Investing In Cannabis

On this week’s episode, Brandon welcomes long-time friend Seibo Shen to the show! Seibo is the CEO of Hanu Labs and the infamous VapeXhale. Seibo left the tech world to build a better vape for himself and others. His first creation, the VapeXhale, was a huge hit for high-end, sophisticated consumers. But his newest creation, the Hanu Stone, is here to change the portable vape game forever. Brandon and Seibo dive deep into VapeGate 2019, Seibo’s journey from the VapeXhale to the Hanu Stone, and how he balances being a CEO, father, and role model with the increasing competitiveness of the cannabis vape market. With a small team, Seibo built VapeXhale from the ground up, and now he’s doing the same thing with the Hanu Stone. Learn from a founder grinding everyday who’s also incredibly kind, generous, and a true warrior in the industry. If you’re curious at all about vaping, listen to this episode. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Seibo Shen and the Hanu Stone! Support for this episode comes from NorC

On iC News this week, our infamous iC producer Erik Frodle joins the show! Erik’s background in finance, means we’re diving into the numbers with this week’s topics. Those topics include: the public cannabis market meltdown, increased layoffs across the cannabis industry, Medmen’s flawed business strategy, why Trulieve is one of the few companies crushing it, Drake’s new “More Life” brand with Canopy, and John Legend partnering with PLUS. Learn about the real #’s in cannabis, how most companies don’t make any PROFITS, and why celebrity brands are more and more prominent in the space. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with our producer Erik and another episode of iC News! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company, the most complete cannabis ecosystem in California. NorCal Cannabis is shaping the industry in new ways, every day. With 12 tons of annual yield, delivered to 10 million Californians in under an hour, a growing network of retail locations, and a living portfolio of brands. THI

This week on iC, Brandon welcomes good friend and CEO of Vertosa, Ben Larson, to the show! Ben is a former cannabis investor, turned operator, who helps cannabis brands deliver targeted, fast-acting doses to their customers via edibles, beverages, and many other product types. Ben and his small team have already raised a $6 million Series Seed with investors such as WelCan Capital and AFI Capital. In addition, they’ve expanded quickly into the burgeoning CBD space. Learn how Ben shifted from investing in cannabis startups to building his own, why cannabis infusion is best done via emulsion systems, and how to build a true B2B business in cannabis. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Ben and Vertosa! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company, the most complete cannabis ecosystem in California. As the number one delivery network in the state, NorCal Cannabis makes more than 2,000 delivery transactions daily. And has the reach to serve 10 million customers - in person - within 60 minut

On iC News this week, FlowerHire CEO David Belsky joins the show to share his thoughts on all today’s hottest topics the trends and in the cannabis industry. His working knowledge surrounding hiring and current demographics of the industry help debunk some commonly held beliefs about hiring in cannabis. Dave and the FH squad help build incredible teams for some of the biggest companies in cannabis including, Eaze, Connected, Papa & Barkley, Flow Kana and many more. While hiring in all industries is difficult, it’s particularly hard in cannabis. Dave and Brandon dive into minority + women hiring trends, unemployment, executive placement, the shifting corporate culture in cannabis, and why hiring is the key to building and sustaining a successful cannabis business. Learn from a leader who’s on the ground everyday and hear their thoughts on the biggest topics in cannabis! Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Dave and another episode of iC News! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company,

On iC this week, Brandon sits down with Chris Emerson PhD of Level. Chris and his team have built one of the most interesting and innovative brands in the cannabis industry. Level is a cannabinoid company that focuses on creating targeted effects for consumers using unique + rare cannabinoids. THCA, THCV, CBG, CBN, and CBC are just a few of the unique cannabinoids you will learn about this week. Level recently raised their Series A and they have appx 30 people now on their team as they expand across California. This episode is all about cannabis science, unique cannabinoids and formulations, and how Level is educating consumers around this new product experience. Level is a great example of the evolution of cannabis. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Chris and Level! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company, the most complete cannabis ecosystem in California. Market analysis, consumer segmentation, and first party data analytics are helping NorCal Cannabis shape the industry in n

This week, marketing guru Betsy Kabaker lends a hand to iC news. Betsy has shaped the marketing and social media strategy for many of our favorite brands including; Garden Society, Somatik, Mighty Health, MJ Lifestyle Magazine, Jetty Extracts, Harvest, and many more. Betsy is particularly good at helping cannabis brands tell their story. Betsy & Brandon get into a heated discussion about how women succeed in cannabis, the pitfalls of cannabis marketing, and the continued corporatization of cannabis. Hear from an expert, who’s entrenched in the industry everyday. Learn how one of the best navigates this crazy industry as a young female. It’s a fascinating perspective we in the investment community don’t hear often enough! Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Betsy and another episode of iC News! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company, the most complete cannabis ecosystem in California. As the number one delivery network in the state, NorCal Cannabis makes more than 2,000 delivery t

This week, Brandon sits down with Biscotti CEO + cofounder, Luca Andrea Collins, to discuss how he and his team built a premium Italian hash brand in California. With regulations, taxes, and the black market crushing many legal brands, Luca and his team have found their niche focusing on taking high-end indoor flower and creating a beautiful hash experience. After completing their Series A at the end of last year, Biscotti now has over 30 employees helping build their brand across California. Brandon and Luca dive into his background going to Oaksterdam and the Elevate Startup Cannabis Conference, the benefits of cold water hash, and why launching their value brand Tutti was so important to their growth strategy. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Luca and Biscotti! Support for this episode comes from NorCal Cannabis Company, the most complete cannabis ecosystem in California. NorCal Cannabis is shaping the industry in new ways, every day. With 12 tons of annual yield, delivered to 10 million Califo

In this week's special episode, Brandon sits down with Bushl CEO + founder, Josh Bareket, to discuss the world of clean and sustainable craft cannabis. Recent issues with pesticides and vitamin E in vapes have highlighted safety and quality concerns across the industry. Josh saw this issue coming, and created Bushl to help fix the problem. Bushl gives customers a marketplace to buy highly vetted CBD and THC products. With over 25 brands on the platform, Bushl provides customers with a safe space to buy clean, natural, and sustainable cannabis products online. Josh and Brandon also dive into certification standards, Bushl's vetting process, and how to create transparency with their brands. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Bushl! If you're interested in learning more about Bushl and the investment opportunity, their SeedInvest crowdfund is open to everyone. Bushl SeedInvest: http://bit.ly/BUSHLSeedInvest EVERYONE CAN INVEST! ======================== Disclosure Note: This info is solely for inf

Welcome to another iC News! There's a plethora of announcements and other news about the cannabis industry, but very little opinion. We've decided to change that. Every 2 weeks, our host Brandon will dive deep into timely topics and give his unvarnished, unfiltered thoughts. And this week he's brought on our first iC News guest, Sam Edwards! Sam is a cannabis expert who has judged Emerald Cups for years, advised + consulted on large-scale grower operations, and now works for a cannabis-focused investment firm. Or in his words, "I've judged the Emerald Cup for 4 years, I've grown acres of cannabis, thousands of pounds, and smoked hundreds of pounds." Topics Discussed This Week: 1) Vapes!!! (again!) 2) Black Market in California 3) Flawed Data in Cannabis We're excited to share our latest iC News with all our fans. We hope you enjoy it! Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted!

In this week’s episode, Brandon interviews Dan Adler-Golden, founder and CEO of Node Labs. Dan and his team are helping cultivators manage their genetics, use micropropagation and tissue culture technology to clean their plants, and supply them with clones when needed. Node Labs and others like them are essential to the cannabis cultivation community. While traditional agriculture has extensive nurseries, cannabis does not. Dan saw this issue from his days running the Chalice Festival, and decided to find a solution. Now Node is becoming the Driscoll’s of cannabis! With a recently acquired genetics company and 2nd facility, Node is currently raising capital to fund their growth. Learn more about the world of cultivation, breeding, clones, and cannabis nurseries in this week’s awesome episode. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted!

Welcome to iC News! There's a plethora of announcements and other news about the cannabis industry, but very little opinion. We've decided to change that. Every 2 weeks, our host Brandon will dive deep into timely topics and give his unvarnished, unfiltered thoughts. Topics Discussed This Week: 1) Vapes!!! We're excited to share iC News with all our fans. We hope you enjoy it! Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted!

In this week’s episode, Brandon sits down with Oliver Higgins, founder and CEO of Higgs. Oliver went to film school before trying to get a license in the newly legal cannabis industry. After difficulties securing a plant-touching license, Oliver remade Higgs into a brand packaging and true cannabis lifestyle brand. By not touching the plant, Oli and his team can focus 100% on building their brand, their brand community + lifestyle and the incredible packaging they’ve created. With a small team, Higgs has captured much of the SoCal market. Now they are looking to raise money with their $1 million seed round, hire a COO, and expand to other states + markets. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with one of the coolest brands and one of our favorite founders in the industry, Oli + Higgs!

Welcome to iC News! There's a plethora of announcements and other news about the cannabis industry, but very little opinion. We've decided to change that. Every 2 weeks, our host Brandon will dive deep into 3-5 timely topics and give his unvarnished, unfiltered thoughts. Topics Discussed This Week: 1) State of California Cannabis Black Market 2) Cannabis Stock Market + Canopy (CGC) + Bruce Linton 3) CBD Hemp Explosion 4) Experiential Cannabis We're excited to share the first iC News with all our fans. We hope you enjoy it! Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted!

This week, Brandon sits down with Mat Fogarty, co-founder and CEO of Can of Bliss. Mat has a previous exit in technology with his former startup Crowdcast, and he spent time at Oaksterdam University learning the cannabis space. With this knowledge, Mat and his team created some of the most innovative flower packaging in the industry, with Can of Bliss. Can of Bliss combines AR technology, scannable QR codes, and terpene scratch & sniff smell technology to enhance the flower packaging + consumer purchasing experience. They relaunched in May 2019, they have a team of 11 based in Oakland, and they’ve raised over $1 million with appx $250K left in their seed round! Flower brand packaging has needed a makeover for some time, and Mat and his team have the talent, the tools, and the passion to help remake this consumer purchasing experience. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Mat and Can of Bliss!

In this week's episode, Brandon welcomes Socrates Rosenfeld, co-founder and CEO of iHeartJane, to the show. Socrates was in the Army flying Apache helicopters before going to MIT(where he met his co-founders), and they started iHeartJane in 2016. iHeartJane is the largest e-commerce marketplace for online cannabis purchasing. They power dispensaries by helping them offer e-commerce shopping for their customers. They must be doing something right, because just 2 weeks ago they raised $21 million from Gotham Green and other investors in their Series B! This follows a $6 million Series A capital raise in October 2018. Socrates and his team are now well positioned and well capitalized to win the MSO's, scale nationally, and bring real e-commerce tools to millions of cannabis customers. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Socrates and iHeartJane!

On this week's episode, Brandon sits down with Nico Richardson of AFI Capital Partners to discuss the world of cannabis investing. Nico has quite the investing background with experience at Deutsche Bank and the renowned cannabis firm Privateer Holdings. With those skills and experience under his belt, Nico and his partner Chi-Chien Hou started AFI Capital and have invested in Headset, Treez, Vangst, and many other top cannabis companies. Whether it's plant touching or not, AFI has investment opportunities across the industry. Learn how Nico used his experience to launch his own firm, how AFI uses side cars, their creative investment structures, and what it was like raising his first fund. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Nico Richardson of AFI Capital!

In this awesome new episode, Brandon heads to NorCal Cannabis to interview their President, Jigar Patel. Jigar and his team have raised over $76 million so far to fund their large scale cultivation, delivery network, and overall vertical integration. Brandon and Jigar dive into the difficulty of scaling efficiently, hiring quickly, and how Jigar's role has shifted as NorCal has grown. Learn from one of the largest operators in California and one of the coolest executives in cannabis today. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Jigar and NorCal Cannabis!

In this investing heavy episode, Brandon chats with Mitch Baruchowitz of Merida Capital. Mitch and his team have deployed over $80 million in the last 18 months! With investments like KushCo, New Frontier, and Canndescent, Merida has become one of the top investors (PE or VC) in the cannabis space. Mitch and Brandon dive into how raising their 3rd fund is different than the first one, his daily use of Twitter, and why treating people well is foundational to building a successful fund. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Mitch of Merida Capital! Special thanks to Heffernan Insurance Brokers for supporting independent media. Learn how to protect your growing business with a completely free conversation with Marshall or Tanner! Email them directly at iC@Heffins.com.

In this delightful new episode, Brandon sits down to interview CEO John Oram of NUG. NUG is a vertically integrated SSO in California. With enormous on-site cultivation, processing, co-packing, and their new flagship retail experience in Sacramento this company is one of the best run operations in the cannabis industry. Learn how John’s experience building CW Analytical lead him to NUG, how John built NUG’s internal software, and why raising capital has changed drastically since John entered cannabis. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with NUG!

In this awesome new episode, Brandon chats with Adam Grossman, CEO of Papa & Barkley. Adam and his team have built one of the best and most authentic brands in the cannabis industry. They focus deeply on wellness, topicals, and helping people heal. Adam’s dad was actually one of their first customers, and they’ve helped many people live a happier, healthier life with their wide array of products. Adam and Brandon dive deep into why topicals can be so effective, why self-distribution is important for brand authenticity, and why your company culture is so vital to success. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Adam of Papa & Barkley! Special thanks to Heffernan Insurance Brokers for supporting independent media. Learn how to protect your growing business with a completely free conversation with Marshall or Tanner! Email them directly at iC@Heffins.com.