Well guys this is it for iC! I tried to think of something intelligent or witty or thought provoking to leave you all with, but it didn’t come. Words can’t really express the gratitude I feel for everyone who gave me their ears over the last 7 years. If you let me into to you workout session, your commute to work, your bathroom time, thank you! I h…

Just one more after this! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad ;( Next ep we will have a special guest to wrap up the show; me! Everyone in the cannabis industry right now seems to be focusing on big markets like CA, NY, NJ and others with huge potential market value. Greenlight and John Mueller have taken a different approach. They have ta…

The rumors are true . . . there are only 2 episodes remaining of Investing in Cannabis. More on why in the coming weeks.This week we have Nick of Claybourne. Nick describes their process as breed to brand as he heavily values their genetics and cultivation techniques. In a personal favorite move, Claybourne was one of the first to offer half ounce …

Only 3 episodes of Investing in Cannabis left!Yes the rumors are true, after 7 years iC podcast is coming to an end. I need new challenges and nobody makes money in the cannabis industry. Over the next few weeks, I'll be talking more about the decision, what I learned, and my predictions for where the industry is headed. For now, enjoy the final re…

In a rare iC episode, Matt Hawkins of Entourage Effect Capital joins the show for the 2nd time! Matt has been very busy since we last chatted. Through 3 funds, the firm has invested in 60+ companies since 2014. He is truly one of the best and most experience minds we have in our industry.โดย Brandon David

5 years ago, Helene of JourneyOne Ventures reached out to ask me how to become a cannabis VC. What a goal! Several very long cannabis years later, she has launched a pre-seed to series-A fund focused on cannabis technology startups. She is very interested in compliance, ecommerce, marketing tech, d2d and more. On a personal note, it warms my heart …

We've talked many times on this show about the pros and cons of being vertically integrated. Increasingly we are seeing successful brands that are asset light and benefit from the infrastructure others have built. At the same time, as values rise in the future, having those hard assets will certainly be much more valuable than they are today! Germa…

The California cannabis knife fight continues! In a deep field of competitors, Falcon Brands has managed to rise to the top. Their brands CRU, Jetpacks, and others are in the top 3 for their categories. CEO Steve Gutterman attributes this success to a blended team of traditional CPG execs and legacy cannabis talent. Maintaining cool at scale is jus…

Do you like edibles? What do you like about them?People who don't tend to have the same complaints; it takes too long to hit, it lasts too long, it makes me tired. What if we could solve some of these complaints? Kim of Azuca and their "precursor" product have started to chip away at the edibles gap for new consumers. For those who like to smoke, t…

Does the east coast want California cannabis brands?While most California cannabis brands struggle to find relevancy (and profitability), Big Pete's is bringing its #1 selling cookies to New York and beyond. Licensing and a franchise-like-model looks to be very profitable for them in AZ, NV, CO vs the asset heavy MSOs.Little Pete joins me live from…

Should companies de-verticalize?How do CA brands win on the east coast?Do billboards work?How much does Jay Z actually do?These questions and more with my friend and former Caliva CEO Dennis O'Malley.https://www.linkedin.com/in/domalley/โดย Brandon David

Did you go to MJ Unpacked in Vegas last year? The new event was talk of the town and created a more intimate, focused environment that was refreshing after the madness and party that MJBiz and Hall of Flowers have become.Founder and my guest this week George Jage says that different, more professional vibe was very much intentional. He is the forme…

Lots of news last week! My good friend Judson and I sat down to chop it up and share our takes on all the happenings from last week:Leaf Trade b2b marketplace raises $12.5M Backbone supply chain software raises $14MBespoke Financial expands to East coast and beyond420, Benzinga, and "green wednesday"======This episode is brought to you by MJ Unpack…

Celebrity brands have taken over the cannabis industry. Everywhere you look brands are slapping celebrity endorsements on the packaging and hoping someone picks it up and tries it. Real connoisseurs should be wary, as most of these brands are more focused on marketing than on quality. I was skeptical before my interview with Ashlan and Philippe Cou…

In this Throwback episode we bring back Michael Piermont of Leaf Trade. This week Leaf Trade raised a fresh 12.5M round to propel its marketplace and technology platform for wholesale cannabis. We recorded this back in 2020 and the episode has aged really well. Fascinating discussion of why this technology is necessary for buyers and brands.What do…

Do you like vapes? Yeah, me neither. Except Friendly Farms. The best live resin cart on the market has quickly spread across California. This is high level cannabis nerdery at its finest. Chaz breaks down what is the actual difference between live resin, live rosin, and how you make them. Fascinating. Friendly Farms is a legacy brand that heroicall…

200. It has a nice ring to it. I started the Investing in Cannabis podcast in 2015 with some friends and one goal; Meet some cool people in the new cannabis industry. It worked!200 episodes later I am overcome with gratitude. Gratitude for the team, @Jacob @Erik. Thankful for every guest that took valuable time out of building their company to take…

In an iC exclusive, Grassdoor founder Zack Ein does his first ever public interview. In the backyard of his LA home, Zack opens up about the ins and outs of starting and scaling a last mile delivery business. If you aren't familiar with the name, it's because Grassdoor seemingly came from nowhere during the pandemic, and quickly became one of the b…

Cannabis and video games have long since been a perfect match on a Saturday afternoon, but how much do the customer basis overlap? If you like cannabis or just nascent industries, you probably are interested in gaming and esports. It's one of the few industries that has grown faster than cannabis over the last few years. This week's guest represent…

Sunderstorm is a family of cannabis brands best known for its legacy and true OG gummy brand, Kanha. Keith explains the full playbook for scaling from a small mom and pop to a national brand including; manufacturing, licensing, marketing, and fundraising. Sunderstorm is one of the biggest edible companies in the world, and it shows. ====iC is broug…

Do celebrity brands work?Most celebrity brands suck. They get away with inferior products and marketing because they have that celebrity photo on the packaging. It's kind of like how restaurants with incredible views don't need to have great food. Tyson 2.0 is the exception. Tyson 2.0 sets itself apart with true authenticity. Mike Tyson loves weed …

This week on the pod, we have Hilary of Our Dream Academy, a non profit accelerator designed to help minorities and founders impacted by the war on drugs build businesses. It is a fascinating discussion about where we are in the fight for equality and what big cannabis can and should do about it. https://thisisourdream.com/our-academy/====Thanks to…

This week we welcome a very special guest Alexander Rabinovitch CEO of Intercure. Intercure is a large vertically integrated Israeli cannabis firm pushing the boundaries of international trade. Intercure also has the exclusive license to sell cookies in Israel. That's right you can get a prescription, go to a regular pharmacy and buy cookies flower…

Dutchie creates technology that powers e-commerce and point of sale solutions for dispensaries. It ​is a name synonymous with cannabis technology. If you don't know that name, you should. Jon Bond is a true OG of the industry and a massive part of the reason Dutchie is where it is today.Have you tried Leafwire? It is the #1 place for B2B networking…

Leafwire is the world's largest Cannabis and Hemp B2B Network. The Linkedin of cannabis is about to get a massive pivot, as Leafwire takes over the cannabis events space. Peter explains how he built a social media platform from scratch and why we all need an app in our hands during cannabis conferences. Leafwire is currently raising to build 2.0 an…

Originally from Washington, 4Front Ventures is very focused on low cost production and operations. They are not interested in celebrity endorsements or fancy marketing. The team at 4Front wants to get down to business and expand with the same playbook.Thanks to this episodes sponsor LeafWire (www.leafwire.com/) - 100% Cannabis Business Network. No …

Starting 2022 with a big episode and an all-time great conversation. We have Adam Bierman taking us through the past 10 years of MedMen. Much has been said about the MedMen story but this conversation reaches depth that only the podcast format can achieve. This week we are also joined by special guest co-host Ben Kovacs. As Brandon says every episo…

Are you following the rules as a cannabis business owner? Are you expanding into new regions/states in the USA and want to make sure you stay compliant with local law? Brandon's conversation with Marion the CEO of Simplifya is a must listen. This topic can be overwhelming as legalization continues to spread across the country. That's why Simpliya i…

From Jake's LinkedIn: "Gardenhouse is a cannabis brand house based in California offering retailers a curated menu of affordable premium brands. Gardenhouse evolved from DomPen, a leading all-in-one vape brand with efficient and licensed in-house manufacturing and sales. As Co-Founder and CEO of DomPen, Jake has helped grow the brand from a living …

Brandon chats with Tahira the co-founder and CEO at Commons. Her and her co-founder have had big positive impacts from the use of CBD products in their lives. Now they are on a mission with Commons to democratize the access to products and information that will help others with chronic pain. This one is a masterclass on listening and learning from …

Brandon stops by The Artist Tree in Los Angeles to talk to co-founder Lauren Fontein.About the company: "With more than 13 years of experience in the California cannabis industry, The Artist Tree team is passionate about changing how people experience cannabis.Our mission is to provide safe access to legal cannabis, raise awareness of the health be…

Time to nerd out about cannabis extraction a little. Brandon starts with a basic line of questioning; What is a Terpene? And as the episode progresses they get into the deep water of the conversation about the science behind some of your (and our) favorite products.โดย Brandon David

Brandon is in Santa Ana, California this week at the dispensary/office of Unrivaled Brands. They believe the dominate cannabis brands of the future will come from the west coast. Specifically California and Oregon where Unrivaled Brands is currently doing business. Enjoy the episode!โดย Brandon David

Eddie Lucarelli, the CFO at Riv Capital is on the program this week. Enjoy!โดย Brandon David

Looking for level ups for your cannabis business? Do you have very specific goals that will get your business from A to B or 0 to 1? The marketing and sales team at Pedalfast is world class and industry specific. Not only will you want to work with them after this episode you will learn a lot from this conversation with Jason Vegotsky the CEO of Pe…

Brandon continues his tour of New York with another in-person interview! This episode is a must listen for those would be cannabis business owners in the state of New York.โดย Brandon David

Jeanne Mariani Sullivan a founding member of Arcview Ventures sits down with Brandon in New York City.โดย Brandon David

Roie Edery the founder and CEO of Ginger Brands sits down with Brandon to talk about enabling brands with new tools. This guy knows the business super well, you will learn a ton about the industry. Specifically how products move through the ecosystem and how it can all be improved. Tune in!โดย Brandon David

Info packed episode this week with Trent, Chief Commercial Officer @ Jushi Holdings. As one of the bigger and well known MSOs, Trent has great perspective on how the industry and different markets are evolving. Awesome interview for any investor trying to decide which cannabis stocks to buy!โดย Brandon David

In this episode we have Brian Ward, the CFO at Verano Holdings. They're a big deal in the cannabis industry."Leveraging world-class genetics and industry-leading grow & process techniques, Verano creates artisanal cannabis products unrivaled in quality, consistency and experience. From our award-winning seeds to our signature aesthetic, at Verano t…

This week we have Ted Lichtenberger the co-founder of Flower Company. He thinks you should spent less money on cannabis and delivery. FLOWER CO. delivers top weed brands throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles from Calabasas to Long Beach, Sacramento, and Humboldt County.โดย Brandon David

CEO and Founder of Rebel Coast, Josh Lizotte is on the program. If you're curious to hear from the first brand to ever dare to infuse a wine, you will want to listen in this week.Marketing a cannabis brand is a common theme on this show and this week is no exception. Get out your note taking devices friends, this is a good one.…

Scott Jennings makes cannabis food with healthy, guilt-free ingredients. Finding himself wanting more from the cannabis industry, Scott set out to build the company he wanted to see in the cannabis industry. That company is Pantry Food Co. Brandon and Scott talk about how his products compete with traditional flower consumption. They also dig into …

Board Member & Executive Chairmen Ben Kovacs has several irons in the fire. Much of his focus is going to Next Green Wave where he is a board member. They have over 1 million square feet of permitted facilities in the state of California. Not bad! You have a ton to learn from this conversation. Tune in, listen up, get acquainted.…

Brandon sits down IN PERSON :) with CEO of Blaze, Christopher Violas. Based in Newport Beach, Blaze is a cannabis ERP technology platform specializing in track and trace/seed to sale technologies. Oh and BTW, they are hiring! The past year has made us thankful anytime we get to connect with people in person. The vibe was super positive and this was…

Brandon sits down with Demitri Downing the Founder and CEO of MITA (Marijuana Industry Trade Association) Arizona legalization is new, but Demitri has been a part of the scene for years. Great episode of learnings and a peak into the future - Especially if you live in Arizona!โดย Brandon David

Brandon has a detailed chat about the hurdles to marketing cannabis companies with Irfran the Co-Founder and CEO at The Flower Agency. They have some innovative ways to target and reach existing and potential customers.If you run a cannabis related company and are struggling with your marketing this is the episode for you. Irfran has a ton of knowl…

Special guest host Jocelyn Sheltraw of Headset is at the Arizona Cannabis Executive Golf Tournament. She has a quick chat with Samuel Richard Executive Director of The Arizona Dispensaries Association protecting and advancing the ecosystem of regulated cannabis across the Grand Canyon Stateโดย Brandon David

Brandon is in AZ this week talking with Brian Yauger the CEO of Lemonhaze. They bring together thousands of people from the industry by providing, executive golf tournaments, budtender events, education, conventions, industry reports and more.โดย Brandon David

Brandon thinks Aaron makes the best small batch indoor cannabis in the world. Brandon also points out they he is "the 1%" and what a cannabis consumer looks like is going to change a lot over the next few years.Gold Seal San Francisco is a boutique cannabis lifestyle and apparel company, advocating for legalization of medical cannabis.…