High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast
Hosts Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein serve up unfiltered insights, reveal their insiders' perspectives, and illuminate transformative ideas about the cannabis industry for people who want to make sense of it all.
Podcasting since 2023 • 111 episodes
High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast
Latest Episodes
#112 - Mapping Cannabis Patents, Power, And The Coming Wave Of Lawsuits w/ Dr. Ruth Fisher
We explore how local elections shape cannabis policy on the ground, then dive into the real map of cannabis patents with Dr. Ruth Fisher. She explains who holds the IP, why enforcement is scarce for now, and how one big verdict could change the...
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Episode 112
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52:34
#111 - How Hemp Beverages Are Rewriting Adult Drinking w/ Jeff Cantalupo of Listen Ventures
We explore how hemp-derived THC beverages are redefining adult drinking, why big brands hesitate while startups build, and how “vice wellness” turns ritual into wellness-driven status. Jeff Cantalupo of Listen Ventures shares what gets a VC to ...
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Episode 111
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55:12
#110 - High-Risk, High Fees: Why Cannabis Payments Are Still Broken w/ Aubrey Amatelli of PayRio
We unpack why cannabis retail still can’t run on normal card rails, how debit and alternative payments increase average tickets, and what federal legality would actually change. Aubrey Amatelli of PayRio shares data, pitfalls, and a playbook fo...
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Episode 110
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53:43
#109 - How Uncle Arnie’s Is Scaling from Cannabis Cool to National Brand w/ Theo Terris, CEO
We dig into the rise of THC beverages from dispensary side racks to big-box end caps, then peel back how Uncle Arnie’s raised $7.5M, built distribution state by state, and scaled a team while staying scrappy. Theo shares lessons on dosage, educ...
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Episode 109
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52:58
#108 - Government Shutdown, Michigan's 24% tax hike, and Ben's Ode to California | Cannabis Business News Round-up
We unpack how a federal shutdown freezes cannabis policy progress, why Michigan’s new 24% tax risks shrinking the legal market, and how a Vireo–Schwazze restructuring signals financial maturity. We close with a live “Ode to California” challeng...
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Episode 108
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48:01