I reconnected with Erick Engelhardt at the Midwest Cannabis Forum last month. We first met at Southern Illinois University and quickly fell into a deep conversation on growing cannabis and the importance of living soil. In this episode, Erick and I chatted about his soil company Buttheadz Living Soil which uses cotton burr compost and rice hulls from local farms. The upcycled waste is aged for three years and turned into high-quality compost, giving it new purpose and keeping it out of local landfills. Erick Englehart and the Buttheadz Growers Club give back to the community with community gardens, inspiring us all to make a positive impact on others. 

Missouri Microbusiness Community #160 Guests are Samantha Bloom and Tony Lafitra, founders of Budwizard and a new cannabis community. As leaders in the Missouri Microbusiness community, they mentor disadvantaged cannabis growers. They also support the state's efforts to prioritize small-scale marijuana facility licenses for disabled veterans, individuals with lower incomes, and those with non-violent marijuana offenses. At the same time, they promote regulations that help protect microbusiness owners from harmful practices. Tony and Samantha want to see the microbusiness sector thrive, just as they want the entire industry succeed.  Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact    

Vessel Brand Innovation for Canna Consumption #159 I know some people are skeptical, but I  believe in love at first sight. I had this very experience at MJUnpacked when I visited the Vessel Brand booth. It was there I spied a finely crafted pipe, made of anodized aluminum with a finely machined brass bowl. When I picked it up, felt the heft in my hand, and discern the details of the machining, I knew I had to have it. And just like that, Vessels made a sale. The next day I met Nick Gadsby from sales and he agreed to dive deep into sharing details about the pipe I purchased and other innovations Vessel Brand is inventing for cannabis consumption. I'm excited about my purchase use it regularly, and share it with all I meet.  According to Vessel, they strive for perfection and ways to engineer the "perfect" product. With the momentum built since its launch in 2018, they've been working to bring forth new innovations, and new designs to set new industry standards which is their ultimate goal. Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Innovations in Pre-Roll Technology #158 At MJUnpacked last month. I met Mae, the tradeshow manager for DaySavers who introduced me to some innovative technologies when it came to the production of cannabis smoke products. One product was so innovative, I bought one. In this conversation, Mae walks us through all the products. Companies like Daysavers symbolize innovation, ingenuity, and the power of creating something better, even in a competitive or crowded field like cannabis.   Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Help Finding Cannabis Consumers Jobs with Phynally #157   This month I attended the Benzinga Capital conference and was able to meet a number of entrepreneurs and leaders in the cannabis industry. At the trade show, I had the good fortune to chat with Damian Jorden, founder of Phynally, a job recruiting site for employers who are cannabis friendly.  Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Emerging Trends in New York Dispensary #156 Some say that New York is the wild west of cannabis with non-regulated rogue dispensaries popping up like weeds. But what about the legal shops? Having been awarded the 100th Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license last April by New York State's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), TRENDS, a family-owned dispensary, has quickly become a cornerstone of the Queens community. In today's episode, we meet Rodney Carter Jr., owner of 'Hurricane Fitness', and Brandon Carter, a business strategist and web developer. We babbled about opening the Trends Dispensary flagship location in Long Island Queens, new products,  staffing, and raising capital. Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Blue Sage Cannabis Deli at MJUnpacked #155   Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Blazy Susan at the Benzinga Capital Conference #154 Blazy Susan is the manufacturer and distributor of world-famous, extra functional Rolling Trays and Smoking Accessories. They're best known for their Blazy Susan Spinning Rolling Tray (a fully functional spinning rolling tray designed to organize your smoke space and take back your coffee table) as well as their one of a kind Pink Rolling Papers. Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Thoughts On Regrets and Next Steps #153   The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact  

Northern Illinois Hemp Hub Day 2   Cannabis Advocate Podcast The Cannabis Advocate podcast advocates for businesses in the cannabis industry and explores the unique challenges they face. Despite hurdles in legislation, regulation, and culture, there are tremendous opportunities for growers, manufacturers, and retail sellers of cannabis products. Many of these issues are unique to the cannabis industry. This podcast speaks to these common concerns and shares stories of success. This is a production of Habanero Media.  https://habaneromedia.net To subscribe to the podcast go to  https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/listen/ If you have a question or comment, https://cannabisadvocatepodcast.com/contact