Higher Exchanges

This week's show starts with an update on Jesse's experience at Benzinga's California Cannabis Spotlight conference in Anaheim. He explains who attended, what was discussed, and why you can't paint California with one brush. Jesse points out that California operators like LEEF Brands (CSE: LEEF, OTCQX: LEEEF) have transformational catalysts on the horizon and may stand out in 2025. 

Ascend Wellness (CSE: AAWH, OTCQX: AAWH) CEO Sam Brill joins us and shares his background and how he hopes to evolve and optimize the business. We cover the company's cost-saving initiatives, recent quarterly results, Ohio's launch, and the importance of value brands. The conversation with Sam concludes by getting his perspective on the recent political appointments and why he's excited about the next step in the Boise Schiller Flexner case. 

It's been a wild week in cannabis with elections and earnings results. We were joined this week by Dai Truong, Managing Director at Arlington Capital Partners, and Doug Kass, Founder of Seabreeze Partners.

The conversation begins with a recap of the elections, emphasizing Amendment 3 failing in Florida and Republicans sweeping the executive and legislative branches.

Doug Kass makes a surprise appearance to share his perspective on the industry challenges and the short-term invest-ability of the space. The need for new states and federal catalysts is impacting investor sentiment.

The conversation concludes by analyzing the latest lackluster earnings results. While margins and adjusted EBITDA remain relatively strong, the industry is struggling to return to growth.

With the election just days away, we are happy to have Hirsh Jain, Founder of Ananda Strategy, join us to break down all the races. We start with the Presidential election and handicap the outcome and potential consequences of a Harris or Trump victory. 

Cannabis is a state-led growth story, and several new adult-use states are on the horizon, with none more significant than Florida. We assess the chances that Amendment 3 will be passed and dig into smaller states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Arkansas. 

Finally, we cover the control of Congress and potential implications for SAFER Banking and other legislative progress. 

This week's show has two special guests: Dan Neville, CEO of AFC Gamma, and Brady Cobb, Founder and CEO of Sunburn. The episode begins by discussing the vibes in Florida as we head into the adult-use vote on November 5th. 

Brady shares his optimism and how they are preparing for the potential adult-use launch. Dan offers his perspective on the Sunshine State, the deals they have done, and what they look for when evaluating Florida operators. 

Brady drops off, and we dig deeper into the AFC Gamma business and how it differs from other debt funds. Dan explains how they underwrite investments and manage risk in the portfolio. The episode concludes with Dan sharing what he sees as a favorable and unfavorable environment for their portfolio and his views on the potential catalyst ahead in 2025. 

Morgan and Jesse are back from a busy week at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago. This week's show focuses on what they learned at the event, and they both share their three biggest takeaways. Topics include institutional involvement, hemp, M&A, Ohio, and more. 

The guys also discuss the Gartner Hype Cycle and how we feel deep in the trough of disillusionment. Investors feel impatient and fatigued, which contrasts with what may be an exciting set of catalysts as we head into 2025. 

With no guests this week, Morgan and Jesse had time to catch up on several topics. The episode starts with an update on a recent X poll about moving off Spaces and how the podcast may evolve. Jesse and Morgan are heading to the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago next week and shared what's on their schedules and how to make the most of the event. 

It would not be a cannabis podcast without addressing politics, and the guys talk about the Democrat's recent comments. Jesse stumps Morgan by asking which candidate is better for cannabis and then has difficulty answering the same question. 

The rest of the show focuses on California. Statehouse appears to be heading to receivership, and Morgan explains the history of the business and the steps that contributed to the company's problems. They also review the demise of Ignite and the incremental progress the state is making with removing double taxation and allowing cannabis cafes.  

This week's show begins with a discussion about Senator Wyden's Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act, which proposes more regulation for the hemp industry. Jesse and Morgan review the key points and how they may impact the intoxicating hemp market and legal cannabis business. 

Grown Rogue's CEO, Obie Strickler, joins the show to share how the company has cultivated a low-cost flower production advantage and expanded to new markets. We review the company's core operations in highly competitive Oregon and Michigan markets and attempt to get Obie to explain the secret ingredient to their low-cost advantage.

The conversation evolves into exploring expansion opportunities in Illinois and Michigan. We also cover the company's strategic advisory agreement with Vireo Growth in Minnesota and Maryland. Finally, Obie shares what risks an investor may consider when investing in Grown Rogue. 

 We apologize for Obie's connection issue. We record live on X, and this week, the internet was not our friend. 

This week’s show starts with a conversation about the large number of CEO replacements this year. Thus far, AYR Wellness, Ascend, Curaleaf, and The Cannabist all have new leadership. Jesse and Morgan discuss what's driving the changes and what makes a qualified cannabis CEO. 

Emily Paxhia, co-founder of Poseidon, joins 20 minutes into the episode live from Florida. She's been in Tallahassee and shared her perspective on the obstacles in getting Amendment 3 passed and potential hurdles with the implementation. We also dug into what it takes to succeed in Florida and the challenges and opportunities associated with mandatory vertical integration. Finally, Emily explains how what makes a good medical dispensary may not translate to adult use and how the state's over 130 million annual tourists impact the cannabis industry. 

Morgan and Jesse just returned from Glass House Brands' first analyst and institutional investor day and were joined this week by Glass House CEO Kyle Kazan and President Graham Farrar. The group recapped the day and shared some of the highlights from the presentations and tours. 

Glass House is a single-state operator focused on the California market. We walked through the state of California cannabis and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Kyle and Graham helped us better understand the retail climate and CPG opportunities and explained their continued success in the wholesale market. 

The company is in the process of building out Greenhouse Two, which is a special greenhouse with almost 11,000 HPS lights supplementing the power of the sun. Glass House is considering using this facility to grow Farm Bill flower, or what some might consider THCA flower, that is compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill. 

We cover the potential to enter new states with Farm Bill flower, direct-to-consumer options, and how pricing compares to California cannabis. The team also explained the risks of the dynamic political environment and the risk of potential changes to the Farm Bill language. For this reason, they are weighing all options before making a final decision to enter this market. 

Finally, it would not be a cannabis conversation if we didn't discuss politics, and Kyle and Graham shared their thoughts on Schedule III timing and the path to higher exchanges. 

Jeff Schultz, Partner at Foley Hoag, joins the show this week to help us understand the complex political catalysts ahead for cannabis. We start with rescheduling, and Jeff offers his perspective on the ALJ hearing and when we may see a final ruling. A Garland Memo may follow the final ruling and Jeff explains the memo's importance. 

SAFER Banking may become topical again late this year. We discuss the importance of SAFER in light of Schedule III, and how it would complement a Garland Memo. A combination of Schedule III, Garland Memo, and SAFER my unlock uplisting, and we debate what's needed to get to higher exchanges and when this may happen. 

We wrap with a conversation about state catalysts and dig into adult-use opportunities in Florida, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and a handful of smaller states.