Innovating Cannabis Podcast

Kema Ogden was one of the early pioneers of Nevada’s legal cannabis industry. In 2015, she helped open one of the state’s first medical dispensaries, laying the foundation for what would become the Top Notch THC brand.

Since then, she and her partners have expanded to multiple adult-use locations across Nevada, building a loyal customer base in one of the country’s most competitive cannabis markets. Today, Top Notch THC serves both medical patients and recreational consumers and continues to grow alongside the evolving industry.

In this episode, we talk about the Nevada cannabis market...

River Falls, Wisconsin, is home to Tattersall Distilling, a nationally recognized craft spirits producer whose portfolio is distributed across 25 states. Known for sourcing locally and crafting spirits infused with botanicals and functional ingredients, Tattersall has built a reputation on flavor innovation and ingredient integrity. 

Co-founder Jon Kreidler joins the show to discuss the company's strategic expansion into the fast-growing hemp-derived THC beverage market with Tattersall Functional. Drawing on years of experience working with complex flavor profiles and plant-based ingredients, Jon explains how Tattersall is translating its distilling expertise into this new category. 

He also shares in...

Jeff Rawson founded the nonprofit Institute of Cannabis Science while serving as a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry at Harvard University. He conducts scientific research, investigative reporting, and regulatory reviews, and provides subject-matter expertise in cannabis testing. 

Jeff serves on the ASTM D37 Committee on Cannabis and is involved with ACIL, which honored him with the 2024 Preston S. Miller Award for extraordinary service. 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bard College, a master’s in organic chemistry from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Duke University. 

Driven...

Today, we examine the Ohio cannabis market with our guests, attorneys John Oberle and Greg May from Ice Miller. We discuss the latest referendum effort led by Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, which seeks to repeal key components of a bill the governor recently signed to scale back the state's voter-approved cannabis law and ban the sale of consumable hemp products outside of licensed cannabis dispensaries.

We also explore opportunities for new businesses entering the Ohio market and what they need to know before getting started.

https://www.icemiller.com/

The Innovating Cannabis...

Clint Kellum brings nearly 20 years of public service experience with the State of California, where he specialized in budget and policy work at the California Department of Finance. He joined the California Dept of Cannabis Control about five years ago as Chief Operating Officer, and was recently appointed Director, where he now leads the agency’s operations and helps shape the future of cannabis regulation in the state.

We discuss his goals and vision for stabilizing California’s cannabis market and what it will take to turn things around for operators struggling to survive ongoing turbu...

Josh Kaplan is the Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at Western Washington University. His research focuses on optimizing CBD-based medicine for pediatric conditions (e.g., epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, exposure to early life stress). They use mouse models to probe the effects of CBD and terpenes at the behavioral, molecular, and electrophysiological levels.

They can observe the effects of this medicine unfold in real time through an animal's actions, take pictures of its effects on proteins and other chemicals, and listen to how it impacts brain cell communication patterns. They aim to provide a comprehensive pi...

Dr. Julian Wichmann is a board-certified radiologist and the co-founder and CEO of Bloomwell,the first cannabis telemedicine platform to launch in Germany—and a model the U.S. should pay close attention to.
 

We dive into the current state of Germany’s cannabis market, the challenges of building a telemedicine blueprint from the ground up, how medical cannabis is revitalizing German pharmacies, and the role telehealth plays in connecting doctors, pharmacies, and patients.
 

The conversation offers valuable insight into how Germany is structuring medical cannabis at scale.

https://bloomwe...

Ernest Toney joins us today. He is the founder of BIPOCANN, a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides business guidance to social equity entrepreneurs looking to start and scale cannabis businesses.

According to a survey released by economist Beau Whitney, only 27.3 percent of U.S. cannabis businesses are profitable. Another 40.6 percent are breaking even, while 32.2 percent are operating at a loss. Those profitability gaps are even more pronounced along racial lines: 33.7 percent of white-owned cannabis businesses reported being profitable, compared to just 17.5 percent of non-white-owned operators.

Ernest Toney is working to change those numbers by offering mentorship...

Today, we are joined by Chris Emerson, who earned his PhD in small-molecule chemistry and completed his postdoctoral research at Stanford University before bringing his scientific rigor to the cannabis industry. He’s now the CEO and Chief Scientist of Level, and was one of the first to introduce cannabis in a precise, pill-based format.

At Level, the team is laser-focused on developing effect-based formulations—using unique cannabinoid combinations and custom ratios designed to deliver real therapeutic value. Chris is especially interested in working with acidic cannabinoids along with lesser-known minor cannabinoids—pushing beyond the usual THC-CBD playbo...

Joining the show today is Katherine Golden, a Colorado-based cannabis nurse who has been doing some of the industry's most important work behind the scenes.

Katherine has been working with the Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation to help build a cannabis reimbursement framework for workers' comp — a model that other states can use to process claims and ensure patients receive proper guidance and support.

She's also the founder of Leaf411, a nonprofit national cannabis nurse helpline where people can literally "call a nurse" for advice on using cannabis as medicine.

In this episode, we...

Joining the show today is Brad Zerman, founder of 7 Point Dispensary in Illinois.

Brad was awarded one of the state's first 50 medical dispensary licenses back in 2015. Brad ultimately sold his medical store and set his sights on an adult-use license, a process that took five years to bring to life.

7 Points is located in rural Danville, Illinois, about three hours south of Chicago and just minutes from the Indiana border. Roughly 75 percent of Brad's customers cross state lines to visit the dispensary.

The location is off the beaten path, near a casino, a...

Today, our guest is Evan Eneman. Evan was an early team member at Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde Capital and later worked closely with Snoop to launch Iconic Tonic, the beverage company behind Death Row Records’ drink line and other beverage brands.

In this conversation, Evan shares how he approaches the infused beverage market, the challenges of building and scaling brands in this category, his focus on functional ingredients, and how his team is thinking about the road ahead as they prepare for 2026.

https://drinkiconictonics.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evaneneman

The American Council of Cannabis Medicine has been quietly working behind the scenes to prepare for a future where cannabis is recognized as legitimate medicine—and reimbursable through health insurance.

The organization currently holds nine seats on a special committee convened by the Health Secretary’s office. They have been tasked with advising President Trump on cannabis efficacy during the research phase tied to the executive order on rescheduling.

Beyond having a front-row seat in shaping federal cannabis policy, the Council is also building the infrastructure to integrate medical cannabis into the U.S. healthcare insu...

What started as growers gathering at the Big Sexy Brewery in Sacramento, California to talk shop and share knowledge grew into a collaboration among cultivation experts who went on to launch PowrHouse, an R&D cultivation facility designed to test the commercial viability of new genetics and nutrient lines.
 

PowrHouse is highly data-driven, tracking every R&D project and sharing insights with cultivators, such as which cultivars perform best in specific conditions and with specific nutrient inputs.
 

Our guest is co-founder Sergio Picazo. He walks us through their operations, partnerships, approach to data co...

It's not uncommon for industries outside of cannabis to adapt their technology to solve challenges unique to our space. American Air Filter International is one of those companies, bringing decades of expertise in air filtration for environments with high levels of gaseous contaminants, including wastewater treatment facilities, data centers, and, now, cannabis cultivation.

Our guest today is Nikki Sasher, a microbiologist and head of the Clean Air Lab at American Air Filter International. She's here to break down why air filtration matters in cannabis, and how growers can reduce airborne pathogen risk.

According to...

The cannabis industry is still operating with a patchwork financial system—full of workarounds and uncertainty.

My guest today is Terry Mendez, CEO of Safe Harbor Financial, the first financial services company built specifically to support and advocate for safe banking in the cannabis industry.

We discuss how Safe Harbor has evolved over the years, where today’s banking and financial infrastructure still falls short, and how they’re working to fill those gaps. Terry also breaks down what cannabis rescheduling could mean for banking and how Safe Harbor supports small and emerging cannabis businesses as the...

Joann and Michael Kudrewicz have been cultivating cannabis in the Catskills of New York for over 20 years. Early participants in the state's hemp program supplied seeds and clones to farmers across the region.

They went on to launch Raven's View Genetics, which focuses on preserving and producing Landrace and heirloom cannabis strains for their proprietary collection.

In this episode, we discuss their journey through New York's evolving cannabis landscape and dive deep into their genetics work, exploring how they pay homage to the regions around the world and the growers who shaped the evolution of...

John Keating leads the genetics program at Advanced Nutrients, a company long recognized for its cutting-edge research in plant nutrients and genetics. Keating is also the founder of Tesaro Genetics, which was acquired by Advanced Nutrients several years ago to expand the company's research efforts beyond nutrients and deeper into plant science.

Keating and his team have been working with triploid genetics and recently launched a triploid seed line at MJBizCon. While triploids are widely used in large-scale agriculture, the approach is still new to the cannabis industry—and far from easy to execute. According to...

Today, our guest is Jason Adelstone, an attorney with Harris Sliwoski. He joins the podcast to break down the legal chaos affecting the cannabis and hemp industries. We dive into a new potential hemp loophole, the latest on 280E, Thailand's reversal of its cannabis laws, the pros and cons of pursuing a DEA license for future international trade, and the rise in product recalls—along with who ultimately bears the liability.

https://harris-sliwoski.com/

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Can...

How many cannabis companies do you know that have been around for 26 years—and are still thriving?

Today, we meet BigMike, founder and CEO of Advanced Nutrients. His story begins in California, where, in his twenties, he started cultivating cannabis. At the time, the big fertilizer companies were too afraid to develop products specifically for the cannabis industry—but BigMike knew that what worked for tomatoes and cucumbers didn't work for cannabis.

Determined, he assembled a team of top plant scientists to develop the world's most advanced cannabis nutrients—an approach that remains the backbone of the...

As the cannabis industry evolves, so does the technology shaping its future. Innovations from outside sectors are being adapted and refined to meet the unique challenges of cannabis production.

One of the newest breakthroughs is X-ray technology for microbial remediation. Unlike chemical or fog-based methods—which interact with terpene and cannabinoid compounds, potentially degrading flavor and aroma—X-ray penetrates the whole flower while leaving cannabinoids and terpenes untouched.

Today, we’re joined by Jeff Adams, founder of XRPure, and Joseph Bancheri, the company’s head of business development. They’ll walk us through how XRPure’s X-ray reme...

Rama Mayo is the co-founder of Hall of Flowers, one of the most influential B2B trade shows in the cannabis industry, bringing brands and retailers together in California for the past eight years. The show recently made its New York debut, and Rama joins us to share how the East Coast industry received it.

We also dive into the cultural and brand differences between the West and East Coasts — and explore how both markets can collaborate to support each other’s growth.

With more than two decades immersed in California’s cannabis scene — and a backgr...

Jason Ambrosino, the founder of Veterans Holdings, a leading B2B cannabis manufacturer and supply partner, producing bulk distillate, rosin, crude oil, BHO, infused pre-rolls, and finished goods for licensed dispensaries, brands, and distributors across New York. Jason is also a member of the Association of New York Cannabis Processors and mentors and advises numerous operators on business strategy and operations. 

He is very vocal in informing the Office of Cannabis Management and elected officials on the economics of cannabis and his challenges as a business owner. Jason is not shy about sharing his insights and opinions o...

Darren Gleeman is the Managing Partner of MBO Ventures, an investment firm that works exclusively with Employee Stock Ownership Plans, or ESOPS. He believes ESOPS could be the golden ticket for cannabis companies looking to boost profit margins- especially as debt comes due and financial pressures mount. While the process can be complex, the benefits are substantial: the government actively supports ESOPS and even subsidizes them by eliminating state and federal tax obligations for companies that participate. Darren breaks it all down for us in this episode.

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by...

As the cannabis industry matures, setting standards is the next critical step toward ensuring consumer safety and preparing for scalability and global trade.

In this episode, I speak with Darwin Millard, Technical Director and standards development expert at Cannabis Safety and Quality (CSQ) — an accredited safety and quality management certification program that supports businesses across the entire supply chain, from seed to sale.

Darwin breaks down the standards being developed for each sector. He explains why companies should begin implementing them now to stay ahead of regulations, scale efficiently, and compete in an increasingly global ma...

Today I'm talking with Ryan Crandall, Chief Commercial Officer for MariMed, the MSO with operations in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Maryland.

We discussed their operations in various states, including their plans to outfit facilities for GMP certification in Maryland, product development and R&D processes, the addition of functional ingredients to products, and their interest in the hemp beverage space.

https://www.marimedinc.com

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal. 

Get in touch w...

What does it take to ship cannabis around the world? My guest today, Yoram Eshel, is CEO of Cannabilog, a company leading the way in global cannabis transportation a. nd logistics. After a long career in the pharmaceutical industry, managing the movement of products across continents, Yoram came out of retirement to apply his expertise in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry and launched Cannabilog.

In this episode, Yoram shares his playbook for building a compliant, efficient, and scalable supply chain for global cannabis import and export trade.

https://cannabilog.com/

T...

Today, I’m excited to welcome Shawn Sherman, a longtime player in California’s cannabis market. Shawn began his journey as both a cultivator and a delivery service operator, and today he’s the founder of Golden Apple Cannabis—a manufacturing, distribution, and retail operation based in Paso Robles, California, the state’s second-largest wine country after Napa.

 In our conversation, Shawn shares his approach to maintaining product quality, his collaborations with craft farmers to bring the best products to market, and his plans for a terpene tasting room aimed at educating consumers and elevating the cannabis retail expe...

Nick Tanem is a true OG in the cannabis extraction space, widely credited with coining the term "solventless" and pioneering the rosin, resin, and exotic concentrate movement that defines today's market. He's a founding council member and instructor for the Ganjier certification program, travels the world judging cannabis competitions, and shares his knowledge of hash-making with the next generation of extractors.

In this episode, Nick discusses his company, Essential Extracts, and its premium concentrates, which are available in New Jersey, California, and Colorado. He also shares tips on how to win a cannabis cup, preserving t...

Today’s guest is Claudio Miranda, a longtime operator in California’s cannabis market dating back to the days before Prop 215. He co-founded Guild Extracts, one of the state’s pioneering extraction companies, and is now the co-founder of Budist—a consumer rating app often described as the Wine Spectator of cannabis for the depth of education and expertise it provides.

Claudio joins me to discuss Budist’s recent partnership with MJBiz to launch the first-ever bi-coastal cannabis competition, The MJBowl, with winners set to be honored live on stage at MJBizCon this December 4th. Rather than pitting re...

I'm your host, Pam Chmiel. In addition to producing and hosting this podcast, I'm also a journalist—you can find links to my work and contact information in the show notes.

Today's guest is Flavia Cassani, who, along with her husband Mikey, co-founded Flow Kana in 2015 to champion sun-grown craft farmers in California's Emerald Triangle. At its peak, Flow Kana was the state's largest cannabis brand. But after taking on partners, they faced a hostile takeover and were ultimately pushed out of the company.

After stepping away and spending time in Euro...

My guest today is Todd Shapiro, CEO of Red Light Holland, a company at the forefront of cultivating and selling legal magic truffles in the Netherlands’ recreational market.

Red Light Holland is taking a multi-pronged approach to advancing psilocybin legalization—both as a therapeutic tool and a recreational product.

Todd shares insights into the company’s strategy in the Netherlands, their expansion into Canada with mushroom grow kits and functional gummies, and their groundbreaking partnership with Irvine Labs in California, a DEA-registered facility analyzing imported Red Light Holland truffles from the Netherlands.

https...

Alec Dixon is a lead judge for the Emerald Cup and co-founder of SC Testing Labs in California, Michigan, Arizona, and Colorado.

For 15 years, SC Labs has tested hundreds of thousands of strains of cannabis and hemp, and learned a tremendous amount about the averages versus potentials on how the plant expresses itself.

He shares insights into the characteristics of Emerald Cup-winning strains, and what is needed to take cannabis cultivation and products to the next level and what makes quality cannabis.

Alec believes the craft industry is in danger of survival without...

Our guest today is Kevin Jodrey, a renowned cultivator from Humboldt County, founder of Wonderland Nursery, head of the R&D lab for Cookies genetics, and co-founder of Ganjier, to name a few accomplishments. 

We discuss the recent white papers from Abstrax Tech about their discovery that scientifically proves low-concentration flavorants like aldehydes, esters, alcohols, and sulfurs are responsible for the aroma of cannabis- not terpenes. 

Kevin talks about the opportunities, nuances, and challenges of manipulating these volatile compounds in breeding, cultivation, and extraction processes. He also reminds us not to chase the shiny object an...

Today, we meet Ben Burstein, head of M&A and strategic partnerships at Leaflink. A leading wholesale cannabis commerce platform that connects brands and retailers by providing a digital marketplace where retailers can discover brands, place wholesale orders, and manage their inventory.

We dive into the operational challenges of inventory management, identify emerging market performers, examine wholesale sales trends, and explore which states are emerging as opportunities for brands, as well as the long-term growth projections for the market.

https://www.leaflink.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminburstein/

The...

Michael Sassano, a former Wall Street banker turned real estate developer, is known in the US for building 16 large-scale cultivation facilities in Nevada. He left for Europe in 2019 to get a head start in the European cannabis market and launched Somai, a cannabinoid pharmaceutical company based in Lisbon, Portugal. Currently operating in 12 countries, Michael plans to be in 18 by year-end.

We discuss his global strategy and the obstacles he faces as a multi-country operator.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/somaipharma

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsassano3/

The Innovating Cannabis podcast i...

As Europe builds out a medically driven cannabis market, Sita Schubert is helping lead the charge. She's the founder and Secretary General of the EU Medical Cannabis Association and a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with a legal background. Her consultancy played a key role in helping Tilray establish itself as a leading operator in the German market.

In this episode, we discuss the current state of the European cannabis industry, what it takes for outsiders to successfully enter the market, steps needed to harmonize regulations across international borders, and insights from her participation at the recent Global...

Today on The Mary Jane Society, we're joined by Shane Johnson, a Stanford-trained medical doctor and accomplished biotech entrepreneur. Shane is the co-founder of BayMedica, a pioneering manufacturer of rare and minor cannabinoid ingredients known for their exceptional purity, consistency, and scalability traits critical to the future of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products.

BayMedica was acquired by InMed Pharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ-listed, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Canada. InMed is developing a robust pipeline of proprietary small molecule drug candidates that target the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system. Their current research programs focus on therapeutic t...

The Cannabis Media Council was founded to build bridges between the cannabis industry and mainstream media, elevate advertising standards, and help shift public perception through strategic public service announcements. Acting as a think tank of forward-thinking industry leaders, the Council believes in collaboration over competition—sharing knowledge and resources to make sure that all boats rise.

Today, I’m joined by co-founder Amy Deneson to explore the mission behind the Cannabis Media Council, its operations, and the impact it wants to make across media, marketing, and culture.

https://www.cannabismediacouncil.com/

https...

Today, we will learn about a potentially groundbreaking digital platform called The Cancer Playbook that could accelerate cannabis medicine for cancer treatment and redefine how patients, doctors, and researchers approach cancer care.

Joining me are Jamie Bennett, Founder and Director of Operations, and Ryan Castle, Director of Research at The Cancer Playbook and Whole Health Oncology Institute.

In today's episode, we'll explore: