching their website to boost e-commerce.

Theo also outlines Uncle Arie's diverse product line, emphasizing their commitment to great-tasting, fast-acting, and affordable THC beverages.

Drew Cesario, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Jaunty, to the podcast, discussing Jaunty's strategy for maintaining its top-selling vape brand status in New York through strong retail partnerships and a focus on sales velocity.

Drew detailed Jaunty's approach to scaling in the New York cannabis market, navigating regulatory challenges like the delayed seed-to-sale tracking system, and ensuring a reliable supply chain.

He also discussed their future-proofing strategy beyond vapes, focusing on R&D and innovation to compete in the evolving market.

Jeffrey Miller, CEO of Honey Projects, joined Grassroots Marketing, to talk about Honey Projects' focus on small-batch, independent cannabis brands, advocating for conscious leadership and integrating storytelling from their documentary background into the cannabis industry.

Miller also discussed the company's vision to bridge adult-use cannabis with psychedelic-assisted wellness, predicting a medical model for psychedelics while leveraging cannabis's current legal status to build infrastructure for conscious use and advocacy. Main talking points included award confidentiality, introductions, storytelling in cannabis,

Honey Projects' cultivation approach, supporting smaller brands, bridging cannabis and psychedelic wellness, and the future of cannabis and psychedelics.

Jennifer Gierum, Founder and CEO of High Life Health, elaborated on their dispensary's unique approach in the competitive New York cannabis market, emphasizing a commitment to quality, safety, and consumer education by providing resources like lab reports.

Jennifer also discussed how their background in acting and modeling contributes to redefining the narrative around cannabis by starting a reality TV show featuring their family's journey in the industry, and addressed community concerns in New Rochelle by highlighting the dispensary's contributions to the ongoing revitalization through tax revenues and charitable donations.

Jennifer also discussed the challenges of combating the illicit cannabis market in New Rochelle, navigating the licensing process as a woman-owned equity license dispensary, and describing High Life Health's diverse product range aimed at educating and evolving customers.

The MJ Bowl, a new bi-coastal cannabis competition, launching at MJBizCon, with Emilie Lewis (Senior Vice President at MJBiz) highlighting its significance in the industry's evolution towards consumer and product quality, and Jocelyn Sheltraw (co-founder and CEO of Budist) emphasizing fostering connoisseurship.

The competition will feature five categories, judged by Budist expert critics and consumers via the Budist app, with winners announced at MJBizCon in Las Vegas.

The MJ Bowl will feature five categories: flowers, pre-rolls, concentrates, edibles, and vapes. Judging will be led by Budist expert critics using a standardized rubric, with winners announced at MJ BizCon in Las Vegas. Consumers will also participate by rating and reviewing products through the Budist app via consumer judging kits.

Upling, a medical cannabis delivery app, is set to officially launch Bud-E, an AI integration designed to provide personalized cannabis recommendations. Bud-E aims to optimize cannabis infusion by combining personal health data, patient feedback, and genetic insights, transforming strain selection into a science-backed process.

Speaking to Colin Fraser, founder of the first Black-owned delivery-focused cannabis app, Bud-E functions as a precision medicine tool that analyzes a user's endocannabinoid system to match it with plant genetics, similar to 23andMe.

Currently in beta testing, Bud-E addresses user trust by offering survey options and community-curated recommendations. A full launch is planned for October. Colin developed the app and the idea for Bud-E after caring for his mother during her cancer diagnosis.

Lulu Tsui, co-founder and Chief Experience Officer at On the Revel, discussed the upcoming Revelry Festival in New York City, a two-part event designed to expand the consumer cannabis market and address industry challenges.

The festival includes an invite-only Buyers Club on September 12th for vetted operators and brands to conduct business, and a public festival on September 13th at Pier 36. This public event will feature around 200 cannabis brands, music, food, cultural speakers like Black Thought, Chef Nikki, and Scotty Beam, and performances by Angel and Dren, Dos Flakos, and Phony People.

On the Revel, a homegrown New York organization since 2016, secured Pier 36 after a year of effort, becoming the first cannabis event to utilize the venue. Lulu Tsui emphasized the festival's focus on community, user experience, and adapting to New York's unique market, where 70-80% of cannabis operators are social equity or minority-owned.

Jamey Grosser, Founder and CEO of Pour Me Bev discusses the profound impact of the proposed 2026 Farm Bill on the hemp industry, highlighting its potential redefinition of hemp to include total THC and a ban on synthesized cannabinoids, which poses an existential threat to the over $8 billion industry.

He reveals hidden provisions within the appropriations bill that would further undermine the industry and explains how increasing state-level regulation, while necessary, complicates interstate commerce due to potential federal illegality.

Grosser also draws parallels between the historical moonshine industry and the evolving THC beverage market, addressing challenges in federal versus state regulation and crucial taxation issues within the burgeoning sector.

Grassroots Marketing features an exclusive interview with the incomparable Rohan Marley, a dynamic entrepreneur, former Miami Hurricane football sensation, and an esteemed scion of the iconic Marley family.

As the visionary co-founder of Lion Order, a proprietary cannabis brand now proudly available at Goldflower Cannabis, Rohan discussed the brand's profound connection to the spirit of Rastafari and the enduring legacy of his revered father, Bob Marley.

He delved into Lion Order's compelling philosophy and its deep roots in South Florida, highlighting Goldflower Cannabis's significant community impact. The conversation underscored the critical role of influential figures in championing cannabis legalization, while also exploring the Marley lineage's powerful message of unity and love, the pervasive cultural influence of Bob Marley's music and groundbreaking biopic, and the vital importance of preserving Miami's rich local culture.

Weed, an AI-powered, decentralized Web3 well-being platform, and founder Darin Phillips detailed its "uncensored and unfiltered" approach, providing personalized insights from petabytes of data.

Phillips discussed their licensing-based commercialization strategy, highlighting a significant partnership with Khalifa Kush for global expansion, and explained their plans for community engagement through a decentralized ecosystem and a robust cryptocurrency, "weed," developed by an experienced team.

Phillips also addressed the challenge of redefining the word "weed" from its negative connotations to represent well-being, citing inspiration from DJ Saul and Liquid Death, and outlined future plans including a Weed-branded beverage line launching in Q4 in Texas and Florida.