Anthony Corsaro (AC)

California tax revenue from cannabis has declined each of the last two years from a peak of 2021. (Source:DCC) Where do we expect 2024 to finish? It sure seems to be a broken system, with very few profitable operators. The state is trying, and AB 2223 will be a pivotal moment for the industry. Many brands have given up, and are finding better margins and consumer access in hemp, that allow them to do basic things like make payroll. I voted in favor of prop 64. At the time, I had faith that the state supported profitable industry to boost the economy and provide jobs. I didn't believe they had altruistic motives to improve access to a beneficial plant. I didn't think the mismanagement would be so bad that the industry would already be in a decline 3 years into it. Question: How much tax revenue would we generate for the state if we had low-dose cannabis beverages accessible everywhere alcohol was? How much would we need to tax cannabis beverages to achieve their goal? Allowing adult beverage producers, distributors and retailers to freely sell low-dose cannabis beverages isn't competing for revenue from the dispensary channel. People buy beverages where they already are. Someone ordering a Coke at McDonalds or a Red Bull at a concert wasn't going to buy the same drinks at a grocery store later that day. Please tell me where I'm wrong, or your ideas to fix this decline -

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Cannabis startups are DEF a rollercoaster - 2 wks ago I was reeling from several gut punches... but today, things are looking bright: ✅ LOTS of new products in the pipeline that I'm SO pumped about... our Live Resin Vapes drop in NY before 710 and they're 🔥 🔥 🔥 . A bunch more new stuff I can't reveal them yet too… ✅ in NY, LIVE NUGS are in almost completely sold out - with most places re-ordering after < 2 wks selling a $100+ SKU! We’re getting a ton of inbound interest - shows that innovative products that deliver real value sell. Still early, but we should 2-3X our best month ever... NY as a market feels like it’s FINALLY getting its footing (hope I’m not jinxing us here). ✅ in CA, we've signed 4 MONSTER accounts since HoF and our new SKUs (esp Live Rosin Pre-Rolls and Live Rosin Vapes) are FLYING... it's painful for our cash flow to be scaling to meet demand, but feeling very positive about the turnaround in the most challenging state. About to sign up for the next big show in Sept… ❓thinking about expansion - though it's still early (wanna make sure our foundation & processes are solid in CA / NY)... but what potential partners should we be talking to in NJ for cultivation / processing / sales & distro? HMU via DM pls... None of this would be possible without our incredible team (Martin Mills, Cirona Labs, Peter Pietrangeli, Euphoric life , Lowell Farms Inc.) and our amazing retail partners. In general, I try not to get too high or too low - but feeling immensely optimistic about the state! Gotta celebrate the wins - as tomorrow I'm fully expecting to be punched in the face again LOL. BTW, in the rollercoaster analogy - which part is “good”? I assume it’s when you’re going downhill (despite Kevin Hart’s face)?! But then when we talk about life’s ups and downs or highs and lows - it’s the opposite right? Make it make sense?!

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As the cannabis industry matures, we are starting to get reliable data. This can help make decisions based on real sales figures and not predictions. 10 years ago, there was only one state with adult use sales (#colorado) and a handful of states with medical seals. Now there is 24 sates with adult use sales and an additional 15 states with medical seals. At the moment #california leads with total seals but #michigan leads with per capita seals. #florida leads in medical seals. #missouri with a relatively small population and only 17 months since they launched their adult-use market, is already in fifth place. Thank you Debra Borchardt from Green Market Report for the financial update. #cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #cannabisnews #cannabiseducation #cannabispolicy #cannbislaw https://lnkd.in/gc96gcCh

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Good morning California Cannabis Industry, Today, in the economic evolution of cannabinoids (both cannabis and help), there's one question remaining: WHO WON THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

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Chef Terri's Tip # 225: How to create a successful, made-in-the-USA, plant-based CPG food brand & company. Embrace the spirit of the energizer bunny and keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles. Be like the energizer bunny and keep going and going and going. #Motivation #KeepGoing #EnergizerBunny #StayPositive #NeverGiveUp California will introduce a new bill in 2025 called the Mirena IUD Brain Tumor Act. This evil medical device will eventually be recalled in the USA. Shame on you, team Bayer. You know the truth and have covered it so your company can remain profitable. We are not pawns in your game of chess. We are mothers with families who love us. Our lives matter. The research proves it deteriorates organs, specifically our eyes and brains. Now, the Mirena IUD is linked to breast cancer in women. Your company must hate women. Why else would you hide the truth from us? "Thousands of women nationwide sued Bayer Pharmaceuticals over Mirena birth control after they say it perforated the uterus, damaged organs, and caused pseudotumor cerebri — an abnormal fluid buildup in the skull. These women said Mirena's complications led to diminished quality of life, and they live in fear of future complications." -Drugwatch.com https://lnkd.in/gJS3Y-YU

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Sorel Liqueur: The Ultimate Modifier Alcohol has a problem no one in the spirits industry talks about: alcohol doesn't taste good. This is by design. Taste (like most of our senses) doubles as a defensive mechanism: our body rejects things that are (or might be) poison. Pure alcohol, by definition, is poison: that's why every bottle of alcohol sold comes with a warning label; why it's a controlled substance. This has in no way diminished human desire to consume alcohol. Humans discovered the effects alcohol has on the body (both good and bad) and have spent thousands of years desperately trying to minimize the impact so we can enjoy the effect. Ancient Egyptians soaked botanicals in alcohol to make tinctures. The Celts began the practice of aging spirits in wood. Water, sugar, fruits; all things people have added over the millennia to make spirits more potable. Big liquor solves this problem by adding flavor to alcohol. This is why things like cinnamon flavored whiskey, blueberry flavored vodka, and jalapeño flavored tequila exist. At Sorel Liqueur we reverse the logic. Everyone else starts with alcohol and adds flavor: We start with flavor and add alcohol. The end result isn't just objectively delicious. It's also infinitely flexible. The combination of botanicals in Sorel effectively masks the flavor of ethanol. Practically, this means not only will it combine with any base spirit, it compliments the base by suppressing the flavor of ethanol, thus enhancing flavors. Gins have more botanical notes. Aged liquors (rum or whisky) have more barrel notes. Agave bases (tequila or mezcal) show more fruit and smoke. Don't believe me? Try mixing your favorite base 1:1 with Sorel. I've got a restaurant in Northern KY who's serving equal parts Sorel and Chartreuse. A spot in DC is serving equal parts Sorel and Sake. A dive bar in ATL is serving equal parts Sorel and peanut butter whisky (it's a perfect PBJ shot). And then there's this conversation from a decade ago, from my friend Matthew Sheinberg: Sorel and Laphroaig. Given modern drink trends, you may not need a base spirit at all in your favorite Sorel cocktail. Add a bit of Sorel to your favorite carbonated beverage, alc or non-alc. Top off your sparkling wine with Sorel instead of wasting your orange juice in a mimosa. Add Sorel to your seltzer with a spritz of lime. Ginger beer and Sorel makes a hibiscus mule that absolutely crushes summer drink menus. Or just drink it neat. The ultimate modifier requires no modification. #Caribbean #BlackOwned #ForTheCulture #DrinkSorel

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https://lnkd.in/gGfYijbj Fabulous article by Alexandra Frost for Food Dive . These nuisance lawsuits are the worst. The only people who benefit are the lawyers that create these garbage cases. I think where this gets stuck in the mud is inulin type fibers are stool softeners. Yes, they can contribute to that. But the far great benefit is the production of butyrate or short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) which is vital to the production of ATP (food for your mitochondria) as well as building the mucosa which lines the wall of the gut. A breakdown in this lining can lead to leaky gut syndrome which leads to inflammation. I don't think these better for you soft drinks are making any promises but, any amount of fiber that will get you to your daily intake of 22 grams is a win.

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It’s no surprise that meat prices are up at the grocery store. Though a variety of factors are at play here, Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo can help mitigate price increases for Coloradans: Support the House Farm Bill that includes a fix to California’s damaging Proposition 12. #beef #marketdata #prices #meat #pork #analytics #data #meatindustry #cattle #hog #swine #markets #protein #news #blogs #ranchers #packers #retailers #foodservice #feedlotoperators #proposition12

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🚨 Regenerative Agriculture Trend Report 🚨 Socialike has just dropped a 50-slide presentation summarizing its findings from multiple podcast conversations with Big Picture Foods, Alec's Ice Cream, Nutrient Density Alliance, & ReGen Brands. Our focus at ReGen Brands is "to nourish brands that nourish all life." We do this by advancing the work of brands supporting regenerative agriculture. And we're focused on a B2B stakeholder group that includes brands, distributors, retailers, farmers, investors, and others. For us, it is always interesting and informative to see how folks in the CPG ecosystem learn about regenerative for the first time. Check out the report below! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eMwVBXsu Socialike | A Creative Social Media Agency Since 2010 #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #regenerativefoodsystems #cpg #regenbrands #food #beverage #podcast #sustainability #innovation

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The cannabis companies that ‘WIN’ in 2025 and beyond will have these five things in common: 1) They understand the scale that they are trying to achieve and their entire operation is appropriately focused based on that scale. -Local companies need to market and connect locally (in an extremely authentic way) while focusing on profitable, sustainable revenue streams that are mostly consumer driven. -Statewide companies need to do the hard math and modeling to understand what realistic growth means for them. Set specific growth targets based on achieveable modeling. Too many statewide brands operate, market and spend like a national brand, and it will cost them in the end. -National brands must focus on lean profitability and maintain a highly targeted approach to their spending, despite a world that may seem like it has limitless customers. 2) They don’t try to do it all. Developing mastery and economies of scale in specific sectors, while building strong partnerships in the rest of the market, is the model for success in the years to come. The great companies from 2025-Federal Legalization will seek out expansion via truly strategic partnerships (and careful aquisitions) while the mediocre companies attempt to do it all themselves. The largest, best capitalized MSOs will be buying up statewide and regional businesse with lean, focused, positive-cashflow operations, which solve specific problems in their infrastructure. 3) They are building a business that is designed for the New World of Cannabis, and the Era of Commercialization. -We aren’t trappers anymore. -Hitting licks can only take you so far. -Weed is a CPG product. -THCA is sold openly online and in gas stations. -D9 Bevs and Gummies are sold in some of the deepest red states. -Weed by mail is probably here to stay. -Mushrooms are legal in various cities and states. -Consumer trust in a brand is the most valuable asset in the industry. No matter their scale, the companies that win in the next five years will integrate themselves into the new ways consumers interact with and purchase cannabis…. (Online, DTC, Low-Dose, Mixed Nootropic, Bev, Smoke Shop/Gas Station, Mass Market, Seshes, N.A. bars/lounges, add-on dispensary licenses) 4) They build continuous feedback loops with their customers. The great brands and companies that succeed into the 2030’s will have a deep, data-based understanding of their consumers at all levels. Brands must understand the buying criteria of the stores that carry them as well as the buying criteria of the consumers that drive sell-through. The very best will encourage a rewarding consumer engagement loop that directly influences operational decision making. 5) They just don’t quit. (In fact, they continue to innovate, pivot, and understand that at the end of the day, their business is change). A lot of cannabis operators will quit in the next five years. In all business, but especially in cannabis, sometimes it’s just about being there tomorrow.

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If you're in the food or ag business.  If that business has any connection to nuts whatsoever. Then you need to join us, July 11, 2:00 Est for the 6 Seeds Intelligence on nut consumption. We'll cover: → Consumer Preferences → New Product Development → Industry Challenges Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/dzdJMC9A #foodinnovation #futureoffood #fooddevelopment #foodtrends

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“Growing a CPG company, especially in the food and beverage space, ‘is astronomically harder today,’. ” Paul Voge you said it, man. So many truth bombs dropped in this article about the challenges and difficulties growing and scaling a CPG brand in today’s world. The cruel reality is that it takes a whole lot of money or a whole lot of time (and most times both) along with a fair amount of luck to have a chance at making it. If you dont have a ton of money then you better have a ton of time, some good fortune, and a product that can withstand many changes of the seasons (and "trends"). For most emerging brands today its all about survival and just finding a way.  There are lots of traps out there– lots of shiny objects– lots of vanity metrics hoping to be noticed and cared about–but at the end of the day sometimes its just about living to see another one. Here’s to all you day-to-dayers and week-to-weekers out there that are all just finding a way. Keep finding it.

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🚀 #Nonalcoholic beer continues to GROW and GROW in the US at a 22% volume CAGR from 2019 to 2023, according to recent data by IWSR. It has also more than DOUBLED from a 0.5% volume share of total beer to 1.2%. A few other interesting stats is that NA beer is strongest in the northern states.  Every state has seen strong growth but, the biggest share growth has skewed towards the NE and NW of the US: 🍺 Maryland and Massachusetts both went from 1% share of total beer to 4%, growing at 49% and 39% (volume CAGR ’19-’23) respectively. 🍺 Massachusetts is the 22nd biggest beer drinking state in the US but the 3rd biggest non-alcoholic beer drinking state, and Maryland the 26th biggest beer state but 8th biggest non-alcoholic beer state. 🍺 Connecticut non-alcoholic share of beer went from 1% to 3%. New Jersey, Washington and Oregon all doubled their non-alcoholic beer share going from 1% to 2%. “What is interesting about this regional trend is that as northern states, they have more moderate climates that don’t traditionally lend themselves to over-indexing on beer consumption due to longer cold seasons,” observes Marten Lodewijks, President of IWSR’s US Division. “That would suggest the bigger driver of this growth is underlying consumer preference and not just a switch from full-strength to non-alcoholic beer during the hot summer months.” You can also see in the chart below there is more consistent growth of non-alcoholic beer throughout the year vs. a lot of volatility for full-strength beer. You can read more insights from the link in the comments.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ♻️ #Repost if you like this content and follow me, Marcos Salazar 🍺🍷🥃 , for more content like this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ cc: Bill Paugh

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Kefir-- a fermented dairy beverage-- is rising in popularity. I weigh in on this good-for-you drink in this article via Layla Khoury-Hanold via Food Network where it takes about: --What is kefir? --How is kefir made? --What does kefir taste like? --Health benefits --The difference between kefir and yogurt --And of course, HOW to pronounce it!

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Look Ma, we made it to Sprouts Farmers Market ! 🥂 3 flavors are landing in 30+ select locations in Southern California as part of Sprouts’ Innovation Table and we are thrilled! Big shoutout to the team at Pod Foods for including EATABLE INC. in their Box of Innovation which was instrumental in having us be part of this launch alongside other fab CPG brands. As much as we’re celebrating today, I also wanted to take a second to call out (esp to my non-CPG friends who may not realize this)… The road to mass grocery and retail is HARD AF. 😅 It has always been a dream of Vincent Li and I as founders to see EATABLE popcorn on the shelves of major grocery stores. But truth be told, this journey to bridge EATABLE’s brand identity from a premium gift/department store brand to mass grocery brand has been chock full of headwinds. We’ve pivoted countless times over the last 2 years to tweak: - Pricing (one of the BIGGEST hurdles for emerging brands) - Pack size - Pack design and branding - Distribution model - Logistics and supply chain - Channel strategy - Trade marketing support strategy - Balancing a lean marketing budget between online and offline to drive sellthrough and velocity Getting on shelf is an important first step, but there’s lots of heavy lifting to be done to ensure we sell OFF the shelf too! 🛒 Our journey has been full of small tests, lots of failures and rejection along the way, which have resulted in a TON of learnings (for future posts!) In the meantime, if you or someone you know is in SoCal - Please shop EATABLE INC. at your local Sprouts and grab a bag of popcorn that will POP a party in your mouth, and start conversations at your next gathering! How we perform in these next 90 days at their Innovation Table will determine whether we get to stay on the shelves for the long haul! 🥳 Any CPG friends who have experience selling into Sprouts I’d love to connect and learn from you! And if you happen to see us in store, help a girl out and send a quick photo or “shelfie” with EATABLE - it’ll make my day in more ways than you know! 🍿+🥂 #EATABLE #CPGbusiness #CPGfounder #foodstartup #RetailLaunch #Sprouts #SoCal

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🌿 BluRok Farm offers unique opportunities for private investors. Hear success stories from our existing investors and see how your investment can make a positive impact. Scan the QR code to donate or DM us to learn more about investing! #CannabisInvestment #HempBusiness #BluRokFarm

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Great article and thanks for the FABID mention Deena Shanker. The reset will benefit the industry long term.

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Is your business targeting #GenZ coffee consumers? "Recent analyses, including insights from The Economist, have highlighted that Gen Z have a higher income than its predecessors, the #babyboomers and #millennials.  The article reports that a typical 25-year-old Gen Z-er (or Zoomer) has an annual household income of over $40,000, more than 50% above baby-boomers at the same age. While factoring in inflation and current cost of living might make these numbers less sensational, they still demonstrate that Gen Z holds considerable #economicpower." Check out today's article at Coffee Intelligence. Sarah Eleanor Charles spoke with William Dunaway about the preferences of Gen Z and millennial coffee consumers, as well as their priorities such as sustainability, community, brand building, and fun and exciting products. https://lnkd.in/e9NMCTqn

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Do you choose pesticide-free food? What about cannabis? Autumn Brands family owned Farm in Santa Barbara is breaking new ground in sustainable cannabis farming, setting a higher standard for safer, ZERO pesticides cultivation. Important to note a common misconception: organic pesticides are often marketed as pesticide-free, but they can still be harmful when consumed. Unlike produce, cannabis isn’t washed before use, which makes it even more critical to ensure what you’re consuming has Zero harmful substances. Zero-pesticides cannabis is a Point of Difference for Autumn Brands, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with this pioneer as they lead the way in delivering cleaner, safer cannabis products to consumers. Read more in this article #pesticidefree #cannabisfarm #sustainablefarming #californiacannabis #cleancannabis

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