Under the Microscope with Jenny

🎙️In this episode of Under The Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Matt Kennicott, co-owner of High Maintenance and Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Cannabis Association of New Mexico, to explore the realities of operating a cannabis business in New Mexico. Matt shares his political, legislative, and public relations background, including his involvement in writing portions of New Mexico's Cannabis Regulation Act and his experience working with cannabis licensing and compliance. Matt shares High Maintenance's micro outdoor cultivation, living-soil model along with manufacturing and the challenges of building a cannabis business in a developing market. The conversation examines licensing and operational hurdles, including municipal and state coordination, water rights, regulator turnover, and compliance requirements. Matt explains track-and-trace challenges affecting New Mexico cannabis operators, including the transition between systems, regulatory uncertainty, testing backlogs, cash-flow concerns, and increased operating costs. Jenny and Matt discuss why the Cannabis Association of New Mexico was formed, advocacy for cannabis operators, town halls, lobbying, and efforts to address issues affecting micro farms and independent cannabis businesses. They also explore market consolidation, price compression, independent brands, testing challenges, and DEA site visits. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators navigating licensing, compliance, track-and-trace, cultivation challenges, and changing regulations.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

🌎𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: Cannabis Association of New Mexico https://nmcannabis.org

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙️ In this episode of Under The Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Tyler Works, Chief Growth Officer of Canna Spyglass and Colorado Chair of the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, to explore how cannabis operators can better use the data they already collect. Cannabis businesses generate enormous amounts of data, but many operators struggle to turn that information into useful business decisions. Tyler explains how low data literacy, staffing challenges, software costs, and relying on a single data source can prevent operators from seeing the full picture. Jenny and Tyler discuss how operators can use data to improve inventory decisions, understand sell-through, align production with sales, identify market opportunities, and make more informed operational decisions. The conversation also explores how AI, POS integrations, and MCPs can help operators interpret multiple data sources, identify market white space, understand customer and demographic trends, target the right stores, and reduce errors. Tyler also explains why AI still requires context, oversight, and good underlying data to produce useful results. The conversation examines cannabis market maturity, consolidation, sustainable growth, small brand strategy, and the importance of understanding where a product fits within a specific market. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators looking to use data and AI more effectively, improve decision-making, strengthen operations, and build sustainable cannabis businesses.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

🌎𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲: https://www.thecannabischamber.com

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙️ In this episode of Under The Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Ellis Smith, CEO of Greensmith Consulting, to explore cannabis mergers and acquisitions and what it takes to build a business that is prepared for a future exit. Ellis shares his experience moving from legacy cultivation into regulated Colorado cannabis operations, global cultivation design, and the sale of American Cannabis Company before launching Greensmith Consulting. Jenny and Ellis discuss the forces shaping cannabis M&A, including regulatory change, rescheduling uncertainty, market consolidation, price compression, and the differences between emerging limited-license markets and mature markets such as Colorado. The conversation goes beyond valuation to examine what buyers actually look for during due diligence, including clean financials, EBITDA, SOPs, compliance systems, tax hygiene, operational documentation, inventory controls, and organized business records. They also discuss letters of intent, deal structures, cash versus stock, debt relief, licensing assets, property considerations, and why cannabis M&A transactions can fail when operators lack transparency or organized records. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis business owners and operators who want to understand cannabis M&A, improve business valuation, prepare for due diligence, and build a more scalable and sellable cannabis operation.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano breaks down the real financial impact of seed-to-sale tracking errors and why small discrepancies can quickly become a major drain on cannabis business margins. Jenny explains how inventory adjustments, POS and integration issues, physical count variances, and accounting mismatches can create hidden costs through additional labor, investigations, corrections, and operational disruption. She introduces the “2% problem” and explains how seemingly small inventory discrepancies can reveal larger process failures and lost revenue. The episode also explores the margin trap created by frequent discrepancies, training gaps, data entry burnout, and the importance of tracking discrepancy correction hours as a business KPI. Jenny discusses daily reconciliation, frequent physical counts, workflow improvements, accountability, and using CAPA to identify and correct the root causes of recurring errors. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators looking to reduce inventory errors, recover lost margins, strengthen compliance, and build more efficient seed to sale processes.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Alex Hearding, Founder of Red Wolf Risk, to discuss DEA readiness as the first wave of inspections takes place at registered medical cannabis operations. Jenny and Alex break down the current rescheduling landscape and why operators should be preparing now rather than waiting for federal requirements to become finalized. They discuss the DEA registration portal, early inspection activity, and the compliance areas operators should be strengthening, including inventory control, reconciliation, security, document control, supplier qualification, and regulator communications. They review an inspection readiness checklist and practical preparation for initial DEA inspections, including building a DEA compliance file, organizing corporate and facility records, mapping product flow, and conducting mock inspections. The conversation also explores how QMS, GMP, and GACP can help create a stronger compliance foundation as the industry prepares for increased federal oversight and potential future opportunities in the regulated market. This episode delivers practical insight for medical cannabis operators preparing for their initial DEA inspection and looking to build inspection-ready systems that can support future growth and regulatory opportunities.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Gail Rand, CPA and Founder of Grand Consulting, to discuss what it takes to run a smarter, more financially disciplined cannabis business. Gail shares her journey from cannabis advocacy and launching the first licensed medical cannabis cultivation operation in Maryland to helping operators better understand their finances, cash flow, and true costs. Jenny and Gail break down common financial mistakes, including failing to document agreements, underestimating costs by SKU, and overlooking the impact of 280E taxes, thin margins, slow inventory turns, and high professional fees. They discuss practical strategies for improving cash flow, including cash forecasting, inventory discipline, monitoring retail and wholesale accounts and identifying hidden costs and operational inefficiencies. The conversation also explores what investors look for during due diligence processes, including accurate reporting, realistic financial forecasts, transparency, manageable debt, and tax exposure. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators looking to improve financial performance, strengthen internal systems, and build a business that is better prepared for investors, regulatory changes, and long-term growth.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Annie Macheca, COO and Co-Founder of Monarch Waste Company in Missouri. Annie shares her journey from sustainable agriculture into the cannabis industry and building a specialized cannabis waste destruction company. Jenny and Annie break down common cannabis waste compliance mistakes, including improper waste destruction, mixing requirements, camera placement, recordkeeping, and transporting waste. They also discuss the challenges of handling vape pens, lithium batteries, hazardous waste, and butane laden manufacturing waste safely and compliantly. The conversation explores waste management by license type, emergency destruction and recalls, diversion risks, and how outsourcing waste disposal can help operators improve efficiency and reduce compliance risk. Annie also shares Monarch's sustainability efforts, including a vape pen take-back program they launched in the state.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano sits down with Nicole Kennebeck, Marketing Director at Michigan-based cannabis processor and manufacturer Lion Labs. Nicole began her career in Colorado's emerging medical cannabis market, giving her firsthand experience with the industry's rapid growth, evolving regulations, and changing consumer landscape. Drawing on that experience and her transition into cannabis brand marketing, Nicole explains why successful brands are built on authenticity, consistency, and understanding the customer, not simply competing on THC percentages or price. Together, Jenny and Nicole discuss how operators can create meaningful customer experiences that build long-term loyalty. They also cover common branding mistakes, deciding when to launch a new brand, maintaining consistency across multiple markets, and why budtenders remain one of the most valuable marketing investments for cannabis companies. The conversation explores today's most effective marketing strategies, including email and SMS campaigns, experiential marketing, micro-influencers, and maintaining your brand's authentic voice. They also discuss how compliance, product consistency, and transparency play a critical role in building consumer confidence and protecting brand reputation. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators looking to strengthen their brand, connect with consumers, and stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano explains why building a compliance-first culture is one of the most valuable investments a cannabis business can make. Drawing on her experience in cannabis operations since 2009 and consulting operators nationwide, Jenny discusses why compliance has evolved beyond simply passing inspections. Today, it serves as a competitive advantage that strengthens operations, reduces risk, builds investor confidence, and increases business value. She shares practical strategies for embedding compliance into daily operations through documentation, employee training, inventory reconciliation, internal audits, corrective actions, and compliance accountability. Jenny also explains what potential buyers and investors look for during due diligence and why organized records, well-managed compliance systems, and preparation for federal standards can significantly impact business valuation. The episode also explores how technology and Quality Management Systems (QMS) can improve traceability while preparing operators for future federal regulations, GMP standards, OSHA requirements, and the modernization of the cannabis industry. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators looking to build stronger businesses, reduce their circle of risk, and position themselves for long-term growth.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

🌎 𝗜𝗖𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: https://www.icsconsultingservice.com

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.

🎙In this episode of Under the Microscope with Jenny, host Jenny Germano continues the Cannabis Operator Series with Jarell Wall, CEO and Creative Director of Gentleman Quinns, a Retail Product Manufacturer in Denver, Colorado. Jarell shares his journey from television production in Atlanta and Colorado into cannabis, ultimately co-founding Gentleman Quinns with former dispensary coworkers. He discusses building the brand from the ground up, securing investment, and navigating a challenging licensing process that included zoning issues, consultant missteps, regulatory delays, and costly setbacks before the team ultimately took control of the process themselves. Jenny and Jarell explore the realities of building a cannabis brand in a mature market, including wholesale sales challenges, market expansion beyond Denver, price compression, and the importance of maintaining quality in an increasingly competitive environment. They dive into how the company continues to differentiate itself through hand-rolled products, premium packaging, and a craft-focused approach. The conversation also covers supply chain challenges, testing requirements, advocacy efforts with regulators, banking limitations, capital constraints, and the future of cannabis as operators prepare for potential rescheduling and interstate commerce. This episode delivers practical insight for cannabis operators on licensing, branding, product differentiation, and building a sustainable cannabis business in a rapidly evolving market.

🌿𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁: Jenny Germano, Founder of ICS Consulting

⏰𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀⏰

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: The content shared on this channel - including all videos, podcasts, interviews, and discussions is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, compliance, or business consulting advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Laws and regulations surrounding cannabis and related industries vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. Always consult with a qualified attorney or licensed professional before making decisions that could have legal or regulatory consequences for your business. Listening to or viewing this content does not create a client relationship between you and ICS Consulting, Under the Microscope with Jenny, Jenny Germano, or any of the podcast’s guests. Any opinions expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICS Consulting or its affiliates.