Jason Reposa

For those who wonder how cannabis is grown and the details, here is an episode of Cannacribs, which walks you through the entire Culta process! Our secret is our team....... https://lnkd.in/e4df2r4Z

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Hey #cannabisindustry, Here's a new SCOOP for WeedWeek readers -- DCC shutters testing lab alleging numerous violations since 2022 What do you make of this latest development? Link in comments

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"Pre-rolls, The Avocado Toast of Cannabis" This analogy might sound bold, but it’s backed by data. Pre-rolls have become the fastest-growing cannabis category, hitting $4.1B in sales over the past year and outpacing other product types. Why? Because convenience is key. What critical consumer need to Pre Rolls adress? TIME! For a generation constantly on the go, pre-rolls offer a quick, reliable solution without the hassle of rolling. Millennials dominate the market, but the data shows broad appeal, with the average pre-roll buyer being 43 years old and using cannabis multiple times daily. Innovation is also driving this category forward. Infused pre-rolls now claim 44.4% of the market, with consumers willing to pay for premium touches like kief, live resin, and even glass or wood tips. It’s proof that the market is evolving to meet demands for both convenience and quality. One thing this article doesn’t talk about? Upstream, long term Pre Roll innovation - the innovation areas around smokability, flavour, irritation, air flow dynamics and filter technology we haven’t even scratched the surface of. We’re always looking to learn from trends like this. How can we continue to create products that balance ease of use with the premium experience consumers are asking for? Insights like these fuel the innovation that keeps us moving in the right, and most convenient, direction. #CannabisIndustry #CannabisInnovation #PreRolls #ConsumerTrends #Organigram

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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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Hey #cannabisindustry, The WeedWeek newsletter is up: -- Deputy resigns at DCC as pesticide questions mount Link and lots more in the comments

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After an initial boom of farmers tried their hand at the newly legalized crop, many were left with unsold harvests when the limited number of processing plants were backed up with product. South Africa needs investment in the value chain (Decortication factories) or this same issue will happen here. #hemp #valuechain #decortication https://buff.ly/3VYdyxU

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The revenue is exciting, but nothing compares to receiving reviews like this. It's a powerful reflection of the impact BRĒZ and other hemp-derived products are making. THIS is the why. It’s essential that we unite and align our efforts to ensure that access to safe and effective hemp-derived THC options remains available. We can debate the best paths forward and necessary safety standards, but we must stand together against regression and prohibitionist ideologies as we collectively free cannabis. Unity in both the hemp and the marijuana industries is key. Let's keep it open and inclusive, working in sync to maximize our positive impact. It’s plausible hemp can be the gateway to descheduling and decriminalization once and for all… the ultimate outcome we all want.

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Cannabis Product Hierarchy vs. Naming Convention You might hear the terms "product hierarchy" and "taxonomy" [naming convention] used interchangeably when discussing cannabis products. And there's some truth to that—they are closely linked partners that work together to organize your product catalogue. They play distinct yet complementary roles: → Product Hierarchy The overarching structure that organizes your products into broad categories and specific subcategories. Think of it as a funnel, starting wide with categories like "Flower" and then narrowing into more granular segments like "Bigs" or "Smalls." A well-designed hierarchy serves two key purposes: - It facilitates data capture and analysis, allowing you to understand sales trends and performance at different category levels. - It mirrors how customers mentally organize and shop for products. → Taxonomy [Naming Convention] While hierarchy provides the framework, taxonomy focuses on the precise naming conventions and language used to describe products within that structure. Its goal is to eliminate ambiguity so customers clearly understand what they're buying. For example, instead of simply "Concentrates," using terminology like "Hash" within the Concentrates name immediately clarifies the product type and consumption method. Clear taxonomy ensures your hierarchy makes sense to customers. ↓ Hierarchy is the shelving system, while taxonomy represents the product labels and descriptions that make that system shoppable and intuitive (and easier for you to run analysis on). An organized product catalogue requires both taxonomy and hierarchy. On Vetrina's website, you’ll find a blog breaking this down further.

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A quick reminder for New York: BioTrack’s Seed-to-Sale (STS) system is a requirement for compliance in New York. On November 18, the OCM released its BioTrack API, complete with a sandbox environment, offering operators the opportunity to ensure integration readiness​. Additionally, December 9 marked the release of BioTrack’s first training schedule, providing 3rd Party Integrators, Cultivators, Testing Labs, Manufacturers, and Retailers with an invaluable resource to not only meet compliance requirements but also optimize system usage​. As we close out the year, it’s an opportune time to assess operational systems and compliance protocols—particularly for license renewals and audits. Identifying and resolving record-keeping discrepancies or ensuring inventory management systems are API compatible are key steps to staying ahead. For more details, check out the link below! https://lnkd.in/ePRdADK8 And as we reflect on tools that keep us efficient and compliant, what are your favorite inventory management and point-of-sale systems? Comment your favorites!

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Elevating New York Cannabis: A Clean Start with Gen Zero Tissue Culture Excited to see more microbusinesses taking root in NYS! With indoor flower on the horizon, there's incredible potential to revolutionize cannabis cultivation. Here's why starting with Gen Zero tissue culture clones might be your next big move: 🧬 Why Tissue Culture? Cannabis, as an annual plant, operates with a finite genetic lifespan. Cutting a clone from a mother plant does not reset its genetic clock; the clone carries the exact DNA of its source. Over time, the DNA in mother plants experiences breaks and deterioration, similar to how aging affects humans. This natural aging process, combined with environmental stressors, increases the risk of genetic drift (subtle but impactful changes in genetic expression) and mutations that can compromise the quality and consistency of your harvest. By starting with Gen Zero tissue culture clones, you bypass these risks entirely. Tissue culture provides a fresh start, delivering plants that are: - Pathogen-free: No lingering bacteria, fungi, or viruses. - Genetically true-to-type: Consistent characteristics from one plant to the next. - Vigorous and healthy: Free from the stress and wear accumulated in older plant generations. With tissue culture, you're ensuring that your cannabis plants grow with their genetic integrity intact, producing high-quality flower with every harvest. Don’t let aging genetics limit your operation—start clean and grow strong. 🌱 💰 Save Time, Space, and Money Operating a mother room is costly. Consider this: - Nutrients & Media: $500+/month - Power & Lighting: $1,000+/month - Water Usage: $300+/month - Labor Costs: $2,500+/month With Gen Zero clones, you can eliminate the mother room entirely, saving thousands annually while increasing operational efficiency. No mother plants mean reduced biosecurity risks since the perpetual operation of mother rooms makes them hotspots for pests and pathogens​​. 🌟 Your Path to Premium Flower Start clean and finish strong. Tissue-culture-derived clones from The New York Nursery guarantee uniform growth, consistent yields, and a superior end product. Whether you're growing for flavor, potency, or terpene content, our clones deliver​​. 🛠️ Let’s Grow Together Explore your options with us today and bring the best of science to your craft. We're here to help NY microbusinesses succeed! 📩 Reach out to The New York Nursery now. Start your journey with Gen Zero clones and cultivate with confidence. #NewYorkCannabis #TissueCulture #CannabisInnovation #CleanStart #GenZero #CannabisFarming #SustainableCannabis #CannabisCultivation #Microbusiness #GrowWithConfidence #CannabisScience #Biosecurity #PathogenFree #PremiumFlower #CannabisTech #NYSCannabis #FutureOfFarming #ConsistentQuality #CannabisMicrobusiness #StartCleanGrowStrong

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I also support Gillian Schauer, PhD, MPH and the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) on this one. Shouldn’t a researcher, such as Jane Appleyard Allen, and an institute, such as RTI International, support the collective perspective from all “external stakeholders” in-order for our regulators to build a better intellectual model of the future (arguably the present)? I won’t even bother to defend CANNRA by pointing out that Shanita Penny has been a long time and fervent supporter of the cannabis industry, and that her committee is completely capable of separating the interests of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR) from their corporate partners. I think these voices should be in the room when it comes to CANNRA’s External Stakeholder Conference for a number of reasons: 1) There are state-legal systems that permit distribution and sale of cannabis/hemp products through convenience stores and the same channels that alcohol and tobacco are sold. 2) The industry needs larger mainstream partners to amplify the voice of cannabis and accelerate legalization. We cannot continue on at the historic pace of reform. 3) Current regulations have been overly cumbersome, and we can count on these larger partners to fight for broader access and reduced taxation while upholding the need for product quality and consumer safety. 4) It was made very clear by the organizers, and it felt refreshingly upheld at the conference, that there was no influence from corporate sponsorship. 5) We’re all adults and can stand to have different voices in the room. Sorry, this post is probably longer than it needed to be, but this letter and resulting Marijuana Moment article was a bit triggering. Thanks, Amber E. Senter, for bringing it to my attention. What are your thoughts?

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Since posting my article Tuesday to hemp operators, I've received some feedback that the opinions I'm voicing undermines the work being done by the broader hemp industry and could potentially fracture the industry (hemp/vapes vs. drinks). This is a perspective I carefully considered when writing the piece. I acknowledge that there is inherently a difference between the form factors when it comes to the consumers, retailers, and regulators. I also recognize that I myself have progressed in my thinking and involvement on the hemp side, which has evolved based on the changes the hemp industry has brought. It is a genuine evolution and I am proud of the progress I've made (and will continue to make) here. One thing that's been consistent throughout this wild journey is my belief in the cannabis beverage category. It's because of these inherent differences that I feel exaggerating the incremental win with the low-dose beverage category will, in fact, lay the groundwork for other form factors to responsibly enter the mainstream marketplace in the future. Recent dynamics have caused people to pick a side rather than focusing on collaboration and how this can be beneficial for our collective goal. This is an opportunity that we can't afford to ignore, and I fear that this "all or nothing" mentality will result in a loss for the industry as a whole. Is it problematic to not be backing the everything, everywhere, all-at-once strategy? I invite other voices to join the conversation, especially if you feel my perspective is problematic. Folks I've spoken to before, like Chris Fontes, Rod Kight and Robert Hoban, what are your thoughts? Full Article: https://lnkd.in/g7gpyBYM #hemp #cannabisindustry #cannabisbeverage #hempbeverage

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Why are so many industry leaders bothered by pesticide contaminated products, but not by hemp-derived THC products? Both are produced by operators who work with the distinct understanding that their manufacturing methodologies could easily result in contaminated products. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself: How do hemp brands distinguish between naturally produced THC v. THC produced from CBD via chemical synthesis, when sourcing for their products? The honor system?! Oh, that’s right, I forgot. Everyone is just using mother liquor, right? Nothing to see here, just turning waste into gold for pennies. But any claim to this type of chromatography scale is too preposterous to entertain, even in hypothetical scenarios. The biomass and equipment scale needed to sustain hundreds of kilos of THC from CBD processing waste defies any reasonable or financial logic when it can be produced synthetically for much cheaper. But really, how do brands determine what methodology was used to produce their sourced THC, and does it result in a reliably safe ingredient? What’s actually in your product beyond the detected cannabinoids? Does anyone else find it disheartening that no one outside of analytical testing has an answer for this? And for all the hemp-derived THC CPG brands out there: Can anyone produce independent COAs that analyze foreign substances beyond basic environmental contamination controls? NMRs? Just one, even to confirm the process? Is it not extremely worrisome for consumers that these companies often have no idea about the true nature of the ingredients they’re selling? I know there are ethical cannabinoid manufacturers out there that truly care about active ingredient purity and safety. It’s amazing they’re still able to operate in this type of competitive landscape. But for every one of them, there’s one hundred backyard chemists trying to replicate Future4200 blog formulas. How does an industry address such supply chain naivety issues? It’s as if people don’t want to ask the question, let alone think about it. The fact that chemically synthesized compounds aren’t as inherently safe to manufacture as purified natural ones, especially in completely unregulated environments, upsets a lot of people in the industry. They see the word cannabinoid and automatically think natural and plant-based, when it’s anything but. I wish cannabinoid chemical synthesis was highly regulated so we could see safe, pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products responsibly available to the public. But that’s not the reality of the situation, and the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy of ingredient sourcing is pushing the entire industry in the wrong direction. How long can this can go on without some serious product scrutiny and honest hemp industry introspection? If you find yourself upset by potential pesticide contamination but not this, where do you draw the boundaries of your acceptable product contamination limits?

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Lot's of good back and forth here on this interesting post on fats. The issue of seed oil has finally risen to point where natural CPG firms that use seed oil are starting to lose customers. And someone commented that brands which include seed oils are "not investable". I have pioneered better for you fats for 25 years starting when I founded Nutiva back in 1999. Hi Oleic Sun is a valuable oil we should consider in the right formula and situation. It's VERY low in Omega-6. Mostly Omega-9. It can be grown in the USA and should replace high Omega-6 oils which are such a problem ala corn, cotton, soy, canola and regular sunflower oil (rich in Omega-6). It's important for brands that use oils to share a test of their finished products covering the fat profile broken down by saturated , omega-3, 6,9 etc. Here is a chart for folks on sunflower oil in the comments. PS Note that due to many reasons olive oil is becoming very costly and low supply can't meet the demand. Many olive groves in Europe are dying from drought and poor land management.

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