The hemp beverage industry is thriving, but a federal "cliff" in November could bring it all to a screeching halt. With a looming ban on products over 0.4mg of THC, the stakes have never been higher for operators and consumers alike.

About This Episode:

In this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein sit down with Dawson Hobbs, EVP of Government Affairs at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). As a key player representing 80% of the nation’s wine and spirits distribution, Dawson provides a high-stakes look at the legislative battle in Washington D.C., the push for a three-tier regulatory model, and why the industry must choose between strict regulation or total extinction.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The November 2026 Deadline: Why federal funding bills currently threaten to criminalize nearly every hemp beverage on the market.
• The Power of the Three-Tier System: How the alcohol model of "Producer-Distributor-Retailer" can provide the safety guardrails Congress is demanding.
• Legislative Strategy for 218 Votes: Why standalone bills matter and how to find champions on the Hill who prioritize public safety over "gas station weed."
• The "Perfect vs. Good" Trap: Why the hemp industry must stop suing over state regulations if it wants to survive at the federal level.

🌟 Meet Dawson Hobbs:

Dawson Hobbs is the EVP of Government Affairs for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). With over two decades of experience navigating alcohol policy, Dawson is one of the most influential voices in Washington regarding the intersection of traditional beverage and emerging THC categories. He leads advocacy efforts for over 380 member companies, bridging the gap between legacy distribution and the future of hemp-derived intoxicants.

📅 Why Tune In?

Whether you are a hemp operator, a cannabis MSO, or a beverage investor, this conversation is your roadmap for the next six months. Dawson breaks down the exact "proof of concept" the industry needs to present to Congress to ensure THC beverages stay on shelves and out of the shadows.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

Is the "show me" state actually showing the rest of the country how to build a sustainable, high-growth cannabis market? In an era where many MSOs are struggling to stay afloat, one family-owned operator is proving that technical expertise and operational discipline are the ultimate competitive advantages.

On this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein are joined by Boston Dickerson, Founder and CEO of Show Me Organics. Boston shares the incredible journey of scaling a "backwards vertical" business—starting with retail and manufacturing before moving into cultivation—and how he grew the company from a two-person startup to a 350-employee powerhouse across Missouri and Kentucky.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The "Backwards" Vertical Strategy: Why starting with retail and manufacturing provided a unique advantage in understanding consumer demand before touching a single plant.
• The Reality of the "Knife Fight": How oversupply in Missouri shifted power to retailers and what it takes for a brand to survive pricing pressure.
• Winning with Process: The transition from "founder-led hustle" to using EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) for clarity and accountability at scale.
• Breaking into Kentucky: The challenges and opportunities of operating in a new, highly restrictive medical market and the importance of localized pride.

🌟 Meet Boston Dickerson:

Boston Dickerson is the Founder and CEO of Show Me Organics, one of Missouri’s premier vertically integrated cannabis operators. With a background in biochemistry and a passion for the plant, Boston and his brother Montana have built a diverse portfolio including Blue Sage Dispensaries, Vivid, and Missouri’s Own Edibles. Known for his disciplined approach to capital and operations, Boston is currently leading the company's expansion into Kentucky and eyeing future growth in limited-license markets like Texas.

📅 Why Tune In?

If you are an operator trying to navigate the messy transition from startup hustle to enterprise-level scaling, this conversation is a masterclass. Boston provides a rare, transparent look at the "nos" it takes to get a "yes," the discipline required to raise capital in a down market, and why your business plan shouldn't rely on rescheduling as a lifeline.
Keep your spirits high!

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

"Stop shaming my sex and drugs."

On this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein sit down with the incomparable Tanya Griffin, a multihyphenate entrepreneur who is rewriting the rulebook on what it means to be a "professional" in the cannabis industry. From building the first vertically integrated national franchise to navigating the "crash landing" of the Illinois social equity market, Tanya’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, systems-building, and radical honesty.

We dive deep into the brutal reality of the Illinois retail landscape—where MSOs use MSAs to bypass store caps—and explore Tanya’s provocative thesis: that "dropping into flow states" through cannabis, intimacy, and wellness isn't just a lifestyle choice, it’s a competitive advantage for scaling high-growth companies.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The Illinois "Muddled Mess": An inside look at the X2Vets LLC lawsuit and how MSOs are consolidating power in one of the country's most expensive markets.
• Franchising vs. Mom & Pop: Can a franchise model provide the operational backbone that social equity operators need to survive against giants like GTI and Cresco?
• Scaling Sexual Wellness: The "soup-to-nuts" journey of building oOYes, a brand at the intersection of women's health, cannabinoids, and dismantling sexual shame.
• The Power of Bootstrapping: Why Tanya owns 100% of her companies and her "Crawl, Walk, Run" advice for surviving a market with zero access to traditional capital.

🌟 Meet Tanya Griffin:

Tanya Griffin is the founder of Water and Trees, a growth management firm, and the visionary behind brands like oOYes and Uh huh Honey. With over 35 years of experience building retail companies (from midwifery clinics to dispensaries), she is a prominent deal-maker and consultant in the Illinois market. Tanya is also a fierce advocate for harm reduction through her nonprofit, Save My Life, which provides free Narcan throughout Illinois.

📅 Why Tune In?

This isn't your average business podcast. If you’re tired of the corporate "suit and tie" narrative in cannabis and want to hear how raw authenticity and lean operations can win against billion-dollar MSOs, this conversation with Tanya Griffin is required listening.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

On this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein are joined by Elliot Lane, Co-Founder and President of IgniteIt. After years of building the cannabis vertical at Benzinga, Elliot and his team are striking out on their own to create a more intentional, high-impact space for cannabis leaders. From navigating the "pure terror" of entrepreneurship to the tactical secrets of building a world-class B2B network, Elliot shares how Ignite It is cutting through the noise to provide the financial and strategic clarity the industry desperately needs in 2026.

💡 What You’ll Learn:
The Ignite It Origin Story: Why the team moved on from Benzinga to build a focused, niche ecosystem for emerging markets.
Tactical Business Development: How Elliot uses curiosity and "leading with value" to crack open relationships in new state markets.
The Future of Cannabis Media: How to build a platform that serves as an industry dashboard without adding to the "headline noise."
Founder Reality Check: A candid look at the mix of fear, imposter syndrome, and excitement that comes with being a first-time founder in cannabis.

🌟 Meet Elliot Lane:
Elliot Lane is a seasoned media and events leader and the Co-Founder of IgniteIt. Previously the head of product and sales for Benzinga Cannabis, Elliot was instrumental in turning their conferences into "must-attend" rooms for the industry's elite. With a background in New York City hospitality and the performing arts, he brings a unique ability to read a room and foster genuine human connection, making him one of the most effective networkers in the cannabis and hemp sectors.

📅 Why Tune In?
Whether you are looking to scale your B2B networking strategy or want an inside look at how the industry’s premier events are actually built, this conversation is a goldmine. 

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

On This Week in Cannabis Live, host Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated.news) lead a high-stakes roundtable featuring Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein (High Spirits) and Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings). Special guest appearance by Bryan Fields of The Dime Podcast.

The panel dives into the messy reality of cannabis earnings season, where "creative writing" often masks the bottom line. From the crushing price compression in mature markets like Massachusetts and Colorado to the legislative stalls in Florida and Pennsylvania, the group analyzes who is actually built to survive 2026.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The Earnings Illusion: Why "Adjusted EBITDA" is the industry’s favorite smoke screen and how to spot the real financial health of an operator.
• Price Compression Pain Points: Understanding the data behind $4 grams in Massachusetts and what it means for the future of premiumization.
• Legislative Gridlock: A deep dive into why Florida’s legalization has stalled and why Pennsylvania’s Governor Shapiro is still "beating the drum" without results.
• The "Mega-Farm" Factor: How massive 180-acre operations like LEEF are shifting the competitive math for craft growers.
• Hemp’s Faustian Bargain: A debate on the three-tier distribution system—is it a necessary path to the mainstream or a trap for small brands?

🌟 Meet the Panel:

This episode features a powerhouse of cannabis insights led by Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke, the editorial voices behind Cultivated. They are joined by Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein, the strategic minds behind the High Spirits podcast, and Marc Hauser, the legal and economic voice of Cannabis Musings. Together, they provide a 360-degree view of the policy, capital, and operational hurdles facing the industry today.

📅 Why Tune In?

Whether you are an MSO executive or a craft operator, this TWICL roundtable is a masterclass in separating signal from noise. This conversation provides the strategic foresight needed to understand how state-level retail shifts and federal policy uncertainty will impact your bottom line this year.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

On this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben & AnnaRae forgo the guest chair for a candid, deep-dive conversation into the shifting tides of the industry. From the sobering reality of Tilray’s latest $44M acquisition to the "perfect enforcement" threat of AI, this episode explores the evolution of cannabis leadership and the grit required to stay in the game.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

The Tilray Strategy: Is Tilray still a cannabis company, or a global CPG powerhouse in disguise? We break down their acquisition of BrewDog and their $850M+ revenue split.

AI and "Perfect Enforcement": How agentic AI could shift cannabis regulation from "imperfect oversight" to surgical, automated enforcement of every law on the books.

Women in Cannabis: In honor of Women’s History Month, a reflection on leadership, "leaping to freedom," and why process automation is a secret superpower.

The Hemp Cliff: A reality check on the looming November deadline and why the industry must stop arguing about concessions and start listening to Congress.

🛡️ Why Tune In?

If you are an operator or investor trying to make sense of the "fallen from grace" public stocks or the looming technological shifts in regulation, this episode provides a grounded perspective. Ben & AnnaRae cut through the noise to discuss what a "durable" cannabis company actually looks like in 2026.

Stay curious, stay informed, and keep your spirits high.
“I did not fall from Grace. I lept to freedom.” — AnnaRae sharing the Autobiography of Eve in honor of Women's Month.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

From New York’s bold $4.6 billion market forecast to the unlikely intersection of the Second Amendment and cannabis at the Supreme Court, the team explores the shifting tectonic plates of the U.S. industry. Are we witnessing the "locus of the cannabis world" moving East, or does California still hold the crown?

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The New York Surge: Why the OCM’s new leadership is projecting a $4.6B market by 2028—and how that stacks up against California.
• SCOTUS & The Second Amendment: The surprising "habitual drunkard" logic being used to debate cannabis users’ gun rights.
• Brand Power Rankings: Why edible brands like Wild and Wyld are climbing the charts while flower faces a systemic decline.
• The Louisiana "Golden Ticket": Analyzing the controversial proposal to give medical licensees a 3-year monopoly on adult-use sales.
• Cultural Flashpoints: A look at the "smell of weed" debate and why conservative backlash is becoming a key political narrative.

🌟 Meet the Guest Panel:

This episode features insights from Jeremy Berke (founder of Cultivated), Marc Hauser (cannabis attorney and author of Cannabis Musings), and Jay Rosenthal. Together with Ben & AnnaRae, they provide a cross-disciplinary look at the legal, financial, and cultural trends defining the current cannabis landscape.

📅 Why Tune In?

Whether you're a multi-state operator (MSO) tracking New York's messy but massive rollout, or a brand strategist wondering why consumers are ditching flower for gummies, this conversation provides the macro context you need to stay ahead. We cut through the political noise to find the real economic signals.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

The federal government has finally acknowledged the "accepted medical use" of cannabis—but for millions of patients, the battle for true integration into the US healthcare system is just beginning. As we face a shifting regulatory landscape, is Schedule III a victory or a trap?

About This Episode:

In this episode of High Spirits, hosts Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein are joined by Steph Sherer, the powerhouse Founder and Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access (ASA). With nearly 25 years of advocacy under her belt, Steph provides a masterclass on the political realities of rescheduling, the critical need for a "Schedule 6" designation, and why the cannabis industry must stop "waiting" for policy to happen to them.

From the fallout of the CannaBev Summit in Miami to the nuances of the recent executive orders, this conversation cuts through the noise of social media to reveal what is actually happening in the halls of DC.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• The Schedule III vs. Schedule 6 Debate: Why moving cannabis to Schedule III helps businesses with taxes but fails to provide the federal framework patients actually need.
• The "Triage" of State Programs: How current state medical markets were designed as temporary fixes and why it’s time to move toward national integration.
• The Redefinition of Medicine: Why the FDA's current pathway is broken for complex botanicals and how the proposed Office of Medical Cannabis Control could fix it.
• The Power of "The Patient": Why simply mentioning the word "patient" remains the most effective tool for shifting the perspective of federal regulators.

🌟 Meet Steph Sherer:

Steph Sherer is a pioneer in the medical cannabis movement, having founded Americans for Safe Access in 2002 in response to federal raids on California dispensaries. She has trained over 100,000 advocates, worked with the World Health Organization to change international drug treaties, and is currently leading ASA’s "second act" to fully integrate cannabis into the US healthcare system. Steph is widely recognized as one of the most influential advocates in the history of the movement.

📅 Why Tune In?

Whether you are a hemp operator worried about the Farm Bill or a cannabis executive navigating rescheduling, Steph Sherer explains why the "patient perspective" is the ultimate leverage for long-term industry stability. If you want to understand the difference between social media rumors and DC reality, this episode is essential.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

Chicago Atlantic's Steven Ernest, Head of Originations, pulls back the curtain on institutional cannabis lending — from how his firm evaluates operators and underwrites deals, to navigating distressed assets, ESOPs, and the murky road ahead for rescheduling and 280E. If you want to understand how capital really flows in this industry, this is the episode.

But before we talk to Steven, a quick catch up: Ben's back from Maui, AnnaRae just returned from Kauai as the newly minted president of organic farming nonprofit WWOOF USA, and both are already packing bags again for the Canna Bev Summit in Miami. 

They hit two sobering news items: a reefer-madness-flavored California hearing where Assembly member Jaqui Irwin is gunning for tighter cannabis packaging and dosing rules in an already struggling market, and Michigan's 8.3% year-over-year sales drop — a one-two punch of a new 24% wholesale tax and record winter storms hammering operators across the Northeast.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high. 

The 2026 Farm Bill draft is finally on the table, and while the "hemp loophole" remains untouched for now, the industry is already looking toward a post-cliff future. As big tobacco backs Canadian giants in Europe and stadiums open their doors to THC, the landscape of cannabis distribution is shifting under our feet.

In this week's edition of This Week in Cannabis Live (TWICL), hosts Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke of Cultivated are joined by Ben Larson (High Spirits) and Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) to break down the latest legislative and market movements. From Organigram’s massive €250M move into Germany to the potential for THC beverages to hit New York liquor stores, the panel explores whether the industry is finally moving toward a "layered" regulatory reality.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Farm Bill First Look: Why the initial draft’s silence on hemp-derived THC is both a relief and a warning for operators.
• The "Canadian Advantage" 2.0: How federal coherence and tobacco backing (BAT) are allowing Canadian LPs to dominate the European medical market.
• Stadium Status: The significance of the United Center's 3-year THC beverage deal and what it means for consumer discovery.
• Retail Convergence: A deep dive into the New York bill that could pit liquor stores against dispensaries—and why brands are cheering for it.
• Risk vs. Revenue: A debate on whether regional distributors will keep moving products if the "hemp cliff" recriminalizes certain cannabinoids.

Meet the Panel:

This episode features a powerhouse of cannabis experts led by Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke, the editorial voices behind Cultivated. They are joined by Ben Larson, host of High Spirits and seasoned venture catalyst, and Marc Hauser, the legal mind behind Cannabis Musings, to provide a 360-degree view of the industry's most complex hurdles.

Why Tune In?

Whether you are an MSO executive or a hemp beverage startup, the rules of distribution are being rewritten this month. This episode provides the strategic foresight needed to understand how federal policy, international M&A, and state-level retail shifts will impact your bottom line in 2026.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. 

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.