Join Vien as he sits down with Ben Wiener and Stacey Shurgin, the dynamic duo behind Hudson Valley Jane, one of New York's pioneering micro cannabis businesses. Ben, a former legacy grower turned general contractor, and Stacey, a real estate developer who discovered cannabis for wellness, share their incredible journey of building a fully vertically integrated operation in just 14 months. From navigating OCM's early regulatory chaos to creating two distinct brands—Bougie Ben for flower and Valley Jane for edibles—they reveal the reality of competing as a small craft cultivator against corporate cannabis. Learn about their farm-to-table philosophy, innovative products like King Palm pre-rolls and Lotus flower cones, and why they believe micro businesses represent the future of artisanal, transparent cannabis. This conversation goes deep into the challenges of compliance, the importance of knowing your grower, and what it truly takes to flourish in New York's evolving cannabis landscape.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - From Illegal Warehouse to Legal Pioneer: Ben's Cannabis Origin Story
• (00:01:00) - The Power Duo Forms: How Ben & Stacey's Partnership Was Born
• (00:03:00) - Cannabis as Medicine: Stacey's Personal Wellness Transformation
• (00:06:00) - Two Brands, One Vision: The Hudson Valley Jane Business Model Explained
• (00:09:00) - Product Innovation Breakdown: Why King Palm & Lotus Cones Are Game-Changers
• (00:12:00) - David vs. Goliath: How Micro Businesses Compete Against Corporate Cannabis
• (00:15:00) - Speed to Market Mastery: Building a Compliant Facility in Record Time
• (00:20:00) - Surviving OCM's Growing Pains: Real Talk on NY's Regulatory Chaos
• (00:26:00) - The Vertical Integration Playbook: Managing Cultivation, Wholesale & Retail Simultaneously
• (00:32:00) - The Art of Growing: Why 50 Hand-Watered Plants Beat 500 Automated Ones

Links and Resources:

• Hudson Valley Jane Website: hudsonvalleyjane.com
• Instagram: @hudsonvalleyjane
• Email: [email protected]
• Vien Trinh on LinkedIn
• Flourish Software

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to How to Flourish in Cannabis? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube to leave us a review!