The Talking Hedge

A pitch deck is a short presentation made to potential investors that presents your company’s vision, team, and strategy. A pitch deck can make your company stand out so creating a memorable one can either make or break your startup.

The #TalkingHedge...

https://youtu.be/Y7kEZ1N1gPo

Last Prisoner Project emerged from a kind of ugliness of the cannabis industry: Depending on which state and which year (as well as what color your skin is, in many cases) you ate an edible, lit a blunt, or hit a bong, doing that exact thing could give you a jail sentence or be a complete nonissue. 

Legalization criss-crosses the country, thousands sit in jail cells for nonviolent marijuana offenses, some even for life sentences, because they bought or sold the stuff, transported it across state lines, or possessed it before legalization.

Imagine sitting in a cell for years, decades, or even for life, convicted of an activity that is no longer a crime, while thousands of other people build intergenerational wealth doing exactly the same thing.

That is the situation that over 40,000 cannabis prisoners face today in the United States alone, while countless others languish in jails and prisons worldwide.

The Last Prisoner Project has one singular mission: to set them free.

The Last Prisoner Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to a major new industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions.

Through legal intervention, public education and legislative advocacy, we work to redress the past and continuing harms of our country’s unjust and ineffective approach to drug policy.

The #TalkingHedge discuss #LastPrisonerProject...

https://youtu.be/FD0MyXG-eeY

Washington State, for example, had almost $1.5 Billion in cannabis sales last year, however sales figures have declined 6 months in a row, with the exception of a Christmas boost thanks in part to the holidays with the in-laws and New Years Eve.

What’s the Significance?:

Some analysts are claiming there’s a correlation between cannabis sales and COVID restrictions easing. 

The theory is that people had more idle time at home during the lockdowns, with extra income from stimulus checks, so many of those people turned to cannabis products. 

Now that lockdowns are over, the theory goes that those people are now using less cannabis. 

So What Happened?:

Total Sales= $103.9

YOY Sales Growth= -7.0% (Sales growth topped 28% prior to Covid)

Avg Basket= $33.47

Basket Count= 3.1

Brand Concentration= 22%

Sales patterns were similar to other states, with declines starting right before the summer in May.

The Impact:

The prevailing theory of attributing lower sales to the end of the lockdowns might be part of the reason, however, I believe the impact of inflation can not be overstated.

The same economic factors hitting other business sectors are also affecting the cannabis industry. Cannabis sales aren’t falling just because people are trying to enjoy the outdoors, it’s also falling as inflation and gasoline prices are rising.

Inflationary Pressures:

Decreased average basket size trend continues, while the number of transactions continues to increase- indicating consumers are still going to #potshops more often, but spending less per transaction. This could mean consumers are trying to avoid higher minimum delivery requirements and opting to go to dispensaries and buying only what they need instead.

Consolidation:

Brand concentration has remained relatively steady, however, it's anticipated that consolidation will pick up as Canadian companies and private equity and venture capitalists come into the space in anticipation of U.S. Federal legalization to snap up under-valued cannabis prospects in hopes of a legalization rally that'll spark the next wave of cannabis stock speculation.

Episode 939 The #TalkingHedge...

https://youtu.be/Q68gMFMB378

Summary:

*providing Boston w/ wholesale #cannabis

*unionized cannabis

*investing in opportunities

*reviewing 20 deals per week

*the impacts of the pandemic & supply chain constraints

*the future of cannabis' culture

*raising cannabis #capital

*exit strategies 

*cannabis #PubCo

*final comments

A revolutionary approach: providing the highest-quality medical marijuana products and the best in customer care in and around the Boston area.

Episode 938 The #TalkingHedge interviews Ryan Ansin, Co-Founder Revolutionary Farms...

https://youtu.be/51DJc1B872M

The likelihood for several new cannabis markets to legalize by 2030 will drive combined U.S. legal sales past $72 billion in that year, according to New Frontier Data’s latest analysis of state legalization efforts.

Last year, the U.S. legal cannabis market was worth an estimated $26.5 billion, and this year it is expected to top annual sales of $32 billion.

And yet, Canadian cannabis producer Eve & Co receives creditor protection, while Cannabis producer CannTrust just emerged from creditor protection.

The #TalkingHedge...

https://youtu.be/k7Vw56L5ff8

A new study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that 30% of those who use marijuana may have some degree of cannabis use disorder.

The study claims patients could depend on cannabis to keep their issues under control, like chronic back pain and anxiety. In 2015, the same group found about 4 million people in the United States met the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder.

Guests:

-Jessilyn Dolan, RN: Director, American Cannabis Nurses Association & Founder, Vermont Cannabis Nurses Association

-Christopher Smith: Publisher & Host, The American Cannabis Report

The #TalkingHedge...

https://youtu.be/LDH4CBnf_ik

#Cannabis #Legalization Bills:

#MOREAct

#SAFEBankingAct

#CAOA

#HopeAct

The #TalkingHedge via #GreenRush Live on Pro Cannabis Media...

https://youtu.be/U_l2IoVYbN8

How to Start a Cannabis Business. In part 3 we’ll go over long term forecasts for the U.S. and Canadian markets that include total sales estimates, as well as estimates at the category level to give you a complete picture of where the market was at, where we are now, and where we are headed.

With the addition of several new U.S. cannabis markets opening up, it’s now projected that the US will surpass $30 billion in 2022.

There is not much change in the Canadian forecast for 2022, but this was expected since the market is fully legalized. The data is demonstrating that the cannabis industry is not only moving quickly, but there is no indication that the industry will slow down. 

Businesses should be able to continue to see positive growth into the near future.

The #TalkingHedge...

https://youtu.be/2pIgFWBhxlY

Jonathan Sandelman is the chairman and CEO of Ayr Wellness, a growing vertically-integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator.

As a 30-year Wall Street veteran, Jon has a history of delivering value to investors.. He previously served as president of Bank of America Securities, building its capital markets businesses through the early 2000s and growing the company beyond its roots as a consumer and corporate lender.

Jon recognized that the cannabis sector has the potential to be the next major industry of our time and that led him to found Ayr Wellness, building it up from the first cannabis SPAC to one of the top U.S. multi-state operators in just two years. 

His success stems from his investment in Ayr’s employees, customers, and communities, as well as his strong philosophy around the company’s disciplined approach to capital and expansion. 

As Ayr continues to grow, Jon envisions the company leading the cannabis sector in profitability, governance and transparency, all beginning with the highest quality products that enrich the everyday lives of consumers with “wellness and wonder” benefits. 

Summary:

08:10 - Limited license state & Vertical Integration

09:35 - Interstate commerce VS state redundancies

12:27 - Top talent during the Great Resignation

15:57 - Pot Stocks VS ESG & SRI

24:03 - Sin Stocks

30:00 - The hippie VS Wall Street debate

34:12 - Top revenue drivers

Episode 930 The #TalkingHedge interviews Jon Sandelman Chairman, Chief Executive Officer at Ayr Wellness...

https://youtu.be/xBIrvQuBbKU

Today's show includes PCM TV Journalists discussing the state of the NJ cannabis industry.

Guests:

-Tara Misu: CEO & Founder, Blazin' Bakery

-Jill Goldsberry: Publicist, Golden Media Relations

-Heather Allman: Feature Editor, Cannabis Law Report

Episode 929 The #TalkingHedge discusses NJ on Green Rush Live from ProCannabisMedia...

https://youtu.be/SkrMtO95gg4