A hidden clause in a federal funding bill could shut down hemp drinks by November, and most operators still do not fully understand how serious the threat is.
In this episode of High Functioning, Christopher Lackner, founder and president of the Hemp Beverage Alliance, breaks down how the ban threat emerged, why the alcohol system may be the clearest regulatory path, and what happens if the category gets forced into a federal wall.
Learn more:
Hemp Beverage Expo:
https://hempbeverageexpo.com/
Hemp Beverage Alliance:
https://www.hempbeveragealliance.org/
Framingham Summit:
http://www.bit.ly/framinghamsummit
21+ where legal. Nothing for sale.
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Brandon Pollack is the co-founder and CEO of Theory Wellness a cannabis company he built from a single medical dispensary in Bridgewater, MA in 2015 to 15 locations across five states, with 350 employees and zero outside equity investors. Two years ago, he sold the company to its own workers through an ESOP a move that eliminated federal taxes entirely and locked in value for every person on his team.

In this episode, Jason and Brandon get into the mechanics of how Theory actually works: why they stayed bootstrapped when everyone else was raising, how they watched overleveraged operators collapse in real time, why indoor cultivation is a dangerous bet right now, and what the hemp ban in November actually means for licensed operators.

Brandon also breaks down the ESOP structure in plain language how employees earn equity, why cannabis companies specifically should consider it, and what it costs to maintain. Plus: the Massachusetts ballot question that could repeal adult use entirely, and why the industry needs to show up for the "No" campaign with real money.

To help fight the state hemp ban, join the Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation and RSVP for the upcoming Framingham Summit here: http://www.bit.ly/framinghamsummit21+ where legal. Nothing for sale.🎧 Full Episodes: highfunctioning.show🔔 Subscribe: tr.ee/highfunctioningsubscribe🎙️ Spotify: tr.ee/highfunctioningspotify🍎 Apple: tr.ee/highfunctioningapple

What does it really take to survive as an independent cannabis farm in Massachusetts? In this episode of High Functioning, host Jason Reposa sits down with Lisa Mauriello and Boey Bertold, the husband-and-wife team behind Paper Crane Cannabis. They run an organic, sun-grown Tier 6 farm in Hubbardston, assachusetts. Lisa and Boey share the unvarnished truth about building their business. Boey details his time in the legacy market and surviving a 2006 DEA bust, while Lisa explains the ongoing hurdles of dealing with hostile host town agreements. They break down the mechanics of outdoor cultivation, how they breed genetics specifically for the sun, and how they navigated the 2025 industry crash that forced dozens of companies to close. Finally, they outline their vision for the future, including on-site farm stands and eco-tourism.🕒 Chapters:00:00 - Episode Intro & Meeting Paper Crane Cannabis01:25 - Running a Business as a Married Couple04:22 - Dealing with Host Town Agreements06:53 - Breeding Genetics for Outdoor Farms12:25 - The Reality of Weather and Sun-Grown Cultivation16:12 - Expanding into Greenhouse Production18:35 - The Legacy Era: Surviving a 2006 DEA Bust24:19 - Beating the Case and Naming Paper Crane31:12 - Joining the First Social Equity Cohort38:41 - Building the Farm and Facing Local Opposition52:00 - Grassroots Marketing and Educating Consumers01:03:05 - Creating Farm Stands and Eco-Tourism01:07:04 - Surviving the 2025 Cannabis Industry Crash21+ where legal. Nothing for sale.🎧 Full Episodes: highfunctioning.show🔔 Subscribe: tr.ee/highfunctioningsubscribe🎙️ Spotify: tr.ee/highfunctioningspotify🍎 Apple: tr.ee/highfunctioningapple

What does it really take to survive as an independent cannabis farm in Massachusetts? In this episode of High Functioning, host Jason Reposa sits down with Lisa Mauriello and Boey Bertold, the husband-and-wife team behind Paper Crane Cannabis. They run an organic, sun-grown Tier 6 farm in Hubbardston, Massachusetts. Lisa and Boey share the unvarnished truth about building their business. Boey details his time in the legacy market and surviving a 2006 DEA bust, while Lisa explains the ongoing hurdles of dealing with hostile host town agreements. They break down the mechanics of outdoor cultivation, how they breed genetics specifically for the sun, and how they navigated the 2025 industry crash that forced dozens of companies to close. Finally, they outline their vision for the future, including on-site farm stands and eco-tourism.🕒 Chapters:00:00 - Episode Intro & Meeting Paper Crane Cannabis01:25 - Running a Business as a Married Couple04:22 - Dealing with Host Town Agreements06:53 - Breeding Genetics for Outdoor Farms12:25 - The Reality of Weather and Sun-Grown Cultivation16:12 - Expanding into Greenhouse Production18:35 - The Legacy Era: Surviving a 2006 DEA Bust24:19 - Beating the Case and Naming Paper Crane31:12 - Joining the First Social Equity Cohort38:41 - Building the Farm and Facing Local Opposition52:00 - Grassroots Marketing and Educating Consumers01:03:05 - Creating Farm Stands and Eco-Tourism01:07:04 - Surviving the 2025 Cannabis Industry Crash21+ where legal. Nothing for sale.🎧 Full Episodes: highfunctioning.show🔔 Subscribe: tr.ee/highfunctioningsubscribe🎙️ Spotify: tr.ee/highfunctioningspotify🍎 Apple: tr.ee/highfunctioningapple

How do you successfully juggle three different companies at the same time? In this episode of the High Functioning podcast, host Jason Reposa sits down with Samantha (Sam) Kanter, a powerhouse entrepreneur who runs Sam Canter Events alongside two distinct cannabis brands.Sam pulls back the curtain on what it takes to manage an event agency for over 13 years while pivoting to build businesses in the fast-paced, highly regulated cannabis space. From her unique productivity workflows (sometimes you just need Bravo in the background!) to the real-time challenges of sourcing the right manufacturing partners, Sam shares the raw, unfiltered reality of life as a multi-business founder. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, an event planner, or operating in the cannabis industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights on scaling, delegating, and maintaining your sanity.

21+ where legal. Nothing for sale.🎧 Full Episodes: highfunctioning.show🔔 Subscribe: tr.ee/highfunctioningsubscribe🎙️ Spotify: tr.ee/highfunctioningspotify🍎 Apple: tr.ee/highfunctioningapple

Massachusetts cannabis is showing record sales, but many operators are dealing with falling prices, weak margins, and real survival pressure.

In this episode of High Functioning, Jason sits down with Shannon O’Brien, Chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, to talk about receiverships, cultivation freeze discussions, testing fraud, enforcement gaps, and what regulators can do when the legal market is under stress.

This is a direct conversation about policy, accountability, and the economics behind the headlines.

Consumers chase high THC numbers, but what do those numbers actually mean?

Keith Saviano, Head of Cultivation at Nimbus Cannabis Co., explains the 3-Gram testing loophole, inflated potency percentages, and how cannabis brands navigate lab compliance.

This episode dives into testing manipulation, terpene education, and why the future of cannabis depends on transparency.

If you’re an operator, investor, or serious consumer, this is required listening.

Devin Alexander, CEO and co-founder of Rolling Releaf, explains how margin gets crushed by 280E and how a single portal error like “LICENSE NOT VALID” can block revenue while costs keep running. We dig into reimbursement funding mechanics, cash-flow timing, and the compliance bottlenecks that quietly create audit risk.

There is a dangerous rumor spreading in the cannabis industry: that with the "right" legal opinion, you can stop paying Section 280E taxes immediately.

But the IRS has just drawn a line in the sand. They have released a specific list of "frivolous positions," and if your strategy is on that list, you don't just owe the tax—you face an automatic 20% negligence penalty.

In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Alderman (Partner, Foley Hoag) and Ray Owens (Tax Lead, Withum) to separate the "Slam Dunk" myths from the financial reality.

We cover:

• The IRS "Kill List": Why the "Opinion Letter" strategy might be an audit trap.

• Myth Busting: Why Schedule III almost certainly won't be retroactive (and why banking on a refund is a mistake).

• The "Reasonable Basis" Defense: What it actually protects you from—and what it doesn't.

• The Blueprint: Ray’s #1 piece of advice for operators trying to survive until 2026.

If you are a cannabis operator trying to bridge the gap to rescheduling without going bankrupt, this is the playbook you need.

Why is "Wine Mom" culture a joke, but "Canna Mom" culture a crime?

After Prohibition, the alcohol industry didn't just sell a product; they engineered a culture. They used movies, media, and social rituals to turn a banned substance into a symbol of sophistication. Today, we break down how to run that same playbook for the cannabis industry.

Joyce Gerber (Attorney, Advocate, & The Canna Mom Show) joins Jason to discuss the "Sandwich Generation", caregivers managing both children and aging parents, and the institutional risks they face just to stay functional.

What We Cover:

• The Institutional Risk: Why schools will administer opioids to children but criminalize functional cannabis use.

• The "Mediocre" Gap: Why women feel they need to be "superhuman" to get the same capital as mediocre men.

• Market Engineering: How beverages solve the "smell" problem and re-write the social contract.

• Capital Policy: Why the lack of banking isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a barrier to equity.

Featured Quote:

"The reason we think alcohol's so great is because they run movies. It was unconstitutional... then they brought it back and made it culturally okay. These stories are how we change hearts and minds." - Joyce Gerber