Innovating Cannabis Podcast

The Mary Jane Society

Welcome to the Innovating Cannabis Podcast, where you will meet the people breaking barriers in the cannabis industry, both locally, nationally, and internationally, with a focus on business, entrepreneurship, cultivation, manufacturing, retail, brands, science, and policy. Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com

  1. Jul 19

    202_ National Hemp Assoc. Introduces Bill to Congress

    Few people have spent more time in Washington advocating for hemp than Geoff Whaling. Over the past decade, the former Canopy Growth hemp executive has helped shape hemp policy through the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills and is now involved in the debate over the 2026 Farm Bill. Rather than waiting for Congress to write the next hemp bill, Whaling and the National Hemp Association joined forces with industry leaders to draft one themselves. Called the Goodness of Hemp Act, the proposal would create a federal framework for hemp and cannabinoid products as an alternative to the November 2026 ban. After ten drafts and months of industry collaboration, the National Hemp Association is now taking the proposal to Capitol Hill in search of congressional sponsors. In this episode, Geoff explains how a bill makes its way through Congress, what lawmakers are saying about cannabinoids and dosage limits, and why he believes the industry's best path forward is to "go low and go slow." https://www.thegoodnessofhemp.org/ The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.  Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com. LinkedIn   Twitter   Instagram Please like the show to help us reach more listeners🙏🏻   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    202_ National Hemp Assoc. Introduces Bill to Congress
  2. Jul 12

    201_Balancing Technology and Human Oversight in Cultivation

    Today's guest is Ryan Douglas, who brings more than 25 years of experience managing large-scale cultivation operations. Ryan is also the author of Presence is a Strategy, a new book that explores what happens when cultivation teams rely too heavily on technology and lose the human oversight that keeps operations running smoothly. Drawing from decades of experience, Ryan explains why leadership needs to be present on the cultivation floor, where small issues can be identified before they become expensive problems. He examines the hidden costs of deferred maintenance, disconnected HR decisions, an overreliance on dashboards, and management styles that push top performers out the door. Ryan offers practical insights into balancing technology with the experience and judgment that only people can provide. Ryan is the founder of Ryan Douglas Cultivation LLC and the host of Future Crop Files, a conversation series focused on real-world execution in controlled environment agriculture. Link to Ryan's book, Presence is a Strategy, on Amazon https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancultivation The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.  Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com. LinkedIn   Twitter   Instagram Please like the show to help us reach more listeners🙏🏻   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    201_Balancing Technology and Human Oversight in Cultivation
  3. Jul 3

    200_ The FDA Pathway for CBN: What It Means for Cannabis Supplements

    Alleh Lindquist is the CEO and co-founder of FloraWorks, a cannabinoid innovation company focused on bringing science-backed minor cannabinoids into the mainstream.  As a leading supplier of hemp-derived cannabinoids to manufacturers, FloraWorks has been at the forefront of CBN research and commercialization, including helping popularize CBN as an ingredient for sleep products.  Today, the company's biggest focus is charting a regulatory pathway for CBN as a dietary supplement. After spending four years developing the safety data needed for FDA review, FloraWorks recently published peer-reviewed research supporting CBN's safety and has self-affirmed it as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), with plans to submit its GRAS notification to the FDA.  As cannabis rescheduling continues to evolve, so does the opportunity to develop cannabis-based supplements and medicines. In this episode,  Alleh explains why scientific validation is essential, what it takes to navigate the FDA pathway, and how CBN could become one of the first cannabinoids to bridge the gap between the cannabis industry and mainstream consumer health products.  https://flora-works.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/allehlindquist The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.  Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com. LinkedIn   Twitter   Instagram Please like the show to help us reach more listeners🙏🏻   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    200_ The FDA Pathway for CBN: What It Means for Cannabis Supplements
  4. Jun 14

    198_ Is Peru the Next Hot Market for US Cannabis Brands?

    Is Peru the Next Hot Market for US Cannabis Brands? If you work with hemp, the market is about to open for import/export operations. Peru's medical cannabis framework dates to 2017, when cannabis was legalized for medicinal use, scientific research, and pharmaceutical production. Patient associations gained cultivation rights in 2021, though the market remained limited — by mid-2025, official records showed just 27 cannabis-related marketing authorizations, most for natural products rather than medicines. That's changing. A new law passed in December 2024 established the legal basis for industrial hemp below 1% THC. The draft regulation specifically addresses hemp derivatives in processed foods, beverages, supplements, and additives — with hemp edibles and beverages expected to be permitted as regulated food products. Today, we meet José Escalante, co-founder of Organnical, a telehealth platform, who has been working directly with Peruvian lawmakers to help shape the emerging framework. The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.  Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com. LinkedIn   Twitter   Instagram Please like the show to help us reach more listeners🙏🏻   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    198_ Is Peru the Next Hot Market for US Cannabis Brands?
  5. May 18

    195_ Inside the Bellrock Turnaround with Joe Bayern

    Episode 195_ Inside the Bellrock Turnaround with Joe Bayern Before entering cannabis in 2019, Joe Bayern spent more than 25 years in C-suite leadership across some of the biggest names in beverages, helping drive major turnarounds, global strategy, and brand-building at Snapple, Cadbury Schweppes, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Voss Water. He entered cannabis after recognizing the potential of early CBD beverage trends, initially helping take a California operator public before joining Curaleaf, where he led the company through explosive expansion from roughly $250 million in revenue to more than $1.2 billion in just over two years.. After leaving Curaleaf, Bayern set out to pursue what he sees as cannabis's long-term future: an asset-light, brand-focused business model. Most recently, he brought BellRock Brands out of receivership and is now leading its revival. Today, we talk with Joe Bayern about how he plans to bring legacy brands like Mary's Medicinals and Dixie Elixirs back into the marketplace. https://www.mmbrandsinc.com     The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.  Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com. LinkedIn   Twitter   Instagram Please like the show to help us reach more listeners🙏🏻   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    195_ Inside the Bellrock Turnaround with Joe Bayern

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Innovating Cannabis Podcast, where you will meet the people breaking barriers in the cannabis industry, both locally, nationally, and internationally, with a focus on business, entrepreneurship, cultivation, manufacturing, retail, brands, science, and policy. Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com

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