The Hybrid

The Hybrid Podcast
  • 5.0 (5)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Monthly

Welcome to The Hybrid — where cannabis policy, politics, and pop culture collide. Hosted by former state regulators Shawn Collins (MA) and Erik Gundersen (ME), this podcast brings insider perspective to the evolving world of cannabis: from regulatory rollouts and federal rescheduling to cultural trends shaping the industry’s next era. Every episode, Shawn and Erik unpack the forces defining modern cannabis — law, markets, and media — with sharp insight, humor, and experience from the inside. 🎙️ Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes moments.

  1. Aug 17

    #22 | The Fight to Stop the Repeal with Massachusetts' Ryan Dominguez

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Ryan Dominguez of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition for a conversation about Question 8, the November ballot measure that would repeal adult-use cannabis legalization in Massachusetts. Ten years after voters passed Question 4, Massachusetts has one of the most established cannabis markets in the country: hundreds of licensed businesses, tens of thousands of jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to state programs and host communities. Question 8 would unwind it — and make Massachusetts the first state ever to dismantle a functioning, regulated adult-use market by popular vote. Ryan joins The Hybrid to talk about his path from the State House to founding the Coalition, how the repeal effort qualified for the ballot while much of the industry was not paying attention, and what we know about the out-of-state organization and funding behind it. The conversation walks through exactly what Question 8 would do: what a yes vote and a no vote actually mean, the rollback of possession limits, the recriminalization of home grow, and why repeal would devastate the medical program along with the adult-use market it targets — roughly 80 percent of the market, and medical deserts for patients across the Commonwealth. Shawn, Erik, and Ryan also dig into what is at stake: more than 20,000 jobs, roughly $300 million a year in tax revenue, a $30-million-a-year Social Equity Trust Fund, and the life savings of small business owners with no federal bankruptcy protections to fall back on. From there, the conversation turns to the campaign itself: how Stop the Repeal is building a grassroots education effort in a low-turnout year, why communities that currently prohibit cannabis retail may decide the outcome, the danger of complacency among supporters of legalization, what businesses and listeners can do to help, and Ryan's message for undecided voters. This episode is about Massachusetts, but it is also about every legal state: if repeal works here, it will not stay here. Take the pledge, volunteer, or get campaign materials at https://NoOn8MA.com 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: Massachusetts cannabis, Question 8, cannabis repeal, Stop the Repeal, Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, Ryan Dominguez, cannabis legalization, ballot question, adult-use cannabis, medical cannabis, possession limits, home grow, social equity, Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund, cannabis jobs, cannabis tax revenue, host communities, voter education, cannabis policy, cannabis regulation, The Hybrid podcast

    #22 | The Fight to Stop the Repeal with Massachusetts' Ryan Dominguez

  2. Jul 1

    #21 | The Future of Cannabis Regulation with California's Christina Dempsey

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Christina Dempsey of the California Department of Cannabis Control for a conversation about the future of cannabis regulation. California is the largest cannabis market in the country, but it is also one of the most complicated: a long medical cannabis history, a deep legacy market, local control, public safety concerns, industry compliance challenges, and constant pressure from both state and federal policy developments. Christina joins The Hybrid to talk about her path into cannabis regulation, her work at California DCC, and what it takes to help oversee a market this large and complex. The conversation covers California’s regulatory evolution, coordination across agencies, the realities of legislative and policy work, and the role of public trust in cannabis oversight. The episode also explores California’s use of technology, including the Cannabis Product Image Analyzer, an AI-powered tool designed to help assess cannabis labels, packaging, and marketing for potential child-appealing features. Shawn, Erik, and Christina discuss what AI can do in a regulatory setting, what it cannot do, and why human judgment still matters. From there, the conversation turns to rescheduling, interstate commerce, federal and state policy uncertainty, and how regulators should prepare for a future where cannabis markets may eventually become more connected across state lines. Finally, Christina joins Shawn and Erik for The Regulator Draft, where each person identifies foundational policies they would prioritize if they were building a cannabis regulatory system from scratch. 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: California cannabis, cannabis regulation, California Department of Cannabis Control, Christina Dempsey, cannabis policy, AI in cannabis oversight, Cannabis Product Image Analyzer, cannabis labeling, cannabis packaging, interstate commerce, rescheduling, cannabis testing, track-and-trace, social equity, data transparency, public safety, consumer protection, The Hybrid podcast

    #21 | The Future of Cannabis Regulation with California's Christina Dempsey

  3. Jun 7

    #20 | Would You Rather Regulate? Cannabis Policy Nightmares

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies go guest-free for a looser, host-only episode of The Hybrid about the messy middle of cannabis legalization. The conversation starts in Virginia, where adults can legally possess cannabis but still do not have a regulated adult-use retail market. Shawn and Erik unpack what happens when legalization moves faster than implementation, why legal possession without legal access creates an unfinished policy framework, and how delay can make the eventual regulatory job even harder. From there, they play “Would You Rather Regulate?” and work through a series of uncomfortable cannabis policy choices: oversupply versus market concentration, THC beverages versus consumption lounges, hated seed-to-sale systems versus limited market visibility, lab integrity issues versus youth-appeal packaging, and legislatures that either change the law constantly or refuse to fix obvious problems. This episode is a little more fun, a little more unfiltered, and still grounded in the real work of cannabis regulation: enforcement, product safety, market design, political pressure, and the tradeoffs that come with building a system in public. 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: cannabis legalization, cannabis regulation, Virginia cannabis, adult-use cannabis, cannabis retail, market structure, oversupply, hemp beverages, THC beverages, consumption lounges, seed-to-sale tracking, cannabis testing, packaging, cannabis policy, The Hybrid podcast

    #20 | Would You Rather Regulate? Cannabis Policy Nightmares

  4. May 7

    #19 | From Wild West to Working System: Adria Berry on Regulating Oklahoma Cannabis

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Adria Berry, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, to talk about regulating one of the most closely watched cannabis markets in the country. Adria reflects on stepping into Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program during a period of explosive growth, enforcement pressure, and public scrutiny. The conversation explores what it took to build OMMA into a standalone agency, how the state responded to oversupply and illicit market concerns, and what regulators actually confront when an industry matures in real time. They also discuss the changing relationship between state and federal cannabis policy, the implications of Schedule III, and what Adria has learned serving as President of the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA). This episode is a candid look at leadership, public service, and the difficult balance between access, enforcement, and accountability in modern cannabis regulation. 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: Oklahoma cannabis, OMMA, cannabis regulation, enforcement, illicit market, Schedule III, cannabis policy, CANNRA, medical marijuana, The Hybrid podcast

    #19 | From Wild West to Working System: Adria Berry on Regulating Oklahoma Cannabis

  5. Apr 14

    #18 | From Pickles to Plants - Willy Vlasic on Building a Trusted Brand and Cannabis’s Hard Truths

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Willy Vlasic, founder of Vlasic Labs, to talk about building a cannabis brand with a name people already trust. Willy shares how he came up in cannabis from the ground level, why he chose not to chase the intoxicating hemp boom, and what it takes to build something durable in a fragmented, highly regulated market. The conversation also explores how cannabis compares to traditional consumer brands and where the industry is heading next. They also discuss Willy’s commitment to criminal justice reform through the Last Prisoner Project, including his advocacy around the case of jailed basketball player Jarred Shaw. 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: cannabis industry, hemp vs cannabis, CBD, brand building, consumer trust, cannabis policy, criminal justice reform, Vlasic Labs, The Hybrid podcast https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/ https://www.forgottenprisoner.org/ https://freedomgrow.org/

    #18 | From Pickles to Plants - Willy Vlasic on Building a Trusted Brand and Cannabis’s Hard Truths

  6. Mar 20

    #17 | Cannabis Receiverships: Why Cannabis Businesses Fail and How Restructuring Works

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Jacques Santucci, founder of Opus Consulting, to unpack a side of the cannabis industry that rarely makes the headlines but is becoming increasingly common as markets mature: financial distress. Cannabis businesses are operating in a demanding environment. Wholesale prices have compressed in many states, capital has tightened, taxes remain high, and regulatory costs continue to shape the economics of running a licensed operation. Even capable operators can find themselves under serious pressure. Jacques works directly inside those moments. Through Opus Consulting, he advises cannabis companies, lenders, and investors on strategy, restructuring, and receiverships when businesses need to stabilize operations, protect assets, or prepare for sale. The conversation walks through why cannabis companies end up in distress, the warning signs owners often ignore too long, and how receiverships actually work inside a licensed and highly regulated industry. They also explore the role regulators play when a cannabis license holder runs into financial trouble and what policymakers should understand about the realities of distressed operators. They close by stepping back from individual cases to look at what the rise in restructurings says about the cannabis industry more broadly, including consolidation, operational discipline, and the next phase of market maturity. 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: cannabis industry restructuring, cannabis receiverships, distressed cannabis companies, cannabis business strategy, cannabis regulation, cannabis finance, regulated markets, industry consolidation, Opus Consulting, The Hybrid podcast

    #17 | Cannabis Receiverships: Why Cannabis Businesses Fail and How Restructuring Works

  7. Mar 2

    #16 | Designing Cannabis Policy in the Age of AI

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Mackenzie Slade of Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) to unpack a phrase that gets thrown around in every cannabis hearing and rulemaking: “evidence-based policy.” They get specific. What does evidence look like when the best data is observational, the politics is loud, and the market evolves faster than regulators can write rules? The conversation moves through cannabis regulatory science, including emerging work using AI to approximate human affect ratings of cannabis imagery, and what that could mean for advertising review, compliance, and defensibility. From there, they dig into randomized controlled trials and why trial design matters for policy levers that actually move behavior, including taxes, labeling, and consumer trust. Switzerland’s adult-use public health experiments come up as a case study in what policy looks like when government treats research as infrastructure, not window dressing. They close with hemp through late 2026. Demand exists. Channels are shifting. Definitions and enforcement will decide who captures the spend, and who gets squeezed. Referenced in this episode:AI Study (medRxiv preprint): https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.14.25339699Swiss RCT Study Design (Frontiers in Psychiatry): https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139325Swiss RCT Outcomes (Addiction): https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70080Verasight (representative sampling firm): https://www.verasight.io/ 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: cannabis regulatory science, evidence-based policy, AI and compliance, cannabis advertising rules, randomized controlled trials, policy experimentation, labeling and consumer trust, hemp-derived THC, market demand, regulatory governance, CPPC, The Hybrid podcast

    #16 | Designing Cannabis Policy in the Age of AI

  8. Feb 13

    #15 | Inside Cannabis Analytics - How Regulators Really Spot Risk

    Shawn Collins of THC Group and Erik Gundersen of ERG Strategies sit down with Adam Crabtree, Founder and CEO of NCS Analytics, to talk about a problem every cannabis regulator eventually runs into: the market generates mountains of data, but oversight still comes down to judgment, prioritization, and the ability to spot risk early. They break down what seed-to-sale tracking does well, where it creates false confidence, and why analytics is becoming the next layer of regulatory infrastructure. The conversation explores how anomaly detection and risk-based tools can help agencies focus inspections and investigations, surface potential diversion and tax irregularities, and translate messy operational signals into actionable oversight. They also dig into the harder questions. What happens when the data is incomplete or inconsistent? Where do dashboards mislead? How should agencies balance automation with human discretion? And what does effective, credible regulation look like when staff and resources are always finite? It’s an episode about scale, accountability, and the future of cannabis governance, told through the lens of the data systems quietly shaping how markets are supervised. Learn more about NCS Analytics: https://ncsanalytics.com 🎧 New episodes drop regularly. Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for updates. 🔎 Topics: cannabis analytics, seed-to-sale tracking, cannabis regulation, compliance analytics, diversion detection, cannabis taxation, risk indexing, regulatory oversight, data governance, enforcement strategy, NCS Analytics, The Hybrid podcast

    #15 | Inside Cannabis Analytics - How Regulators Really Spot Risk
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Hybrid — where cannabis policy, politics, and pop culture collide. Hosted by former state regulators Shawn Collins (MA) and Erik Gundersen (ME), this podcast brings insider perspective to the evolving world of cannabis: from regulatory rollouts and federal rescheduling to cultural trends shaping the industry’s next era. Every episode, Shawn and Erik unpack the forces defining modern cannabis — law, markets, and media — with sharp insight, humor, and experience from the inside. 🎙️ Follow @TheHybridPod on Instagram for exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes moments.

Information

  • Creator
    The Hybrid Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Hybrid Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Hybrid