063: Leading the Cannabinoid Revolution with Bud Love Pioneer, Roy Lipski

063: Leading the Cannabinoid Revolution with Bud Love Pioneer, Roy Lipski

There’s a cannabinoid revolution happening right now, and more people are reaping the rewards and health benefits of technology, innovation, and science. And we’re thrilled to be joined by a true pioneer in the cannabis industry, Roy Lipski. Roy is the founder of Bud Love, a “cocktail mixer” designed to complement cannabis experiences. He’s led growing technology companies based on cutting-edge science for more than 20 years. These include Creo, a biotechnology company that produces novel cannabinoids using, believe it or not, fermentation. In this episode, you’ll learn why Roy is all-in on CBG (the mother cannabinoid) and why it was such a massive milestone to be able to produce on a large scale. Roy talks about Bud Love’s unique value propositions, the shocking results of their blind tests of CBG and THC drinks, and what the future holds for producing cannabinoids at scale with purity and consistency without THC and cannabis. KEY TAKEAWAYS * What makes CBG different from other cannabis compounds. * How Bud Love products complement cannabis and acts like a cocktail mix, counteracting the undesirable effects of THC. * What Bud Love is doing to educate consumers about their unique products. * How to get the most out of Bud Love. * Why Roy believes cannabis is basically legal already. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/63 [https://sohoexp.com/63] To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal [https://sohoexp.com/greenrepeal]

062: How KushKart is Delivering as a Social Equity Cannabis Business with Tamika Samson & Beth Waterfall

What does it really mean to be a social equity business? How can operators in the cannabis space provide access and opportunities to people affected negatively by the war on drugs and give back to their communities in ways that make a real difference? To answer these questions, we’re talking to Tamika Samson and Beth Waterfall. Tamika is the CEO of KushKart, Beth is the CEO of Beth Waterfall Creative, and the Chief Marketing Officer at KushKart. Tamika is one of Beth’s clients, and her company is the first majority women-owned social equity cannabis delivery business in Massachusetts. Beth has over 15 years of experience amplifying brands through marketing, communications, and strategic business development and has been uniquely focused on bringing her expertise to the cannabis industry since 2015. In this episode, Beth and Tamika share how they’ve built not just an incredible business, but a company that really does give back. You’ll learn all about social equity licensing, Beth’s unique work as a marketer and educator in the cannabis space, and how she helps brands like Tamika’s grow thoughtfully and meaningfully while empowering historically underserved people. KEY TAKEAWAYS * How Tamika became a social equity license holder and what this process looks like. * How Beth joined KushKart as its Chief Marketing Officer–and how she chooses the clients she works with. * Why Beth says that attending NECANN changed her life–and what inspired her to launch her educational nonprofit, ELEVATE Northeast. * What it means to be a responsible member of the cannabis community. * What KushKart is working on as they gear up to become Cape Cod’s only cannabis delivery provider. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/62 [https://sohoexp.com/62] To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal [https://sohoexp.com/greenrepeal]

061: Infusing Gourmet Edibles and THC Drinks into Modern-Day Speakeasy Events with Mark Rafailovich

There’s a greater appetite for cannabis events than ever before–and today’s guest is doing some amazing stuff to create safe, fun, and upscale opportunities and experiences for people who want to partake!  We’re talking to Mark Rafailovich. Mark is the founder and owner of Spleaf, which he launched by selling homemade THC brownies when he was a freshman at Brooklyn College, before turning it into a full-fledged business.  These days, Mark is all-in on gourmet edibles and creating special experiences. He’s bringing people together so they can enjoy great products like his in amazing environments, and to normalize and de-stigmatize cannabis use in common, everyday settings.  In today’s conversation, we talk to Mark about his journey from the former Soviet Union to entrepreneurship in New York City, how he creates a wide array of highly specialized cannabis products and presents them at complementary events, and  how the audience for cannabis (and what they want) is rapidly changing.  KEY TAKEAWAYS * How cannabis can serve as an alternative to alcohol (and why it isn’t a gateway drug). * How Mark started Spleaf in college, then used his knowledge from film school and the restaurant world to create gorgeously documented products and truly unique cannabis products. * How cannabis beverages can function as an analogue to alcohol–and the issues making it difficult to serve these products in many cities. * How Mark aims to create a pop-up experience vibe at his events and not just a shopping event. * Why Mark thinks we’ll see federal legalization no sooner than 2027. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/61 [https://sohoexp.com/61] To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal [https://sohoexp.com/greenrepeal]

060: Making Large Cannabis Events Accessible to Local Businesses with NECANN’s Marc Shepard

Running a successful event of any kind isn’t easy. And running a successful event in the cannabis space isn’t any easier. But that’s exactly what Marc Shepard is doing, and he’s helping local communities and industries to thrive and grow. Marc is the founder of NECANN–the world’s largest B2B cannabis convention–as well as a member of the MassCann/NORML and Mass Grower Advocacy Council. Over the course of 20 years, he’s produced and executed cannabis events all over New England, advocated tirelessly for cannabis legalization across a ton of outlets, and is a massive Silver Age Marvel nerd. In fact, he’s also the owner and founder of the Salty Comics Corp [https://m.facebook.com/SaltyComicsCorp/]. In this conversation, you’ll hear the inside story of how NECANN started and how it’s expanded across a number of states and markets. You’ll also hear all about NECANN’s upcoming High LifeStyle Show, which will be their first-ever consumer event, and how you can make plans to attend. KEY TAKEAWAYS * What NECANN’s mission is and how they became an alternative to a showcase of major brands by helping local businesses. * Why making the events affordable for businesses and attendees is such a high priority. * The reasons why NECANN isn’t trying to compete with the largest conferences, and instead focuses on doing what those events can’t do. * How the NECANN Cup, which celebrates local growers, is judged and how they select their judges. * What Marc has planned for the NECANN High LifeStyle show coming up on Oct 7-9th. * Why social justice and expungement has become a touchy topic on the way to legalization–and what needs to happen to get the best results in the long-term. Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/60 [https://sohoexp.com/60] To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal [https://sohoexp.com/greenrepeal]

059: How Malek’s Flavor-First Approach Cultivates the Finest Flower with Katherine Wolf

While some cultivators might focus on yield or volume, Malek’s Premium Cannabis is all about passion over profit with a flavor-first approach. And joining us today to explain why is Malek’s CMO and Head of Marketing Katherine Wolf. Katherine is a self-confessed branding nerd and a published writer with a passion for helping cannabis companies grow and thrive. She advocates for women in cannabis leadership and safe access to cannabis education and products. She has been published in media outlets such as the Northwest Leaf, MJ Brand Insights, and Skunk Magazine. In our conversation, you’ll learn how Malek’s Premium is always pheno-hunting to create new strains and how sticking to limited runs, and small batches helps cultivate the finest flower. You’ll also hear how they use NFTs in their marketing strategy with the community they’ve built and how they generate a buzz with new strains using social media. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Why Malek’s Premium Cannabis focuses on small batch cannabis products with limited runs of 8 to 10 lights per strain. * The sense of community that Malek’s has created and how they generate excitement using customer feedback when selecting the strains for new batch consumption. * How Malek’s interest in seed breeding became the foundation of their flavor-first guiding philosophy. * The obstacles that still exist when using social media or Instagram as a marketing tool to push customers to your website. * How Malek’s uses NFTs in their marketing strategy and as a loyalty reward tool. * Why Katherine believes destigmatizing cannabis needs to happen before federal legalization.  Show Notes For complete show notes, including transcripts, takeaways, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit SoHoExp.com/59 [https://sohoexp.com/59] To learn more about the podcast and get access to all episodes, visit: SoHoExp.com/GreenRepeal [https://sohoexp.com/greenrepeal]