Warren Bobrow=WB: What is your interest In cannabis? What brought you to this place? Tell me please, what you are working on now?
Author: Warren_Bobrow
I had the rare chance to interview Josh Genderson, CEO of Holistic Industries. Since starting the company in 2011, Josh has grown Holistic into a national medical and consumer goods company, a cultivation and extraction network, and a retail dispensary chain. Josh launched Holistic based on the expertise he gained serving as President of Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, the Gendersons’ fourth-generation, family-owned liquor store, that is a staple in Washington, D.C. Today, Holistic Industries is one of the largest private multi-state operators (MSO) in cannabis and runs fully vertical operations (from seed to sale) in California, Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, and soon Missouri.
Cannabis industry pioneer Andrew DeAngelo, like his brother Steve, is a visionary leader. And, that’s what the world needs more than anything right now, strong leaders like Andrew and Steve to help shepherd us through these trying coronavirus times. After 37 years of working in the cannabis industry, Andrew has learned a few things about navigating crisis and was kind enough to share insight on the topic:
“People need cannabis when they are in crisis more than when they are not. I’ve always sold more weed in times of distress.”
I discovered the new technology that Rosinbomb utilizes through a mutual friend who is really into dabbing concentrates. His name is Otto Sabina and I believe that he knows more about this genre of *dabbing thc* than most anyone I’ve met. (Thank you Otto for teaching me about the art and the science of what I clearly don’t know anything about…)
I discovered the new technology that Rosinbomb utilizes through a mutual friend who is really into dabbing concentrates. His name is Otto Sabina and I believe that he knows more about this genre of *dabbing thc* than most anyone I’ve met. (Thank you Otto for teaching me about the art and the science of what I clearly don’t know anything about…)
I had the honor of meeting Tucky through a mutual friend a couple months ago- thank you. This fortuitous meeting, when times were different- only a couple months ago, led to a visit to blunt & moore in Oakland, California, back in December. I’m deeply impressed by Tucky and his family business. He speaks with deep honesty and from his heart. I know what he is successful doing, my path isn’t that far from his experience, just the names were changed to protect the guilty, or was I innocent? Probably not, but I grew up on a farm in New Jersey, really far from the inner city. My friends were only smoking the good stuff because I got it out in California, from friends in the know. Otherwise we’d have been smoking Mexican rag weed with paraquat or worse! When I tasted what Tucky was doing with his flowers, it brought me back to the time, way back into time. And without having to say a word, I knew he understood that I understood. It’s a language and a Tao of what is known and what cannabis does to the richly initiated. It opens their minds and heals the body. Great cannabis does that for me, thus my meeting with Tucky. It was just meant to be. I’m the one who can learn so much from such a interesting man.
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to disrupt daily life and shut down businesses across the country, the detrimental impact of the economic downturn is becoming increasingly clear. Last week, the Department of Labor announced that an additional 6.6 million people filed for unemployment, bringing the total number of new unemployment claims to over 16 million since March.
WB: Please tell me about yourself?
John Bayes=JB: I’ll start with genetics, a bit of youth, then make a go from there. I’m a 1/2 Korean 1/2 white(Irish/Scottish/German) military brat, that moved every couple years or so. Which, was a little rough, but “it’s character building” they said. Generally teetering between being a scrappy inquisitive loner or having a really close friend or two when things were good. From an early age I was always intrigued spiritually, at the same time extremely mischievous and hard to contain. I’ve wanted to be a youth pastor, as well as wanting to go into the special forces. At around 18, I started regularly smoking herb, and soon to follow, randomly experimenting with psychedelics, then less randomly and more frequently. Getting more comfortable, bad trip here and there, ultimately helping me realize the military might not be the best future for my karma. At around the same time, think it was 97-98’ I moved back to Eugene from Georgia. Luckily my love of cannabis and Eugene seemed to go hand in hand. The culture here held good herb higher than most anything, quality genetics and entheogens were embedding in the community, almost as a way of life.
I’m a massive fan of the edible line named Satori, one of the several brands of cannabis products created by CannaCraft — all of their products are made with love in California. The business of edibles has far evolved from when I was making pot brownies in prep school in New Jersey back in the 1970s. I do remember chewing on stems, and it was not very pleasant…especially the first time I took too much in the form of a Hippie Cookie. I was floored! Fast forward to the gourmet edibles of today where the chefs in the kitchen have studied pastry in culinary school or are self-taught and “highly” inspired by fine French desserts. Whatever their inspiration, the story of great edibles are to be savored, one bite at a time. And like the finest dinner, dessert should not be an afterthought with regard to infused sweets. CannaCraft makes this job really easy to enjoy. Every bite brings a smile.
With social-distancing efforts holding strong, many state legislators cancelled 4/20 celebrations in public outdoor spaces, including the massive gathering at Robin Williams Meadow in San Francisco. However, this national holiday is impossible to quell, especially with the growing movement of cannabis legalization sweeping the country. Hundreds of companies and industry leaders put their heads together to navigate the stay-at-home orders and organize virtual events to ensure the celebration continues safely in the face of COVID-19. Boy, did they succeed in their efforts.
Warren Bobrow=WB: Why Cannabis? What did you want to be when you (were younger) grew up? Who is your mentor? Indoor or outdoor grown? Why?