nuEra Cannabis’ Post

Festival season musings…. In the past week I have attended 3 events with unlicensed sales of unlicensed cannabis product. I don’t (totally) blame the organizers - they’re just giving the people what they want and if you aren’t an industry professional you likely don’t know the difference. I also don’t blame the vendors. They’re just taking advantage of business opportunities. The problem here is that the regulations have made it SO IMPOSSIBLE to provide regulated product to consumers in the places they want to consume that OCM has inadvertently cleared the path for popup illicit sales pretty much everywhere. While we as dispensaries work our butts off to normalize cannabis and provide a responsible, mature shopping experience, a now more educated market can go buy their hash holes off a guy in a popup tent along with some munchies. This would all be quelled if there weren’t fear inciting and vague messages being passed along from OCM to dispensaries. We WANT to fix this WITH you. But acting like consumption and sales at events isn’t happening is just not the way. Healthy, sustainable growth for New York’s cannabis industry is possible, but capricious and frankly self serving regs + comms are really making it into more of a pickle than need be. Cooperative business practices are on the rise, particularly in our space… policy making needs to follow suit.

Coming out of NECANN - it was great to see so many smaller brands as winners in the NECANN Cup. But I have very mixed feelings about "Highest THC Flower" category. No dis-respect to the brands who participated or those who won (I actually don't even remember who it was)... And I totally get brands trying to build awareness - in any way, shape, or form. So this ISN'T a dig on the brands... There's no getting around the fact that today's dispensary consumers ARE searching based on THC % - so you kinda have to play the game. And there are many ways to do that - thru - pheno hunting / strain selection (👍 ) - reducing moisture content (👎 ) - adding kief without disclosing it (👎 ) - lab shopping (👎) I'm sure there are more options - but alot of them DON'T advance the industry. In fact, they take us backwards. You may get a short-term boost in sales - but building a brand takes delivering on your promise. Do consumer REALLY want to numb their faces? Or are they looking for a nice, subtle & body high - that makes them giddy, relaxed or inquisitive / creative? I'd argue the latter - which is more about the terps, all the cannabinoids, the entourage effect. If your brand is ONLY about potency - that's a short term win (if any win at all) and consumers that choose you once may not get what they're looking for and will leave you when someone else is willing to do whatever it takes to beat you by 0.1% THC - it's unsustainable. We're not even operating in MA, or New England for that matter... but in CA / NY, Woodstock Heritage Strains is focused on Infused Flower - yes, high potency (playing the game) - but coupled with full spectrum concentrates that deliver all the good entouragey effects - or Live Resin / Rosin for the same reasons... Back to NECANN Cup - I'd just like to see the industry get rid of this award category - it's a never ending, never winning game. So yes - play the game (you have to), but DON'T stop trying to CHANGE the game.

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 There will be TEN Golden Tickets hidden at these locations throughout the month of June! Now is your chance to win big! TEN lucky winners! If you are a lucky winner of a Golden Ticket, you and the person of your choosing will: * Be invited to CAMP for a facility tour * Receive a CAMP merch bag * Receive professionally captured photos from your GRAND TOUR experience DM “Golden Ticket” on how to find them. Good luck! If you win a Golden Ticket tag us in your post or story with it! #goldenticket #CAMPVibes #qualitytime #CAMPcannabis #Stl #hightimes #CAMP #missouri #mmmj #mmj #mocanna #legalcannabis #firebuds #leafly #highlife #hydro #cultivation #cultivators #cultivate #cultivated -- Nothing for sale. CAMP follows all Community Guidelines. This post is to inform and educate only. Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising. Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular medical marijuana products.

🎉 This is my mom, Barb, buying MixMix for the first time. Let me tell you more about Barb. Barb has never smoked tobacco, let alone cannabis, doesn’t really like beer, and has a rare glass of wine. But, this isn’t Barb’s first trip to a dispensary. Her sore hands and difficulty sleeping motivated her to visit a dispensary (or a few) after Michigan adopted adult use in 2018. Barb hasn’t ventured out alone. My father, Jerry, has arthritis and has experimented with a variety of cannabis edibles and topicals in the last few years. They also share product reviews with friends who suffer from similar daily inconveniences. On one of their routine shopping trips, they were told their favorite products, namely Beboe pastilles and Petra mints by Kiva Brands, Inc., were out of stock. Instead, they were advised to buy a bag of RSO gummies as an alternative because they were “comparable.” 😱 I was shocked, but not surprised, to learn that they were referred something that was so wildly inappropriate for their needs. This experience was a turning point for me that spurred the creation of MixMix. MixMix isn’t meant for everyone, and that’s okay. MixMix makes the therapeutic benefits of cannabis available to people like Barb and Jerry, their friends, me, and all kinds of people with needs that a +20mg gummy isn’t right for. Barb isn’t on LinkedIn and won’t ever see this post, but I'd like to say thanks to my Mom for embracing the industry that I’ve chosen to “cast my lot with,” and for openly sharing your real-life experience with me so we can keep making MixMix the best that it can be. 💜 #motivation #family #imhighrightnow Cannabis Media Council Matt Sabo Katelin Randall

Today on "Let's Be Blunt with Montel," we peer behind the green curtain of the rapidly budding cannabis industry in New Jersey with a special focus on the innovative Blue Oak dispensary. Montel Williams, celebrated advocate and talk show host, is accompanied by Danielle Wildstein, the pioneering Owner of Blue Oak, to unfold a tale of transformation, community impact, and empowerment in the world of legal cannabis. In this episode, we explore: Danielle's Impressive Pivot: From consulting and pharma to leading a cannabis venture – unraveling the motivation behind her career evolution. Blue Oak's Grand Opening: A sneak peek into the objectives and expectations for their highly anticipated launch in Bloomfield. "Naturally Refined" Philosophy: Delving into Blue Oak's unique approach and how it embodies its commitment to quality and natural processes. Regulation Navigation: Strategies on how Blue Oak steers through New Jersey's intricate regulatory landscape. Social Impact: Examining the ripple effect of cannabis legalization on local communities and Blue Oak's role in this context. Elevation through Education: Why spreading knowledge is a foundational tenet at Blue Oak and its significance for consumer empowerment. Female Leadership in Cannabis: Insight into Danielle’s unique perspectives as a female CEO in the traditionally male-dominated industry. Visions of Growth: Prospects and aspirations for Blue Oak and New Jersey's cannabis culture at large. Challenges on the Path: Reflecting on the hurdles encountered while bringing Blue Oak to life and strategies for overcoming them. Technology Integration: An inside look at how Blue Oak employs tech innovations to enhance customer journeys. Commitment to Sustainability: How environmental concerns are intricately woven into Blue Oak’s operations. Join us as Danielle provides an invaluable glimpse into New Jersey's greening landscape. Her expertise sheds light on how informed leadership and a steadfast commitment to quality and education are shaping a more sustainable future in cannabis retail. Don't miss this enlightening dialogue on the latest episode of "Let's Be Blunt with Montel". If you're interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship, cannabis culture, and societal growth, this conversation with Danielle Wildstein is a must-listen! https://lnkd.in/eU5fk85V

So what is New Tilray Brands (asking for a friend). They were a cannabis company, more or less focused on the Canadian recreational market, with a play in medical, operating as Aphira (with their own questionable dealings issues). Then, they added international medical cannabis. Then, bought Old Tilray. Then, they added hemp-based consumer products. Then, they added craft spirits in the US. Then, they added craft beers in the US. Now, they've added cannabis beverages in Canada... ...Tilray is in the "We keep acquiring businesses to (a) prop up our topline numbers, (b) try to make a market share leadership play, (c) keep the comparative base changing and (d) buy ourselves more time, to take more money in compensation and raise more money in selling stock" business. They are not in the "we make money" business, nor in the "we have a clear and focused and disciplined strategic plan" business. And it will all play out and I will be shown to be right (yawn, yet again), over the next 2 years...

I am honored to be discussing What is 'social equity' in the context of the cannabis industry, and why is it critical at this stage of the industry's development, especially in Illinois? I’ll be speaking on examples of social equity missteps or failures within the industry that we can learn from? Also, How does the regulatory environment impact the effective implementation of social equity initiatives? And What role local governments have in or hindering social equity in cannabis? Do you need a ticket to NeCann? Can’t wait to see you guys!!!