A red brick building on the New Brunswick University campus.

University of New Brunswick Creates Health Research Chair in Cannabis

8/10/2017

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Canada’s University of New Brunswick has announced that it is creating a Health Research Chair in Cannabis which will help expand the university’s commitment to innovation and research in the natural products, biomedical, and health and life sciences fields, according to a press release. The chair will receive $1 million in funding from New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc., at $500,000 each over five years.

The announcement follows the creation of the Health Research Chair in Cannabis at St. Thomas University in May, which was also given $1 million in funding from the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation and Shoppers Drug Mart, at $500,000 each.

Dr. David MaGee, University of New Brunswick acting vice-president of research, called the chair’s creation “a key example of the university’s commitment to discovery.”

“We believe in the power of research to advance innovation within New Brunswick,” he said in the release. “With 75 percent of the province’s publicly funded research taking place at UNB, we’re thrilled to play a central role.”

The recruitment and nomination process for the tenure-track faculty member position is expected to begin immediately, while the funding will be in place beginning in the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Dr. Bruno Battistini, president, CEO, and scientific director for New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, said the two chairs “clearly signifies New Brunswick’s intention to be at the forefront of cannabis research.”

“This competitive chair will further develop the science toward implementing proven and safe innovative cannabis-based therapies for the chronic treatment of various disorders (chronic pain, PTSD, etc.),” he said in a statement.

Potential areas of research include the medicinal and biochemistry analysis of cannabis, preclinical pharmacology studies, and a review of the existing cannabis literature in an effort to identify future research needs and inconsistencies.     

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Vanessa Corrales: Infusing an Edibles Brand with Personality

8/09/2017

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Vanessa Corrales is the founder of San Diego, California-based B-Edibles, an infused edibles manufacturer that creates infused sugar products and is particularly well-known for offering medicated cotton candy.

This Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode features Vanessa and our host TG Branfalt in a discussion about how being a medical cannabis patient led to Vanessa pursuing a career as a medical cannabis entrepreneur and how B-Edibles’ bubbly and colorful branding plays to her desire to express uniqueness and her own personality in the cannabis space. The interview also covers a brand new project that Vanessa has taken up that is aimed at bringing a modern education about medical cannabis and the truth behind cannabis culture to native Spanish-speakers — and much, much more!

Listen to the interview via the player below, or you can keep scrolling down to read a full transcript of this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.

Listen to the podcast:

Read the transcript:

TG Branfalt: Hey there, I’m your host, TG Branfalt, and you’re listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, where we try to bring you actionable information to normalize cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists, and industry stakeholders. Today, I’m joined by Vanessa Corrales, founder of B-Edibles out in San Diego. How are you doing today?

Vanessa Corrales: Hi. I’m doing great, thanks for asking. Thanks for having me today.

TG Branfalt: Oh, it’s a pleasure. I’m real excited to get to know you, get to know your products, but before we get into the products and B-Edibles, tell me about yourself, you know. What was your path to getting involved in the cannabis space?

Vanessa Corrales: Excellent. Yeah, so cannabis … It’s funny to hear all the stories that people have and what brings them to the cannabis space. I come from a background of food and beverage. I’ve managed hotels, I’ve been part of opening teams for restaurants, I’ve managed local breweries and local coffee shops, as well, here in San Diego. I really wanted to dive into the food side of cannabis with a twist of getting, also, the Hispanic aspect of it or bringing cannabis in Spanish and getting that Latino culture in there, because if my Spanish speakers are listening out there, we don’t have a lot of information of cannabis in Spanish. So, I know I wanted to jump into cannabis and my forte is food and beverage, so that’s where I kind of focused my energy on.

TG Branfalt: And that led you to the creation and formation of B-Edibles, where you make cotton candy, which, let me tell you, that’s a mind-blowing premise, cotton candy that’s medicated. So, tell me about coming up with the cotton candy idea.

Vanessa Corrales: Okay. So, being in the food and beverage background and being in the industry and managing restaurants, I’ve always looked at Australia for new and upcoming trends. Looking at Australia … Australia has fairy floss in everything. Fairy floss is the traditional name for cotton candy. It started as fairy floss. So, fairy floss was in everything, and I was just thinking, “Wow, we don’t have that here in the states.” So, I started a fairy floss company, not medicated, that was about a year and a half ago. I really thought, “Okay, this is awesome.” I never thought I was going to infuse cannabis into cotton candy, I mean, that’s mind-blowing to me just thinking about that, like really? Cotton candy and cannabis? Is that even a thing?

But, in order for me to really want to dive in into the cannabis industry and into this market, I knew that I needed to create a product that wasn’t a chocolate bar or wasn’t a brownie or a cookie because there’s already amazing companies doing that right now. So, I knew I needed to stand out and create a big boom, and say, “Hello, I’m here. I’m colorful and I’m proud,” and cotton candy just made sense.

TG Branfalt: I was really struck when I was thinking about this when we landed this interview and thinking about cotton candy in addition to how delicious it probably is, but as a delivery method, it’s got to have benefits over other edible methods, right?

Vanessa Corrales: Correct. So, because of the nature of cotton candy and how you consume cotton candy, it disintegrates, it completely melts on your tongue, so it acts a sublingual. You will immediately feel, well 15-20 minutes, you’ll feel the effects of it. For me personally, it’s amazing. If I want to smoke in public, I consume it, and a lot of people have the idea of cotton candy being a lot of sugar, “Oh my gosh, it’s so much sugar,” but it’s mostly air. When you spin sugar, the process of creating cotton candy, you use less than a tablespoon of sugar, the machine melts it, and it creates this big cloud of fluffy, sweet, infused-cannabis cotton candy. So, it’s really not a lot of sugar. But, when you consume it, you don’t need a lot of it to feel the effects of it.

TG Branfalt: So, tell me a little bit about your own medical cannabis use. You have a condition, endometriosis, and that’s not something I specifically see covered in many states, so can you give us an idea of what that is and how cannabis helps you and how you utilize it?

Vanessa Corrales: Absolutely. So, endometriosis is one of those diseases that, not a lot of people know about it, or not a lot of women talk about it. Endometriosis is … The tissue that lines our uterus, as females, begins to develop outside of our organs. So, it can develop in our fallopian tubes, in our intestines, in our appendix, wherever. It could travel to our brain. And that tissue is called endometrium, which is why it’s called endometriosis. It acts the same as the lining that we have in our uterus, so it sheds during the monthly menstrual cycle.

So, now you can only imagine, if that tissues travels to your intestines or to any other organ in your body, and every month it acts as your menstrual cycle and it starts shedding blood but there’s no place for it to release or to go, you start creating these pockets, these cysts, or these chocolate cysts, or these tumors, that have nowhere to go and that create this excruciating pain. I mean 24/7 pain, you can’t get out of bed, it causes nausea, crazy inflammation, and it affects a lot of women. A lot of women don’t talk about it because it’s one of those diseases that you don’t know about until 10 years later when it’s too late, and infertility kicks in, like myself. I suffer from infertility, I’ve had seven surgeries, I’ve had endometriosis in my large intestine, my small intestine, my colon, my appendix, fallopian tube, ovaries, everywhere, and the pain is ridiculous.

TG Branfalt: Unbelievable.

Vanessa Corrales: Of course, the doctors give you hormone therapy, and they give you all these medical narcotics. I was on Percocet and Dilaudid and Morphine for many, many years, and not once was I introduced to cannabis. And that has a lot to do with me being Hispanic and not being socially accepted in my culture.

TG Branfalt: So, how do you use cannabis? Do you smoke it, do you use edibles? What delivery method helps best with your symptoms?

Vanessa Corrales: So, an interesting thing with endometriosis, the main thing that doctors give you with endometriosis is a hormone therapy. They either give you Lupron, which is like a hormone replacement through an injection in your stomach, which creates blood clots. So, if you smoke cannabis, it increases your risk of blood clots, which is why I try to not smoke cannabis, because of that, because I’ve been through hormone therapy for many, many years. So, I like edibles, I like vaping, which is why I love the cotton candy because it’s that sweet tooth in me, and it’s fast-acting. I can really dose out how much I consume, as well, because it’s fast-acting.

TG Branfalt: Do you have any concern as a patient in California that the new rules will have a negative effect on the medical cannabis program currently in the state?

Vanessa Corrales: That’s an interesting question and a great question because the regulations were just given to us a few weeks ago and, of course as a medical patient that consumes cannabis on a regular basis, with the new proposed regulations you can only buy prepackaged edibles from all the manufacturers in packages of 100 milligrams, which, if you talk to a cancer patient or someone that suffers from seizures, 100 milligrams does nothing. I’m afraid that, as a manufacturer, it’s going to be an issue. For cotton candy, there’s no way for us to dose out 10 milligrams for patients, so cotton candy, I’m afraid, is not going to exist come 2018 with the new regulations.

TG Branfalt: That’s really, really unfortunate. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel with regard to these regulations because these are still proposals, right?

Vanessa Corrales: Correct, they’re still proposals. June 13th was the last day for the community to speak up and talk, give their opinion, regarding … But again, they’re just proposals, and we’re thankful for that. There’s still time to change all of these and I know there’s a lot of people working towards changing that, the dosage, and the details that are missing in these proposed regulations.

TG Branfalt: I want to talk to you a little bit more about the regulations in a little bit broader term, but before we do that, we’ve got to take a short break. This is the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m TG Branfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host TG Branfalt here with Vanessa Corraless, founder of B-Edibles. So, before the break, we were talking a bit about the new rules, California’s, as they roll into rec. You had said that there’s a possibility that your product, the cotton candy, might not be available under the new regime. What are your plans if that happens?

Vanessa Corrales: So, I’ve been soul searching. I think, “Okay, so what’s going to happen?” I’ve been working so hard and diligently in creating a product that’s safe, the quality is there, people are like, “It is cotton candy?” I’m like, “Yes, but it’s still clean meds, we still lab test, and we still have a sweet, clean medication for people.” So, I started thinking, “Okay, so what can we do if cotton candy is out of the question, and still keep the integrity of what B is and the quality and the consistency behind B?” To make cotton candy, we first infused sugar, that’s what we do, we infuse sugar. So, that’s the new sect for B-Edibles, we are going to have infused sugar for the cannabis community that is lab tested, that can be micro-dosed.

We currently have sugar cubes that will be going out to the community, to, hopefully, dispensaries pretty soon. They’re micro-dosed at 10 milligrams each, lab-tested, all organic. I didn’t mention that earlier, but all of the products that we use, all the ingredients that we use, are 100% organic ingredients. No artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no preservatives or additives. So, I see B-Edibles as being the manufacturer of infused sugar, which is a staple in everyone’s home.

TG Branfalt: I love how entrepreneurs, man like … You guys are able to overcome almost any roadblock. “You’re not allowed to bank.” “Oh, we’ll make this service and-

Vanessa Corrales: You’re right.

TG Branfalt: “Have that service. We’ll form these coalitions.” I mean really, it’s really incredible, really heartening for me to see, especially when your product’s on the verge of not being allowed in California, which is sort of crazy. So, in California, where Latinos encompass the largest racial or ethnic group, legalization there provides a big opportunity to break old traditions, clear the path to have the industry dominated by others besides the white male. Women, they hold 36% of leadership positions in the cannabis industry. What does all this mean for Latinas? You had said earlier that there’s a stigma attached to it, I am not a Latina, so-

Vanessa Corrales: Are you sure?

TG Branfalt: So, could you explain … Could you explain to me what that stigma is and what legalization in California does mean for that segment of the population?

Vanessa Corrales: Absolutely. So, interesting. Here in San Diego, we’re so close to the border, we’re so close to Mexico, we’re 15-20 minutes away from Mexico, from a completely different country where cannabis or marijuana is still seen as this gateway drug that only tweakers use. I get seen as, “You’re going to Hell. You smoke cannabis, you’re a bad person. You should be in the streets begging. You’re worthless.” That is still the stigma surrounding it. No question about it. People still don’t use the word marijuana, my grandparents, my aunts, don’t use the word marijuana, really, out in public, because they don’t want to be that person talking about it. Being at the border, oddly enough, we don’t have the information out there yet, the information of, “Cannabis is okay. Cannabis is healing a lot of people. Cannabis is opening the minds of so many. We’re getting creative people and artists. Doctors are using it and lawyers are using it. It’s not just for a bad person.”

The opportunity that cannabis is giving in the cannabis community here in California to really shed the light, because, whether Mexicans like it or not, we as Mexicans follow what California does, or what the U.S. does. The U.S. is legalizing cannabis. So, now Mexico is going that path. The Senate just approved medical use in Mexico, which is insane, insane.

TG Branfalt: I’m just wondering what does the legalization mean for the Latina population?

Vanessa Corrales: For Latinas-

TG Branfalt: In California.

Vanessa Corrales: It’s amazing that we can enter this space without having a person, or established corporation or company, saying, “We male,” or “We Hispanics don’t have room in this.” There’s so much room for us Latinas to really spread the knowledge and the love and the … How can I say it? The passion that we have for this plant. It is giving us a platform to shine, because we are on the same level. It’s all the same playing ground for everyone. Me as a Latina woman and my neighbor and their neighbor, we all have the same ground, we can all be super successful in this industry, which … You can’t say that in other industries. That’s what cannabis brings to, not only the Latinas, but Latinos and other minorities, which is amazing that I am able to say that I am living and growing, and my career is growing and my passion is growing in this industry with this amazing community.

TG Branfalt: You had mentioned that your parents and grandparents don’t even mutter the word marijuana. What was their reaction when-

Vanessa Corrales: They didn’t understand.

TG Branfalt: You started this company?

Vanessa Corrales: They didn’t understand what I was talking about. I’m like, “I’m going to be working with marijuana.” They don’t know the word cannabis. Cannabis is not a thing in Mexico. I’m like, “Yeah, I’m going to work with marijuana.” They’re like, “What?” I kept saying, “Yeah, mota.” I’m not sure how more clear I can be. But, because … They didn’t. And do you know why they didn’t?

Maybe if it was another cousin. Maybe. I’ve been a girl that has always loved books, that is always in school. I graduated from college, and I’m one of the only cousins from my Mexico side that has been to college. So, they know that I wouldn’t make a crazy decision that wasn’t well thought-out, or that I would harm my family or myself. They didn’t disown me, I mean, they were a little confused and they did need a little education. All they know about marijuana is. “If you’re a bad person, you smoke it. You probably smoke it and then you also, probably do other drugs. You probably also rob people or do crazy other stuff.” So, when I was telling them, you could see their heads turning. You know, like a little puppy, when their head turns like, “I don’t understand.”

You know what the great thing about it, is that when I spoke to them about this project, and I started with cotton candy, it kind of broke the ice, which is what I love about cotton candy, is that it allows me to preach, per say. It allows me to talk cannabis without, really, that wall of, “Oh, no, no. I don’t want to talk about cannabis.” It really broke the barrier. It’s like, “Oh, cotton candy? What? Tell me more. How does this work?” Then, it allows me to educate them, which, at the end of the day, if we don’t educate our community, if we don’t educate and pass that knowledge of what we know … Again, we don’t know much in this community because we’re writing the laws, we’re doing the research, we’re doing everything right now, but if we don’t spread the knowledge that we currently have, there’s no way that we’re going to break the stigma.

The Mexican culture is really stubborn. So, when you come to it with a very bubbly and colorful way, and being a female that they don’t really expect that, they really embrace it and they open their ears and they open their mind and their heart, which is amazing to me. I really didn’t think that they were going to be okay with it. I was going to do it regardless, but it was great. It’s been great.

TG Branfalt: As we’ve been talking, and I said this to you during the break that, you’re a very bubbly personality. And the photos of you, you have multicolored hair. So, how important was it to you for your brand to represent that bubbly, colorful personality?

Vanessa Corrales: It was everything. It absolutely was everything. When I first decided that this is the path that I was going to take, I really struggled with what did I want to call it, how was the feel and the colors. Because, what was out in the market at that time, I really didn’t identify with anything and I really wanted to scream individuality and to be colorful and to be unique. Working in food and beverage and working in restaurants and hotel, whoever is listening that has been in that industry, you have to be a certain way, you have to talk a certain way, you have to dress a certain way. I really wanted to step away from that. I wanted to embrace people’s individuality, but I also really wanted to bring color to the cannabis community by really pushing about being yourself.

I kept on telling myself, “I don’t know what I want to call it, I just want it to be colorful. I want it to be unique, I want it to be love, I want it to be creative.” I kept on saying this, I’m like, “I just want it to be.” Literally. I just want it to be. So, I kind of just stuck. Some people are like, “Oh, it’s ‘Bedibles.'” I’m like, “Well, sure. If you want it to be ‘Bedibles,’ sure.” But, it’s about being B, and that’s the beauty about B, it can be whatever you want it to be. Bubbly, serious, creative, you could be elevated, you could be high, you can be whatever you want to be, and that’s what cannabis does to me personally, as an individual, as a medical marijuana patient. It allows me to be myself and that’s why I love cannabis.

TG Branfalt: So, you sort of had, the, what you wanted …

Vanessa Corrales: Correct, absolutely. 110%

TG Branfalt: What message you wanted the business to have before you had the product.

Vanessa Corrales: Is that weird?

TG Branfalt: That’s really kind of shocking. It is sort of weird. I mean, in my experience, I’ve done dozens of these interviews, and nobody has said to me, “Yeah, I knew what I wanted to call it and I knew what message I wanted it to have before I knew what I was actually going to make.” No, that’s … So, you’re unique even in that way. I want to switch gears a little bit, move back a little bit. We were talking about California, and California’s really interesting as they go into legalization because of the equity provisions that are being outlined, not just by the-

Vanessa Corrales: Right.

TG Branfalt: State legislation, but also by individual legislation in San Francisco and Oakland. They were putting together equity provisions for the industry months before. They knew it was coming. Do you think that those equity provisions in cities like San Francisco and Oakland, do they do enough to remove the barriers to entry for minorities in California?

Vanessa Corrales: I mean, if you talk to the Latina in me, I’m going to say it’s never enough. But, it’s a start. And I’m thankful and I’m happy that we’re at least starting somewhere. I know the equity details in Oakland and San Francisco, I’m not super familiar with them, but I know that there’s … 50% go to minorities with convictions and some income thresholds, or something like that.

TG Branfalt: Yeah.

Vanessa Corrales: Am I correct saying that?

TG Branfalt: Yeah.

Vanessa Corrales: Yeah. And I know that there is very little written in the proposed regulations for us over here. Again, I think whatever we do to move towards that is amazing. We have to put it in writing. These social equities need to be in writing because it is true, it is a fact that we are the minority. But, like I said earlier, we are on a level playing field. We need to get out there as Spanish speakers, as Latina and Latinos, we need to get out there and really talk to other people and spread the knowledge in order to get where we want cannabis to be. These social equity programs are only going to help us get there.

TG Branfalt: Well, I want to talk to you, too, a bit more about what other products you’ve got in the works. Before we do that, we’ve got to take our last break. This is Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m TG Branfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host TG Branfalt here with Vanessa Corraless, founder of B-Edibles. So, you had mentioned, before we got started, that you’re working on something in Mexico. Why don’t you tell me about that endeavor. I’m sure there’s not a whole lot of people working out there yet, so why don’t you give us an idea of what’s going on.

Vanessa Corrales: Oh my gosh. Just thinking about me talking about it with you is amazing. I’m getting little tinglies all over my body. Because we have no information out there in Spanish, which is why I’m super passionate and super excited about this project. So, it’s Cannabis En Español, which is a platform of blogs, video blogs, or vlogs, and a website, that brings articles that are currently written in English translated into Spanish, as well as a blog by me, and a vlog by me as well, in Spanish, talking about cannabis, talking about what’s going on.

TG Branfalt: That is genius.

Vanessa Corrales: We don’t have that, and how are we going to get our community, our Spanish-speaking community, to really embrace this cannabis movement? Because, there’s a shit-ton of us out there, right? Our schools teach in Spanish. Why aren’t we teaching in Spanish over here? So, I was super excited to be part of the first cannabis, or club cannabico, the first cannabis club in Tijuana last week. It just came from the sky. I was contacted by a doctor that researches the endocannabinoid system in Mexico, he was an old friend of mine. He said, “We’re doing this cannabis meeting, the first one. We’re just going to get together and see what’s going on. What do we want to do, where do we want to take this?” I got invited and it was the most surreal thing. We were in this beautiful home in Mexico, I was surrounded by 11 men, and I was the only female there.

TG Branfalt: Wow.

Vanessa Corrales: It was just insane. It was amazing. I felt just … In shock, and in awe, and happy with life at that moment, saying, “Yes, we are doing this. Yes, this is happening right now.” Mexico … You have cartels and narcotics and the war on drugs, that’s all we think and breathe over there, which is crazy, and that’s all that the news tell us. So, I was so happy to be part of this group of men, and I was so happy that they included a woman to go there and to be part of the movement. I was just ecstatic. So, Cannabis En Español, and the club has its own name, they don’t want to release the name yet because, again, legal implications in Mexico currently. They’re trying to get all that squared away, but it’s coming and it’s going to bring a lot of cool stuff to our Spanish speakers over here.

TG Branfalt: So, what sort of issues came up in this meeting?

Vanessa Corrales: So, first of all, because we’re at the border, most of them come to San Diego, cross the border frequently, like myself. So, we sat down and like, “Okay, well this is what we want to do. We want to inform our people, we want to get the community together, we want to show that cannabis, or marijuana … I say marijuana because cannabis isn’t a word that is used in Mexico yet.

TG Branfalt: Okay.

Vanessa Corrales: So, we’re like, “Okay, what are we going to do with marijuana?” Oh my gosh. I was a little … hearing this word right now, this is so cool. But, we were talking about, “Okay, how are we going to get the community together? How are we going to get the community to see us, this group of crazy ass people trying to create this movement of ‘Cannabis is safe. It’s not a gateway drug?’ How are we going to get the community to really see us as legit? Not just a group of people that just want to smoke all day.” That’s not what we are. So, they had some ideas that they were proposing to the group that was there, “We’re going to get people together. Because it’s still super illegal in Mexico, it’s invitation only. We’re going to clean beaches, and we’re going to do private events. We’re going to go on radio and do interviews in Spanish and help the community. Feeding the homeless, feeding foster care kids.” There’s just a list of things. “Doing concerts to raise funds to help this community and to help this nonprofit.”

The range of people that were in this meeting, we had someone that works at a radio station, we had some lawyers, we had doctors, we had a few artists that paint and some others that do digital art. We just had such a unique dynamic going, and then me that brought that feminine side of cannabis. When I was talking to them … And I started with not only men smoke weed. They kind of looked at me like, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I just started talk to them. “We need to start talking about marijuana to women, to moms, to ladies that are going, maybe, through endometriosis, or through infertility, or through this pain.” It was just amazing. I am very, very happy and excited for this project and to bring it to the community.

TG Branfalt: So, where can people find this blog? What’s the web address for the blog?

Vanessa Corrales: So, it’s CannabisEnEspañol.org or CannabisEnEspañol.com is the URL that we have. Again, we’re barely recording and starting it next week, so it’s literally in it’s infancy. We’re barely starting. I have some awesome collaborations that are coming together, some marketing gurus here in San Diego that really want to invest in this project, that have very, very big rapport. Some videographer up in Oceanside that volunteered their time, as well, to record them. It’s just coming together so beautifully, and that’s something that I really love about this cannabis community, is that we’re all about collaboration and really spreading the love, that I do not see in other industries.

TG Branfalt: That’s a really super cool idea. As somebody who … I try to cover international news as I can, but I can’t speak Spanish. So, when I see what’s going on in Mexico or other Spanish-speaking countries, it’s not as well covered in the U.S. media and I mean, sometimes, we have to rely on sketchy translations. So, it’s sounds like a really, really great project, even for us members of the media who want to stay on top of international cannabis news.

Vanessa Corrales: Absolutely. I was talking to other websites like Medical Jane, and talking to them about the project, just because they have a lot of articles, to see how we can collaborate and get those articles translated. We have doctors in Mexico that would back up any translations. Obviously, when I translate some of the articles, you don’t know what bullshit I can be saying, right? So, we want to make it as transparent and as truthful to the original article, or whatever it is that we’re translating, and the information that we’re giving in Spanish. We really want to make it as clear and the best information as possible, out there. Obviously free for the Spanish-speaking community.

TG Branfalt: Well, that’s really exciting stuff. I’m really stoked to see how … As you said, it’s early, to see how it all comes together for you. Finally, where can people find out more about B-Edibles, about the company that you’re currently operating?

Vanessa Corrales: So, our Instagram is @bedibles or ‘bedibles’ like a lot of people like to call it.

TG Branfalt: So no dash?

Vanessa Corrales: No dash on our Instagram, but we do have a dash on our website, which is www.B-Edibles.com. Yeah, that website is in the process of being revamped, but you currently can go there and see the bubbly colors that B-Edibles is and probably a picture of me and my colorful hair, too.

TG Branfalt: Well, I want to thank you so much for taking time to appear on the show. You’re a really fantastic resource and taking a point position on trying to educate Spanish speakers and your own culture on cannabis, that’s a huge project to undertake.

Vanessa Corrales: Yes.

TG Branfalt: It’s really incredible that somebody’s doing it. So, thank you so much for being on the show and taking on that responsibility.

Vanessa Corrales: Thank you, thank you. I think that any person in the cannabis industry really has a lot of passion and it’s on us. We are the ones getting all this knowledge, we are the ones writing all these laws. So, it’s on our backs to really put all this information out there for people, the correct information, out there, and the correct image out there to the community. And cannabis is about being unique and it’s about embracing individuality, and we need to do that. That’s what I’m trying to do.

TG Branfalt: Well, again, I thank you for coming on the show and we’ll keep an eye out for the new site for sure.

Vanessa Corrales: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me, it was a blast.

TG Branfalt: You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and in the Apple iTunes store. On the Ganjapreneur website, you will find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily, along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Jeremy Sebastiano, I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

End

Bird's eye view of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hawaii Dispensaries Coming Online After Testing License Approval

8/09/2017

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Hawaii’s first medical cannabis dispensary has finally opened its doors one week after the Department of Health granted a license to Steep Hill Hawaii to test consumer products, KHON reports. The approval for Maui Wellness Group’s Maui Grown Therapies Kahului location was granted by the Health Department on Tuesday.

In the report, Teri Freitas Gorman, Maui Grown Therapies director of community relations and patient affairs, said the dispensary would launch a “soft opening” after doing intakes for about 400 patients prior to gaining Health Department approval.

“We want to make sure our patients and our staff and also our neighbors here in the Maui Lani Village Center that everybody has a positive experience with us opening,” she said in the report.

A second dispensary, Aloha Green in Oahu, expects to open its doors today.

Dr. Virginia Pressler, director for the Department of Health, said that while implementing the program was challenging, the official rollout of the program marked “an important day for qualified patients and caregivers on Maui.”

“With legal guidance from Department of the Attorney General, the DOH team paved the way for this new industry in Hawaii and has set a new standard for dispensary programs other states can emulate,” she said in an interview with KHON.

Under Hawaii’s medical cannabis law, patients and caregivers can purchase up to four ounces of medical cannabis during a consecutive 15-day period and up to eight ounces over a consecutive 30-day period.

End

Indoor cannabis plants inside of a cultivation site licensed under Washington state's I-502 adult-use cannabis marketplace.

Butte County, California Bans Adult-Use Cannabis Industry

8/09/2017

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The Butte County, California Board of Supervisors has temporarily banned commercial cannabis operations, despite the support of the majority of residents who attended the meeting and one supervisor pointing out that the county has fallen behind many others in the state in terms of tax revenues due to previous bans, according to a Chicoer report. The ban does not include medical cannabis deliveries to the county.

Among the supporters was Mike Lewis, a member of the Inland Cannabis Farmers’ Association, who suggested the board form a committee to write an ordinance for the industry to move forward, urging the board to take their “foot off the brake.”

“This is the beginning of the end of the black market,” Lewis told the board during his comments. “(There are) people who want this to be legitimate.”

However, Bonnie Masarik, speaking on behalf of opponents, raised concerns about the odor from farms and the use of pesticides, noting that Proposition 64 was only approved by voters in the county because of Chico – the most populous city in the county of 255,000. She warned of a “mass exodus” if the county allowed cannabis operations to commence.

Supervisor Maureen Kirk said she believed “delivery is a way of life in Butte County” and backed a plan for the supervisors to revisit the plan in six months after the board had an opportunity to see how other counties regulate the industry.

The board is expected to issue a report on the possibility of permitting the industry in May 2018.

End

A leather notepad, pen, and cell phone -- the early tools in an entrepreneurial journey.

‘High Five:’ Branding and Developing Products for All Five Senses

8/09/2017

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In a transient world with instant access and endless options, it’s more important than ever to create a cannabis brand that connects with your consumer on every level. I’ve taught some of the greatest brands in the world to develop their product in the most impactful way using all five senses.

In my last contribution, we discussed the concept of your brand being alive. But what does that look like in the cannabis industry? It’s our senses that keep us alive — incorporating them in how you promote yourself will keep your brand alive, too.

Let’s look at each sense and how you can incorporate it into your marketing to add value and a deeper connection with your customers.

Sight

Did you know over 80% of the information we retain is from visual interaction? This means how your brand looks is a critical piece in your success. This can go beyond your logo and into other elements of your business.

  • How is your team dressed?
  • What does your package look like when it comes to your customer?
  • What visual messaging are you using on social media?

Let’s look at the visual concepts over at Hi ™:

Friendly cannabis branding that makes you energized, excited, and wanting more. Photo Credit: Bruce Mau Design

Hi ™’s packaging is an excellent example of how a strong visual brand can portray a feeling. Their packaging portrays happiness while helping the consumer easily understand how each of their products can be used in everyday life.

From business cards to billboards, your visuals say volumes about your brand. They also promote thoughts, which turn into feelings, which turn into action. What is your look saying about you?

Smell

Smells have an extraordinary way of connecting us to memories. Take advantage of this sense and use it to connect to your audience.

As an example, the company I founded My Bud Vase ™ incorporates beautiful flower pokers to clean out our pieces. We give these out while vending and we know that it’s a natural instinct to smell a flower, so we decided to scent our flowers with hints of vanilla, sage, and lavender. Not only is this a pleasant surprise to the consumer, but it adds a distinctive differentiation to our product line.

Cannabis is often associated with strong smells, but consumers might be pleasantly surprised to find them incorporated into your branding itself. Photo Credit: Post No Bills

Look at your own business and think beyond the product or service itself. What could your packaging smell like? Don’t always work in the obvious choice of a skunky cannabis smell — get creative.

Sound

If your brand had a soundtrack, what would it be?

What we hear while we shop is proven to impact our mood and purchase choices. The atmosphere you create for your shoppers can be as impactful as the product itself. With that in mind, what is the vibe of your brand?

  • Are you creating a pleasant audible experience for your consumer?
  • What music do you play for phone calls put on hold?
  • What kind of mood do you want your customers to be in when they are in the presence of your brand?

Imagine pitching a new product and, when you open the packaging for the first time, you hear a drumroll in anticipation of the reveal. Light- or voice-activated sound chips are available for purchase and can add so much impact to your branding.

A peek inside of the Chalice Farms dispensary in Portland, Oregon. Photo Credit: Amarett Jans

Taste

This sense obviously ranks high in priority in the edibles industry, but think about how you can incorporate it in other ways.

What is the flavor of the city that your brand comes from? San Francisco evokes sourdough bread, Italy evokes pasta, Maine evokes lobster. Use these instinctual associations to create a unique experience.

If you’re a cannabis brand involving citrus terpenes, perhaps offer have some citrus candies on your store counter or at your tradeshow booth. Figure out how can you create a delicious experience and connect your branding with your audience on a completely different level.

Touch

The impact of touch cannot be underestimated. We are driven by the feel of a product.

Touch denotes the quality and worth of an item and many purchasing decisions are made by how something feels. Your business is an exchange of commerce, and this subtle sense has a major influence in the first impression of your product. From the clothes we wear to the sheets on our bed, to the journal we carry — touch speaks volumes. Many companies overlook how this sense translates into a desire to purchase and adds value to your selling price.

The Green Flower Media strain tracker journal has a unique touch and feel to make the product seem more legitimate and accessible.

Creative packaging is one of the most memorable ways to brand your company. The Green Flower Media strain tracker journal has a buttery leather feel, a feature important to the company because they wanted their users to use it frequently. They took the time to choose the right material that felt best when it was in your hand.

Have you taken the time to think of creative packaging options for your product?

People often say they are not creative, but if you can tap into the five senses, your creativity will soar. The senses drive everything we do. We are turned off or on to things that we process through our senses. It’s natural that we incorporate these in our day-to-day lives. It’s our senses that keep us alive, but we often do not incorporate them into our business life.

This is a whole new way to look at your brand — you can create maximum impact on quite often a minimal budget by incorporating the five senses. Make it your goal to integrate as many senses as possible to your cannabis branding and product development.

End

A large cannabis cola bent over sideways in an indoor cultivation site.

Separate Polls Find Growing Support for Cannabis Reforms

8/09/2017

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Two new polls have found the majority of Americans support cannabis legalization and criminal reforms related to cannabis possession. In the Aug. 3 Quinnipiac University poll, 94 percent of respondents said that adults should be allowed to use cannabis for medical purposes if prescribed by their doctor – and in the overall demographics surveyed not one group polled below 90 percent in favor.

Moreover, 61 percent indicated they believe cannabis should be legalized nationally; however, support for the proposition varied among age, gender, and political affiliation. The poll found strongest support among respondents aged 35 to 49 (77 percent) and 18 to 34 (71 percent). Support was lowest among Republicans (37 percent) and those 65-and-older (42 percent). Men polled supported legalization at higher rates than women at 64 percent and 59 percent, respectively.

The Quinnipiac pollsters also discovered a supermajority of voters, 75 percent, opposed the federal government from interfering in state-approved medical and adult-use cannabis programs.

The Harvard-Harris Poll, conducted in mid-July, found 72 percent of respondents didn’t believe people convicted of cannabis-related crimes in non-legal states should face any jail time. Further, 57 percent said they believed that “legalizing marijuana makes societies better,” while 43 percent disagreed.

Just 14 percent of respondents in the poll supported prohibition.

End

A grey-scale photo of a walkway in Arizona State University.

Arizona State Student Seeks to Overturn MMJ Possession Conviction for Second Time

8/09/2017

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The attorney for an Arizona registered medical cannabis patient charged with possession after officers discovered less than a half gram in his Arizona State University dorm room is urging the state Supreme Court to void the conviction, arguing that lawmakers have no legal grounds to outlaw legal cannabis possession on college campuses, the Arizona Daily Sun reports.

ASU campus police arrested Andre Maestas in 2014 for obstructing traffic after he was found sitting in an intersection. During a search of his wallet, police found his medical cannabis card and Maestas admitted to having a small amount of cannabis in his dorm room. The police search yielded 0.4 grams – far less than the 2.5 ounces medical cannabis cardholders are allowed by law to possess; however in 2012 lawmakers passed legislation banning patients from possessing cannabis on college campuses.

In his filing to the Arizona Supreme Court, Thomas Dean, Maestas’ attorney, argued that the Voter Protection Act outlined in the state constitution prevents lawmakers from repealing or significantly altering voter-approved referendums. He admits that there is an exception for changes that “further the purpose” of the law, but a plain reading of the medical cannabis regime approved by voters shows that the 2012 legislative action does not fit that exception.

Dean, quoting the 2010 state law, said “The purpose of this act is to protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, as well as their physicians and providers, from arrest and prosecution, criminal and other penalties,” adding that the ban on medical cannabis possession on college campuses “obviously” does not further the voters’ intent.

State Attorney General Mark Brnovich contends that the state had to recriminalize medical cannabis use on college campuses because allowing its use would put the universities and colleges at-risk to lose federal funding because cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

In the report, Dean rebuked the attorney general’s claim, pointing out that federal law “simply requires that the school impose an internal disciplinary action against students or employees that discourages them from engaging in conduct that would violate the federal Controlled Substances Act” and that his client had already been punished by the school which made the criminal charges “completely unnecessary.”

Previously, Maricopa County Superior Court vacated the conviction; however Brnovich moved for a review by the Supreme Court.

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National Conference of State Legislatures Call for Cannabis’ Removal from CSA

8/08/2017

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The National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan non-government organization, has passed a resolution calling for the removal of cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, “thus enabling financial institutions the ability to provide banking services to cannabis related businesses.”

“The National Conference of State Legislatures acknowledges that each of its members will have differing and sometimes conflicting views of cannabis and how to regulate it, but in allowing each state to craft its own regulations we may increase transparency, public safety, and economic development where it is wanted,” the resolution states.

The NCSL members cite a variety of reasons for their conclusions, including the enactment of medical cannabis laws in 29 states plus U.S. territories Guam and Puerto Rico, and adult-use regimes in eight others plus Washington, D.C. Further, the organization argues that the cash-only nature of the industry “attracts criminal activity and creates substantial public safety risks; and … reduces transparency in accounting and makes it difficult for the state to implement an effective regulatory regime that ensures compliance.”

Additionally, the authors point out that forcing cannabis business to pay their taxes in cash is a burden to both businesses and the state, the latter of which must “develop new infrastructure to handle the influx of cash.”

“States have been forced to take expensive security measures to mitigate public safety risks to taxpayers utilizing the system, state employees and the public at large; and … states do not have any control over the enforcement of federal laws and cannot enact legislation that provides banks and credit unions with protections necessary to overcome federal law,” the resolution says.

None of the NCSL executive committee officers come from a state with an adult-use program and just two of the seven come from states with a comprehensive medical cannabis regime.

End

Massachusetts Gov. Makes Cannabis Advisory Board Appointments

8/08/2017

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Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed five members to the state’s Cannabis Advisory Board, including Walpole Police Chief John Carmichael Jr. who in 2012 quipped that it would be “illogical” to believe that medical cannabis dispensaries “will not be fronts for illegal distribution and money-laundering,” the Boston Globe reports. Carmichael also campaigned against the adult-use legalization measure in uniform and said he was “heartbroken” when the initiative passed.

However, in his first interview following the appointment, Carmichael struck a conciliatory tone, saying he would “reserve” his personal opinions and “focus on providing thoughtful, sound recommendations.”

“I’ll try to limit my role to what I know the most about, which is the public safety side of things,” he said in the report. “There’s a lot we can do to make sure we’re preventing youth access and diversion.”

Carmichael has experience providing public safety guidance on cannabis regulations. He previously served as the police community liaison to the medical cannabis program during its implementation.

Baker also chose Kim Napoli, a labor and employment attorney who co-founded the Hempest, to represent minority businesses; Mary Ann Pesce, a former Gillette and Procter & Gamble executive who serves on the boards of directors for several Boston-area companies, to represent employers; Lydia Sisson, co-founder of urban food production and sustainability initiative Mill City Grows, to represent the agricultural community; and Henry M. Thomas III, Urban League of Springfield leader, to represent the interests of low-income communities.

Another 10 members of the 25-member commission were appointed by state Attorney General Maura Healey and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. The remaining 10 members come from various interest groups, such as medical cannabis patients, named in the voter-approved law. Next, the advisory board will appoint a five-member Cannabis Control Commission that will regulate the industry.

Adult-use sales are expected to begin in Massachusetts July 1, 2018.

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Cards Against Humanity Donates $70K to Illinois Legalization Efforts

8/08/2017

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Through sales of its “Weed Pack” deck expansion, Cards Against Humanity donated $70,000 to the Marijuana Policy Project to help legalize cannabis for adult use in Illinois, Inc. reports. The “Weed Pack” sold for $5 each.

“For us, this is a common-sense issue of racial justice, health justice and criminal justice,” said Max Temkin, co-creator of the game which is headquartered in Chicago, in the report. “State and national politics are incredibly screwed up right now, but it gives us hope to think that we can make progress on these kind of common-sense issues that everyone supports.”

In April, Illinois advocates formed the Coalition for a Safer Illinois, which includes the support of the MPP, in an effort to bolster support for legalization in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the Clergy for a New Drug Policy, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, and the Illinois chapter of NORML are among the coalition’s member organizations.

In February, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy filed HB.2353, while state Sen. Heather Steans introduced SB.316, which, if approved, would set up a taxed-and-regulated cannabis industry in the state. According to a report by the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, the state could reap between $170 million and $305 million over three years by legalizing cannabis use for adults. Neither the House nor Senate has yet voted on either measure.

End

The Virginia state flag flying before a clear, blue sky.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Calls for Cannabis Law Reforms

8/08/2017

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In a letter to the Virginia State Crime Commission, which is studying the topic of decriminalizing simple cannabis possession in the state, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, called the state’s cannabis sentencing and enforcement laws “costly and disproportionately harmful to communities of color,” WRIC reports.

In his letter, Northam pointed out that Virginia spends $67 million annually on cannabis enforcement which could be better used to create 13,000 pre-k openings, and that African Americans are about three times more likely to be arrested for simple possession, which could lead to jail and “begin a dangerous cycle of recidivism.”

The letter was sent following a call for public comments on the topic by the commission, which is open until Aug. 25.

A June poll conducted by the Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Center for Public Policy found 62 percent of Virginians “strongly” or “somewhat” agreed that adult cannabis use should be legalized, while 80 percent favored reducing simple possession penalties from a misdemeanor to a $100 fine.

In March, Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed cannabis reform legislation allowing pharmacies to produce and sell cannabis oil extracts for epilepsy treatments and eliminating the state statute permitting the suspension of driver’s licenses of adults convicted of cannabis possession.

The commission will present its findings on Oct. 5.

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Alex Hoggan: Staying the Course Amid Changing Regulations

8/07/2017

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Alex Hoggan is the founder of ChemHistory, a cannabis testing lab based outside of Portland, Oregon.

In this episode of the Ganjaprenuer.com podcast, Alex joins our host TG Branfalt to discuss the early days of Oregon’s cannabis testing landscape, the intricacies of pesticide testing under Oregon’s  strict testing rules, the regulatory switch last October that nearly drove the state’s marijuana industry to a grinding halt, and other issues related to entrepreneurship and running a successful and respectable laboratory.

Listen to the interview via the media player below, or keep scrolling down for a full transcript of this Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.

Listen to the podcast:

Read the transcript:

TG Branfalt: Hey there, I’m your host TG Branfalt and you are listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, where we try to bring you actionable information and normalized cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists and industry stakeholders. Today I’m joined by Alex Hoggan, he is the founder of ChemHistory, a testing lab out in Oregon, how you doin’ today Alex?

Alex Hoggan: I’m doing well, thanks for having me.

TG Branfalt: Absolutely, I’m thrilled to have you on the show today, discuss something that … I’ve had a couple of interviews here in Michigan with some testing guys, so I got the base, but let’s kick this off with you. What’s your background? How’d you get started in this space?

Alex Hoggan: Well I’m basically an entrepreneur, I had a son that is a scientist, he was working in a lab, then he got a job actually working for Agilent Technologies, who provide equipment to labs, so they sell the mass spectrometers and a little over 3 years ago, my son had been talking about wanting to open a lab and he was looking for different ways and opportunities for that to happen and we had heard about that there was a rule change or actually a law that had passed in Oregon for testing for cannabis and so we saw the opportunity and we’d be on the ground floor with virtually no competition at that time, maybe one or two other labs that had been in the market for maybe just a year or so and we thought “Hey, let’s go for it.”

And that’s basically what we did. That was about … So we are three years in business as of next month, so it’s been a challenge but it’s starting to finally take hold, which is what we’ve been hoping for.

TG Branfalt: Tell me a little bit more about what you guys do. What do you test? What do you test for over there at Chem History?

Alex Hoggan: Okay, so in Oregon, Oregon has the most comprehensive testing regulations on cannabis, I think, pretty much anywhere in the country, if not the world. We basically test for a full panel of pesticides, about 60 of the most commonly used pesticides on cannabis. We obviously test for potency and we test for residual solvents and terpenes. We do test for all the, when we say potency, all the different cannabinoids, such as THCA, CBDA, CBGA, THCV, CBDV, there’s a whole bunch of different cannabinoids that we test for, but mainly the ones for regulation are THCA, which converts to delta nine. We test for delta nine and THCA and then CBDA or CBD, which are the activated components of … Once you basically burn the plant or the compound, it turns into delta nine, or the activated part of the product.

TG Branfalt: So, in your experience thus far in the years that you’ve been in business, have you been asked more often to test for terpenes? That’s becoming kind of a hot thing that consumers want, so have you noticed a more demand for that sort of testing?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, it’s been off and on but definitely, there is a huge movement towards terpenes because the terpene profile is basically the aroma of the plant and that is really the signature of what makes something a skunk verses a sativa or indica or a hybrid. It basically is more of a signature something than you would find in just testing for potency. You don’t really know. There’s only other ways is they have some kits I think that have been developed for figuring out the DNA of the plant, that sort of thing, but ultimately, what makes … There’s really no way of saying “This is a sativa or an indica.” Other than you committing time to a terpene profile. The terpenes — the more and more people find out about it, the more popular they become because they do have medicinal values to ’em and it’s really interesting to see … I’m amazed every day at all the different strains that come into the lab of the different smells. It’s crazy how amazing some of ’em smell and how stinky some of ’em smell too.

TG Branfalt: I do want to back up a little bit. You said that your son’s background is … He’s a scientist and so, what was the process of setting up a lab when you personally didn’t have that background yourself, that knowledge?

Alex Hoggan: It was a learning curve. Like I said, I’m an entrepreneur, I’ve come from owning my own business in the past, so it wasn’t like I just jumped into running my own business from nowhere. I’ve had multiple businesses in the last 30 years and so, you go through your due diligence, you write your business plan, you write down your … Your pro-forward all the costs that you’re gonna have to spend, all the equipment, all of this, all of that, and then you decide based on that business plan if it’s viable for you to jump in and at that time, it looked really good but what we found when we first jumped into the market was when you jump into an unregulated market … So there was a law that was passed, but there was no infrastructure from the government to enforce the law and/or to regulate that law.

What you ended up with is you have a whole bunch of people that jumped in at the same time, which is what happened here in Oregon and when we bought our equipment, we bought it based on that law, which says you have to test pesticides at 100 parts per billion, right? You had to go out and buy what they call a triple quad. Most labs that do basic pesticide testing, they have a single quad. In order to get down to that level of detection, you have to have a triple quad for the Oregon law and we were only one of two labs that actually even had that equipment and so what ended up happening was these other labs jumped into the market and they didn’t even have the equipment to even test for pesticides but yet, they were passing everyone when they would come to their lab for a pesticide test, so anyway, it was crazy and it was a really hard time for us because we would see pesticides all the time and we would fail people and they would not be our customer anymore. So they would go somewhere else where they get a pass, right?

We had to adjust to how the market was playing at that time and it was pretty brutal first couple years because when you had labs that weren’t regulated, that weren’t credited, they could literally just rubber stamp stuff, and you hear those stories, I really think a lot of those stories are true. I know they’re true, being here in Oregon for those first couple years, it was kinda brutal with … How can you compete against labs that basically can just shortcut everything and put out a really super cheap test and just kill the guys that are trying to do it right. Luckily voters in Oregon voted the rec law in and then the regulation was funded by the law and so it was about a year of planning through different committees within the government to come up with the laws and they finally kicked in last October, so we became accredited by the state of Oregon through, they call, the T9 standards or they call the Oregon Lab Accreditation Program.

It’s a really tough accreditation to get. It’s even more tough than you would get from a lot of labs that just have what they call the ISO certification, which is like an international certification for labs but you really have to run a tight ship. Anyways, to make a long story short, we were stuck in this market that didn’t appreciate what we were offering at that time because everyone wanted to just basically get the highest number on their test and they wanted to get a pass on their pesticides, so whoever could do that the best basically was winning, but unfortunately, a lot of those dudes didn’t even have the equipment to do it, right?

Now that things have shifted gears, only accredited labs can actually test for the cannabis industry here and we can charge basically a fair price and we can actually make money now where before we, you know, the first two years of business, we lost a lot of money and it really sucked. We thought we were gonna have to go under but luckily we weathered the storm and here we are.

TG Branfalt: With what you initially purchased to set up the lab, was that enough to meet the eventual demand or have you had to expand since you opened your doors?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, so the first two years, the first year, it just ended up being me and my chemists and we had an assistant and then we … That was pretty much it. There was about just three of us. Three or four of us that just tried to get out there and make it happen and it was tough, because again, you’re competing against a market that didn’t want to pay for a real test and wasn’t even investing in the infrastructure at all. Yeah, we set up our lab … Our original investment was about $250,000, and again, we bought the equipment that was needed to actually support that particular law that had passed, but unfortunately again, it didn’t go down that way but we have just a standard business and to grow the business, three to four times that original budget, and we’re now finally paying back the original moneys that we borrowed basically to get the lab open.

Not all the money is borrowed, and I wouldn’t suggest people borrowing money to open a business in general, ’cause that’s tough to have that hanging on your back and you have … It takes a couple years to get your feet on the ground and get the business rolling, and a lot of times if you strap yourself upfront with the debt, it’s gonna hurt you, so we were lucky enough that we had a wise enough investor that allowed us to stay in the game without having to try and pay that money back right up front.

TG Branfalt: I want to talk to you a bit more about the current industry and testing issues out in Oregon, but before we do that, we’re gonna take our first break, this is Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m TG Branfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m your host TG Branfalt here with Alex Hoggan, founder of ChemHistory. Before the break we were talking about some of the struggles that you had getting our business off the ground and congratulations that you didn’t go under, especially how important testing has become in the space. I want to talk to you a bit about the regulations that went into effect earlier this year. By all accounts, those regulations ended up creating product shortages because, as you said, there weren’t enough tests, there weren’t enough testing facilities, so what was your experience like during that period when you were going through the initial steps when they rolled out the new rules?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, so ultimately what happened, which was part of the reason why it created the shortages was … So the state of Oregon decided they were gonna allow the Oregon Lab Accreditation … Or the entity that the state uses for all the labs, the environmental labs here in Oregon, to be accredited through, they were gonna have them do the cannabis part. The only problem was is that again, they didn’t fund that program to really be successful, so they didn’t increase the employee loads or anything, so when we were trying to get accredited by the state of Oregon, it was really a, I don’t know how else to say it, it was a shit show because their people that they had working for them were working so hard and so much overtime and the state wouldn’t pay their overtime so when we were supposed to get accredited, one of the lead people called and said “Well, I’m not working today because I’m not getting paid overtime.” And we’re like “Really? Because we’re losing like thousands of dollars every freaking day and the whole industry’s going to crap because you guys can’t get over here and get us audited and get us going.” Right?

It was really really stressful. Actually as of right now, there is a bill that I think just passed yesterday that’s gonna fund the Oregon Lab Accreditation Program so that there can be more oversight for laboratories here in Oregon for cannabis and that’s really what needs to happen on a national level is, if the states are gonna jump in, they really need to have lab oversight because there is a lot of pressure that’s put on the labs, especially in the cannabis industry because everything is driven by that number, right? Everyone wants the highest number they can possibly get, right? 30%, and they get 12%, they can’t sell their stuff very easily, so everyone is just totally driven to make their stuff, their cannabis 20% or more, so the stuff, I’ve worked with so many growers. And they grow all these different prototypes and if they don’t test over 20%, they just basically get rid of them, right?

It’s really driven by that, which is unfortunate because there’s a lot of strains that test under 20% that are really nice strains and they have really nice terpene profiles and people that smoke ’em, they love em, but when you’re a dispensary and someone walks in the door, they’re looking for the highest number, right? It’s crazy that way. There’s been talk about ways of maybe curving that number thing where there would be like a low, medium and high kinda thing, it wouldn’t be tied to like 21.2, you know. That is the one thing around the cannabis industry that’s a little stressful is people always think their stuff is higher than it is. “There’s no way it could be 14%.”

Exactly, and there is variances in the labs, in the sense of we’re still not totally standardized, meaning yes we do take a proficiency test twice a year and we have to fall within 20% of what that known value is of the people who provide the proficiency test but ultimately we’re a lot at about 20% variance, so if you had a 20% flower, it could easily be 24% or 16% depending on how well or how not well someone extracted and put it on their instrument and then came up with that number for you. There is that. When it comes to pesticides, that’s a whole nother ball game. Pre-October, those first two years; in order to cheat in the marketplace, we offered an extended pesticide product for all of our growers, there was maybe one or two growers that really felt like it was important, and they did it, right? They went went out, they upgraded, paid the extra money, had the profile but in order to compete in that market that I was telling you about with all those other labs, we had to cut our pesticide list down to almost nothing.

We were only really testing for maybe 10 pesticides because, again, if someone fails, they’re just gonna run over to the other place and get a pass and there were … Now, that’s all stopped. In this market, with the regulated market, everything has to be recorded through metrics, and if you get a fail, you’re done. You basically have to … There is gonna be some chances for people to remediate your products, but ultimately you have to destroy it if it can’t be remediated. It is a game changer and it has worked, so where we would see tons of pesticides pre-October, now the fail rate for flowers is probably about 10%, and then on concentrates, it’s about 26%, where pre-October, if you failed your pesticide test, you would go run and make it into oil, right? And then you’d try a lab that would pass that for you and you get rid of your stuff, but now you can’t do that. You really have to take your grow seriously and you really have to not use those pesticides that are on the list or you’re gonna fail and it’s not gonna feel good and you’ll lose a bunch of money.

TG Branfalt: Does Oregon require the testing of heavy metals?

Alex Hoggan: No, no they don’t.

TG Branfalt: Do you think that’s a problem?

Alex Hoggan: I think it’d be … I don’t see it as a problem but if you’re growing somewhere where there’s a lot of heavy metals in the soil, I guess you might want to do that but I don’t see … A lot of these guys are buying super duper soil and all that kind of stuff. I really don’t see that as a problem.

TG Branfalt: You don’t see a real risk associated with that is what you’re saying?

Alex Hoggan: I don’t see it but, again, it could be out there in different areas of the country where if you’re growing outdoor and you’ve got high levels of arsenic or some other heavy metal in your soil, it could potentially be a problem but generally, I think most people are doing indoor grows and they’re bringing their soil in and they’re bringing their organic stuff, their organic soils and stuff, I don’t see it as a problem.

TG Branfalt: When I toured a lab here in Michigan, one of the things that got the guys there really excited was they had found this strain that had just incredible high levels of CBG, that they had never seen before and so what’s kinda the strangest profile that you’ve seen? Have you seen anything that’s sort of you looked at the number and you’re like “Wow, that’s really different”?

Alex Hoggan: Well, high levels of CBG — the CBG is a precursor for THC, so it could be they harvested the plant too early, and that’s why they’re seeing high levels of CBG, but there are certain strains, obviously there’s the high CBD strains, there are some strains that have high levels of THCV, and they’re still a lot to be learned about THCV. It’s another part of the compound that as more research is done, has some really good medicinal values, there’s the CBDV, which currently has some really good medicinal values as well.

We do see some strains have high levels of that, but generally, there’s quite a few CBD strains that are really good that are producing high levels of CBD like critical mass and there’s a bunch of them out there but what’s happening in Oregon now is they’re allowing the hemp farmers to get rolling so they have a … There’s quite a few strains of hemp that have high levels of CBD and that, I think is gonna be a game changer as well because these guys can grow crap loads of hemp, produce lots of CBD products.

TG Branfalt: And is that gonna have to go through the same testing process?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, so here in Oregon they did do that, just recently they’re making it so that they have testing regulations that are gonna be covered by the cannabis regulations so it’s a little bit tough because again, the pesticide testing is tough because you can’t really use pesticides at all and 90% of the market when you go to the grocery store has pesticides on it, right? But in cannabis in Oregon, you can’t have it on there, otherwise you’re gonna fail.

TG Branfalt: Are you guys preparing yourself for now an influx of another product that you’re gonna have to test?

Alex Hoggan: Yes. Yup, we are. In fact, we’re already testing for … There’s quite a few people that are out there that are doing this so we’re already seeing a quite a bit starting to test, so that’s cool.

TG Branfalt: I want to talk to you a bit more about public policy and testing, but before we do that, take a short break, this is Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m TG Branfalt.

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TG Branfalt: Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, I’m your host TG Branfalt here with Alex Hoggan, founder of ChemHistory out in Oregon. I wanted to ask you. You touched on this a little bit earlier. What, in your opinion, should public policy include in newly legal states with regard to testing? We’ve got Mass coming online, Maine coming online, Nevada coming online. What would you advocate in those states with regard to testing, with your experience having gone through Oregon’s shift and that sort of thing?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, I would definitely look at your most commonly used pesticides on cannabis and I would definitely include those as part of the regimen for testing because when you figure there is … The wholesale value of most strains are around $2000 a pound and retail is $4000 a pound. If you find yourself in trouble when you’re growing and you find all of a sudden you got spiders all over your plants or you got powdery mildew all over, you’re looking really fast and hard for something to use and a lot of times people are just tempted to do it and unfortunately some of that stuff is not so good for consumers.

Example is Myclobutanil, which is Eagle 20. It works really good, you just dip your clone roots in there and you’re not gonna have any fungus problems, you’re not gonna really have any powdery mildew problems but that is one of the ones that when you smoke it, it does turn into a poison and I think it sits really super similar to cyanide, so you really don’t want to be smoking that stuff and that one particular pesticide, we see all the time and it was really super popular before pre-October. People use pesticides and they kill the neurological of the pest. They go after the neurological brain or whatever of the pest, right? You gotta figure if you’re smoking that, it can’t be good, right?

TG Branfalt: Is there anything else that you see a lot of that maybe aren’t included in … Oregon’s really strict, right? Would you suggest that other states follow Oregon’s example or is it too strict?

Alex Hoggan: Well, I definitely think there could be some happy mediums. There are some considered organic type pesticides that could be used that can’t be used. I do feel like there should be some give and take there, meaning there should be the ability for these growers to use some of these pesticides that are considered organic/not harmful. Some of ’em are just basically like bacteria that just basically work on different things on the plant so that it keeps the plant stronger and healthier, but they can’t use ’em so I will applaud Oregon growers because they’ve innovated and they figured it out, right? A lot of these oil companies, they’re doing extractions now or are testing clean oil and that’s not an easy thing to do. They were saying in California they did some samples off the shelves down there they had ’em tested and like 80% of ’em would fail on the Oregon regulation.

It’s easy to grow with pesticides, right? It makes your job way easier. It really takes a seasoned person who knows what they’re doing in order to really get that super duper bud that doesn’t have to have pesticides on it. I think they just need to get the right minds together so that there can be allowed some of these ones that are considered safe and natural so to speak. Pretty much what Oregon growers are using now are good pests, meaning good bugs, and they’re using cinnamon and garlic and different teas that people brew that can, you can spray it on a plant. That kinda thing. There is a lot of nutritional stuff that they feed the plants that help them stay strong. That’s a whole other topic but we see some crazy good bud come through here that you’re just like “How did they grow that?”

TG Branfalt: Do you think that there’s a way that legal states, maybe industry associations, things like that, do you think that there’s a way that they could create a national standard for testing and would you support that sort of action?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, I think that’s actually happening right now, and I forgot the name of the organization who’s doing that but yeah, I think that’s actually happening right now. What would be nice is, for instance, right now we have to use these standards that we buy from basically two different companies and the standards are basically the known amount of THC or CBD, or whatever we’re testing for, but they charge us like … I’m talking about racket, it comes in a one mil vile, which one mil is like nothing, right?

TG Branfalt: Yeah.

Alex Hoggan: That’s 160 bucks and 40% of it is basically methanol, right? It’s like “Are you kidding me?” That’s like $60,000 a gallon. We have to use those every day in order to do the testing. Basically if the government, the federal government would declassify it as this illegal thing, then we could get a more potent/standard that we could use to be more accurate in our testing, and it would be so much cheaper because right now in order for us to get anything better we would have to have a license from the state for controlled substances, so we’d have to go out and get all this extra stuff and it would be crazy and you’d have to go through all this extra thing, and no one’s doing that because it’s just ridiculous. If they could get that part figured out, that would be very helpful for the laboratories.

TG Branfalt: Do you have any insight as to the program that’s being worked on presently?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, it’s a national organization. I’ll have to find who they are. I can’t remember. I can find out though and let you know.

TG Branfalt: Do you know what sort of things are included in that at all?

Alex Hoggan: I think it’s gonna be for potency testing. I’m not so sure about pesticide but potency is the big one, so there’s gonna be standard methodologies that would come about but it is … Most labs, for potency anyway, I know here in Oregon are doing pretty close to the same thing. For pesticides, I don’t really know if everyone’s doing exactly the same thing. I would probably guess no, because we do still see variances between labs on pesticides we’ll do retests for certain labs and they’ll do retests for us. We definitely do come up with different things …

TG Branfalt: Is that a way to keep each other honest?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah. We do it because the growers are allowed. If they get failed, they’re allowed to take it to another lab, but if they get failed twice, they’re done. If they do get a fail, they have to have actually two other labs pass them in order to get a pass.

TG Branfalt: Oh, wow. Well, what advice do you have for cultivators, dispensaries and manufacturers when they are submitting products for testing?

Alex Hoggan: Well, one of the things that we came up with just recently because there was so much pushback from the industry, come October 1, that they were basically gonna gut the Oregon regulations, right? But there has been a lot of public outcry the last two months because they were gonna gut those rules, so what we did in anticipation of that is we created a seal for our product called ChemCheck Approved. It’s a consumers choice seal and we are prepared to offer that in case they gut the law.

We’ve already talked to most of the people we work with now and the reality is consumers want pesticide testing. We’re gonna sell people … In fact, the laws are going to come down tomorrow, so we’re really anxious about tomorrow about what’s gonna happen ’cause they had kept it really tight knit, which is really kind a weird that they would do that when they’re talking about overhauling the whole thing and maybe you could put labs out of business, we don’t really know for sure until tomorrow but that’s one of the things we’ve been kinda stressed out about, that’s why we came up with this program called ChemCheck Approved so we are offering other labs in other states, we can teach them how ’cause it’s not … cannabis is really tough to test pesticides for. It’s such a dirty — I don’t want to say dirty, but it’s such a complex matrix because it’s so sticky that it really messes with the equipment and the instruments and it’s not easy.

That’s why in Oregon, there’s like 20 labs for cannabis but only 6 of us right now are doing pesticide testing because it’s difficult. We spend a lot of money with consultants that do pesticide testing to come help us develop our methods and, like I said, it tweaks the instruments so we’re constantly having to maintain and do maintenance on our instruments because of how dirty the cannabis matrix is, especially for concentrates ’cause you gotta figure concentrates are 10 times more concentrated than flower and it’s that much stickier. It’s so sticky it’s ridiculous. Putting that on your instruments is terrible.

TG Branfalt: This ChemCheck Approved program, can you tell me more about what that is?

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, what we’re gonna do in a lot of the trade magazines like the consumers would find at a dispensary, we will have basically an ad talking about the seal, that they should look for that seal on their product because the bottom line is if you don’t have that seal on your product, there is a good chance you’re smoking stuff that has pesticides on it. If I was a dispensary owner/grower and I was doing it right, I would want that seal to set myself apart from the guys that aren’t doing it right, because especially in these new markets, there’s gonna be a ton of dudes because it just is what it is. They’re gonna jump in, they don’t know what they’re doing, they go somewhere they’re told, that this works, but they’re not told that it has this in it and then they use it, it works good but if someone tested for it, it’d probably have high levels of pesticides in it and then the consumer basically loses, right? And they don’t even know it.

That’s why the ChemCheck Approved would be such a good thing is that if consumers, all they have to do is look for that seal and they have the piece of mind knowing that it’s been tested. Now some of the things that we’ve run into related to that is there’s a trust factor, right? Once you leave that grow site, even now, there’s nothing to say they couldn’t bait and switch the whole product. What we’ve developed is a random shelf test, so we’ll go back in after the fact once or twice a year and buy their product right off the shelf and then test it just to keep people honest.

TG Branfalt: That’s a really really really smart idea.

Alex Hoggan: Yeah. Yup. And it’s what consumers want.

TG Branfalt: Absolutely it is. Finally, can you tell me … What would you tell entrepreneurs interested in getting into the testing side of things in the cannabis industry?

Alex Hoggan: It’s really important to have good employees. That is wow. You really need people that know … Especially the first two years, you need people that are gonna be team players and you need people who are committed that will do it. Like I said, that’s probably your number one deal, right? I don’t know, if I was gonna do it over again, it’s tough because I didn’t have a science background, my son had a science background, so I did have that, but you really gotta get in there and find out what’s going on because you don’t want to be in the dark and you don’t want to have people holding a gun to your head because they know more than you do, right? You just gotta be really careful and really knowing this is what you really want to do and you gotta find the right people ’cause if you don’t have the right people, you have nothing.

TG Branfalt: I really want to thank you for taking time out to join us on this podcast. Really really enlightening stuff and I’m really hoping that the consumer drive for clean product is not curtailed by the legislature with this upcoming vote.

Alex Hoggan: Yeah, me too. We’re praying today.

TG Branfalt: Well thanks again for joining us on the show.

Alex Hoggan: Okay, yeah, well thanks for having me. Good talking with you.

TG Branfalt: You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and in the apple iTunes store. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you will find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google play. This episode was engineered by Jeremy Sebastiano, I’ve been your host TG Branfalt.

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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaking at the 29th annual Candlelight Vigil.

DOJ Task Force Recommends No Changes to Federal Cannabis Policy

8/07/2017

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In its report to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety offered no new policy recommendations related to state-approved cannabis programs, according to an Associated Press report. The task force, comprised of federal law enforcement officials and prosecutors, largely backed the current Justice Department policies outlined by the Obama-era Cole Memo.

John Huck, a Brookings Institute senior fellow who studies cannabis policy and was interviewed by the task force, said that the lack-of-enforcement recommendations reflect an understanding that shuttering the industry is neither possible nor plausible.

“If they come out with a more progressive, liberal policy, the attorney general is just going to reject it,” he said in the report. “They need to convince the attorney general that the recommendations are the best they can do without embarrassing the entire department by implementing a policy that fails.”

Instead of interfering with the industry, the report suggests that the department should work with Treasury officials to provide guidelines to financial institutions as to how to handle cannabis industry banking. The report also suggests that the department develop “centralized guidance, tools and data related to marijuana enforcement,” in order to better document cannabis legalization throughout the nation.

While the Justice Department has not commented on the report, which has not yet been made public, Sessions is not bound by the recommendations. The executive summary of the report obtained by the AP indicates that the task force will continue its work and the recommendations “do not comprehensively address” the totality of the Justice Department’s plans to reduce violent crime.

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An aerial and nighttime view of the Las Vegas city skyline.

Las Vegas Tribe Opening Largest Free-Standing Retail Cannabis Store in Nation

8/07/2017

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The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe is preparing to open what is believed to be the largest free-standing retail cannabis store in the country – a 15,000-square foot facility located less than a mile from downtown Las Vegas, KSNV reports. The shop, which is expected to open next month, will be called the Nu Wu Cannabis Marketplace.

The tribe already operates a discount tobacco shop and a golf course near the site; however, Tribal Chairman Benny Tso said sales at those businesses are slow and legal cannabis sales could be “an economic driver” for both the tribe and the region.

“Vegas is big for tourism and just like we do with our smoke shop and our golf resort … we’re looking to do the same with this,” he said in the report.

Tso indicated the marketplace will provide about 100 jobs, and while priority will be given to tribe members, there will be plenty of employment opportunities.

The tribe is required under the compact with the state to charge sales taxes in line with the rest of the state but those revenues will go to the tribe and not into state coffers. Tso said Nu Wu’s products will be priced competitively.

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Cars driving down the freeway/highway on a sunny day.

Maine Public Safety Committee Doesn’t Recommend Blood-Level Limits to Test Cannabis Impairment

8/07/2017

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A committee assembled by the Maine Department of Public Safety has determined that the state does not need to create blood-level limits to determine cannabis impairment. Rather, law enforcement officers should receive additional training to recognize impairment and the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis, according to a Bangor Daily News report.

Committee Chair Scot Maddox said that prosecutors and judges should also receive the training but the state’s current impairment laws are sufficient to measure cannabis intoxication.

“The basis of under the influence is irrelevant as far as the law is concerned,” Maddox said before the Legislature’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee. “Whether you’re impaired because you’re drinking alcohol or whether you’re impaired because you’re taking prescription medications, or you’re impaired because you’re smoking marijuana, the difference is none, as far as the law is concerned.”

State Sen. Mark Dion, a former Portland, Maine police officer, said he was surprised by the recommendation because blood tests are key in netting impaired driving arrests and convictions.

“If you blow a 1.5 on the breath test, it kind of validates the officer’s conclusions that you’re impaired, and there’s a lot of weight placed on that breath test,” he said in the report. “If someone is arrested for cannabis influence impairment, all we have is the confirmation that cannabis is present. And it doesn’t necessarily validate the observations of the officer.”

Maddox said a blood test could still be used to shore up a driving-while-impaired charge and officers could still make arrests based on their observations – but recommended robust education campaigns for both the public and members of the law enforcement community.

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An old court room in the San Mateo County History Museum.

Dispensary Shuttered by Colorado County Commissioners Files Lawsuit

8/07/2017

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The owner of New Horizons, an El Paso, Colorado medical cannabis dispensary, is suing the county commissioners after the board voted 3-2 to deny the business’ license renewal, the Gazette reports. The dispensary is one of four located in unincorporated areas shut down by the commissioners and the lawyers for the dispensary owner say the board abused its power, basing the denial on “minor” violations that were corrected.

“It was like getting shut down for a parking ticket,” said Shane Zacher, owner of New Horizons, in the report. “I don’t think that’s right.”

The commissioners cited a 2016 Marijuana Enforcement Division inspection which concluded that the dispensary’s plant counts were inaccurate – exceeding allowable limits by five plants – and that some of the plants were improperly labeled. A follow-up inspection this year uncovered an outdated access log, a glitch in the security system which prevented the sales floor from being monitored, and invalid vegetation room records.

Commissioner Mark Waller, who opposed the state’s cannabis industry while serving in the state legislature from 2009 to 2014, claimed the dispensary “had clear violations” and that the board “did not abuse its discretion.”

“Anything related to the tracking of the plants and the tracking of the sales is crucially important to do correctly,” he said in the report. “It enables the regulators to know that they are engaged in a fully legal business.”

The county’s medical cannabis policies give the commissioners the right to shut down any licensed operator “for good cause.”

Zacher said that several of the commissioners publicly oppose legalized cannabis and claimed they are trying to shut down all of the operators in their jurisdiction. New Horizons is the first dispensary denied a license renewal by the board.

County Spokesman Dave Rose indicated that county attorneys will likely seek a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed.

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Jack Hudson: Heading a Combined Cultivation, Processing, and Retail Operation in Massachusetts

8/04/2017

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Jack Hudson is the founder and CEO of Ermont Inc., a licensed medical cannabis company based in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Founded in 2013, Ermont is a medical cannabis operation that spans all aspects of the industry, including cultivation, production, processing, and retail. Ermont opened its dispensary’s doors in late 2016 and has already attracted local and national headlines — both inside and outside of the industry — for some of the company’s truly unique infused edible offerings, including personal pizzas, honey, and peanut butter.

In the following interview, we catch up with Jack to talk about Ermont’s business strategies, hiring policies, product development processes, and more!

Ganjapreneur: For someone new to medical cannabis and to Ermont Inc., what’s the most important thing they should know before coming in to make a purchase?

Jack Hudson: Although the Patient Services Agents at Ermont will spend as much time as needed during the first visit, it’s always helpful when a patient does some of their own research as to what medicine might best help relieve their symptoms.

In all areas of health care, not just in medical marijuana, patient education is an important part of successful treatments and outcomes. Part of that education comes through consultation with a doctor or, in our case, the cannabis experts in our dispensary, and part of it is self-education. We really encourage that for all patients.

With all of the consumption options in the modern industry — flower, concentrate, edibles — how do you decide which products you want to produce or sell?

We do of course offer the basic products you mentioned – flower, concentrate and edibles – and we are always listening to what our patients have to say about the type of consumption they’re looking for – or even think they’re looking for. There may be trends we can focus on for our particular patient population and market, or there may be a specific product to introduce.

That really comes through in our edibles menu which has a wide range of appealing marijuana-infused products. Here, too, we have the basics such as chocolates and fruit chews and lozenges, but our talented edibles staff, who come from Boston’s vibrant restaurant scene, have really stretched the boundaries for edible offerings in Massachusetts.

For example, you may have heard of the cheese pizza that we launched in June. This is a pre-baked, sold-frozen personal pie that patients can heat up. It provides an enjoyable way to consume a dose of medical cannabis. This product proved quite popular just by the very nature of combining pizza with marijuana, and there is a long list of culinary innovations from chipotle cornbread and peach cobbler, to vegan mayonnaise and hot wing sauce. Menu items come and go, just like at a restaurant, based on the tastes, so to speak, of our patients.

How many employees does Ermont have?

Fifty.

Also, what qualities do you look for the most when hiring and how much training do new employees typically need?

Because we are a registered medical marijuana dispensary serving patients with a retail-like storefront, customer service skills are crucial. Our employees must be solid in this area and they must be able to work in an environment where change is constant – this is still an emerging industry in Massachusetts after all. When hiring folks, we want to see a passion for the medical marijuana industry and the patients that we collectively serve.

What kind of experience or qualities did you look for when putting together your cultivation and production team?

Key for our employees is an ability to follow cultivation and production team leaders’ instructions and guidance. We also appreciate a willingness to learn, a clear passion for the industry, attention to detail and anyone who is a self-starter.

What are the most difficult and most rewarding parts of running a cannabis dispensary?

The most difficult aspects of running a cannabis dispensary operation stem from the remaining uncertainties surrounding the cannabis industry in general in Massachusetts. It is still a new and evolving industry overall, with a rollout of recreational marijuana on the horizon as well.

On the flip side, all of this is worth it when we witness the progress our patients have made through the use of medical marijuana. One such story involves a regular patient who always visited Ermont in a wheelchair – until one day he entered the dispensary using a walker. We were amazed to see this milestone, and so pleased when he attributed his improvement to the use of medical marijuana. Nothing is more rewarding than something like that.

What has been the most surprising part of running a medical cannabis operation so far?

The fact that the challenges and opportunities look just the way they do in other businesses, industries, and sectors. Also, having strong support from city government and the local community around Ermont have been critical in setting the stage for a successful operation.

With so many horror stories out there about the over-regulation of the cannabis industry at the municipal level, do you have any tips for fostering a good relationship with local officials?

As with any healthy relationship, regular communication, honesty and transparency are critical. We have been fortunate to have a strong relationship with officials in the city of Quincy; they understand our mission and appreciate our approach. We also strive to give back to the community, in part through our community host agreement with the city of Quincy that has generated funding for substance abuse education and a full-time substance abuse coordinator. We also launched Ermont Cares, a charitable initiative that donates proceeds from a designated product – infused chocolates – to a local organization. Our first beneficiary is DOVE, a domestic violence shelter.

Have you ever been surprised by the success or popularity of a specific product or type of product that you offered?

Offering edibles which can be consumed as part of a meal vs. a treat seemed to just make sense to our team. Yet we were still pleasantly surprised by the reception we received for certain products, such as hot chocolate in the colder months and everyday foods such as mac ’n’ cheese, muffins and quiches. The key, we believe, is to check in with our patients to get an idea of what they’re looking for at any given point.

About how much time goes into the R&D of new edible offerings?

Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, depending on the complexity of the product and the underlying recipe. Our edibles team spends a lot of time experimenting, just like chefs in a kitchen, and even before they pick up a spoon or turn on the stove, they are just talking things over conceptually, sort of like mapping out a restaurant menu. Just to give you an example, our cheese pizza product, which turned a lot of heads recently, took about two to three months from inception to finished product.

What was the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome so far?

“Obstacle” is a bit extreme but I would say that a challenge Ermont has faced since we opened in October 2016 would be keeping up with the rapid growth in patient volume.

What advice would you offer to someone who wants to launch their own career as a cannabis entrepreneur?

I’ll keep it simple: Hold onto your vision, because it’s easy to become distracted.

Thanks, Jack, for taking the time to answer our questions! To learn more about Jack Hudson or Ermont Inc., you can visit ErmontInc.org.

End

A medical cannabis patient's personal grow room in California.

Cannabis Tech Company Purchases Entire California Town

8/04/2017

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Cannabis-focused technology company American Green has purchased the California town of Nipton for nearly $5 million, planning on transforming it into a destination for cannabis tourism, according to a Business Insider report. The 120-plus-acre town has a population of six, a general store, a five-room hotel, and a solar farm that will eventually allow the town to operate 100 percent off the grid.

Stephen Shearin, a consultant working with American Green on the project, said the company plans to keep the small businesses in the town intact and will offer jobs to the residents.

“The [idea] here isn’t to create ‘Woodstock 2017,'” Shearin said in the report. “It’s about creating an environment where people come to work and share in a community.”

Infrastructure construction will begin immediately, but the town must first be incorporated before they can apply for a cultivation license from the state. The future dispensary will be called The Apothecary and will have an Old West theme.

American Green, founded in 2009, is involved in cannabis-dispensing vending machines, seed-to-sale tracking solutions, a dispensary-locator app, and the manufacture and sale of CBD oils, including capsules, balms, and mints. The company plans on tapping an aquifer in Nipton to produce hemp oil-infused water.

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Beach goers hanging out under sun umbrellas on the beach in Florida.

Florida Licenses Two New Medical Cannabis Operators

8/04/2017

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Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana has issued two new cannabis licenses with more on the way, WFSU reports. The move comes more than a month after Gov. Rick Scott signed the legislation expanding the state’s medical cannabis regime approved by voters but revised by lawmakers during a special session.

The new licenses were awarded to Three Boys Farm and Plants of Ruskin. Both companies applied to the state during the first round of licensing but were denied. Ultimately they sued state regulators, who chose different companies.

Jim Eaton, the attorney for Three Boys, said the next step is for the company to build dispensaries throughout Florida.

“And probably we’d start in some proximity to where we grow just south of Tampa – maybe down the lower west coast, and some of the principal cities around Florida,” he said in the report.

Lawsuits against the state are not over, as Orlando-based attorney John Morgan, one of the financial backers behind the constitutional amendment campaign, and Count Joe Redner, a strip club entrepreneur and lung cancer patient, have each sued the state. Morgan’s suit was filed over the no-smoking provisions approved by lawmakers; while Redner’s is over the ban on home grows.

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Ohio College Agrees to Partner with Cannabis Testing Firm

8/04/2017

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An Ohio college has signed a letter of intent with cannabis testing laboratory CCV Research which should eliminate the risk of delays to the medical cannabis program roll-out because, under the state law, labs are required to partner with higher education institutes but until now none had decided to participate.

Dr. Jonathan Cachat, PhD, CCV Research CEO, said the team “had a difficult time even identifying qualified colleges willing to engage in the conversation.”

“However, we found a unique, entrepreneurial team that recognized the opportunity to provide education with hands-on lab experience, create local jobs, and support a functioning medical cannabis system in Ohio,” he said in a press release.

The college has not yet chosen to be identified.

Ohio’s medical cannabis program is expected to come online in September 2018 and earlier this week the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved rules for the program. Under the rules, industry applicants will be subject to steep fees – processors will pay $10,000 to apply for a license, another $90,000 if approved, and $100,000 annually to renew. Dispensary applicants will pay a $5,000 fee and $70,000 bi-annually if approved. Laboratory application fees are $2,000 and the certificate of operation fee runs $18,000, with annual renew fees of $20,000.

End

The blue and red lights on top of a police car.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Indicts Three for Attempting to Bribe Michigan Officials for MMJ License

8/04/2017

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The U.S. Attorney’s office has indicted three would-be Michigan medical cannabis dispensary owners, accusing them of attempting to bribe officials in Garden City to approve their license, the Detroit Free Press reports. Brothers Mike and Ali Baydoun, along with their nephew Jalal Baydoun, are accused of offering bribes to the three city council members, the mayor, and the police chief.

Federal authorities say the Baydouns handed an envelope with $15,000 to a city council official – $5,000 each – in December and offered to buy the city a police car, pay a police officer’s annual salary, and give the officials a 25 percent cut of the dispensary’s profits. The councilor handed the envelope of cash over to the FBI. The indictment also alleges that the family said they would put $150,000 in an escrow account that would be used to pay additional bribes.

Under the city’s medical cannabis ordinance, only two cultivation licenses are available and the accused were hoping the bribes would convince officials to amend the rules, add another license, and award it to them, allowing them to grow 1,500 medical cannabis plants in the city.

The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment further on the investigation or who else from the State might be suspected of colluding with the Baydouns.

End

A woman uses a vape pen to consume CBD-rich cannabis oil in conjunction with hot cup of tea.

Survey: 80% of Respondents Report Success with CBD Therapies

8/03/2017

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The largest-ever survey conducted on cannabidiol (CBD) users found 80 percent of respondents reporting the cannabinoid “very effective” or “extremely effective” in treating their respective conditions, with 42 percent reporting they actually stopped using traditional prescription and over-the-counter medicines and replacing them with CBD-based products.

The study was conducted by HelloMD, one of the nation’s largest online communities of medical cannabis patients, and Brightfield Group, a marketing and research firm specializing in cannabis industry data and analysis.

Among the cannabis users surveyed, 75 percent used CBD products, with half reporting using whole plant-derived CBD and 20 percent using hemp-derived CBD products. Of those, 80 percent said they used CBD products at least once a week, and 41 percent indicated they used the products daily. Interestingly, 58 percent of CBD-only users are women, according to the study.

Women gravitating more toward CBD

Dr. Perry Solomon, chief medical officer for HelloMD, said he was “a little surprised” that women represented the majority of CBD users in the study, noting that a previous study conducted by the company found 36 percent of women used cannabis generally, and another found 44 percent of women consumed cannabis.

“I can only guess as to why,” he said in an interview with Ganjapreneur. “One of the reasons may be that women aren’t looking for the psychoactive effect of THC combined in their product and are looking for a purely anxiety-reducing type of medicine. … I think they are looking for a medicine that doesn’t cause a psychoactive effect – that’s the only logical conclusion I can draw.”

Bethany Gomez, director of research for Brightfield Group, said she believes part of the reason women used CBD-only products more than their male counterparts is that they tend to do more research and, while laypersons still don’t know much about CBD, women often look deeper into the information when trying to treat their condition.

“Women are doing more research and more aware of the products,” she said in an interview. “As well as CBD may be beneficial for them especially in conditions more interceded with women.”

Cannabidiol (CBD) has grown dramatically in popularity in recent years and can be sourced either from industrial hemp plants or medicinal cannabis plants, pictured above. Photo Credit: Cannabis Pictures

CBD replacing pharmaceuticals

The researchers found 65 percent of respondents used CBD to treat anxiety, with insomnia or sleep problems being the second most reported condition treated with CBD products (60 percent.) Another 54 percent said they used CBD to treat joint pain and inflammation and about 45 percent used the cannabinoid to treat symptoms of depression. About 35 percent of individuals experiencing muscle tension or strain reported using CBD, and just about the same number of respondents indicated using CBD to treat migraines or tension headaches. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they used CBD to treat severe or chronic pain, while 31 percent were arthritis sufferers who said it helped treat the condition. Thirty-one percent of hemp-derived CBD users said CBD worked to treat their nausea, compared to 26 percent whose CBD was derived from non-hemp sources.

Thirty-five percent of CBD users also used prescription pain killers, such as Vicodin, and slighty less (34 percent) used prescription anti-anxiety medication, such as Xanex; another 20 percent indicated using prescription sleep medication like Ambien. Sixty-five percent regularly used over-the-counter pain relievers, while about 40 percent used over-the-counter ointments or topicals to relieve pain, such as BenGay. About 44 percent also used herbal or natural remedies to ease the symptoms of their condition.

Of those, 42 percent have replaced their over-the-counter or prescription medication with CBD, while 37 percent reported using traditional medications in conjunction with cannabis products, with 20 percent saying they alternate between the two. Just 1 percent of respondents said they used other medicines instead of cannabis. Slightly more hemp-derived CBD users (43 percent) used cannabis in lieu of traditional medications than those who use whole plant-derived CBD products (40 percent.) Sixty-six percent of respondents indicated that, overall, CBD therapies were either “much more effective” or “more effective” than over-the-counter medicines.

Solomon said he was surprised by the number of people who stopped using traditional medication in favor of CBD.

“If people are able to cut down on opioids … and even anti-inflammatories … it’s a huge win for anyone that wants to try and get off traditional medication or finds that it doesn’t work,” he explained. “That being said I think people need to be very cognizant about what and where they are purchasing just in terms of the quality of the CBD.”

Survey respondents indicated that vape pens were their delivery method of choice, which Gomez said was in line with national industry trends.

“People are increasingly looking to vape as opposed to flower or as opposed to other product types because it’s a healthier method of consumption,” she said. “Particularly for CBD, there’s more products available and when it comes to CBD people want to go toward more packaged products. … It’s fast-acting and it’s reliable.”

Solomon explained that while there may be some consumer concerns about components of vape pens – such as the coils and nickel used in production – the availability and the ease of using the device makes them a popular option.

“It’s just what’s easier for the patient, and how soon do they want it to work,” he said, adding that CBD tincture doesn’t have any of those byproducts but takes more time for the body to process.

According to the research, CW Hemp’s Charlotte’s Web was far and away the most popular brand. Plus CBD Oil, Mary’s Medicinals, TetraLabs, and Bluebird Botanicals rounded out the top five – although it should be noted that the majority of the 2,400 HelloMD members (86 percent) hailed from California. One percent each resided in New York and Arizona, and about 1 percent lived in Canada and Europe. The remainder was from 41 other U.S. states.

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Jon Gowa: Robotics in the Cannabis Industry

8/03/2017

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Jon Gowa is the founder and CEO of Bloom Automation, a company that is designing and creating robots in Colorado to assist the cannabis industry.

In this episode of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast, our host TG Branfalt and Jon discuss Bloom Automation’s participation in the Boulder Canopy startup incubator, the various robot designs they have tested and found most effective, what role robotics may play in the future of the cannabis industry, and more!

You can listen to the interview via the media player below or keep scrolling down to read a full transcript of this week’s Ganjapreneur.com podcast episode.

Listen to the podcast:

Read the transcript:

TG Branfalt: Hey, there. I’m your host, TG Branfalt and you’re listening to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast where we try to bring you the actionable information to normalize cannabis through the stories of ganjapreneurs, activists and industry stakeholders. Today, I’m joined by Jon Gowa. He’s the CEO and founder of Bloom Automations. Jon, you guys make robots.

Jon Gowa: We do indeed. We make robots to help the cannabis industry.

TG Branfalt: That’s the crux of what we’re going to get into a little bit later, robots, how do they work — but before we get into that, I want to know about you. Tell me about what you did before entering the cannabis space.

Jon Gowa: Great. I’ve been an engineer for about seven years now. I initially started out actually in agricultural robotics at a firm called Harvest Automation and there, we made robots that moved potted plants such as rose bushes.

TG Branfalt: How did you decide to enter the cannabis space and did you use your previous experience to build this tech?

Jon Gowa: Yeah. Definitely, I would say I was inspired by my previous experience and honestly, one day, I was watching television. I believe it was a CNBC program about the cannabis industry and saw a particular task, this task of trimming and thought that might be something perfect for robots.

TG Branfalt: Again, we’re going to talk about the robots but I want to talk about a couple other things first. I want to talk about the accelerator program that you guys are involved in, the Canopy Boulder program.

Jon Gowa: Absolutely.

TG Branfalt: What was your application and pitch process like to get involved with that program? How did you discover it?

Jon Gowa: Okay. Canopy Boulder, we discovered it through the ArcView program and we were at one of their conferences, Canopy Boulder was set up with impressive booth and a list of companies that were at this investor forum. We got to know them. We got to know Micah. He said, “Why don’t you apply?” Later, last fall, I was in Boulder and actually met again at Canopy, learned a little bit more about the program, about their alumni and found it a fascinating opportunity.

TG Branfalt: What was the application and the pitch process like for you guys? Was it the Shark Tank experience? Were you in front of a bunch of people and …

Jon Gowa: Although we have had that experience on stage at ArcView, the Canopy Boulder application was a little more friendly. You mainly filled out a lot of forms online and wrote about exactly why you’re in the industry, where your goal is, and really pitching from there.

TG Branfalt: Why did you choose an accelerator program over other ways of finding investments such as finding direct investors or venture capitalists?

Jon Gowa: Great question. I think for us, it was more about getting really immersed in the industry. Although laws are changed in Massachusetts where I’m from, things are really developed out here in Colorado. To actually get to know industry professionals, get to know hopefully our potential clients and what their needs are, it seems like a good idea to come out here.

TG Branfalt: The Canopy Boulder experience and the culture, what’s that like working so closely with other companies who are designing their own tech or doing something entirely different and working with a lot of people who have very broad knowledge base?

Jon Gowa: Exactly. I would say it’s absolutely fascinating. We get to work, exactly like you say, with companies that have such varied skills. In this environment, it’s not so much competitive as it is collaborative. When I needed help working on the website, Henry from Cannabis Big Data knows all about website, all about analytics and was able to get me up and running in honestly 30 minutes, something that would have taken us weeks and more. Yeah, they have that kind of collaboration and everyone working towards the same goal, granted they’re on the same company … on different companies but we’re like working towards the same goal in the same industry.

TG Branfalt: I had an interview with the CEO of the San Diego Canopy and he appeared on the podcast. He said that one of the goals for their program, and they specifically bring in a lot of tech projects is they’re not looking for something that reinvented the wheel, so to speak. They’re more interested in picks and axes rather than gold so they don’t have any companies that touch the plant, that sort of thing. In Boulder, do you have the same experience in that program where it’s more picks and axes as opposed to the gold, if you will?

Jon Gowa: We do. We do have that same experience and the same criteria for it to be an ancillary company. I think that’s interesting and it’s also … because we’re all ancillary companies, we’re tied in that sense. Our clients are all similar so it’s really … it’s kind of a good thing for our company.

TG Branfalt: Tell me about your company. Tell me about Bloom Automation. You have robots. What do these robots do? Who’s using them?

Jon Gowa: Great. We have robots and it’s mainly aimed at the task of trimming which is after you harvest the cannabis, you have the flowers and then you have the sugar leaves and the fan leaves or the water leaves. Although the leaves are still valuable, you want to remove those and separate them. There’s numerous ways of doing it. Typically, it’s hand-trimmed or there’s some large machines that trim it but these machines are a little bit more coarse, so to speak. We’re looking at robots that could use cameras and they actually look at the cannabis and understand each different plant, each different branch and are able to cater that when it goes to actually trim and operate on that branch.

TG Branfalt: These aren’t like humanoid robots, right, that are holding scissors and doing this? These are more production style robots?

Jon Gowa: I would say it’s somewhat of a mix, so our next generation robot, it does wield a pair of shears, they look quite like a regular scissors and it uses an articulated arm that enables it to be more dexterous. Meanwhile, our initial prototype which is online and functioning right now like you said, looks more like a production piece of equipment, even kind of like a 3D printer. The robots are changing in form.

TG Branfalt: Already?

Jon Gowa: Already to kind of make sure we’re precise, as precise as a human and as we learn different capabilities and restrictions of a particular robot or system, we’re adapting to this.

TG Branfalt: I read that the automation increases security. I was wondering if you could just tell our listeners how automation does increase security and why.

Jon Gowa: Automation can certainly increase security by … It’s a more controlled environment. Certainly, if you have conveyor belts, you have your product going from one conveyor perhaps through a robot, it’s all controlled. It’s very unlikely you’re going to lose any product particularly with all the cameras, automated cameras. For that reason, you have a good control of your product throughout the entire process whether it’s trimming or going through packaging. Automation can certainly help.

TG Branfalt: You had mentioned earlier that your tech is already sort of evolving. Give me some sort of specifics about what has happened since the early test phase to now.

Jon Gowa: Exactly. Early on, although we’ve always used cameras, we had numerous different sensors like touch sensors and other sensors but now, we rely completely on cameras. What’s changed is in the beginning, the robot was a lot more cumbersome, so to speak. Sometimes, it ate an entire flower without really knowing it. Now, we’ve refined that algorithm much, much further. It knows exactly where each leaf is. It no longer has false positives or false negatives and it’s certainly more precise and more efficient. In fact, it’s almost 10 times faster than when we started.

TG Branfalt: Tell me how much product it can go through and how accurate is it.

Jon Gowa: Okay. We’re aiming for the production model to go through at least a quarter pound dry equivalent per hour. That would represent the equivalent of perhaps one to two hand trimmers. The accuracy is quite good. We’re at about 80% right now but we really want to hit that 95% threshold which is, it starts looking exactly like a hand-trimmed product. It’s very precise.

TG Branfalt: How far are you away do you think from hitting that 95% goal?

Jon Gowa: We have beta testing to begin at some cultivation sites across the country, about six of these sites. From there, that’s where we really start to gather data so we’ll see how are these actually performing in real life, what is the accuracy that the cultivators are reporting because it is something of subjective matter and from there, we’re going to make incremental improvements until we hope we get to that 95%.

TG Branfalt: What do you mean by it’s subjective? What does that mean when you’re dealing with data? Data is not really subjective.

Jon Gowa: Right. For accuracy, some would say some cultivators prefer a closer cut where perhaps you’re trimming the sugar leaves very down low, of course, getting all the crow’s feet but other trimmers, especially when the product is wet, might consider it okay to leave some sugar leaf because it still has product on it, active product. I think it depends on cultivator to cultivator. That’s actually something we want to program into the robots. This is one of the levers they can pull but we want to make sure when they pull that lever, they’re getting a desired outcome.

TG Branfalt: The system is adaptable.

Jon Gowa: That’s correct. There will be some tunability whether they want, like I said, a closer trim or perhaps a looser trim and that can be for numerous reasons from speed to, of course, just how they like their product.

TG Branfalt: That’s really cool stuff. We got to take our first break. I’m TG Branfalt. This is Ganjapreneur.com podcast.

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TG Branfalt: Hey, welcome back. It’s the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host, TG Branfalt here with Jon Gowa, CEO and founder of Bloom Automation. Before the break, we’re talking a bit about how the robot works but there’s going to be … You’re definitely going to get some voices who are saying that one of the benefits of legalization is job creation. A February report from New Frontier estimated the cannabis space to create 250,000 jobs by 2020 while manufacturing, government and utility jobs decrease by 814,000, 47,000 and 383,000 respectively. What is your response to people who might see your robots as a threat to job creation in the cannabis space?

Jon Gowa: Yes. The robots and automation in general really works to increase efficiencies. Often, what occurs there is as opposed to eliminating jobs,
you’re actually creating more jobs such as everything … The robot needs an operator. These current robots, for example, don’t feed themselves. Branches need to be fed in. Then, of course, there’s robot technicians, robot programmers and a number of jobs that are actually on-site jobs that will be created. What we like to look at is the efficiency improvements that these robots can provide employers and enable them to employ even more people whether it’s down the line or actually helping the robots.

TG Branfalt: Well, and tech companies need a variety of talent as well. What are you guys going to be looking for as you expand in terms of talent?

Jon Gowa: Certainly. Everything from, of course, programmers who are experienced in robotics and specifically vision to then we would need robot technicians across the country because robots, they break down like any piece of capital equipment or any piece of equipment really. We will be wanting to train particularly people that are familiar with other equipment in the cannabis industry whether it’s they’re trained on lighting equipment, dehumidification equipment. We’ll be looking for those same people and hopefully train them how to work on the robots so that we have technicians capable all across the country and when a cultivator needs them, they can go out and service the robots and of course, individuals that would operate the robots and then, we are planning on United States manufacturing so we’ll need an army of assembly technicians as well.

TG Branfalt: So far, have you been able to find qualified people to do the jobs that you’re looking for and if so, what sectors are they coming from?

Jon Gowa: Great question. For example, we’ve been looking for contractors that are familiar with cameras and how cameras integrate with robots and typically, that’s in automation field. We found contractors everywhere from Denver to San Diego to Tampa, Florida who all not only have an interest in the field but have a strong interest. They see it as a growth industry and have said that there’s request from other people, from cultivators themselves. We’ve had very good response honestly from vendors and industry professionals outside of the cannabis industry.

TG Branfalt: What other functions might robots be able to perform in the cannabis supply chain?

Jon Gowa: We’ve already seen some equipment whether you would call it an automation equipment or robotics, that help package cannabis, help package flower. One of the things I know that’s being looked at is packaging concentrate products. No pun intended but it’s really a sticky process and … yeah.

TG Branfalt: I love puns.

Jon Gowa: It’s tough to really … The process is called gramming and I think it’s pretty tough to do manually.

TG Branfalt: That’s something that people might be looking towards robots for or are they already being utilized?

Jon Gowa: They’re not being utilized but they are looking towards that, just one example, to help packaging, help packaging efficiency, consistency so that every time you look at the product, it’s consistent to what you expect.

TG Branfalt: When you approach a cultivator and you tell them, “Hey, I’ve got these trimming robots,” what’s their reaction?

Jon Gowa: Generally, their reaction is fairly positive. I think trimming is often seen as one of not the most desirable jobs in the industry. What we hear from cultivators is they love their great trimmers but all their great trimmers want to do is move up to that next level where they’re no longer trimming, so it’s difficult for them to find good trimmers and if they could instead operate robots that would really equate to this quality, they would love to do so.

TG Branfalt: How much training would somebody who’s trimming by hand now need to operate one of these robots?

Jon Gowa: Certainly, I think a large population of the trimmers right now are of the age that they’re quite familiar with technology and the robot’s operated through a touch panel control. It’s fairly intuitive. It’s a small combination of mechanical, just how you load the branches and then simply following kind of on-screen instructions. I think they would get sort of used to the errors that might happen with the robot and learn how to adjust those pretty quickly. It’s very similar to how humans work with robots in the automotive industry. It’s pretty collaborative.

TG Branfalt: You don’t need to have like an engineering degree or something to operate these?

Jon Gowa: No. Absolutely not. We really would count on those hand trimmers and other employees to assume these roles.

TG Branfalt: We got to take our last break. When we come back, we’re going to talk about something you and I both know a little bit about and that’s cannabis on the East Coast. Before we do that, we’ll take a break. This is the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m TG Branfalt.

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With so many options to choose from in each service category, you will be able to browse company profiles and do research on multiple companies in advance so you can find a provider who is the best fit for your particular need. Our business service directory is intended to be a useful and well maintained resource which is why we individually vet each listing that is submitted. If you are a business service provider who wants to work with cannabis clients, you may be a good fit for our service directory. Go to ganjapreneur.com/businesses to create your profile and start connecting with cannabis entrepreneurs today.

TG Branfalt: Welcome back to the Ganjapreneur.com podcast. I’m your host, TG Branfalt with Jon Gowa, CEO and founder of Bloom Automation. You had mentioned earlier you’re from Massachusetts. I lived in New York for years and years. I spent tons of time in Massachusetts and I was stoked and maybe a little surprised when they passed cannabis legalization last November. It was a huge domino that toppled in New England because of Boston and the power politics that are played, I’m certainly sure you know, in Massachusetts. Were you confident going into that vote? What were your feelings as a native going into the November election?

Jon Gowa: No. I was hopeful but I wouldn’t say I was completely confident. I knew in the earlier polls, it was somewhat split but at least we had passed medicinal and then decriminalization. I was hopeful we would follow suit and certainly pleased with the outcome there.

TG Branfalt: Do you have the same sort of feeling that I do that it was kind of the first domino? I mean that and Maine, that I mean it was a simultaneous thing but to me, New England or I’m sorry, Massachusetts is sort of the bigger of the two fish if we’re frying them. Do you kind of get that sense as well that … I mean now, we got Vermont who just, the legislature passed, strange legalization bill. Delaware is working on it. I hear Rhode Island but do you think that it took Massachusetts to kind of get that ball rolling?

Jon Gowa: Personally, I do think it did take Massachusetts to really get everything rolling. I think just as other states have looked to Colorado including Massachusetts, I think other New England states will continue to watch Massachusetts as the legalization plays out.

TG Branfalt: Well, and there’s been some setbacks. The legislature delayed implementation from January to July 2018. Several municipalities have enacted either moratoriums or total bans. They have approved the funds for the program which is a start. How confident are activists and canna-business owners in Massachusetts that the state will meet that July 2018 deadline? What are your concerns about the law if any or its implementation?

Jon Gowa: I certainly hope that the law is implemented. As you said, it was supposed to be in January. I certainly hope in July, I think the voters have voted. The time has come but the cities that haven’t, for the cities that haven’t or that have pushed back, I think they’re losing out and I’m sure eventually, they’ll turn, just like some cities here in Colorado have. Then, yeah, I’m not 100% confident on the actual meeting the timeline. It’s really, I mean … yeah.

TG Branfalt: Finally, what advice would you have for entrepreneurs, specifically those interested in entering the tech sector?

Jon Gowa: Great. I think there’s ideas. There’s thousands of ideas but really, I would say building your team, whether it’s just you and a partner or you and two partners, building a team where you really complement each other and then really looking at your opportunities, so if you have an idea and you have a prototype, then maybe you start looking for some investment but otherwise, these incubators are really … It’s a really good opportunity to get to know the entire industry, get to know venture capital. Myself, I’m not an MBA but this is kind of like a mini-MBA. I would certainly advise that to any entrepreneur whether you’re an engineer or not, or a business professional or not.

TG Branfalt: Finally, can you tell us where we can find more about your product?

Jon Gowa: Absolutely. On our website at bloomautomation.com and of course, at our Twitter, @bloomrobots. Both is a great opportunity to learn more.

TG Branfalt: Awesome, man. Well, thank you for taking the time out to be on the show. It’s really cool tech that you guys are rolling out and I really can’t wait to see how it exactly develops. That’s, I think, going to be a really fascinating thing to keep my eye on.

Jon Gowa: Yes. Thank you really much, Tim. I love the show and I’ll be anxious to hear more from you.

TG Branfalt: Thanks so much. You can find more episodes of the Ganjapreneur.com podcast in the podcast section of Ganjapreneur.com and in the Apple iTunes store. On the Ganjapreneur.com website, you’ll find the latest cannabis news and cannabis jobs updated daily along with transcripts of this podcast. You can also download the Ganjapreneur.com app in iTunes and Google Play. This episode was engineered by Jeremy Sebastiano. I’ve been your host, TG Branfalt.

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A commercial jet takes off from the Las Vegas International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Broad Proposal Would Ban Cannabis Advertisements in Las Vegas Airport

8/03/2017

by

During a public hearing by the Clark County Commission, which encompasses Las Vegas’ McCarren International Airport, commissioners proposed an ordinance that would ban cannabis advertisements and make cannabis possession illegal on all airport-owned properties, according to a report from Aviation Pros. However, if approved as-is, cannabis advertisements could also be banned from vehicles carrying passengers to and from the airport, such as taxis.

Nevada Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis said the ordinance was an effort to keep the airport in federal compliance but not to control “the transient vehicles that come through the airport.” She said her staff would work to clear up the wording; however several commissioners expressed interest in keeping the language of the proposal broad.

“I don’t want it anywhere,” said Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick, the board’s most outspoken opponent of legalized cannabis, in the report.

Commissioner Larry Brown said he would like to see the board “go to the limit” in reigning in industry advertising.

“Ban everything related to recreational and medical marijuana,” he said. “Once (the industries) have a track record, we can adjust.”

Vassiliadis told the commissioners that the advertising ordinance “has to be realistic.”

The commission ultimately made no decision on the proposal, tabling it for 30 days while they seek input from the state Taxicab Authority, Green Ribbon Advisory Panel, and other interested parties.

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