
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.
Episodes
79 episodes
#080 - The Cannabis Industry is in a Knife Fight - Who Survives? w/ Jerry Derevyanny, Partner @ Bengal Capital
In todayโs discussion, we explore the evolution of Bengal Capital from a hedge fund to a more hands-on private equity firm that doesn't just invest but actively participates in stee...
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Episode 80
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1:01:40

#079 - Launching a THC Beverage with Hippie Water ft. CEO, Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer, and CPO, Taylor Eileen Sewell
๐ฟ๐๏ธ ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฌ?! ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง! ๐ผ๐โ๏ธJoin hosts Ben & AnnaRae on High Spirits as they dive in...
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Episode 79
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57:23

#078 - Cannabis Business News Roundup: Tariff Impacts, Business Fundamentals, MSOs Hedge with Hemp Bev, and the Texas Hemp Ban
Note to our listeners: Apologies for the poor sound quality on this episode. We experienced a bit of a technical snafu in the recording. We will be back on track next week!๐๐๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฉ!๐ฟ
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Episode 78
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51:42

#077 - Multi-State Brand Building with Miss Grass w/ CEO and Co-Founder, Kate Miller
Join Ben Larson & AnnaRae Grabstein on High Spirits as they explore the journey of transforming a hemp marketplace and media site ...
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Episode 77
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48:43

#076 - High Tech, High Returns: The Evolution of Cannabis Retail w/ Chris Violas, CEO of Blaze
Join Ben & AnnaRae on High Spirits as we delve into the world of cannabis retail with
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Episode 76
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59:01

#075 - Legacy of Cannabis Cultivation and Bringing Sungrown to Market w/ Scott Vasterling of Humboldt Family Farms
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๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฟJoin us on this week's episode of High Spirits: The Cannabis Business Podcast, where we delve deep into the verdant fields of Humboldt County...
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Episode 75
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54:01

#074 - Understanding Receivership & Bankruptcy in Cannabis & Hemp w/ Ted Lanes
Tune in to our next episode of ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ as we unravel the complexities of receivership and the intricacies of bankruptcy within the cannabis and hemp industries. We're joined by Ted Lanes,...
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Episode 74
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52:29

#073 - Reaching Peak Performance in 2025 w/ Melanie Curtis, Performance Coach and World Record-Holding Pro Skydiver
๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฟDive into a thrilling new episode of ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ as we explore the intersection of peak performance in high-stakes environments with Melanie Curtis, a prof...
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Episode 73
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55:24

#072 - Flying High with Hemp Beverages in 2025 w/ Craig 'Lewie' Lewis, CEO of Flyers Cocktail Co.
๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ'๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ค๐ฌ! Join us for the first episode of the year on ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐จ, where we scope out the evolving world of cannabis beverages through the lens of Craig (Lewie) Lewis ๐ฅ๐, the CEO & Co-Founder of Flyers Cocktail Company....
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Episode 72
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52:27

#071 - End of Year Wrap-Up: Vireo's Bold Moves, Rise of Hemp Beverages, and 2025 Predictions
What if the latest moves by a major cannabis company could set off a chain reaction across the entire industry? Unravel the implications of Vireo's strategic transformation under the astute leadership of Tyson McDonald. We dive into the latest ...
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Episode 71
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52:52

#070 - MJBizCon Recap: Ben & AnnaRae catch-up on everything from Disneyland Magic to THC-Infused parties
๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ: ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฟJoin us for a special episode of High Spirits, where your hosts Ben &
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Episode 70
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45:32

#069 - Cannabis Business News Roundup: MN fumbles social equity, GTI bets big on bev, Senate draft of Farm Bill drops, and more | November 21, 2024
๐๐๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐-๐ฎ๐ฉ!๐ฟIt's been another eventful week in the world of cannabis, and we're excited to talk about it. In this week's episode, we discuss...๐จ Minnesota's botc...
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Episode 69
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37:07

#068 - The Future of Cannabis Tech w/ Socrates Rosenfeld, CEO of Jane Technologies
Explore the cutting-edge world of cannabis technology with Socrates Rosenfeld, the CEO and co-founder of Jane Technologies. Prepare to be intrigued by the potential shifts in federal cannabis reform as we discuss the surprising nomination of Ma...
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Episode 68
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53:56

#067 - Election Recap w/ Returning Guest, Hirsh Jain of Ananda Strategy
Join Ben and AnnaRae on Thursday for a special post-election recording of High Spirits as we unpack Tuesday's election results, focusi...
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Episode 67
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58:12

#066 - At the Helm of North America's #1 Edibles Brand w/ Joe Hodas, President at Wana Brands
Join us for this week's recording of ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐, where we're diving into the intricate world of Wana Brands, North America's leading edibles brand. We're sitting down with
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Episode 66
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53:24

#065 - Launching the Coalition of Adult Beverage Alternatives w/ Diana Eberlein
Curious about the exciting world of cannabis beverages and how it's reshaping consumer habits? We sit down with Diana Eberlein, a leading figure in the industry and current president of the Cannabis Beverage Association. Diana shares her journe...
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Episode 65
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57:01

#064 - The Watchful Eye of Seth Yakatan
Seth Yakatan, a key player and influencer in cannabis finance and M&A, joins us to unravel the financial intricacies of the cannabis industry. Gain invaluable insights as Seth shares his extraordinary journey from health and wellness to bec...
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Episode 64
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59:48

#063 - CEO Roundtable at Benzinga w/ Sunderstorm, Prelude, Speedwell, Wolf Meyer, & Vertosa
What if cannabis businesses could harness the power of AI to revolutionize their operations? Join us as we uncover this fascinating intersection and other topics in our first CEO roundtable following the close of Benzinga Chicago with industry ...
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Episode 63
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56:37

#062 - Blunt Banter with Ben & AnnaRae | Meadowlands, Hemp Beverages, Reinventing Yourself, Harborside, Port Workers Strike, Trulieve Defamation Suit
Let's be honest, it's been a solid run of shows this year for two busy CEO's self-producing and coordinating (and writing these descriptions). Travel schedule has definitely ramped back up and we somehow got to the beginning of this week and ha...
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Episode 62
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52:51

#061 - Cannabis Business News Roundup w/ Guest Co-Host, Jeremy Berke
Jeremy Berke, founder and editor-in-chief of Cultivated Media, joins us this week as our guest co-host. Despite juggling cannabis news coverage and MBA studies, Jeremy takes time out to share his experience and expertise in the space. Jeremy gi...
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Episode 61
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50:45

#060 - Howdy! The Texas Hemp Takeover w/ Ben Meggs, CEO of Bayou City Hemp, Howdy, 8th Wonder...
๐ฑ๐๏ธ Join Ben & AnnaRae as we saddle up for another deep dive into the Texa...
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Episode 60
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55:27

#059 - Demystifying Metrc and the Multi-Sided Platform Business w/ CEO, Michael Johnson
๐ฟ๐๏ธ Join Ben & AnnaRae this week as we explore the intricate world of cannabis compliance with
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Episode 59
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58:45

#058 - The First 30 Days After Launch ๐ w/ Tahir Johnson, CEO of Simply Pure Trenton
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๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ ๐ฟJoin Ben & AnnaRae on
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Episode 58
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57:25

#057 - Blunt Banter with Javier Hasse of Benzinga & El Planteo
Could the fragmented cannabis market in Latin America be the next big thing for savvy investors? Join us as we uncover the secrets of this untapped market with our special guest, Javier Hasse, the Managing Director at Benzinga and founder of El...
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Episode 57
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57:32

#056 - Building and Rapidly Scaling in Public with Brฤz w/ CEO and Founder, Aaron Nosbisch
Imagine launching your first business at just 13 years old. That's precisely what our special guest, Aaron Nosbisch, did, and his entrepreneurial spirit has only grown since. Aaron, now the founder and CEO of Breeze and Lucyd Media, joins us fr...
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Episode 56
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55:54
