What happens when an illegal industry becomes legal?

As the editor and publisher of WeedWeek,  Alex Halperin has covered the front lines of our emerging industry. We sat down with him to discuss his thoughts on the labor market, what cannabis has in common with the alcohol industry, and why people are so obsessed with packaging. He even told us about his most controversial podcast guest. Tune in to find out who it is.

On Business Watch, Spike considers "the unicorn" and questions what lessons from the tech world are applicable to cannabis.

We're all familiar with edibles, but what about drinkables? Cannabis-infused beverages are having a moment and consumers are thirsty for more.

Find out what people like, love, and never want to see again. Based on data from SoapBoxSample's CANNApinion Poll of 1,000 cannabis consumers (from July 2020), we explore consumer behaviors and preferences around "drinkables." Why are married men with kids more likely to try them? Why is infused wine more popular than beer? What's the most preferred flavor? What percentage of people are drinking alcohol and cannabis together? We answer all of these questions and more.

PLUS - Mike Tyson's bizarre new venture and why cannabis stocks rallied (slightly) at the end of August 2020. 

Seth joins us to discuss the rookie mistakes new producers sometimes make when it comes to testing their cannabis products, and why there's been an uptick in requests for terpene analysis.

Key takeaways for our entrepreneurs include the importance of auditing your lab, prepping your manufacturing facility and providing consistent samples for testing. We also talk about the testing requirements in Colorado, where TEQ is headquartered. Is it over-regulated, under-regulated, or somewhere in between? The answer to that question is more complex than you might expect.

California is a huge and robust market but one of the most difficult places to run a successful cannabis business. In this episode we break down the size of the market, regulatory and legal hurdles, and name the top brands in the state who produce the best-selling edibles, flower, pre rolls and vape cartridges. Drawing on consumer data from the WeedWeek State Report on California, we discuss how gender plays a role in driving consumption and the major differences between Northern and Southern California consumers. In our Business Watch segment, we take a look at the increasing layoffs happening at Canopy Growth.

The Sticky Business Podcast's first interview is with Jacqueline Rosales, COO of not one, but two consumer research companies. She shares with us her predictions for the future of the industry, how brands can be more successful by targeting their audience, and she reveals which celebrity she would pick to launch a cannabis brand with.

In our Business Watch segment, Spike discusses the impact of pending legislation on cannabis stocks and the dramatic demise of Dan Bilzerian's cannabis brand.

When social consumption is temporarily suspended, people can no longer show off their gold leaf rolling papers, or their $100,000 vape pens. In uncertain economic times, how can luxury cannabis brands stay relevant? In episode 4 of The Sticky Business Podcast, Adriana and Spike break down the moves that brand should consider, not only to stay alive, but to capture new audiences.

In our data dive segment, we take a look at the most popular cannabis gifting occasions. Birthdays rank number one, followed by 4/20.

On Cannabis Business Watch - is now the time to pick up some cannabis stocks?

In this episode, we explore the question of whether cannabis companies should hire candidates from other industries and teach them the nuances of cannabis or should a foundation of cannabis knowledge be required experience? Because of the job market as a whole, a flood of new candidates are looking to the cannabis industry as they plan their next career move. We discuss what savvy brands should be aware of as they vet their next hires, and take a look at stats from the cannabis job market in our data dive segment.

Part two of our series on the second order effects of COVID-19 explores the current legal, political and regulatory landscape of cannabis in the U.S. We take a state-by-state look at who is pursuing legalization, where cannabis has been deemed essential, and what this all means for legalization at the federal level.

For every action there is a reaction, and for world events like the COVID-19 epidemic there are major ripple effects across all aspects of our lives. Some are really obvious, like the shift to telecommuting and shopping online. Others are more subtle, going mostly unnoticed unless we search for them.

The United States Cannabis industry will undergo a lot of change and adaptation, some right away and some slowly over time. The way consumers buy flower, carts, edibles, and all other products will change in some way. For business owners and industry workers, the way we work with partners, clients, and customers will need to be re-examined and perhaps even totally re-imagined for a post COVID-19 world.

In the premier episode of The Sticky Business Podcast, we start by looking big picture, at the second order effects of COVID-19 and how they will change our industry.