Claim OwnershipEmpire State of Cannabis
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The Empire State of Cannabis podcast is New York's home for all things cannabis. Join our host Kaelan Castetter for interviews with industry experts, activists, entrepreneurs, lawmakers, and other trailblazers. Learn about cannabis science, business, social justice issues, laws, and the history behind this ancient plant. Supported and produced in part by CannaBuff.
47 Episodes
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Eddie Brennan is the CEO of Central New York’s most recognizable craft cider brand, Beak & Skiff’s 1911. The family business has been in operation for over 100 years and includes hundreds of apple acres that visitors flock to during the fall where they can also enjoy food, hard cider, apple wine, and even whiskey made on site. Now, Beak & Skiff has entered the cannabis industry through the construction of a state-of-the-art extraction and finished product manufacturing facility – with their eyes on the adult-use cannabis industry.
How important is vertical integration to the success of a craft brand?
Will cannabis replace alcohol for some consumers?
How can craft brands differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace and compete with the big brands?
Cannabis cultivation requires enormous amounts of energy despite and in New York there are fears that large-scale grow operations could threaten the State’s aggressive clean energy targets.
The Castetter Cannabis Group recently released a 27-page report developing deep into what the energy needs are of controlled environment growing and what lawmakers could do incentive efficiency. Kate Hruby, the Lead Policy Analyst at CCG and co-author of the report, describes the results and a recommendation that NYS creates a “Green Seal” signifying a product’s efficient production and qualifies the business for tax deductions.
What makes cannabis cultivation so energy-intensive?
How can existing and new technologies help play a role in minimizing negative environmental impacts?
What successes and failures have other states seen in trying to keep cannabis cultivation “green”?
Chair of the NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee, Donna Lupardo, joins us again to talk about the state of our hemp industry and the opportunities for farmer's within the adult-use cannabis supply chain. Lupardo was the original sponsor of legislation to establish a hemp pilot program in 2015 and pushed to provide nation-leading consumer protections and legitimacy for the hemp cannabinoid industry with the Hemp Extract Law in 2019. From her post as Chair of the Ag Committee, she has continued to advocate for the prioritization and inclusion of New York's diverse agricultural industry within the State's cannabis regulatory framework.
Reggie Keith, the Founder/CEO of Buffalo-based cannabis events company Canna-House, joins us to talk about a seriously complex but critical issue: transitioning legacy entrepreneurs into the newly regulated marketplace. It won't be easy, the stunning lack of diversity amongst operators in already legal states combined with evidence that the informal industry is still very much alive in places like California and Colorado - shows that many of the entrepreneurs who endured prohibition are being left behind.
Reggie and Kaelan agree: there is no way to achieve true equity without focusing on legacy market entrepreneurs. This episode will help you understand the unique and often widely varying situations legacy operators are in and some ways that the State can be intentional with bringing them into the program.
Nhi Kha is the co-founder and CEO of Sativa Remedy, a retail store that curates locally grown and produced cannabinoid hemp products right outside of Buffalo. Western New York, and in specific the Buffalo Area, has quietly become a hub of activity in the cannabis industry - but why? Nhi explains how the local culture and focus on craft-made products has led to that.
Regulatory expert Katie Neer joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that dives into some big ideas on what the New York cannabis marketplace will look like and how much influence public policy will have on the rollout.
Katie serves as a lobbyist for the NY Medical Cannabis Industry Association and is also Head of Industry Affairs for Lantern - a cannabis delivery platform.
What kind of role will delivery service play in NY?
Does equity mean independently owned operations or is there a place for multi-state operators?
Over the next year, what can New York regulators do in learning from other states to support the core missions of the MRTA?
New York lawmakers made history at the end of March by ending a decades-long prohibition of marihuana and passing the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). This bill creates a new regulatory body to establish a framework for production and sales of adult-use cannabis... but how long will this take?
We welcomed back Allan Gandelman, President of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors, to discuss the details of MRTA, what it got right (and wrong), and what he thinks will happen over the next year as the Empire State moves to create a newly regulated marketplace
As debates rage on in Albany over legalization, home-growing has become a hot-button issue. We welcomed Gary Colmey, prominent activist and owner of Rome-based grow shop Gary's Indoor Garden Supply, to tell us who really is the average home grower and how small businesses like his benefit.
Melissa Moore, New York State Director for the Drug Policy Alliance, discusses equity as the foundation for what legalization could look like in the Empire State. What're some of the challenges minorities and informal market entrepreneurs face in a newly legalized marketplace? How does the Governor's proposal fall short as compared to the MRTA?
Join us for an informative and necessary discussion on what the Drug Policy Alliance is doing to put equity first in the efforts to legalize adult-use cannabis.
Senator Diane Savino, champion behind the Compassionate Care Act which established New York's medical cannabis program, joined us to talk about the shortcomings of the program and what needs to happen to improve it.
With the medical program set to expire in July, Senator Savino discusses the urgency to extend it while improving patient access, affordability, and product offerings. She also gives us her thoughts on the ongoing adult-use deliberations and how medical could exist alongside an adult-use marketplace.
Jason Klimmek is a Senior Associate and Head of the Cannabis Practice at Boylan Code, a Rochester-based law firm, and also serves on the Board of Directors for both NY Hemp Lab and Roc NORML. He is an expert in tax and shares his thoughts on what impacts the dueling proposed tax structures would have on product pricing, cultivators, and retail operations.
We explore the differences in the Governor's proposal (CRTA) and the legislature's proposal (MRTA) in how they levy taxes, the rates, and also where that revenue is allocated.
Joe Rossi is a seasoned political vet and lobbyist for the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association. He walks us through the process of getting the Hemp Extract Law passed in 2019, working with lawmakers on adult-use legalization, and what the prospects are in 2021. Joe also gives us a fascinating history lesson on politics in Albany.
Renowned regulatory expert and D.C. lobbyist Tami Wahl joins us to lend her perspective on the future of hemp extracts and the FDA.
Will the FDA finally allow for CBD in supplements?
What could change under the Biden administration?
How do New York's new regulations influence decision making at the federal level?
New York's food scene is world-renowned for its intersection of culture, innovation, and experience. We dive into how the Empire State could change the way we think about and consume cannabis edibles.
Joining us is Ron Silver, NYC Chef and Chief Creative Officer at Azuca - a company that makes fast-acting ingredients for cannabis edibles, to talk about how the product category could reach new consumers, the opportunities for NYC restaurants, and more.
Jim Castetter founded America's first hemp-infused wine in 1997 after spending time in Amsterdam. He tells us the story of how the wine came to fruition, it's meteoric rise and fall, and what his thoughts are on how the industry landscape has changed.
Maria Perry, Founder of Miss Perry Farms, does it all. From selling commercial properties in Manhattan to running her second hemp harvest to developing a female-focused brand, Maria is the epitome of what it takes to be successful in this industry.
Join us as Maria describes the challenge of turning her old family farm into a successful hemp operation and why women leadership is critical to developing a female-focused cannabis marketplace.
Allan Gandelman, President of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association and CEO of New York Hemp Oil, joined us to talk hemp regs and what the adult-use industry could look like here in New York.
Allan runs one of the largest hemp operations in the state but understands that in order for the industry to be successful New York needs to put craft operations first.
We caught up with Meg Southerland as she prepared to harvest her second hemp crop. Gardenworks Farm has been in her family since 1911, becoming a staple for locally grown produce, u-pick blueberries, a showcase for local artists, and a true "farm-to-table" experience.
What led to Meg's decision to incorporate hemp? Does cannabis cultivation have staying power in New York's agricultural communities?
Watch Meg answer these questions and provide insight that can only come with decades of experience.
Join as we have a fascinating conversation with Kristin Jordan, Director of Real Estate at Acreage Holdings and Founder of Mannada, about networking during the coronavirus.
Will online conferences become the norm? How are event focused businesses surviving?
On a special crossover with Steve's Cannabis Show, we dived into the politics holding up New York’s push for adult-use cannabis legalization. CCG Policy Researcher Sarah McGovern took a close look at key Democrat Senate holdouts and found that the politics of New York City’s suburbs is largely to blame for legalization efforts failing over the past two years.
Join us for this fascinating joint episode of Empire State of Cannabis X Steve’s Cannabis Show!
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