Grassroots Marketing

Grassroots Marketing discusses Ayr Wellness Cultivating in a Challenging Cannabis Market with their SVP of Cultivation, Mark Bruno.

A legacy grower with decades-long roots in the most competitive cannabis market in the country (California), Mark Bruno has successfully scaled Ayr’s cultivation operations across eight states and 18 cultivation and production sites to a 1.2M sq. ft. canopy. He’s known for being able to make nearly any growing situation work regardless of the facility layout. While Ayr integrates technology and analytics, he is a firm believer that less is more and believes every good grower should be able to find workarounds for nearly any situation.

A husband, father and son of a legacy grower, he has witnessed the ups and downs of pre- and post-state legalization in the U.S. and the rocky California market up close. Over the years, he has watched friends and family members be imprisoned under prohibition and continues to serve as a vocal advocate for the overturning of outdated laws.

Now at the helm of a major U.S. cannabis operator, Mark’s philosophy is positioning Ayr Wellness as a premier cannabis cultivator in the U.S.

Weiwei "Vivian" Fellman, the Owner of Kota Botanics speaks with Grassroots Marketing about How Kota Botanics is Giving Back to Communities.

Launched in 2019 by Weiwei (pronounced Way Way) “Vivian” Fellman, North Dakota CBD wellness brand Kota Botanics™ has become synonymous with quality, transparency, authenticity, and social responsibility. This November, the Kota experience comes to the city of Minneapolis with the opening of their newest location at 8070 Old Carriage Ct in Shakopee, MN.

As with Kota’s flagship CBD lifestyle boutique, the new Minneapolis location will feature trusted, meticulously vetted products with quality ingredients in an atmosphere conducive to holistic healing. Wellness products such as ingestible oils, gummies, soft gels, capsules, CBD skin care, beauty, and makeup will be offered among snacks, beverages, and thoughtfully curated home goods such as candles and coffee mugs and artisan pieces made by local Minnesota artists.

Grassroots Marketing discusses Blue River Terps and Their Innovative Solventless Technology with with Tony Verzura, Founder & COO of Blue River Terps.

Blue River™ originated as the world’s first cannabis-derived terpene company aiding in the popularization of the word “Terps”. Blue River™ went on to popularize the art of “deconstructed” extracts through the development of its proprietary advanced mechanical separation technology, and award-winning signature exclusive trademark branded solvent-less products. Blue River™ has received over 59 Cannabis Awards for our innovative solventless technology, trademark branded products, and advanced patented formulations

Grassroots Marketing welcomes the VP of Marketing for Ethos Cannabis, Blandine Jean-Paul. Blandine is a global brand strategist with expertise in building MarTech Stacks that drive direct-to-consumer (DTC) engagement via CRM and other retargeting strategies.

Ethos Cannabis operates cultivation, processing and dispensing of medical and/or recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Ohio. Our goal is to have a clear and compelling consumer-centric vision focused on helping individuals feel and live better through their experiences with cannabis. Our mission is supported by our relationship with Jefferson Health, a leading academic medical center in the U.S., dedicated to collecting and analyzing valuable real-world data and developing educational initiatives with a focus on patient outcomes and quality of life.

Grassroots Marketing discusses Enterprise Resource Planning and the PROTEUS Business Solution with Dawne Morris, the CMO and Co-Founder PROTEUS420.

PROTEUS Business Solution Inc. is an online enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for businesses in e-commerce, retail, healthcare, and highly regulated industries, including alcohol and cannabis. David is a globally recognized entrepreneur with over two decades of technology experience specializing in application development, data centers, cloud computing, and hardware. He also has extensive programming expertise for mortgage, insurance, financial, social and  high risk businesses.

Grozeebo’s mission is to set a new standard for grow enclosures that make it easy for anyone with a passion to start growing. We learn more from Adam Wolf, CEO of 118 Grow Concepts, the makers of Growzeebo.

For the past two decades, indoor gardeners have largely relied on grow tents. When grow tents first emerged, they were a great solution for anyone lacking a permanent space for their plants. Unfortunately, grow tents haven’t evolved much since then. From the time grow tents hit the market, innovation has been stagnant and design flaws have gone unaddressed.

Grozeebo Pro is an insulated and modular grow tent that solves many common challenges that traditional grow tents pose. It makes climate control easier, allows endless mounting to save space, and the size and shape can be customized to your evolving needs.

Whether you’re growing herbs, fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, or medicinal plants, Grozeebo makes it easier than before for anyone to grow at home.

Grassroots Marketing welcomes Grant Boatman, the founder of Canna River, a line of premium cannabinoid products known for its affordable price point where everything is $100 or less.

The Canna River ethos is embodied in three core pillars: accessibility, quality, and potency.

Accessibility means we offer all of our products (CBD, CBG, Delta-8, Delta-9 and HHC) for $100 or less. It’s no secret that the greatest benefits are reaped when consumers are able to buy the product on a regular and ongoing basis. We set out to make premium cannabinoids more affordable from every side: as a supplier, manufacturer and retailer. If more people can get the support they need without breaking the bank, we have succeeded.

The quality pillar of our business is demonstrated through our relationships with our hemp farms, our production in our state-of-the-art facilities, and our commitment to providing transparent Certificates of Analysis on our website. It’s also exemplified in our product simplicity: every ingestible product in our collection is made of 5 ingredients or less.

Our commitment to potency is what makes or breaks true relief. We offer ingestible and topical products of high potencies with the goal of providing an effective desired dose. This empowers consumers to get the most out of their purchase, maintain consistency in their routine, and actualize their desired results, whether it’s instilling calmness, promoting a better night’s rest or encouraging a day without stress.

Modern life can take a toll on our minds and bodies. We crafted these products to enrich a range of lifestyles. Canna River offers more, costs less, and we are proud of it. Canna River is for all of us.

Find Canna River products at select dispensaries and at cannariver.com and on IG at @cannariver.

Now that final regulations have been issued for marijuana consumption lounges to begin operating in Nevada, Las Vegas cannabis executives are gearing up to lure customers off the Strip and into their smoking rooms.

Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, the largest independent cannabis retailer in Nevada, recently opened a new dispensary off the Strip next to Resorts World and Sapphires Gentlemen's Club, and has space built to consumption lounge pending approvals.

Christopher LaPorte of RESET Vegas, Thrive's hospitality partner, can speak to what operators are hoping to see following lounge applications openings, predictions for what lounges will look like and how they will operate, and how their opening will affect gaming and nightlife in Vegas.

The law allows for lounges to begin operating statewide as early as the end of 2022 and for licenses to be processed beginning this fall.

The state is allowing 40-45 licenses for lounges attached to existing marijuana retail stores and 20 for stand-alone establishments, including 10 with sharply discounted fees reserved for social equity applicants.

An estimated 60-65 existing retailers have expressed interest in opening consumption lounges.

Grassrrots Marketing welcomes Raheem Uqdah, the Corporate Social Responsibility Director for Curaleaf to discuss Cannabis and The Continued Fight Towards Equity.

We learn about Curaleaf's Rooted in Good program, which is committed to racial and social equity work in cannabis year-round. We’ve committed to doing business with 420 diverse businesses and brands by 2025, of which they have already exceeded more than one-third of that goal.

Partners range from African-American and minority-owned dispensaries to ancillary businesses and advocacy organizations.

Raheem Uqdah is a creator and activist whose work involves creating synergies between storytelling, policy, and community engagement. Prior to the acquisition of Grassroots by Curaleaf, Raheem established Grassroots' first deep partnerships with nonprofits, helping to define the company’s voice and CSR platform. Before entering the cannabis industry, Raheem worked in nonprofits to build communication strategies and evolve brands; these projects solidified his passion for community organizing and taught him the value of selling social good as a brand and experience. When he’s not working, Raheem enjoys music, cycling, hiking, and camping. Raheem holds a B.A. in Art & Design, with a minor in Photography, from Columbia College Chicago.

Grassroots Marketing showcases Four Twenty Pipes and The Concept of $4.20 Pipes with their founder Nicholas Thomas.

He recently told a local paper “We started Four Twenty Pipes initially because we kept breaking and needing to replace our pieces,” said Nicholas. “The first thought was, "man, I wish I could get a good new bowl without breaking the bank." That seemed like something people wanted, so we started a website, selling pipes for $4.20.” Taylorville native and former banker Nicholas wants Four Twenty Pipes to be the go-to place for consumers online - and the number one resource for people in the head shop industry to run their business. “As the business grew, we realized that a lot of local shops needed help getting up and running online,” said Nicholas. “It was then that we started helping businesses sell on 420pipes.com.” Nicholas and his team provide a marketplace where businesses can buy, sell, and ship head shop items to consumers nationwide. “While Four Twenty Pipes allows local shops to reach the online consumer, we still hold true to our roots by supporting our $4.20 store. We like to say Four Twenty Pipes is, ‘Stoner Tested, Wallet Approved.’ We believe it is important to not only support local but also "Smoke Local,”