The CannaBS Detector

This episode of the CannaBS Detector is unlike anything we’ve ever done before. This time they are going to the audience for suggestions and give quick takes on tons of important topics that weren’t really in depth enough to justify an entire episode. They cover a lot of ground on this episode on a ton of various topics from advocacy to compliance, basic common sense to tips and tricks, and a whole lot in  between. 

Kristen and Brett start off with a few hot takes on Cannabis DUIs, and their answers probably aren’t what you expect. Short answer: don’t smoke and drive, and if you’re a medical patient who is high all the time please understand your limits and the risks. Oh, and for the love of God please stop posting videos of dabs on the freeway and blunts passing between  cars. These are oftentimes hilarious but are also the very ammo the prohibitionists will use against us  all. 

Later they dig in on being high at work and find their first point of contention. Kristen is stone sober these days, and recounts terrible times gone by of being high behind the counter, while Brett gets into his daily use and the fact that no one in his life has probably seen him not high in the last 4 or 5 years. Once  they are done with the work discussion they dig hard into the nuances of legalized home grow and why it’s so important for the longevity of the industry. 

Later  down the road the team has their first real disagreement in the form of transplants entering the industry. They both agree it’s often a matter of passion rather than career growth, and entering the industry usually involves a step down in pay/title with an increase in workload, but past that all bets are off in terms of the specifics. Do you have a guess on who thinks transplants are a good thing and who thinks it’s a bad thing? (don’t cheat and listen then answer). 

4 Key Takeaways: 

• Don’t get high and drive… period. Yes, this means medical patients too. (don’t text and drive, drink and drive, or anything else “bad” and drive either)
• The argument that home grow is unsafe  for consumers or isn’t properly regulated is totally bogus propaganda from poorly run corporate boof factories who are afraid you growing your own will be competition for them
• Overcoming the stigma starts with education for those around you, and can be greatly aided by finding your tribe. Regardless of age, race, religion, income level,  or any other demographics there is most definitely more people just like you out there who consume cannabis
• Transplanting into cannabis has never been easier, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to stay in the industry once you’re here. Working in cannabis isn’t all bong rips and good times, so be careful who you work with and what roles you accept

 

Credits: 

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

 

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On this episode of the CannaBS detector things start to get personal for our hosts Kristen and Brett. Both dive straight into their own experiences that led them to being outspoken critics of much that is happening within the space. Kristen gets into her experiences with police raids and shady owners in the OG days of the cannabis industry. Brett backs it up with a story that could only come from Flori-duh regarding the same sort of issues still happening over a half a decade later. They also touch on some other instances in their careers that illustrate some of the downsides to the industry that cross borders and timelines. 

 

Once the reminiscing on bullshit is over, the team starts digging into some of the reasons these things are happening, and how to prevent them. The big key for employees… Knowing when it’s time to speak up and ensuring you know the proper channels to do so. Spotting BS isn’t always easy, but it is always important. 

Later, Kristen and Brett touch on some of the options leaders have to ensure reporting is happening, and how best to truly have an open door policy (crucially important as larger companies are becoming more common). Hint: Actually talking to those at the bottom is the easiest and best way to understand what you may or may not realize is happening in your company (Undercover Boss was a successful show for a reason). 

This is a can’t miss episode for anyone who has ever seen or heard about some of the horror stories across the industry regardless of geography or time in the industry. 

4 Key Take-Aways: 

• Working in cannabis isn’t the same no matter where you go thanks to the disparities between different markets and the laws that create them, but one thing remains… the toxic culture. 
• Cannabis is an emerging industry, and because of this it has attracted more than its fair share of sketchy people and corporate sharks who think they are the next best thing since sliced bread (on the bright side, maybe the worst is behind us?).
• Corporate culture starts at the top, but it’s continued by employees staying silent. Know how to spot negligence and malfeasance, and don’t be afraid to speak up. It’s for the benefit of us all.
• The issues cannabis is facing as an industry could and should be prevented but nothing will change until everyone starts getting honest about what’s actually happening. 

Credits: 

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Podcast Links:

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It’s episode 4 of Season 3 of the CannaBS Detector, and Kristen is really starting to hit her stride along with new Co-Host Brett Puffenbarger. In this episode, the dynamic duo starts digging in on recreational vs medical cannabis laws, how the markets play out, and more. 

Our hosts start off by addressing the oftentimes missed elephant in the room… “medical” cannabis. Brett breaks this down pretty deeply in the episode, but the cliff notes are simple: Medical implies a standardization and level of federal approval that cannabis currently doesn’t have, and is intrinsically against. Medicinal is a more appropriate term. You’ll have to tune in to get the rest of the details. 

The team then dives into the differences between med and rec states, as well as the effects recreational legalization has on existing medical markets. The outcome isn’t pretty for patients but is great for investments and profit margins. They take a deep dive into this and get into the specifics including medical use under the recreational banner, as well as pricing of products and tax rules regarding the differences. 

After breaking down how the markets react to the different versions of legal, Kristen and Brett get into some of the advocacy roots behind cannabis legalization, and even take a bit of a Devil’s Advocate stance on how the industry as it stands came to be (We did exactly what they said we would). 

4 Key Take-Aways: 

• Medical is actually a misnomer, and “medical” cannabis should actually be called medicinal 
• Most recreational shoppers are actually probably medical users, but the co-mingling of the markets muddies the waters
• States with only medical cannabis are usually better for patients, and recreational legalization oftentimes destroys medical markets in their pursuit of profits and market share
• Hot Take: We did exactly what the prohibitionists said we would and used medical as a Trojan Horse to get recreational cannabis passed

Credits: 

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast! 

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The BS Detector team dives in hard for episode three by tackling one of the most important but oftentimes overlooked segments of the cannabis industry: Lab Testing. Lab testing is different in every state, but a few key pieces should be universal. Labs should be truly third-party, focused on accuracy, and heavily regulated. Labs have a duty to ensure products that reach consumers are both tested for safety as well as tested for accurate information that gets to the consumers. 

In this episode, Kristen and Brett start off with a breakdown of what the term “lab shopping” really means. In short… Cannabis producers will send multiple samples to different labs and choose to work with the one that tells them what they want to hear (highest THC content, Least detected contaminates). They then take a hard turn and go into the actual breakdown of why this can occur, and how. Hint: it isn’t always the fault of the lab,  and it isn’t always the fault of the state regulators. Sometimes it is purely a byproduct of how labs make money and the inherent bias that may or may not come with that.  

Later on, the team digs in on what labs should be testing for, and how to understand a certificate of analysis. Lab testing is about a lot more than just THC and CBD percentages,  it can be about pesticides, heavy metals, and more.  Brett and  Kristen also get into some of the methods for testing, as well as in-house testing, and segments of the supply chain where testing is important. Testing at the beginning and end isn’t always enough, especially if your company truly cares about quality. Contaminants and issues can occur during multiple places along the production line, and testing is the best and easiest way to find potential shortcomings in a supply chain. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Lab Shopping is real, and you should be on the lookout for it. Notice a company using different labs every few batches? Finding a  product that doesn’t hold up to what’s on the label?  Those are tell-tale signs of lab shopping. 
• How labs make money, and why this affects the way we as consumers see final products
• Testing is more than just for THC and CBD percentages, it is also for pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. 
• Testing is complicated but can be useful. Testing can be done at multiple steps of the supply chain and can be done in house as a purely quality control measures

Credits: 

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Production

Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners! 

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The CannaBS Detector is back for season 3, and this is going to be the biggest season yet! On this episode Kristen introduces her new cohost, Brett Puffenbarger, and the pair dig into a lot of what has brought them together as well as some truth bombs about the cannabis industry that the MSOs don’t want you to know. 

Join us as we dig in on some interesting tidbits about the foundations of cannabis and what those foundations really mean for the recent wave of M&A activity surrounding the space. Hint… it’s mostly smoke and mirrors to distract from their messy operations, but investors don’t seem to pay attention to that. Strange, but then again, I’m sure they feel super cool telling all the guys at the country club how they own/run/have/ “one of the largest cannabis companies in the world”!

Remember the collapse of MedMen? Oh, and then there’s the recent merger of Harvest and Trulieve, and let’s not forget the wolves at the door of the industry (Looking at you Big Tobacco and Alcohol). 

BTW, did you know most of the industry would collapse should federal legalization in the states happen? Well, you should if you listened to last season! What about the fact that most MSO's are set up to fail and their executive packages prove it? 

We love to get into the how, why, and what to look for to really understand what is quickly shaping up to be the “Big Short” of the 2020’s… if you’ve heard of “pump and dump” schemes, then you will be very interested in some of what we have going down this season!

Stay tuned, we are just getting started! 

3 Key Take Aways: 

• Sinking Ships Strapping on an Anchor is NOT a lifesaver
• Weed Doesn’t Sell Itself, and That is Why the Model of Oil and Mining Futures Doesn’t work in Weed
• Going Public isn’t the Answer, and  Neither Is Hoping CPG brands will  buy you… Focus on Quality and People

Talk to Us:

Follow and engage with us on social media! We will be posting video episodes and livestreams on Youtube! Make sure to subscribe and turn your notifications on so you don't miss any of the action!

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Credits: 

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Chad Bailey

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners! 

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Have you ever wondered how legit an associating business is, or the people within it? Are you investing into a business with someone you aren't entirely sure of? Well, lucky for you, we're speaking with Tanya Hoke, a due diligence investigator.

Tanya has 6 years of experience managing investigative due diligence for clients in the cannabis industry. What does that mean exactly? It means that Tanya will investigate specified associates for you to confirm facts or details of a matter under your consideration. She'll figure out their detailed history to determine if they're a reliable associate to go into business with. Not only that, but she's also a certified fraud examiner, a certified anti-money laundering specialist, and a licensed private investigator in Massachusetts and Colorado.

4 Lessons Learned:

1. There are different levels to due diligence. Dependent on the context and the regulations surrounding the situation, there are different regulatory guidelines you are allowed, depending on what the situation of your client.
2. A lot of people don't think to investigate into their associates or business partners histories. But, why? A lot of investors in our industry either have friends involved in the investment so they feel more secure or they have trusted their gut in past successful endeavors and plan on doing so again.
3. Compliance is everything in the cannabis industry. If a company doesn't have a specified employee or team that is focused solely on compliance and regulatory changes, such as a Chief Compliance Officer, then chances are they aren't going to be as successful as the companies that do. Especially in an industry where our regulations change at the drop of a hat.
4. Impressive faces on a board of directors does not mean a successful company. Most likely, it's just a play for increase in their investor's trust.

List of Topics/subjects discussed:

• Investigative due diligence within the cannabis industry
• Tanya's expectations upon entering the cannabis industry and what she discovered
• The Fair Credit Reporting Act
• The different regulations within the Fair Credit Reporting act and how it differs depending on the context of the situation
• Pre-investment regulations VS. pre-employment regulations
• Kristen's experience with background checks within her career
• The time crunch with due diligence in the cannabis industry
• Tanya's personal experiences working with the CBD industry specifically
• Assumptions that came with the Farm Bill
• Tanya's first OSHA complaint - how did it end up?
• The shady businessmen joining the industry from outside of Cannabis
• Googling VS. Tanya Hoke
• What you can do to ensure you're making the right business decision?
• Legacy farmers and investors
• An 'unprofessional industry'
• The financial risks you take with not investigating your business associates

Links to Referenced News Articles from interview:

Interested in doing some research like Tonya? Use her recommendations to try out the basics for yourself and your business.

https://www.glassdoor.com/

Interested in checking out the mentioned podcast American Scandal? Link below for the referenced episode

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/enron-a-sense-of-urgency/id1435516849?i=1000447908889

Did you learn something new about the cannabis industry today? If so, let me know in the comments below!

Guest Bio and Social Media Links:

Tanya Hoke | Founder & Managing Director

Tanya has more than a dozen years of experience managing investigative due diligence for clients in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and manufacturing to financial services and consulting. She has been advising investors in the cannabis industry since 2015.

Tanya has led hundreds of due diligence investigations into management teams, helping clients to identify business, legal, and reputational risks prior to proceeding with high-value transactions. She was previously a Senior Consultant in Corporate Investigations at Control Risks Group, a global security and political risk consulting firm.

Tanya speaks regularly about due diligence, risk management, and integrity in the cannabis industry. She currently serves on the NCIA's Banking & Financial Services Committee, and previously served on the State Regulations Committee.

She is a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, and a licensed Private Investigator in Massachusetts and Colorado. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College and a Master of International Business degree from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she serves on the MIB Alumni Advisory Board.

Galen Diligence

Tanya Hoke Linkedin

Credits:

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Jef Judin

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Show Notes - Henley Beall

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners!

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Tunein

We are back at it today, speaking with Chris Tenaglia of Valiant Group America, as he brings his unique experience of the construction side of the cannabis industry to light. Valiant is a vertically integrated team, meaning they have professionals from all aspects of the construction industry, in-house. This eases confusion throughout the entire process, and makes for great communication throughout the company and for the client. Chris, the chief operating officer of Valiant, speaks with us today about his experiences at Valiant and calls out the bullshit he's had to deal with throughout his time in the industry.

3 Lessons Learned:

1. The expense differences and effects of growing cannabis in different climates, specifically the NorthEast. With drastic changes in humidity and temperature throughout the year in the east, compared to the dry, sunny climate in the west, east coast facilities usually have to double up on most of their supplies and equipment.
2. Massachusetts has one of the highest percentages of testing regulations for mold in the cannabis industry. This is due to the area's high humidity.
3. Vet whoever you are hiring in this industry - especially as a consultant. The wrong advice will cost you millions in this industry, as Chris and I have seen from firsthand experience, and you need to make sure your employees and associates are legitimate, with real experience that is backed up by a reference/

List of Topics/subjects discussed:

• Valiant Group and their vertically integrated team. What do they do?
• Difficulties with growing in different regions throughout the United States, specifically in the northeast and how that effects cost
• Compliance and regulatory changes on the east coast as compared to the west coast
• Valiant Group's partnership with Agrify
• Agrify's vertical farming unit (VFU) and how it can benefit you in the long run.
• LED vs. HPS Lights
• In Valiant's customer base, how many are people fixing their mistakes compared to people starting off on their company on the right foot?
• What is the easiest state to grow in?
• Lighting and regulations specifically with electricity.
• The difficulty of licensing on the east coast, especially when entering the market (if you can)
• Cannabis cultivation is not a normal construction build. Why?
• Issues between growers and owners when building a facility and their lack of understanding.
• The importance of recognizing con-consultants and vetting out your potential employees.
• Valiant's experiences with companies

Guest Bio and Social Media Links:

Valiant is a leader in development, management, consulting and general contracting. With past experience in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other industrial buildings, Valiant's newfound success follows a decade-long specialization in commercial development of cannabis cultivation facilities and dispensaries. The construction giant's claim to fame is their vertically-integrated trades structure. The structure allows Valiant to train all of their own employees instead of hiring subcontractors. This maximizes quality of work and minimizes the timeline of each project. Most recently, Valiant was selected as the primary distributor and installer for Agrify, a high-tech firm specializing in state-of-the-art, software-controlled cannabis vertical farming units and modular containers.

Christopher Tenaglia, Chief Operating Officer of Valiant, has extensive leadership experience over various industries including finance, production and construction. His relevant qualifications include a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Colby-Sawyer College, an unrestricted construction supervisor license, a Class A commercial driver's license, and OSHA 30. Christopher regularly manages teams of over 100 employees and has owned and managed several companies over the past 10 years. Across all of the multi-million dollar Valiant projects, Chris is a driving force in the field as a coordinator with all company personnel, schedules, assurance of deadlines & timelines, leadership & management meetings, and point-person for all communication regarding Valiant business matters and ongoing projects.

Website: www.valiant-america.com

insta: @ValiantAmerica

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/valiant-america/

twitter: @Valiant_America

Facebook: Facebook.com/ValiantAmerica

For more on mold testing throughout the United States:

https://cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/an-insiders-view-how-labs-conduct-cannabis-mold-testing/

Credits:

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Jef Judin

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Show Notes: Henley Beall

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners!

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Today we'll be rolling through the topics and facts that stoners try to sweep under the rug. From CHS to drug interactions to the compounds in your concentrates, why do stoners avoid these topics? No cannabis users want to talk badly about cannabis, especially with its historical stigma surrounding the plant. But whether you like it or not, there is more research needed on cannabis, and a good start is being honest about its risks and effects and how we discover them.

Emma Chasen, co-owner and operator of Eminent Consulting, a cannabis consulting business, comes in hot to break the Sativa/Indica binary and some popular myths in cannabis. Backed with years of experience and a degree in Medicinal Plant Research, Emma is passionate about educating others on cannabis. What people don't know, does hurt them and as advocates, it's our job to educate those around us. Knowing what is in your cannabis and how these compounds effect you is important, no matter who or where you're buying from.

After listening, what experiences have you had with different kinds of cannabis? Have you or a friend/ family member ever experienced CHS? How do you feel about the Indica/Sativa binary? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Lessons Learned:

1. RSO is the only concentrate with scientific evidence to backup its medicinal properties in high dosages.
2. Cannabis and hemp are bio-accumulators, meaning that they are a plant that gradually absorbs substances that are in the ground they're growing in at a faster rate than the substance is lost or metabolized by the plant.
3. Because cannabis is not federally legal, there are no set lab procedures in place for analytical testing of cannabis. When Oregon tested the variances of all their labs within the industry, they found a 10% variance across the board, showing the need for consistent regulations for testing in the cannabis industry.

List of Topics/subjects discussed:

• The lack of scientific data backing Indica/ Sativa differences
• The high variability of cannabis between users
• Manipulative marketing within the cannabis industry
• How to find the good companies to support
• How the industry can better predict the effects and experiences of specific strains
• Oklahoma and how their licensing will in turn effect their market
• Craft cannabis and its future
• Concentrates and it's potency and legitimacy in the medical market
• Personal experiences with concentrates
• Additive terpenes and the effects
• Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
• Esters: What are they? Where are they?
• Epidiolex Trials
• Lab testing in the cannabis industry and why it differs
• Titration of dosing, macrodosing and their therapeutic value
• Bad drug interactions with CBD and THC
• How to buy cannabis the right way.

Links to Referenced News Articles from interview:

https://www.epidiolex.com/about-epidiolex

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7053164/

https://cbdhealthandwellness.net/2020/08/09/did-cbd-cause-a-case-steven-johnson-syndrome/

Vocabulary:

Bio-accumulation: The gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bio-accumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminate.

Esters: Volatile flavor molecules/ a chemical compound derived from substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol.

Guest Bio and Social Media Links:

Emma Chasen has a mission to educate people on the science behind Cannabis so that they may take charge of their own healing. After graduating from Brown University in 2014 with a degree in Medicinal Plant Research, Emma went on to coordinate Clinical Oncology trials with the Brown University Oncology Research Group. When her supervisor refused a Cannabis trial in favor of another expensive pharmaceutical drug, Emma quit and headed across the country to Portland, OR. She found her way to Farma, the popular Portland dispensary that takes a more scientific approach to Cannabis; rejecting the Indica/Sativa binary and instead focusing on chemotypes to determine effect. She began her career at Farma as a budtender and was quickly promoted to General Manager and eventually to Director of Education. In this role she was able to focus on educational efforts and create a robust training curriculum that focused on cannabis science, product knowledge and empathetic patient care. Emma now co-owns and operates Eminent Consulting, a cannabis consulting business that offers educational training and craft industry development for cannabis industry professionals and businesses. She helps brands develop educational marketing collateral and ongoing educational programs to further elevate their brand presence in a competitive industry. She also helps struggling and newly emerging cannabis businesses with business organization and sets them up for success in both the competitive medical and adult use markets.

Emma was named Portland's Best Budtender of 2016 and featured in Newsweek, MG Magazine, Forbes, High Times Magazine, The Centennial, The Oregon Leaf and Teen Vogue for her work with cannabis education. She is also a regular guest on many cannabis focused podcasts and has been featured on television for her ability to explain scientific concepts around cannabis in a way that is accessible and helpful to the general public.

https://www.eminentconsultingfirm.com

https://www.instagram.com/emmachasen/

https://www.getalthea.com/courses/terpenes/

Credits:

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Jef Judin

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Show Notes: Henley Beall

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast!

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the show, it helps bring in more listeners!

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Continuing the conversation from Part 1, my good friend and experienced advocate, Brad Slaughter of Nature's Secret Holdings, joins us once again to dive into the reality of what will follow post-legalization. What will regulations look like in the future, compared to the past? Will we learn from our mistakes to create a better system?

Our past with cannabis is complicated and repetitive. With progress and advocacy for cannabis sparking up in the 1970's, our fight for the plant started long before that. General misinformation and a lack of understanding surrounding cannabis has troubled its image throughout time and remains to do so to this day. Education is needed to prepare us for legalization. Listen in to learn about what's going on in today's industry, and how that will effect the future of cannabis.

What do you think about cannabis legalization on a federal level? Did you learn anything new? If so, let me know in the comments below!

3 Lessons Learned:

1. There were reports as early as 1944 that supported the fact that cannabis has medicinal properties.
2. Taxation on legal cannabis drops down to the end user, pushing consumers towards the illicit market because of the affordability. The perfect example is California, where the black market is 3x the size of the legal market.
3. The state (like in California) wouldn't have to enforce your regulations with law enforcement if 2/3 of the state didn't opt out of commercial cannabis sales. The tax money from that 1/3 of the state will not cover enforcement costs.

List of Topics/subjects discussed:

• The need for cannabis regulations
• Cannabis reparations moving forward
• Decriminalization vs. Legalization and the longevity of each
• The 1970's movement and it's history
• Decriminalization in the past
• Tax code 280E and it's effects post-legalization
• The IRS and it's interactions with the cannabis industry
• The Safe Banking Act
• The findings of the 1944 La Guardia Report
• The threat of cannabis to Big Pharma
• The possibility of ATF controlling and regulating cannabis post-legalization
• Vape safety regulations and common misconceptions
• General lack of information around cannabis in the government
• Los Angeles and the corruption within the cannabis industry there

Links to Referenced News Articles from interview:

http://rodneybarnett.net/PDF/Laguardia%20Report%201944.pdf

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-should-we-pay-cannabis-reparations-brad-slaughter/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/perspective-view-cannabis-re-scheduling-brad-slaughter/

Guest Bio and Social Media Links:

Brad Slaughter, Co-Founder and President of Nature's Secret Holdings, joins us to discuss the oncoming issues that cannabis legalization will lead to and to identify the victims that will feel these adverse effects. Brad specializes in business development, marketing, and networking within the Cannabis and CBD industry.. As a long time cannabis and CBD advocate and educator, Brad has had extensive experience in the industry and with fighting for consumer rights within the industry. He previously worked as a CFO for California Weed Blog, a guide to cannabis culture in California and now continues his advocacy for consumers as a board member of the CBD Consumer Protection Task Force and also as a speaker/moderator for CBD Expo.

https://www.naturessecretholdings.com

https://www.cbdspa.us

https://www.cbdpatriot.us

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-slaughter/

https://californiaweedblog.com

Credits:

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Jef Judin

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Show Notes – Henley Beall

Podcast Links:

Click on the podcast hosting site you use below to subscribe to this podcast!

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Today, with recreational states like California failing to keep their regulatory standards consistent and stable, companies in the industry stand to loose thousands of dollars in an attempt to be compliant. So, what do we expect legalization on a national level to be like? Certainly not any better.

Everybody seems to want legalization on a federal level. It's a hot topic in the industry, especially with a new democratic president and the aftermath of COVID-19 slowly starting to show it's face. But what are the impending consequences of legalization? Who will be the ones most drastically effected? Will it effect cannabis culture and the people within it?

My good friend and experienced advocate, Brad Slaughter of Nature's Secret Holdings, joins us on today's episode to answer these questions as we discuss the victims of cannabis legalization and how it'll change the industry in its entirety. Check it out, and see if you've thought of these ramifications of legalization.

Did you change your mind on national legalization throughout the episode? Do you have any questions? If so, let me know in the comments below!

3 Lessons Learned:

1. Read the fine print of legislature being pushed in your state – I guarantee it's not as great as it sounds.
2. The cannabis industry is not a meritocracy. Especially once national legalization comes around.
3. Question the motives of CEO's who are preaching for national legalization - are they doing this for the consumer's best interest, or is it for their pockets?
4. 40/58 counties in California have banned commercial sales of cannabis. What makes us think national legalization would be any different?

List of Topics/subjects discussed:

• How national legalization will lead to globalization.
• What's going to happen to the culture of the industry.
• The history of cannabis legalization in the past, specifically in California.
• The constant regulatory and compliance changes that cannabis companies have to endure.
• The BCC and how it regulates under state control.
• Acreage Holdings and Canopy Growth's rumored buyout post-legalization
• Big corporations advocating against home grow
• Dosage of edibles before and after regulations in California
• The difference between legalization and de-scheduling cannabis.
• Decriminalization in the 1970's
• The future of medical programs vs. recreational programs and the difference in dosage between products that will be sold in each.
• The cost difference for growing cannabis in different climates within the United States

Guest Bio:

Brad Slaughter, Co-Founder and President of Nature's Secret Holdings, joins us to discuss the oncoming issues that cannabis legalization will lead to and to identify the victims that will feel these adverse effects. Brad specializes in business development, marketing, and networking within the Cannabis and CBD industry.. As a long time cannabis and CBD advocate and educator, Brad has had extensive experience in the industry and with fighting for consumer rights within the industry. He previously worked as a CFO for California Weed Blog, a guide to cannabis culture in California and now continues his advocacy for consumers as a board member of the CBD Consumer Protection Task Force and also as a speaker/moderator for CBD Expo.

"It's not about the profit, it's about the people"

https://www.naturessecretholdings.com

https://www.cbdspa.us

https://www.cbdpatriot.us

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-slaughter/

https://californiaweedblog.com/

Credits:

Audio Editing - Seth Cross - Frontal Lobe Productions

Intro/Outro - Jef Judin

Music - The Master by Flashing Lights

Show notes: Henley Beall

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