This summer, leaders in the ethical and clean cannabis movements joined forces to establish a new third-party certification that addresses two unmet and growing concerns for marijuana consumers – organically grown and fairly produced cannabis. At time when dangerous pesticide use continues to cause havoc, such as the recent recall of concentrates laced with myclobutanil, […]
The Buck Stops Here
Elevating Edibles Education
When I founded Wana Brands in 2010, cannabis had just recently come online in Colorado. The early years of edibles were filled with trial and error, adjusting to industry rules and regulations. We were all finding our footing in a fledgling industry. Since then, Wana Brands has experienced significant growth, demonstrating that the edibles sector […]
Social Cannabis Policies are Imperative to the Success of Legalization and Regulation
By Ean Seeb and Emmett Reistroffer Social cannabis consumption is an important and pressing issue as more states continue to end prohibition and legalize cannabis across the country. Imagine if when ending alcohol prohibition, distillers and brewers settled for only drinking at home, and if there were no pub or tavern model. That’s essentially the […]
The De-Commoditization of Cannabis
Everywhere you look, there is evidence that the cannabis industry, like so many others, is rapidly turning into a commodity-driven sector. News that Washington State growers are lowering prices “in a race to the bottom” helps fuel that notion. Dispensary owners are reporting that their lowest priced merchandise is often what sells best. However, I […]
FACT.. a new acronym to come
Eight years in the cannabis industry has brought more than grey hair, a divorce, the opportunity to create and sell a few companies and chronic heartburn. This experience has given me the chance to see trends and patterns develop as this industry gains legitimacy and evolves from shady, unspoken skunk “safety-meetings”, to a commonplace cure-all […]
When abnormal is the norm
Sometimes working in cannabis leaves me feeling like I’m through the looking glass. It’s not just that my job is federally illegal, or that we now offer receipts for cannabis after generations of lurking in the shadows. Often the strangest part of my day is when something “normal” happens. I was surprised and excited when […]
What your retail team should know.. and why you should teach them
Margaret Thatcher once said, “Being powerful is like being a lady: If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” I find that quote to be surprisingly relevant when it comes to dispensaries and their budtenders. I have visited many stores where the budtenders have to tell you they are budtenders, otherwise you would […]
Celebrate commoditization and the birth of “Big Cannabis”
I now buy legal cannabis by the ton. I negotiate the price of dried, ground marijuana as if it were just another commodity…because it is. Cannabis is simply an amazing agricultural commodity and precious raw material input– dropped into a not-so-complicated equation, designed to produce profit. Just two years ago I was paying some $2,000 […]
The coming impact of cannabis on our society
Succeeding in the cannabis industry comes with its own unique set of challenges. Navigating the mine field of ever-changing regulations, lack of access to traditional financing and banking, an underdeveloped and fragmented supply chain, an overburdensome tax code, and all of the many challenges that come with running a startup, we in the industry sometimes […]
Congress: Include recreational cannabis, protect states’ rights – it’s not a heavy lift
Cannabis is freedom. Whether possessing it for personal consumption, or building a large-scale cultivation, manufacturing, or retail business, it’s all an expression of freedom. It’s the freedom to choose what type of medicine you want, or intoxicant to consume recreationally, or not to consume at all. States across the nation are creating freedom for their […]
