Season Four of the AusCannaPodcast kicks off “On the Road” in New Zealand. Earlier this year, I spent a week driving the rugged South Island coast, where the mountains meet the sea and the stories are deeply tied to the land. The first stop: a visit with brothers Sank and Winston Macfarlane of Puro.

Sank, an agribusiness leader with deep roots in finance and farming, and Winston, a former America’s Cup sailor turned operations lead, are now steering one of New Zealand’s most ambitious cannabis projects. From the steep learning curve of year one to refining their approach by year two, they share the realities of building Puro from the ground up, navigating export regulations, and why strong community ties matter just as much as cultivation.

And here’s the takeaway: this isn’t just a story about a farm. It’s about rethinking what cannabis can be by moving past THC and toward a future that connects land, people, and purpose.

This episode is part one of a two-part On the Road series recorded during my New Zealand adventure. Next up: Alexis Lopez on the fine art of hash making.

👉 Got a Rapid Fire question you want me to ask a guest? Email them to [email protected]. I love including questions from the community!

💚 Want to support the podcast? Tap the Buy Me a Coffee link in the show notes!

In this episode, we cover a lot of topics, including:

* Rapid Fire (2:42)

* Who are Sank and Winston? (9:15)

* Puro was born (11:50)

* The first year… A massive learning curve (14:52)

* Year two… Doubling down and dialling it in (18:34)

* New Zealand export regulations (20:26)

* The importance of community ties (22:38)

* Sank and Tim Aldridge (Puro Executive Chair) go door-knocking (25:53)

* Open days at the Puro farm (28:02)

* The live-dried process 101 (28:51)

* 75,000 plants in the ground, outdoors under the sun (31:19)

* Proving the concept, now we’re upgrading (33:37)

* Letting go of preconceived notions (37:28)

* Where is Puro going in the next few years? (39:07)

* Exporting always keeps you on your toes (41:16)

* Would life be easier if…? (42:35)

* Sank’s long-term goal (47:09)

* Winston’s frustration with trying to educate (48:04)

* Seeing things in a different light (48:34)

* There’s a lot more magic to be had (50:21)

* Shifting the narrative away from THC (52:16)

* Sank and Winston’s parting words of wisdom (55:07)

* New Zealand turning on the charm (57:17)

Show Notes:

* My New Zealand Adventure BTS

* Magi Mix

* Bananas on Boats

* Winston the Sailor

* The Store

* Winterhome Garden

* Medicinal Cannabis Scheme, allowing New Zealand companies to export

* Puro’s Government Grant

Where to Find Sank and Winston:

* Puro Website

Where to Find Christina Mc Mullan:

* @AusCannaReviews on SubStack

* @AusCannaReviews on Instagram

* @AusCannaReviews on Twitter/X

* Email [email protected]

* Buy Me A Coffee/AusCannaPodcast

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