To Be Blunt

“And it's very difficult for brands to be successful here if they're not able to adapt very quickly to how things change here… But this has also allowed for a very quick, innovative period here...because you can't always compete on price, you have to also be a better product and be a cooler product, and fit more with the culture.” - Arshad Lasi

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi and guest Arshad Lasi of The Nirvana GroupLC discuss the cannabiz landscape in Oklahoma - the legalization process, distribution channels, market saturation, and intricacies of production.

 

[00:01 – 07:28] Shayda shares notable Cannabis events in Oklahoma

[07:29 – 13:39] Arshad’s Perspectives on Vertical Integration in the Cannabis Industry

[13:40 – 27:04] The Implications to Innovation, Distribution, and Legalization

[27:05 – 35:47] On Maintaining the License and Production Intricacies

[35:48 – 46:28] The Medical Variance, Passion in Entrepreneurship, and Pushing Forward

[46:29 – 48:55] Food for Thought: How do I navigate cannabis business in general?

 

Arshad “Adam” Lasi is CEO of The Nirvana Group, a vertically integrated family-owned cannabis company in Oklahoma. It has blossomed into one of the largest and most rapidly growing vertically integrated cannabis companies in Oklahoma. Their operations include a 30-acre cultivation and extraction facility; a 3,000 square foot processing facility featuring extraction and distillation capabilities, as well as a commercial kitchen to produce beverages and edibles; Nirvana Distribution, a 10,000 square foot warehouse that is one the largest Smoke Shop, Glass, Paper, Vaporizer, and Packaging distributors in Oklahoma, servicing more than 500 dispensaries for their ancillary products; and Argent Cannabis Distribution, the only cannabis cash & carry concept in Oklahoma and the wholesale distribution company for Nirvana Group’s diverse portfolio of cannabis brands, which range from vapes to pre-rolls to edibles and beverages to concentrates on more. Argent Cannabis Distribution is headquartered in a 10,000 square foot facility; they work with more than 30 brands and are home to nearly 1,000 SKUs. The Nirvana Group also owns an ever-expanding list of dispensaries. For more information, visit https://www.nirvana-dispensary.com/home. 

Connect with Arshad 

Visit https://www.nirvana-dispensary.com/home and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @nirvanadispo 

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“Yeah, there's a lot of licenses and a lot of opportunities. But it's obviously really hard to get traction.” -  Shayda Torabi

 

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“Decriminalizing, legalizing, creating a space for patients, creating a space then for recreational consumers...The stepping stones were part of a strategy to try not to bite off more than the state and voter populace could chew.” -  Chris Chiari

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Chris Chiari, Founder/CEO at The 420 Hotels Inc, to share his insights on cannabis tourism, the undefined freedom to consume, and how lawmakers are treading with caution in policy enforcement.

 

[00:01 – 07:44] Perspectives on Safe Cannabis Consumption in Differing Premises

[07:45– 20:00] Opening the Window for Legal Cannabis Consumption and Hospitality

[20:01 – 34:43] Initiatives to Take: The Realities of the Cannabis Bureaucracy

[34:44 – 53:14] Business Models on Crafting Avenue for Cannabis Users

[53:15 – 01:01:09] What Consumers Don’t Realize about Crafting Safe Environments

[01:01:10 – 01:03:32] Food for Thought: What is the future of cannabis tourism, hospitality, and experiential events?

 

Chris Chiari is a driven entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in corporate strategy and film production. Skilled in marketing and messaging, he has engaged exclusively with the cannabis industry since 2011 and is a tireless advocate for cannabis policy reform and fostering industry growth. 

Chris owns and operates Denver’s historic Patterson Inn, the keystone of The 420 Hotels portfolio. As CEO, he uses his expertise in hospitality, operations and community outreach to address the stigmas and ignorance that still exist around cannabis use while creating a unique and upscale environment for cannabis consumption. Chris has built a wide-ranging network throughout his career spanning corporate boardrooms and the entertainment industry. His most recent film project, Public Enemy Number One won awards for Best Producer and Best Storyteller at its world premiere at DOC LA and Best Documentary at the 2020 Seattle Film Festival. It is currently available for rent on Amazon Prime and streaming on Pluto TV and Tubi. Chris has been on the Board of Directors for Colorado NORML since 2013 and serves as the organization’s deputy director. When not working on the 420 Hotels portfolio, Chris likes to stay involved with grassroots advocacy and advancing social reform; he was one of five original signers of Denver’s successful 2019 psilocybin ballot initiative. He also enjoys twiddle shows in his free time.

Connect with Chris

Visit https://the420hotels.com/ and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @the.420.hotels

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“All crime is at enforcement, not at commitment.” - Chris Chiari

 

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“That's [social media] where you grow your communities. And that's where you showcase your brand and kind of give people behind the scenes of what your products are and who you are so that they can have a better trusting relationship with you.” -  Ariana Newton

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes WeedTube Executive Ariana Newton to dive into social media censorship, creatively targeting the barriers to entry, and the strategies to use to beat the system despite the uneven playing ground.

 

[00:01 – 09:06] Targeting Barriers to Entry through Social Media Profiling

[09:07– 14:56] The Shift to the Online Arena for Trusting Relationships

[14:57 – 17:58] The Origin, Mysteries, and Rules of Social Media Censorship

[17:59 – 20:20] Creative Strategies to Outsmart the System

[20:21 – 32:04] Censorship Issues Resulting to Flagging and Banning

[32:05 – 40:41] Affiliate Marketing in the Realm of Cannabis Brand Awareness

[40:42 – 01:02:07] Scaling in the Content Creation Journey on an Uneven Playing Ground

[01:02:08 – 01:04:56] Food for Thought: How do you keep up the fight to educate?

 

WeedTube Executive Ariana Newton is a marketing expert in the cannabis censorship space; as a medical cannabis patient in Montana, Ariana is passionate about the plant and its healing effects, but knows firsthand that sites like Instagram and YouTube don’t see it that way. As the Business Relations Officer for WeedTube, Ariana has seen firsthand how big social sites minimize the efforts of cannabis creators, like WeedTube's #Canna4Climate environmental effort, and she wants to educate the cannabis community on the censorship taking place.

Connect with Ariana

Visit https://theweedtube.com/ and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @theweedtube

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“As we continue to be censored, you're only going to see more people be creative.” - Shayda Torabi

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“Over the lifetime of a consumer within cannabis, it's a complex journey where there's a lot of experimentation. And we really wanted to create an ecosystem where they felt safe, where they felt educated.” - Dennis O'Malley

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Dennis O'Malley of The Parent Company, as he shares the principle behind effective engagement with the customers and how brands can integrate a creative approach to marketing for more brand awareness. Dennis talks about his insights on building informed customers to have the brand become a trusted partner in their cannabis journey.

 

[00:01 – 06:31] Shayda shares Updates on Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC

[06:32 – 12:47] The Vertical Integration as a Unified Company

[12:48 – 20:25] Evolving Operations through Core Values to Attract Informed Consumers 

[20:26 – 31:50] Monogram and Human Connection on Addressing Barriers to Marketing 

[31:51 – 43:44] Tracking the Engagement Levels with Partnerships

[43:45 – 46:56] Food for Thought: How do you holistically converse with your customers?

 

Dennis O’Malley has served as Chief Operating Officer of The Parent Company and President of Caliva since January 2021. Dennis was previously the CEO of Caliva, where he led a 10x increase in revenue over the course of three years. Before joining Caliva in 2017, Mr. O’Malley was CEO of ReadyPulse Inc., a venture backed software company that enabled lifestyle brands like Nike, Adidas, The North Face, Red Bull, Reebok, to leverage ambassador marketing programs, from April 2012 to April 2016. The company was sold in April 2016. Mr. O’Malley holds multiple technology patents as well as an MBA from Santa Clara University.

Connect with Dennis

Visit https://www.theparent.co/ and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @theparent.co

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“At the end of the day, I think what's important is, you know, we've always used the north star as this informed consumer… We always need to keep the consumer in mind. And that informed consumer is just asking a question, which is, ‘What am I putting into my body?’.” - Dennis O'Malley

 

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“It [noise on social media] is irrelevant. You have to build relationships with your lawmakers...if we're not going to help educate them, who will?... Everyone's got an idea, but who's really coming down to executing it?” - Tina Ulman

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Tina Ulman, Co-Founder and President of Chamber of Cannabis, as she shares her story on how they pushed for policies in favor of cannabis consumption by connecting with the right people, knowing whether you are reactive or proactive in the advocacy, and the domino effect of change by sending a message to the right people.

 

[00:01 – 07:42] Reach out to Shayda via email or DM on IG

[07:43– 13:05] Thriving Inclusive and Conscientious Markets on Cannabis Commerce

[13:06 – 33:30] Allied Push of Legalization through Lobbyists and Lawmakers

[33:31 – 35:58] Triggering the Domino Effect through Eliminating Stigma

[45:59 – 51:49] Getting the Message Relayed throughout the Industry

[51:50 – 53:57] Food for Thought: How do you take a step forward?

 

A resident of Las Vegas for over 12 years and UNLV Hospitality Management Graduate, Tina Ulman is the Co-founder and President of the Chamber of Cannabis and Director of Brands for The Source Dispensaries in Nevada. Tina has served the cannabis industry through various roles which simultaneously contributed toward the growth of the Las Vegas cannabis communities and the reforming of unjust laws. 

In 2020 Ulman and the Chamber created the proposal and led the campaign for AB 341, Social Consumption Venues and worked closely with Assemblyman Steve Yeager to pass both AB 341 & AB 400, Cannabis DUI Reform. In 2019 Ulman traveled to Reno and Washington DC to lobby for both state and federal cannabis rights while serving as the Director of Development for Las Vegas and Nevada NORML.

In 2020 and 2021 Tina was awarded Las Vegas Cannabis Activist of the Year while leading the Old Pal brand in Nevada. Prior to entering the cannabis industry Tina was a sales and marketing executive for Wyndham Resorts and a 15 year cannabis consumer. 

 

Connect with Tina

Visit https://thechamberofcannabis.org/ and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @chamberofcannabis

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“...let our lawmakers know: You need to create a safe place for people to consume, where you're not being criminalized. And you need to do it. So it's the next step in cannabis commerce.” -  Tina Ulman

 

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Welcome to a brand new segment on the To Be Blunt podcast!

The T(hc) Break is here to accomplish two things:

1. Encourage more transparency in the cannabis industry as it relates to HOT TOPICS
and 2. Spill some piping hot T(HC) and talk about controversial issues so we can better work towards a solution together, as an industry.

I have and always will be here to speak as bluntly as possible, and yes this is still a marketing and business podcast, but I also believe in the power of education, and despite cannabis being around for tens of thousands of years, the legal market as we see it today is just getting ramped up.

We no longer just have marijuana and THC, we talk about terpenes, and minor cannabinoids. We've reinvigorated the hemp plant with its multitude of uses and applications.  We're beyond just smoking the flower and have seen consumption methods adopted from dissolvable powders to patches. And the language for which we discuss this plant is amateur at best, we are a work in progress.

So this segment aims to tackle that, more real time issues and news. Mixed with honest viewpoints and perspectives, not to force "it's my way or the highway," but to create a safe space for ALL OF US, to level up this industry together.

Today's episode discusses:
Is Delta 8 THC A synthetic?

Delta 8 THC is a hot topic here in Texas, and really across the United States. It's gotten a bad reputation for being called a Synthetic, a D9 substitute, and other negative associations. But I have and will always defend all cannabinoids. I believe if it comes from the plant, it plays a role in how we experience the plant. And thanks to research, we are beginning to do the research to better understand these individual components of the cannabis plant.

With that said, I think that it is fair to say that yes there is BAD DELTA 8 THC out there, just like there is BAD DELTA 9 THC out there as well. That is the reality. We have a lot of work to do as an industry. But from personal experience, lots of consumers are finding true relief with Delta 8 THC, and I believe that we should be paying attention to that. Paying attention to the pharmaceutical industry who is isolating cannabinoids. And giving these cannabinoids a fair fighting chance before writing them off.

Joining me today for the discussion is Chemist Mark Krause, and his son and Hemp business owner and manufacturer Marco Krause. They are based here in Austin, and have become great resources for myself personally. I really have enjoyed getting to learn from Mark and Marco over the years, and decided I would invite them on to have an open and transparent discussion focusing on the chemistry of Delta 8 for the podcast to inspire curiosity and a new perspective. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or thoughts to add.

A little more about my guests:
Mark Krause is currently the laboratory and technical director for Krause Analytical, LLC. He has extensive experience and expertise in the application and interpretation of chromatographic and spectroscopic methods of analysis to samples from a wide variety of sources. He has over 40 years of direct experience in environmental chemistry, food residue analysis, semiconductor, bioanalytical, pharmaceutical and trace forensic analysis.

Marco Krause is a former athlete and is currently studying to become a pharmacologist.
Having had extensive shoulder pain, and ankle surgery, Marco has suffered from
chronic pain and started Dr. MAK’s Apothecary

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“To just know that there are all these ways that we can help, you know, change and highlight ways that people can bring more joy into their life is really exciting.” - Karli Warner

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Karli Warner of Garden Society, to talk about how she built a standout brand while keeping the dignity of advocacy with the use of creative ideas and the processes she used in scaling up while ensuring the quality of products to keep customers patronizing your brand.

 

[00:01 – 08:31] Shayda shares the whirlwind of relevant cannabis events

[08:32– 16:24] Karli’s Background on Cannabis and Stepping in the Industry

[16:25 – 28:02] Finding One’s Niche and Building the Brand

[28:03 – 38:58] Founding Creative Ideas for the Cannacurious and Collaborators

[38:59 – 49:09] Scaling Up while Maintaining the Quality 

[46:13 – 48:51] Food for Thought: How do you uplift your product?

As co-founder and head of marketing for Garden Society, Karli’s communication and marketing prowess makes the brand shine.  As a working mom and wife to a cancer survivor, she understands the positive wellness impact low-dose edible cannabis can have on the mind, body and soul. 

Karli began her career in communication and marketing in the wine industry at a boutique PR agency in Napa, where she learned the ropes of pitching and building media relationships. While also expanding her wine education and knowledge, her interest in the wine business quickly deepened and led her to explore other aspects of brand and event marketing. As her career progressed, she moved to Constellation Brands, the world’s leading wine company. There she emerged as a top-tier marketer, learning firsthand the importance of partnerships and cross-brand collaborations. Through thoughtful storytelling, pitching, and partnerships, Karli landed media coverage for brands in national media outlets including Today Show, Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator and Food & Wine magazine. 

While at Constellation, Karli helped launch a wine brand that, at the time, she didn’t know would eventually shift her career from wine to cannabis – this is when her Garden Society story began. In 2016, Karli reconnected with her former wine industry peer, Erin Gore, who had recently launched Garden Society, a cannabis company focused on women’s wellness. Shortly thereafter Erin asked Karli to join the Garden Society team to lead marketing and communication efforts. Together, Erin and Karli have quickly built a well-recognized luxury cannabis brand that has garnered the interest of Today Show, CNBC, Marie Claire, Los Angeles Times, Forbes and many more.

As she loved telling the story of wine - from vine-to-glass – Karli is even more passionate and personally touched in telling the Garden Society story, from seed-to-delectable confection.

Connect with Karli 

Visit https://thegardensociety.com/ and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @grdnsociety

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice

RESTART CBD
RESTART CBD is an education first CBD wellness brand shipping nationwide.
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Support the show

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tobebluntpod.substack.com

“Cannabis is providing the opportunity for tech companies, for operators, and for everybody to stand up and say that, you know what, this is an opportunity to do things a little bit differently. We do not have to follow the way other industries have gone... We're gonna do it our way.” -  Peter Huson

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Peter Huson, Chief of Operations at Backbone, to discuss how he applied his background on music and technology in brand positioning, utilizing marketing opportunities for product awareness, and creating a unique cannabis experience for consumers through speaking the customer’s language.

 

[00:01 – 06:55] Shayda shares updates of the MJ Bizcon and introducing Peter Huson 

[06:56– 14:11] Peter’s Stories on Cannabis Branding through Music and Events

[14:12 – 20:48] Translating Passions into a Language of Understanding and Novelty

[20:49 – 24:41] Recognizing the Various Avenues of Cannabis Marketing

[24:42 – 33:25] Integrations on the Power of Technology in Cannabis

[33:26 – 42:44] Utilizing the Right Tools for Unique Positioning in the Industry

[42:45 – 45:24] Food for Thought: How do you create a unique experience for the consumer?

 

Peter Huson, PhD, is Chief of Operations at Backbone where he oversees Professional Services, Sales, and Partnerships. Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara, a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering (subcontracting for NASA), and a PhD in Structural Engineering from UC San Diego. Peter is also co-founder of the Northern Nights Music Festival in partnership with Starr Hill Presents/Red Light Management, having co-authored AB2020 allowing Northern Nights to be the first festival with legal cannabis sales — this led to co-managing compliance and operations for both the Northern Nights Tree Lounge and Outside Lands Grasslands, paving the way for future events in California. Additionally, Peter is Co-Founder and COO at One Log Cannabis Business Park, Compliance Officer at Mesh Ventures, and to date, he’s successfully acquired over 50 cannabis licenses across the supply chain.

 

Connect with Peter

Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @backbonesoftware

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

 

Key Quote:

“It's the big time normalization, especially from a music festival standpoint, which is, you know, you can have straight edge people that normally wouldn't party, normally wouldn't necessarily let themselves go. But they do it once in a while at a music festival that they go to every year.” - Peter Huson

 

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“You have companies talking about social equity and needing to create restorative justice, things like that, the real question is, how many of them are actually going to put it into action afterwards?” - Andrew Ward

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Andrew Ward, cannabis author, writer, and freelancer, to talk about the different aspects of recognizing opportunities in the cannabis sphere, embracing and utilizing the diversity of it, delving into the realities of political impact, and the significance of small communities in giving an impact to the advocacy through intentionality. 

 

[00:01 – 04:40] Shayda shares the upcoming exciting conferences

[04:41– 11:38] Andrew’s Story on Cannabis Writing for Publications and Branding

[11:39 – 20:37] Recognizing Opportunities and Diversities in the Cannabis Industry

[20:38 – 29:16] Politics and Processes on Legalization and Licenses

[29:17 – 44:44] Utilizing the Media: Giving Voices to the Victims of the War on Drugs

[44:45 – 59:11] Recognizing Parameters to Demystify Marketing Plans

[59:12 – 01:02:31] Food for Thought: How do you share your advocacy with intentionality?

 

Andrew Ward is a Brooklyn-based cannabis writer, boasting over 500 original bylines and two published books. The author of Cannabis Jobs (2019) and The Art of Marijuana Etiquette (2021), Andrew regularly writes for High Times, Insider and Benzinga, as well as cannabis brands. He's now launching a new podcast, Canna Say Something, and other media endeavors in a bid to branch out.

Connect with Andrew 

Visit https://linktr.ee/thecannawriter and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @thecannawriter

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

 

Key Quotes:

“You know brands that have been acquired over the years do a lot of the companies that thought they were going to make it as the top media brands have kind of crumbled really quickly underneath of it, could it be gone the next year or they're now struggling to come back. So it's kind of a weird varying market in a lot of ways but there are definitely opportunities.” - Andrew Ward

“There's so many companies and I think that people need to realize that there's so many different pathways into the industry.” - Andrew Ward

“I'm like, yeah, that's [legalization] just not how things work. It's about politics. And it's about the process. And sometimes, that has a much bigger undertaking to get things to move, maybe in a direction that you want it to move.” -  Shayda Torabi

“We always think about the big scene and how we can make a big impact. But making a big impact happens on a small level.” - Andrew Ward 

 

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“I truly believe that in the end, by giving people access to this plant, we have the ability to help a tremendous amount of people. End of story. Simple as that.” -  Steven George

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Steven George, advisor and founder of Kaya Advisors, to talk about the dichotomy between the aspects of the cannabis industry in Europe and America and the limitations attached to the legalities. He also shares his thoughts on how the current licensing processes painstakingly hinders effective global commercialization.

 

[00:01 – 07:47] Steven George’s Vision for Global Cannabis Accessibility

[07:48– 14:27] Aspects of the Cannabis Industry: Europe vs. America

[14:28 – 21:29] The Limitations of Cannabis Production and Consumption

[21:30 – 31:09] Licensing Procedures and the Legalization Process

[31:10 – 50:37] Global & Interstate Commerce and the Prevailing Competition: Let the Small Players in the Game

[50:38 – 54:54] Legal Grounds and Confusion in the Market

[54:55 – 57:42] Food for Thought: How can you take part in the industry?

 

Steven has been involved with the cannabis industry for the past 10+ years! He got started with medical cannabis cultivation back in 2010 in his home state of Michigan. In 2017 Steven moved to Portugal and soon after entered the medical cannabis industry in Europe working with Tilray as Country Manager of Portugal & Spain and most recently as European Alliance Manager. In July 2021 Steven left Tilray to launch his own firm, Kaya Advisors, which specializes in cannabis commercial strategy advice. 

 

Connect with Steven 

Visit https://stevenarthurgeorge.ck.page/cannabeme.

 

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quotes:

“If there's a state or place that's limiting licenses, these [big operators] are the ones with the big wallets and the big pockets, and they tend to find a way, right? So I definitely don't like that side of it. I think there needs to be caution always.” -  Steven George

“I think it's tough to understand what the rules are, you know, I think limiting the licenses, especially to like small numbers, I think is just not fair at all… You have to let people compete, right? And that means you have to let the small compete as well.” -  Steven George 

“I know a large part of that community is much more involved in what they want to consume, and why they're consuming it, and who's growing it and how it makes them feel. And so I'm optimistic about the ability for these small players to survive.” -  Steven George  

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