Widely known as the "Guru of Ganja,” Ed Rosenthal is a leading cannabis horticulture authority, author, educator, and legalization pioneer.

He’s the most renowned cannabis cultivator in the world and has authored numerous books on the topic, including Marijuana Grower’s Handbook (which Oaksterdam University uses as their cultivation textbook to this day) as well as his newest book, Marijuana Garden Saver.

In this episode, Ed shares his advice to growers looking to achieve the perfect grow and discusses new and exciting discoveries in cultivation like creating cannabis compounds with yeast - a topic we recently discussed on the show with Kevin Chen of Hyasynth Bio.

Learn more at https://www.edrosenthal.com

Key Takeaways

• Ed’s celebrated background in cannabis and how he’s seen the industry evolve throughout the years
• The most common mistakes Ed sees among new growers
• Ed’s thoughts on traditional lighting vs LEDs and what he believes to be the optimal lighting arrangement
• How to design the best grow space from scratch
• The best methods for trimming and manicuring commercial grows
• Simple solutions to common problems Ed sees among new and seasoned cultivators alike, including how to avoid mold growth
• The up and coming practice of growing cannabinoids in yeast
• Ed’s insights surrounding the future of terpenes and different cannabinoids like CBN
• Where Ed predicts cannabis trending in the years ahead
• An inside look at Ed’s new book, Marijuana Garden Saver: A Field Guide to Identifying and Correcting Cannabis Problems

As cannabis continues to skyrocket and make its way into other industries, more and more entrepreneurs are looking to jump in.

But with CBD only just entering the mainstream, how do startups determine their ideal customers and then - even more difficult - win them over?

Enter Ashley Lewis and Meredith Schroeder, former directors at Goop and co-founders of online startup and “cannabis apothecary” Fleur Marché.

Inspired by cannabis' many health benefits, Ashley and Meredith set out on a mission to bring this powerful ingredient to the beauty and wellness arena, providing a carefully-selected curation of the best cannabis products for canna-curious luxury customers.

In this episode, Ashley and Meredith share an inside look at Fleur Marché and give us some tips on how entrepreneurs should go about finding (and then converting) their correct target market.

Learn more at https://fleurmarche.com

Key Takeaways:

• Ashley and Meredith’s work at Goop and what sparked their desire to enter the cannabis space
• An inside look at Fleur Marché, including its educational resources and online curation of the most elegant, top-quality cannabis products on the market
• Ashley and Meredith’s mission to convert the canna-curious luxury consumer and bring cannabis into the beauty and wellness space
• How the co-founders drew on their experience at Goop during Fleur Marché’s creation process
• Ashley and Meredith’s day-to-day work at Fleur Marché and how they complement each other as co-founders
• How Fleur Marché targets its ideal audience and Ashley’s advice on how to niche down your demographic
• How Meredith successfully raised capital for Fleur Marché and her advice to entrepreneurs looking to fund their startups
• Where Ashley and Meredith see the cannabis-wellness space going over the next few years and the opportunities that excite them the most

Pioneer investors with more traditional backgrounds in finance are beginning to plant their flags firmly and confidently in the cannabis space, and here to tell us about this is Codie Sanchez.

Codie is a managing partner at Cresco Capital Partners, a private equity fund in the legalized cannabis space. She previously lead First Trust’s Latin America Investment business and held positions at Goldman Sachs, State Street, and Vanguard.

In this episode, Codie shares her insights on the future of cannabis and some invaluable advice for traditional investors looking to enter the industry.

Learn more at https://www.crescocapitalpartners.com.

Key Takeaways:

• Codie’s background in the cannabis space and her best investments to date
• Why Codie believes there’s more opportunity than risk in cannabis investment
• How investors, entrepreneurs, and funds can overcome the stigma surrounding cannabis and get their audiences on board
• Codie’s advice to investors on how to go about navigating the difficulties that come with pioneering an industry like cannabis
• The ratio of over-valued, fairly-valued, and undervalued deals Codie is witnessing in cannabis right now
• The most noteworthy acquisitions and investments in cannabis over the last 12 months
• Codie’s advice to entrepreneurs trying to raise capital and the do’s and don'ts for pitching decks
• Where Codie sees cannabis going over the next 3-5 years and the opportunities that excite her the most

While we usually talk about the business realm of cannabis here on CannaInsider, in this episode we’re going to take a deep dive into medical marijuana and how it’s being used to better the lives of an increasing number of patients - specifically children.  

Here to discuss this growing movement are Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake, makers of the 2018 documentary Weed The People in which Abby and Ricki follow a number of families that are turning to cannabis to treat their cancer-stricken children.

In this episode, Abby and Ricki share the ways in which medical marijuana is beginning to save lives and why it’s essential we overcome the political and legislative obstacles inhibiting cannabis from joining commercial healthcare.  

Learn more at https://www.cannainsider.com/wtp

Key Takeways:

• Ricki and Abby’s backgrounds in film and what sparked their desire to create Weed The People
• Ways in which the traditional medical industry is lacking when it comes to children’s cancer treatment
• Abby and Ricki’s documentary The Business of Being Born and the parallels they observed between the business aspects of the birth and cancer industries
• The stigma surrounding cannabis in the medical sphere and how certain doctors are working to overcome it
• Medical cannabis in other countries versus the U.S.
• Why many of the families in Weed The People choose to follow a combination of chemo and a formal dosing schedule of cannabis to treat their children’s cancer
• Abby’s advice to parents interested in exploring medical cannabis to help treat their children and how they can do so right away