Lots of news last week! My good friend Judson and I sat down to chop it up and share our takes on all the happenings from last week:

Leaf Trade b2b marketplace raises $12.5M 

Backbone supply chain software raises $14M

Bespoke Financial expands to East coast and beyond

420, Benzinga, and "green wednesday"

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This episode is brought to you by MJ Unpacked: May 18-20 - NYC. Brands, Investors, and Retail come together to shape the future of east coast cannabis. https://mjunpacked.com/

News w/ Judson of Bespoke Financial : Leaf Trade, Backbone, 4/20

Investing in Cannabis tells the stories of the founders and investors in the fastest growing industry in the United States, cannabis. Hosted by Brandon David.

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Well guys this is it for iC!  I tried to think of something intelligent or witty or thought provoking to leave you all with, but it didn’t come. Words can’t really express the gratitude I feel for everyone who gave me their ears over the last 7 years. If you let me into to you workout session, your commute to work, your bathroom time, thank you! 

I had no idea what to expect from starting a podcast. It truly was just an excuse for me to meet awesome people like Hua, Ben Larson, Seibo, Doug Leighton, Emily and Morgan Paxhia. I had no idea it would turn into such a meaningful part of life. It still amazes me that all of you smart people took interest in what a chubby stoner entrepreneur had to say about startups and investing. I never went to school for business and did my best to hang with the big dogs of cannabis investing. A couple groups I want to address directly:

To the founders - keep going. Keep learning. You don’t know what opportunity is going to pop. Whether it be in cannabis or another industry, keep fucking going!

To the investors- I’m sorry this industry hasn’t worked out better so far. I’m still a believer that with time great wealth can be created from cannabis, but the obstacles and barriers are still monumental. 

To the guests - thank you for taking a chance on me! I was a kid with zero experience with either cannabis or podcasting. Thank you for everything you taught me. 

To Producer Erik and Director Jacob - without question the fondest memories of the show will be with you two just trying to figure shit out. In many ways my favorite time was when nobody listened and we did this for ourselves. Let’s start a new show! 

For the last time . . . Tune in, listen up, get acquainted!

The Final Episode

Just one more after this! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad ;( Next ep we will have a special guest to wrap up the show; me! 

Everyone in the cannabis industry right now seems to be focusing on big markets like CA, NY, NJ and others with huge potential market value. Greenlight and John Mueller have taken a different approach. They have targeted medical dispensaries in "fly over states" with a focus on operations and profitability. 

With states on the brink of recreational like Missouri, Arkansas, and West Virginia, Greenlight is well positioned to take advantage. It's a great episode and one of the few success stories in this industry.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mueller-6a3749a/

https://greenlightdispensary.com/about/

Midwest Medical w/ Greenlight Dispensary

The rumors are true . . . there are only 2 episodes remaining of Investing in Cannabis. More on why in the coming weeks.

This week we have Nick of Claybourne. Nick describes their process as breed to brand as he heavily values their genetics and cultivation techniques. In a personal favorite move, Claybourne was one of the first to offer half ounce smalls . . . brilliant. We also talk marketing, distribution, expanding to new states and much more.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ortega-22926791/

https://www.claybourneco.com/

Breeding to Brand w/ Nick of Claybourne

Only 3 episodes of Investing in Cannabis left!

Yes the rumors are true, after 7 years iC podcast is coming to an end. I need new challenges and nobody makes money in the cannabis industry. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be talking more about the decision, what I learned, and my predictions for where the industry is headed. 

For now, enjoy the final remaining eps! 

This week we take a look at #Oklahoma . Although still only a medical market, a large percentage of the population hold medical cards and tax revenues have been substantial for an otherwise slow state economy. It is a tiny but mighty case for cannabis across the country. 

I had the chance to connect with Arshad Lasi of the The Nirvana Group. At only 23, Arshad is wise beyond his years. He has successfully grown the family business into one of the major players in OK. 

We talk:
- vertical integration
- genetics
- licensing vs building brands
- Taxes and what most states are doing wrong
- The price of top shelf is shockingly low.

Oklahoma w/ The Nirvana Group

In a rare iC episode, Matt Hawkins of Entourage Effect Capital joins the show for the 2nd time! Matt has been very busy since we last chatted. Through 3 funds, the firm has invested in 60+ companies since 2014. He is truly one of the best and most experience minds we have in our industry.

News w/ Judson of Bespoke Financial : Leaf Trade, Backbone, 4/20

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