Tag: Cannabis

The Cannabis Aperitif With THC? That’s Artet

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 28, 2019

Artet Mixology
PHOTO COURTESY: ARTET MIXOLOGY

I’m what some have called a Master Mixologist. My professional qualifications are many. I started as a bar back for Chris James at the Ryland Inn. This is the very bottom of the ladder to become a bartender or mixologist in my opinion. It was not easy work at fifty years of age, far from, it was very physically demanding. Chris was not easy on me. You don’t write about spirits from behind a desk, you must be cleaning the speed racks at three in the morning to know what goes into being a bartender. I’ve taught Master Classes in un-manipulated rum at places like the Moscow Bar Show in Russia and Stonewall Kitchen in Maine. I was a rum judge for the Ministry of Rum and the Rum XP folks in Florida. I’ve led and sat on panels at SXSW on cannabis and the Berlin Bar Convent. My six books on mixology are sold globally. There even is a book on Cannabis, named Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics.

Tags 750ml Cannabis Aperitif, Artet, Cannabis, Cannabis Aperitif With THC, Maxwell Spohler, The intersection of cannabis and cocktail culture, Xander Shepherd, Zachary Spohler

Interviews

A Deeper Dive With Rich Batenburg Jr., President And Chairman: Clear Cannabis, Inc.

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 27, 2019

Richard M Batenburg Jr._head-shot COURTESY: RICHARD BATENBURG, JR.

Warren Bobrow: What do you think about Colorado and the way they fit a model for the rest of the country to follow—pertaining to cannabis? What about medical? What happened?

Rich Batenburg Jr.: My cannabis-focused investment company operates in several states, many of which we entered at original deployment of a legal marijuana program. While we hear about officials from new jurisdictions coming to Colorado to do research, as well as hiring regulatory consultants from Colorado, it seems like they listen and then try to reinvent the wheel. From my background in change management and process consulting with giant corporations, this is normal—albeit completely unproductive behavior.We should be able to agree on labeling, packaging and potency rules, residency requirements and taxing structures across state lines. Setting up cannabis regulation 50 different ways just creates problems for all involved. I wish other states would just plagiarize the things Colorado did right and improve upon the things they didn’t. Like most people and companies, everyone thinks “we are unique” or “our market is dramatically different.” Over my career I have worked in many industries in almost every state, and I’d estimate that 80% of business challenges, and the solutions to them are the same. It’s all about getting “buy in” from the people who are delivering the products and services. Without buy in, change just takes longer and costs more than it would otherwise.

Tags Cannabis, cannabis-focused investment company, Clear Cannabis Inc., Rich Batenburg Jr.

Interviews

Five Diverse Questions With Michael Sassano, Founder: Solaris Farms

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 14, 2019

Mike Sassano
PHOTO COURTESY: SOLARIS FARMS

1. Where are you from? Why cannabis? Did you go to business school? Who is your mentor?

Michael Sassano=MS: I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio before attending Boston University. I graduated Cum Laude with Distinction in Economics, then moved to New York. There I was trained at the famous 55 Water Street office of Lehman Brothers. With success in trading and being the number one producing arbitrage trader, I used my capital to fund real estate development and private equity tech start-ups starting in 1997 before moving to Europe around the 2000 time period. I saw the 2001 tech bust and subsequent boom, but the big whopper of 2008 was a massive eye opener if you were in any asset class. At the time, under-water real estate, a few tech unicorns, the general market and cannabis all had great futures due to the contraction. Cannabis encompassed real estate, future markets, and technology. Even then, there was no banking, so that wasn’t a factor. By 2015, large scale growing was just being planned and new markets were emerging. I decided it was the right time to design, build, and manage a high tech hybrid greenhouse and chose Nevada as it’s home. As to mentors in my life, I have developed years of friendships with highly successful business leaders; i find their amalgamated success and lessons from failures to be great decision making guides that i can pull from. There was a good friend named Fred who told me day-one, and regularly, to never take advice from anyone who wasn’t more experienced and more successful than him. So i guess i took that to heart.

Tags Cannabis, Michael Sassano, Solaris Farms, warren bobrow

Interviews

Five Illuminating Questions With Hemp Educator Cait Curley

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 9, 2019

Cait Curley at NoCo Hemp Expo in Denver, an event that attracted 10,000 people. PHOTO CREDIT: CONOR DUGAN

Cait Curley is part of the new age of cannabis/hemp entrepreneurs. Cait was so focused and passionate about pursuing her work within the cannabis arena, she uprooted her life and moved from New York to Denver where cannabis is legal to make her dream a reality. An educator, entrepreneur, social media influencer, marketing specialist, and content creator, Cait has developed her path from years of working in the cannabis industry. She’s used her past experience in health sciences to navigate the underground cannabis world while educating the masses and finding new ways to connect with the hemp community.

Tags Cait Curley, Cannabis, Hemp Educator, NoCo Hemp Expo

Interviews

The Five Questions: Discussed By Cannabis MD: Dr. Mary Clifton

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 4, 2019

Dr. Clifton
TANYA MORGAN, GREEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

There aren’t too many MDs who work with cannabis at this moment in time in the NY/Metro area. Maybe out on the left coast there are more open minded MDs, but here in the New York City and the environs, traditional medicine has completely stigmatized even the most basic conversation surrounding the use of cannabis for anything other than purely recreational use. I know firsthand. I have several MDs and even a heart surgeon in my own family who are stigmatized by cannabis. Cannabis is treated by them as a pariah instead of a cure. My conversations with these people of healing have been pretty heated surrounding our healing plant.

Tags Cannabis, Cannabis MD, Cannabis-based healing, Dr. Mary Clifton

Interviews

Five Snappy Questions With Kraig Fox, President And CEO, High Times

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date September 3, 2019

Kraig Fox © JAY BLAKESBERG

I’ve enjoyed the publication named High Times since I was a wee-lad, a mere teenager in the 1970’s. It was always my go/to for information on the illegal substance, cannabis. I would go on to later years by being disowned by my family for using cannabis, their loss! They had no idea of the power of cannabis, but what did they know? Obviously not enough.

Tags Cannabis, High Times, Kraig Fox, warren bobrow

Interviews

Five Succinct Questions With Michael Steinmetz- Founder: Flow Kana

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date August 19, 2019

I’m a big fan of Flow Kana. They have taken the axiom of outdoor grown, sun drenched cannabis flowers and given the word craft, at least in the cannabis world new meaning. Craft cannabis means micro-farming in smaller amounts, not massive corporate grows. Craft cannabis means to me the similar approach to craft spirits. Something hand-made, with love. Flow Kana empowers the small growers with the art and science of cannabis growing. They have given new meaning to the word, craft.

Michael Steinmetz COURTESY: MICHAEL STEINMETZ

Tags Cannabis, Flow Kana, Michael Steinmetz, warren bobrow

Uncategorized

Cannabis Education, Empowerment, and an Epiphany, by Leta Soza

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date July 31, 2019

Growth Marketing Strategist | Cannabis, Wellness, Future of Food

Last week was a veritable whirlwind of cannabis education, empowerment, and epiphanies.
All in a week’s work, amirte?!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cannabis-education-empowerment-epiphany-leta-soza

Tags Cannabis, Leta Soza, warren bobrow

Interviews

Five Questions With Scott Riefler-Chief Science Officer: SoRSE

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date July 23, 2019

RSR Photo 1206 COURTESY: SCOTT RIEFLER

Background on Scott Riefler, Chief Science Officer:

Scott Riefler has over 40 years of cultivating and commercializing scientific and technological resources. He has spent the last 20 years translating his experience and applying it to food system innovation, literally bringing rocket science into the kitchen – and now cannabis. He has been with SoRSE since 2017, where he and his team developed a key water born platform for cannabinoid oils for the edible industry

Tags Cannabis, Scott Riefler, SoRSE

Interviews

Five Charismatic Questions With Kyle Sherman, Founder And CEO: Flowhub

Post author By Warren_Bobrow
Post date July 18, 2019

Kyle Sherman COURTESY: FLOWHUB

Kyle Sherman is the Founder and CEO of Flowhub. A legalization advocate and entrepreneur, Kyle continually defines the company vision, strategy, and growth as Flowhub innovates the way cannabis retailers manage complex compliance mandates, supply chain data, sales transactions, and reporting. Kyle brings extensive cannabis industry experience to Flowhub, with previous experience working with notable brands such as Dixie Elixirs, Weedmaps, and Neos Vape Pens as a Chief Compliance Officer. Kyle has been named a Top 100 Cannabis Leader by Entrepreneur Magazine, 30 AND UNDER by Business Insider, and is an Associate Producer for the documentary “Weed the People” which aims to educate mainstream audiences about medical cannabis as a human rights issue. In 2014, Kyle lobbied the Colorado Department of Revenue to build the Metrc API, which is now the standard used for cannabis tracking in 11 markets. Kyle also serves as a Founding Director and Treasurer on the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF) board, an organization focused on building an inclusive industry and passing the STATES Act.

Tags Cannabis, Flowhub, Kyle Sherman, Metric API