As new states begin to normalize cannabis, the latest phase of the cannabis industry is rapid brand expansion. There are many ways to crash your cannabis brand as you attempt to expand into other states, and perhaps new product categories, by working with corporate partners. Too many entrepreneurs take action based on their hunches and not factual knowledge. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Kris Krane of 4Front Advisors about the intricacies of cannabis brand licensing, some best practices for moving into new states, and some common pitfalls to avoid on your way to becoming a national brand.

Growing cannabis in greenhouses offers the best attributes of both indoor and outdoor operations. However, because it is a combined solution, it can suffer from the challenges of both growing methods too. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with cannabis greenhouse expert Eric Brandstad about crop-saving techniques to rescue your greenhouse operation when it takes a turn for the worse and preventative techniques to stop it from ever getting that bad.

Extracting cannabinoids with carbon dioxide has matured a lot over the last few years. Professional extraction teams have become far more versatile with the technology resulting in a much improved product. On today's episode of Shaping Fire, extractor Jeff Wilhoit talks with Shaping Fire host Shango Los about the evolution of CO2 extraction in the last five years, why CO2 dabs tastes so much better now and some of his favorite modifications for extraction machines.

Cannabis plants thrive on biological diversity that can meet all its nutritional needs. Well-made compost is not only alive with microbial and fungal activity, but it can be personalized to your growing region as well. In this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Colum Riley of Malibu Compost about the complex biology of compost, why using local microbes is so very important and how compost-thinking may be what we need to save the world.

Selling cannabis seeds is a serious hustle. Like the fine artist painters of old, today's cannabis breeders are creating extraordinary cannabis strains, and at the same time being ingenious with their marketing and outreach. They have to be visionary with the genetics and still know how to crush social media in their own way. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los speaks with Eric Wimber of Dungeons Vault Genetics about the challenges and rewards of breeding and selling championship cannabis seeds.

Patients often try to save money or stay legal by using CBD from industrial fiber hemp but there is little scientific support for its efficacy when used alone. Now though, a new generation of plants exist that are closer genetically to traditional medical cannabis plants but are also legally hemp plants. These plants will remake the current CBD hemp market. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with agricultural-scale cannabis breeder Seth Crawford about these new cultivars of cannabis and why their difference is so meaningful.

Breathing is an essential part of enjoying cannabis and yet we rarely think about it. And for the most part, most of us trade partial truths and full-on myths when talking about how cannabis interacts with the lungs. On today's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Robert Litman of The Breathable Body about the mechanics of breathing, what happens when we inhale cannabis, and best practices for keeping our lungs healthy.

Korean Natural Farming is so hot right now. Probiotic farmers everywhere are learning KNF's exotic fermentation techniques to create their most thriving and potent plants ever. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Korean Natural Farming educator Chris Trump about KNF fermentation recipes, the importance of abundant indigenous microbe communities in the soil and working with the life-force in plants.

To a casual observer, the licensed cannabis market may seem risky but essentially orderly. Of course, this is a fantasy because anyone actually involved in the process sees first hand the turbulent interplay of regulators, license holders, and the ever-present, ever-adaptable black market. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los speaks with Dominic Corva, Director of the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy, about the persistence of the unlicensed markets, the industrialization of corporate cannabis and how the licensed and unlicensed markets may continue to interact over time.

Have no doubt that agricultural and pharmaceutical companies are coming for your cannabis genetics. And while these mega-corporations are well-funded and focused on their goals, heritage cannabis growers and enthusiasts are disorganized, unfunded and believe in a wide array of patent law myths. On this week's episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks frankly with Reggie Gaudino PhD of Steep Hill Labs about the realities of cannabis genetics patenting today, the cannabis patents already awarded and the steps that must be taken today if the cannabis community is to defensively patent their cannabis cultivars.