Highly Enlightened, hosted by Jon Purow

Bryan Gerber ("King of Cones") is the founder and CEO of HARA Supply, directly operating over 250,000 square feet of the highest-quality pre-rolled cone production using the world’s finest European rolling papers. 

It spans 15 facilities with over 4,000 personnel based in India, along with HQ office and warehouse located in Las Vegas, NV. They currently produce over a billion pre-rolled cones per year for the cannabis industry’s largest entities. 

Gerber is also the founder and CEO of HARA Brands, a four-time inc. 5000 company, which includes: Hemper, the largest subscription business in the cannabis industry with more than 1 million boxes sold, as well as Hemper Tech and Goody Glass, providing high quality smoking accessories and related products. 

Jonathan Black is an accomplished business attorney and entrepreneur, with experience in real estate, entertainment, tech, retail, cannabis, and law. Jonathan earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of San Diego and after completing law school, he founded Weston Law Group PC.

In 2010, he took on the role as compliance director and advisor. As compliance director and advisor, the company gained larger government contracts and greatly expanded their employee and consumer bandwidth.

Since 2012 Jonathan has established a real estate fund with over 200 million in assets, and produced two films in Hollywood.

In 2019, Jonathan became the COO of MediaJel, a cannabis Adtech company. With multiple successive exits Jonathan still retains ownership and board positions in companies he has founded or been an executive with.

Jonathan resides in the Bay Area with his amazing wife and three beautiful children.

Socrates Rosenfeld is the Co-Founder and CEO of Jane Technologies. A U.S. Army veteran and former Apache helicopter commander, he turned to cannabis to help re-acclimate to civilian life after leaving active duty in 2011.

Frustrated by the lack of legal access in Massachusetts and the unreliable black market, he co-founded Jane Technologies with his brother Abraham to create a trusted e-commerce solution for cannabis retailers.

Since its 2017 launch, Jane has become the industry’s leading digital provider, powering over 2,500 dispensaries and brands across 39 U.S. states and Canada with e-commerce, market analytics, payments, and point-of-sale technologies.

Under Socrates' leadership, Jane has earned recognition from Forbes’ The Cannabis 42.0 (2023), Inc. Power Partner (2023), and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 (2022), while also being featured at major industry events like SXSW and MJBizCon.

Before founding Jane, Socrates was an associate at McKinsey & Company, and he holds a degree from the United States Military Academy as well as an MBA in entrepreneurship from MIT.

Tiffany Chin has 13 years of experience in the entertainment space, working with world famous talent including Snoop Dogg, Eddie Murphy, and Martha Stewart. She has helped artists and talent traverse out of their traditional lane(s) of fame by way of strategic branding partnerships, including brands such as Adidas, AirBnB, Reddit, Tanqueray, Netflix and HBO.

In working closely with Snoop Dogg, Chin co-founded Casa Verde Capital in 2014, as well as Leafs By Snoop (LBS) in 2015, the first widely available celebrity cannabis brand and Snoop Dogg’s first venture into the branded cannabis space.

Chin guest lectures at UCLA for MBA marketing classes, and has consulted with many cannabis agencies and brands – and most recently debuted the Death Row Records Cannabis line in California in 2023. In 2024, Chin launched two cannabis shops alongside Snoop Dogg named S.W.E.D. – which stands for Smoke Weed Every Day (one in Inglewood and a coffeeshop in Amsterdam). She received her business degree at the Wharton School of Business from the University of Pennsylvania.

In this episode of Highly Informed, host John Puro speaks with Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc, the leading provider of cannabis regulatory technology in the U.S. With over 345,000 users, Metrc's solutions ensure the safety and security of the legal cannabis market by tracking products from growth to sale.

Michael discusses the challenges of cannabis regulation, the importance of compliance, and how technology fosters trust and confidence among consumers. Drawing on his extensive experience in scaling tech businesses and driving growth at Metrc, he shares valuable insights into the future of the cannabis industry.

About Michael Johnson: Michael Johnson is the CEO of Metrc, the foremost provider of cannabis regulatory technology in the United States. Under his leadership, Metrc has become a trusted partner for ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s legal cannabis market, serving over 345,000 users across various sectors, including growers, dispensaries, and law enforcement. With a strong background in scaling hyper-growth technology businesses, Michael has a proven track record of driving significant organizational growth and efficiency. Prior to joining Metrc, he served as CFO of InformedDNA and CM Group, where he implemented strategic initiatives that led to sustained growth and profitability. A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Michael is committed to shaping the future of the cannabis industry.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage

01:06 The Role of Metric in the Cannabis Industry

06:03 Proactive vs. Reactive: Metric's Approach

12:10 Customer Experience and Internal Metrics

17:52 Leadership Insights and Personal Experiences

23:53 Success Stories and Compliance Challenges

29:48 Emerging Technologies and Future Trends

37:47 Predictions for the Cannabis Industry

Guest:

Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc, https://www.metrc.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-johnson-41458115/

Host:

Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

Peter Barsoom, founder and CEO of 1906, discusses the mission of his cannabis edibles company and the importance of ending the prohibition of cannabis. He explains how 1906 products are designed to mimic the effects of smoking cannabis, with a focus on fast-acting, specific effects, and high-quality ingredients. Barsoom also discusses the incorporation of minor cannabinoids and other supplemental ingredients to create a personalized entourage effect. He emphasizes the importance of innovation and rethinking traditional products, such as pills and gummies, to make them more consumer-friendly. Barsoom predicts that the future of the cannabis industry involves online sales and a distinction between high-dose cannabis sold in dispensaries and low-dose cannabis sold online.

Takeaways:

• 1906 products are designed to mimic the effects of smoking cannabis, with a focus on fast-acting, specific effects, and high-quality ingredients.
• Incorporating minor cannabinoids and other supplemental ingredients creates a personalized entourage effect.
• Rethinking traditional products, such as pills and gummies, can make them more consumer-friendly.
• The future of the cannabis industry involves online sales and a distinction between high-dose cannabis sold in dispensaries and low-dose cannabis sold online.

Guest:

Peter Barsoom, Co-Founder and CEO of 1906 https://1906.shop/pages/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbarsoom/

Host: Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

#cannabis, #edibles, #prohibition, #effects, #smoking, #fast-acting, #specific #effects, #high-quality #ingredients, #cannabisinsider #cannabinoids, #entourage #effect, #innovation, #pills, #gummies, #onlineshopping, #sales, #dispensaries, #low-dosecannabis

In this episode of the Highly Informed, Mattio Communications Rosie Mattio and host Jon Purow talk about the evolution of Mattio Communications and the cannabis industry - its past,present and future.

Guest:

Rosie Mattio

Founder & CEO of Mattio Communications

Host:

Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

In this episode, host Jon Purow interviews Arthur de Cordova, CEO of Ziel, about the company's microbial reduction technology for the cannabis industry. They explore Arthur's diverse background, the adaptation of Ziel's technology from textiles to cannabis, and the evolution of their business model. The conversation delves into regulatory challenges across states, the importance of microbial control in the supply chain for safety and compliance, and the financial risks of contamination. They also discuss market dynamics, such as oversupply and price compression, and look at the evolving European cannabis market. 

Guest:

Arthur de Cordova, CEO & Co-Founder of Ziel

Host:

Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

In this episode, host Jon Purow and guest Harrison Bard, CEO and Co-Founder of Custom Cones USA and DaySavers, discuss the pre-roll supply and packaging industry. Custom Cones USA started in 2017 and has since become the most comprehensive pre-roll supply company in the industry. They offer a wide array of pre-rolled cones, custom branding options, and full-service pre-roll capacity.

Guest:

Harrison Bard, CEO and Co-Founder of Custom Cones USA and DaySavers

Host:

Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

Summary

In this episode, we cover various cannabis and psychedelic news stories. The highlight stories include the regulation of psychoactive hemp-derived cannabinoids, the potential rescheduling of cannabis, and the progress of psychedelic legalization. The golden nugget stories highlight California's cultivator capacity, the impact of cannabis legalization on Canadian beer sales, and Washington's regulation of high potency cannabis products. The federal news covers President Biden's stance on cannabis, clemency for nonviolent cannabis offenders, and Vice President Kamala Harris' cannabis reform event. The state news includes updates on cannabis legalization in Virginia, Hawaii, and Washington. The international news covers Germany's cannabis legalization delay, Thailand's reversal on cannabis legalization, and Costa Rica's progress in legalizing medical cannabis and hemp. Lastly, the cannabis science and medical news includes studies on the effects of CBD on menstrual symptoms, the use of cannabis for female orgasmic disorder, and the safety of CBD for dogs.

Host:

Jon Purow, Partner - Greenspoon Marder

https://www.gmlaw.com/attorneys/jon-purow/

Takeaways

·        Regulation of psychoactive hemp-derived cannabinoids is a topic of interest, with many states considering making certain hemp-derived cannabinoids illegal.

·        The potential rescheduling of cannabis to schedule three is being discussed, with conflicting rumors about the timeline.

·        There is growing momentum for psychedelic legalization, with widespread acceptance of the medical benefits of psychedelics.

·        Various states are making progress in cannabis legalization, with Virginia legalizing cannabis sales and Hawaii considering automatic expungement of cannabis convictions.

·        International cannabis news includes Germany's delay in legalization, Thailand's reversal on cannabis legalization, and Costa Rica's progress in legalizing medical cannabis and hemp.

·        CBD is linked to reductions in menstrual symptoms, and there is a push to make female orgasmic disorder a qualifying condition for medical cannabis.

·        Studies show that CBD is safe for long-term use in dogs.