From Outsider To Connector

SPEAKER_01 0:00

It it's worth the thought that I don't come from legacy. I don't come from the roots of this industry, but it doesn't mean that I can't lean into people that do and provide a connection point there. And that's an active thing for me as well is how do we speak to everybody? How do we provide value to everybody and not an audience that some would say is what they would expect? Because I think we have grown past that. Right. And I think I'm always thinking about how can we grow? How can we change? How can we live in what we do and grow from there, add layers on of value? It's exciting. I think it starts in fear and ends in excitement nine to five every day.

Ben Larson 1:05

And I'm Anna Ree Grabstein. And we're recording Tuesday, March 17th, 2026. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

AnnaRae Grabstein 1:14

Woohoo! The leprechauns in the house.

Ben Larson 1:17

Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I saw I saw this. Uh my my friend posted this uh meme in in one of our group chats. It says, Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, except Italians. Italians are still Italian. Which neither of us are Irish or Italian, so I guess we can laugh at all of it.

AnnaRae Grabstein 1:36

All of it, for sure. I mean, I gotta give it to St. Patrick's Day, is that it's come a long way since we were kids. It is full-on activation in the schools with leprechauns coming and oh my god, it's up on the shelf status in our in our house right now. Yeah, we didn't do anything in my house. I I'm not a leprechaun, although I put on a green a green jacket today for you guys. So that's about all you get from me.

Ben Larson 1:59

You look good. You look good.

AnnaRae Grabstein 2:01

Oh thanks. Yeah, you're not wearing any green. I would pinch you uh through the zoom.

Ben Larson 2:05

It is all green. It's just my my maybe my white balance is off. But this is green, there's green up here, there's a clover on there. I got green wristbands. Okay, we're all set.

California Beverage Cap And Federal Fights

AnnaRae Grabstein 2:15

And you won't get you won't get pinched, I promise. So what's what's going on in your life? How's the world?

Ben Larson 2:20

Oh, what's going on in my life? Um, you know, uh just the same old same old um dealing with California legislation. That's the recent thing. Uh the California cannabis industry continues to get uh pinched. The the beverage, um, there's a beverage bill that was just released. We'll get into the details probably next week, but um, Jackie Irwin, we mentioned this uh earlier on on a different episode, but they're trying to cap beverages in the regulated channel at 10 milligrams per container, which uh, by the numbers, are not a huge proportion of what's being sold in dispensaries, and I think we all know that. So uh that's occupying my brain right now, in addition to the ongoing federal fight.

AnnaRae Grabstein 3:05

Well, you and your business are just taking it from all sides because you work in hemp and in regulated cannabis, so you're just like a full glutton for all the punishments, I guess.

Ben Larson 3:14

We we we've chosen this path, is what I wake up and tell myself every morning. And because it's St. Patrick's Day, I was rocking out to dropkick Murphy's uh this morning. I don't know. You you talked about Love and Skater Boys back in the day. This is one of the bands that I was listening to back in back in junior high school. Um, but there's some really great songs that were like, I'm like, oh, this is kind of like pertains to the industry. One of them is like Warriors Code. Um, what was the other one? Uh oh, the hardest mile. And it's just like, oh yeah, it's like this this punk rock. You just gotta keep going, you gotta stay true to your code, you gotta just like power through and remember who you are, and and you will get to the promised land. So um love that. Yeah, I'm here for it.

AnnaRae Grabstein 3:57

Yeah, well, the promised land is where I'm headed. Um, I am headed down to Ventura to the Hall of Flowers uh B2B retail brand cannabis event. Um, Ventura is an awesome coastal city kind of between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, for those that don't know. And um, I'm taking my sprinter camper van on the road to cruise down there and um check out what's hottest in California, which feels like the promised land when you get to camp on the beach and check out all the cannabis brands that are um activated in the market here. So I'm looking forward to to seeing folks and um yeah, it should be fun.

Ben Larson 4:38

Yeah, I'm I'm I'm I'm really happy to see that Hall of Flowers is still going strong, right? There was a a pretty depressing period here in in the California market, and it was uncertain as to whether uh the local California events were gonna continue to go on. You know, there's a lot of MSOs that were leaving the state. There was investors that were not paying attention to California anymore, and it was it was like, is it just gonna be a wasteland? But there's actually a good amount of energy, and and I feel like more people are going uh down to Hall of Flowers and being vocal about it than even in years past. So uh hopefully a good sign for for the rebounding of the of the California market and also a sign, and we'll get to this later in the show because of our guest uh that's coming on, but um this need for kind of these local events that that really pull the community together. So um the cannabis industry has always been about community, and it seems that that continues continues to be true.

AnnaRae Grabstein 5:35

So true. Well, so then let's quickly get through our news update so that we can bring on our guest, uh, who just if you didn't pick it up, um, is Elliot Lane from Ignite It, formerly of Benzinga Cannabis. So we're gonna be uh talking a lot about events today. But before that, um our first story is about the FDA. Uh FDA submitted a new CBD enforcement policy to the White House for review, focused on how cannabis-derived products, especially hemp and CBD, will be regulated moving forward. Uh, we don't have any details yet, but it's a significant signal that the federal rules about CBD may finally be taking shape after so many years of absolute gray, uh gray area.

Ben Larson 6:25

So um I is it I I'm curious if it's just about CBD or if it's about the cannabinoid list that they were instructed to um to define as a part of the executive order at the end of last year. Either way, any sort of progress, hopefully it's progress, uh, you know, moving forward would be great. Uh this will be interesting. You know, we we have a good friend that circulates around the uh the cannabis conferences, uh, a senior advisor to the to the FDA. Uh this will be telling about how effective he's actually been, you know, in in those conversations and and if we've actually made progress with the FDA. So um I'm not exactly holding my breath, but it is nice to know that things have been moving in the background, even if it hasn't been public. I know the FDA has been taking a lot of heat, at least in the LinkedIn sphere, for not taking action directly on schedule, but perhaps they did behind the scenes.

AnnaRae Grabstein 7:25

Uh so yeah, I I think that this could mean that some of today's hemp derived products could get pushed into a compliance framework that could create a lot of clarity uh or be pushed out entirely. Uh so yeah, we're we are excited.

Ben Larson 7:41

Or they could just uh dig their heels in and say, yeah, CBD's not allowed in food. Which would suck. I don't know why I'm laughing. That's awkward laughter, folks.

AnnaRae Grabstein 7:53

So story number two, uh Virginia moving closer to legal cannabis sales, uh, sort of again, uh lawmakers have reached a deal on a bill to legalize recreational cannabis sales and sent it to the governor's desk. The agreement creates a full framework for a regulated market, including licensing, taxes, and consumer protections with a target launch date of January 1st, 2027, which is enormously fast. And this is really notable because Virginia legalized possession back in 2021, but the sales have been stalled um for years due to political gridlock and vetoes. So this is a really big deal because legalization on paper versus actual market access are very different things. And um, this is a really exciting market. There's five million people in Virginia who likely have either been purchasing cannabis on the illicit market or going to a a neighboring state. So big news. Welcome to the party, Virginia.

Ben Larson 8:57

Yeah, only took six years. Um, but if there's a if there's a takeaway here, um generally the federal government does move slower uh than state level governments. And so if it's taking a state level government six years to put in a legal framework, you can only imagine how long it takes to move conversations forward at the federal level. So if we do see anything, especially from from the hemp side of the conversation this year, uh that would essentially be lightning fast.

unknown 9:29

Yeah.

Snoop Trademark Reality Check

AnnaRae Grabstein 9:31

Story number three. This one is a fun one because we love to talk about Snoop anytime. Snoop Dogg. Yeah, what's up, Snoop? Uh, Snoop Dogg can't trademark smoke weed every day. Uh, he was recently denied a federal trademark for the phrase smoke weed every day, one of the most iconic lines in cannabis culture. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application for two main reasons. The first is that cannabis is still federally illegal, so trademarks tied to it face major limitations. And the second is that the phrase itself is too widely used. It's become a part of mainstream culture, not something uniquely tied to Snoop's brand. In other words, it's so popular that it no longer functions as a distinct brand identifier. So sorry, Snoop. Uh, if people know he Snoop does have uh some retail dispensaries that are called Swede, smoke weed every day. Um but yeah, sorry, Snoop.

Ben Larson 10:32

Yeah, you know, I I'm a big fan of Mr. Dog. Uh been listening to his music for many decades now, unfortunately. Um and I little known fact, uh that that phrase that we all know from from Dr. Dre's the next episode uh was actually Nate Dog at the end. Rest in peace. Um, so it wasn't Snoop Dogg if you're saying, oh, he's so known for it, because I know that's running through some of your heads, he's not. That was Nate Dog, not Snoop Dogg, but yeah, much love, Mr. Snoop.

Elliot Lane On Ignite It

AnnaRae Grabstein 11:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. Well, let's um cue up our guest. Today's guest is Elliot Lane, who many of you have met, seen around, and will recognize. He's a media and events leader who spent the last several years at the center of cannabis networking and community building, helping build Benzinga's cannabis vertical from the ground up, um, eventually leading product and sales for the conferences and turning them into some of the most important rooms that many of us have been in. And today he is bringing that same energy as a co-founder and president of Ignite It, a media and events company that is carrying the Benzinga torch, focused on emerging markets and flagship cannabis events, designed to bring the right people together in an intentional and high-impact way. Um, before that, Elliot was managing high-volume restaurants in New York City and pursuing a career as an actor and a musician, which honestly probably explains some of his natural ability to connect and read a room and create energy wherever he goes. So, Elliot, thanks so much for joining us today. Welcome to High Spirits.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Thanks for having me. Anna Ray, Ben. Um I have definitely listened to the pod before, but some of this news is amazing. But Ben, that that awkward laugh had me rolling, man. I can't help it. It's just in me. I appreciate you all having me on. Thank you so much. It's good to see you all again.

Ben Larson 12:30

You too, man. Yeah. I'm really excited to dive in this conversation. You know, uh Benzinga was the Benzinga events, especially like Miami and Chicago, those were really like turning into like mainstays in in the conference schedule. And and right as I was starting to lock it in in my head, is like, oh, we're going to these every year, there was this big switch that happened. And I'm I would love to for you to provide whatever details you think would be interesting to to the audience or that you'd be willing to. Um, but also just like you know how that transition's been for you guys because um you guys had great momentum there, and from what I've seen at the Ignited conferences, um, it seems like it was pretty seamless.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Yeah.

Ben Larson 13:15

Although I know there's a lot of work behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, w we were working for a couple months before we even made the announcement uh on what was next for us, of course, right? But um, we're now at Ignite. Uh, we are no longer connected in any way to Benzinga. So, you know, that that's a common question I get is are are we still, you know, like you know, the sub-brand of Benzinga or or whatnot? Um, we are just founded by people, you know, who all come from Benzinga, including the founder of Benzinga, Jason Rasnik. Um, you know, he's our our our chairman here at Ignite it. He is um, you know, the reason we're able to do this. Um, and he was really the reason that Benzinga had a cannabis brand, right? He is all about providing value uh in unique, niche ways that you can't find anywhere else. And he does it really well. He made up the name Benzinga. I mean, you know, he the man's mind just rolls. Um, you know, but him and Javier Haas, who I know has been on this podcast before, and many of you all know, um, now leading editorial at High Times, leads our editorial, uh, has his own business, El Panteo, for Latin American uh focused cannabis uh content as well. Um you know, they founded the cannabis news desk of Benzinga 14 years ago, I think. Uh so Benzinga was covering cannabis news for a long, long time uh in the right in the regulated industry. Um Patrick came on um, I think roughly a few years after that, and they started doing cannabis webinars, virtual events in 2017, uh launched the cannabis capital conference in 2018. Uh, I came on for the second one and was there for 30 more. Um, you know, so you know, the the four of us, you know, are kind of the main impetus, um, you know, and several others along the way, wonderful people. Um, I was just joking uh with others, you know, we worked with people at Benzinga who went on to basically create sales teams around multiple fintechs and pretty notable companies in the fintech space, and here we are in cannabis media and events. So, you know, we took a left turn for sure. Um, you know, but ignite it gives us an opportunity. It gives us an opportunity to step away from the kind of large mainstream to an extent, maybe a bridge to mainstream media um perspective of cannabis and you know the willingness to participate in cannabis and say, no, we're gonna dive out, right? We're we're diving in deeper, and we're diving in deeper at a time when this industry needs it the most, in my opinion. Um, it's not easy. You know, I mean, every day you have to make a decision about what is going to help you be still working in cannabis and in that role at the same time next year, right? It's it's a very difficult time, but I think that's why our events have to be here uh to provide value uh in the ways that we were at Benzinga, even more so. And that value is driven around financial health. Uh, and I think that is also the big differentiator for us is we are here to better your financial health. We're here to offer connections to each other who are there to better your financial health. Um, and I think we are kind of the niche in that way. So I think if we weren't here, right, if we just said, hey, okay, we're done, what other event really provides that right now? I don't I you know I think there are some aspects of others that provide that, but I don't think anybody dives in as deep as we do to the capital conversations, to the investor conversations and beyond. So we felt it was a brand worth fighting for, worth keeping, you know, uh a community worth building. Uh, and that's why Ignited exists.

AnnaRae Grabstein 17:05

I am thrilled that you guys are continuing to do it. I have found tons of value from your events over the years. And at the same time, I really know how challenging the events business is. And even right now, as um, South by Southwest is happening, and it's been notable to me how much less of a presence cannabis has at South by Southwest as there has been in years past. And I think it's just indicative of a lot of challenges and also just the opportunity within cannabis as a business sector didn't materialize in venture in the same way that maybe folks did when they started bringing it to South by Southwest all these years ago. But so, and just also the performance of people showing up for the cannabis track at South by Southwest and things like that. And and um, and we've seen a few different event companies struggle across the cannabis space, and it hasn't been easy for anybody. Uh, you guys took this leap to become entrepreneurs and founders of kind of continuing something that you had already been doing, but doing it for yourself in a new way, which is taking a whole nother type of risk ultimately. Um I kind of want to hear from you like how you reconcile that risk and what to you are you trying to build that will tell you that you have a healthy business, the same way that you're trying to create an environment for the attendees to also leave with insights that their businesses can become more healthy.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Yeah, you know, ironically, I think the the model uh of what we built um actually started about a year and a half before we left Benzega. Um, you know, we started these one-day spotlights in early 2024 at a biotech research lab in Culver City next to the Sony film studios. Um I think that's what that's some film studio there in Culver City. Um you know, it it was a unique venture for us, but it showed us we were missing things in Chicago. We were missing gaps to fill uh at our domestic event that could be filled, maybe, could maybe couldn't be filled. Uh, you know, I think there are still, you know, questions there even now as to you know the need for domestic level events in this industry when it's so fragmented state by state. Um, and of course I argue that they are needed, but I think they have to have very specific uh value and ROI that's being produced. Um from there though, like we want to build an ecosystem of the not just the best operators, but the people who are building this industry from the ground up are working through the obstacles presented. I would absolutely say Vertosa, you know, is a great example of this, right? You know, you've been in this industry for how long been? Um, but you're presented with challenges in in 2025 and 2026 that we hoped would never be presented, right? You know, that you know, maybe we could predict maybe not, right? But it's been, I mean, this industry continues to throw barriers. Um, you know, and for us, being able to widen our network and find good businesses on the state level. Um, you know, I'll just, you know, a few to mind, you know, that we didn't really know before we started doing that. Lauren from Embark uh is, you know, an obvious one, right? I I adore her. Um, you know, but she's running a fabulous business and one of the hardest markets to run a fabulous business, right? And that to me was also there's a lot of operators we're not featuring. There's a lot of winning voices out there that were not featuring, right? So to me, there's a lot of growth there for us as a business, right? And and as somebody that can provide value to the industry because I can take my model of event, which focuses on connecting C-suites, decision makers, operators, you know, with applicable finance and financial institutions, with applicable uh regulatory voices, whether they're appointed officials or elected or or whatnot, there, uh, to give them the most valuable education possible, um, and and just create this ecosystem from California to Virginia to Maryland to New York to Ohio to Illinois, uh, of the people who are growing. Right. And I think that makes Ignite one of the most valuable communities out there, uh, is that we are we are making those connections and we are platforming those companies and we are getting their voices in our ecosystem and our platform, and they're growing with us. They like what we're doing and they want to come back. Uh, and that's something that we have modeled because. We're not asking anything of. Right? We're asking very little of operators to participate in our events. And that's something that we have also modeled is how do we just drive value? How do we lean on our partners who have been supporting us for years and say, hey, continue to support us and you're going to grow with us in a very value-driven way. Uh and and so far, you know, that that is taking shape, and it all to me comes to a point in Chicago.

Ben Larson 22:27

Yeah. I um I had the opportunity to participate in your Anaheim event. Um participate.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

You were the centerpiece, my man. I had a little something to say.

Ben Larson 22:39

Um but shortly thereafter, uh, you know, we got to go over to the DC event and it had just a completely different uh feel, uh, a different focus. Um, obviously the local operators are in a different stage of their trajectory. Um, I do love the opportunity that it does provide to like bring those local operators together and and give access to folks like myself that that do work multi-state. Um but you you're talking about creating value, and I would like to kind of get down into the tactical. Like when you look at a market like DC or New Jersey or Virginia or so on and so forth, like what are the questions you're asking to make sure that you're structuring it in a way that it is going to provide that that value and that that special kind of um vessel for for everyone that that's attending? Because like like I said, the DC and and Anaheim events were were were quite different and obviously different ends of the country, but like both incredibly valuable, both very full rooms. Um, and that must be hard to achieve. Um, so yeah, I'm I'm curious to like what are the actual steps that you're going through to make sure that you're delivering that.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

You know, it's I could take this question a lot of ways, Ben. Um, but I want to start with a very direct answer in the sense that um I I start by acknowledging I really have no idea what's happening in these markets. You know, I I don't know what's happening in California like you two do. Uh, and I don't pretend to. You know, for me, like a lot of people uh I think expect me to be or you know, us at Ignite it to have like some like expertise on the market. And I think it's more valuable for me to step back and say, no, I don't. Um, you know, and you know, for me, I lean on my network, I lean on our partners. Um, and obviously we want to provide value to them for for giving us the time and and brain power and you know, they're they're they're you know, them extending their networks for us, right? It's and I don't think that's anything new to events, but I think we're starting at a place that was already um pretty valuable with what we had built at Benzinga, because we took the entire cannabis business into Ignite, right? So we brought that network, we brought those lists, we brought um, you know, the names of the conferences, you know, we we took over the conversations with the venues. Uh, you know, so we we picked up where we left off, but it was also obviously adding in the we're re we're ignite it now, we're not Benzega, right? Um, so a little bit of rebranding, but you know, I think you know, we were also able to say, hey, these spotlights give us the opportunity to connect dots, um, and to say, let's start where the market is. Let's start with who's leading the market, right? Is it MSO heavy? Is it fully SSO with a slight MSO presence, i.e., like a Colorado. Um, you know, I know there are other MSOs there, but you know, I think of Virio, you know, that that's really the main one. Um, you know, with with California, it's mainly single state players, right? You know, so we try and meet the markets where they're at. Um, DC, different vibe, right? Obviously, because it's a lot of domestic policy content. However, you know, we met operators like um alternative solutions also. Um, no idea who that was before I I went there, right? But it's because we lean on our partners that we already have that will then say, hey, you should meet this guy. He knows everybody in Maryland, you know, and I'm like, great. Let me let me pick his brain and also give him a platform because people obviously respect him, right? So, you know, that platform, it doesn't necessarily have to be speaking, right? It can be, you know, mean a lot of different things. It can, you know, he can just be a partner, right? And drive his network to us in a value-additive way to him, right? But for me, it's leaning into those partnerships. And I don't need and I don't really want everybody to pay me, right? I want to grow with people. I want my partners to be benefiting from what we do as much as I do. Right. And and, you know, these are these all sound like cliche talking points, but I think if you looked internally at what we're doing, it's just that. Um, we're starting with the people that know what's happening in these markets. Um, you know, we lean on our partners to help us expand our networks. I'm in the process of doing that for Colorado right now. Um, you know, working with the people that I knew who live there, telling me, hey, who are the retailers that are doing well? Who are the brands that you see on every shelf? Um, you know, who would you drive two or three hours to hear speak? Right. Um, obviously Ian Siebe and Dominique Mendiola are top of the list. But, you know, past that, right, like what who matters in Colorado? That's who we need to be hearing from. And for me, if I can create a stage that just is pure education, um the events, the growth opportunity is almost obvious after that.

AnnaRae Grabstein 27:56

I love what you're saying because in some ways you're actually unlocking and giving folks that are listening kind of the secret sauce to what business development is all about. And when we were talking to you before we went live, you were talking about how you're really not a marketer. And um and I and I see that in what you're talking about. You're you're not focused on marketing, you're not talking about the campaigns to get the word out about your events, you're talking about how you kind of source the people that matter along the way and um and the way that you've built these events based on like one relationship after another. And uh I guess I want to talk about that more specifically because I think that business development and cracking open relationships in so many ways is is the key to much in B2B world. Um, but in particular to the people that are listening. Like, how how do we actually get the right people in the room? And so just own that. Own own kind of the way you that you tackle business development. And I want to hear about how you've done it. I mean, you're sitting in North Carolina, you're saying that, oh, I don't know anything about Colorado or I don't know anything about California, but but you're figuring out who the people are that are there. And so give give us give us the tricks.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Um you know, I think for me, I'm a media and events company. What people want from me is uh a space to provide the thought leadership and experience uh that they have collected over however many years they've been in this industry or even you know outside of the industry that they feel like they're bringing into the space. Um and for me, if that matches the ethos of the agenda I'm trying to put together, um, you know, that that's an easy value add. But I'll go back even further for you. Um, and I hope I'm not disrupting uh a flow or unspoken truth here. I I grew Benzinga cannabis with a podcast. Um you know, for me, I said, hey, um I can learn a lot more about this industry because I came, as you say, I came from hospitality, I came from uh you know an arts background, right? So I didn't come from the legacy industry, I didn't come from the events industry. Um I I stepped into a lowly kind of BDR role at Benzinga that sold fintech and and sponsored content and uh you know booths at events. Uh and eventually, you know, my cannabis network started to grow and grow. And with Javier, we launched the Cannabis Hour podcast, which became uh too long for us. So we did Cannabis Insider um for 30 minutes and then cannabis daily, but it it was about me kind of just expanding my network. That that was the win for me. And and then you know, the win for everybody else was obviously distribution through Benzinga's channels, right? But um I think I've always approached it like that. Like I I have something of value to give, but in return, you know, how can I leverage that, you know, goodwill, that network to grow and expand that to others, right? And then take that and and do a poor version of the movie Pay It Forward, where it's like one equals three, one equals three. Um, you know, and I think for me, it it's been 10 years of cold calling, it's been 10 years of connecting with people in this industry, and there are a lot of people that are not in this industry anymore that that I've connected with and grown with over the way. Uh, it took me years to get Ben Larson's email. Literal years to get Ben Larson's email. And I'm on a podcast with this man right now, it's a dream come true. Um so um like I I will say that he's vying for the that sequel already.

Ben Larson 31:48

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Hey, I'll take it. That and you wanted that podium, I'll come prepared next time. Yes, sir. But I'll say that you know, it leading with value, it's it's hard not to end in a conversation, right? It it's hard not to end in a place of continuation, whatever that means for your for a business that you all are running, you being the collective you. Um, you know, for me, if I can offer value that is legitimate to a pain point, I'm a sales guy, right? Uh I started in sales. I'm also, even when I'm talking to speakers, I'm I'm selling you travel costs, right? Like, you know, it I get it. Like it's time, it's it's money uh when people are taking their time out of my day. But what I'm offering is a really high level of connectivity uh in this space. I'm offering the opportunity to offer your thoughts or you know, to shake the right hands. And that offers immediate value. So I mean, but even if you're selling tech or SaaS, right, you should be leading with you know ways that like it is gonna solve direct pain points, right? And for me, I still think events, if it's not driving ROI or value from speakers to sponsors to attendees, why am I doing it? Uh you know, and that's how I lead every single call that I have.

Ben Larson 33:11

This this ethos that you're building about being so focused on creating value uh for the relationships that you're you're developing. Um, I also want to highlight that you know, NRA, the conversation that you and I had uh at MJ Biz uh this past year about how hard the industry is, and especially when it comes to to the media side and and how we have a lot of uh journalists that are diversifying away from the cannabis industry or or completely leaving it, and and we're we're having a bit of a dearth of of cannabis dedicated media. And um, I just want to give Ignited a shout out for for actually investing in this and making it a part of the platform because when it's backed by this ethos of of creating value, like I think that's really exciting to know that that's underpinning um the media feed that is is going to persist alongside the event series.

Cannabis Media Without More Noise

SPEAKER_01 34:10

Well, if I may, yeah, and I appreciate that very much, Ben. Um one thing we're trying to do is not add to the noise. Uh, and that's very important because there's not a I mean, there's there's a const constricting media here, but there's also not a ton of headlines right now. Right? You know, so like what you're getting in every newsletter you read is basically different perspectives on the same news, right? Like for me, I would want to say, hey, let me look at my two favorite newsletters, Shout Out Cultivated, uh, you know, like and a few others, right? Uh, but then you know, maybe listen to some perspectives like you all. Uh, but do I really want another newsletter with another perspective on the same headline? Probably not, right? And and we realize that. So when you look at that website, the whole left side is everybody's uh is everybody else's uh newsfeed. So it's marijuana moment. It's it's you know uh CB1 Capo, I can't remember their their cannabis media. Uh it's Rochelle and Green State, it's normal, right? It's basically becoming an industry dashboard, obviously with Ignited Insights there to compliment. Um, you know, but then it you know, for us, you know, you can search by topic ideally. And this is all right, we're we've already hold four events, we're working on two more right now, three in the fall, right? So it's step by step on making sure the site's built the right way. Um but hopefully it it's very targeted to business-to-business value. Little little sales uh for me right there. But I just want to say that you know even the website, you know, to your point, like is built on like how can we add something to the day? How can we add something to the life of everybody who's engaging with Ignited?

AnnaRae Grabstein 35:59

I'm I'm curious, as you're thinking about delivering all of this value, if there are events or platforms out there in other spaces or even in cannabis that you look to as models uh and inspirations for what you hope that this could be uh when it really is fully uh actualized in in you know the mind state of what the vision where it comes from.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Am I a terrible entrepreneur if I don't have like a direct answer to that? Um but like I think Jason would be very mad at me for that, because I think he'd tell you he loves the New York Post and how they have engaged readers and created um, you know, you know, obviously very clickable headlines. You're right, but like what they're covering isn't well, it isn't always clickbait. Um, you know, it's arguable if it if it's never clickbait. Um, you know, Patrick, I think probably, you know, he he comes more from that pharma world for the data world in terms of his event experience, right? So, you know, maybe he's looking at like a Yahoo Finance, right? You know, for me, I'm more engaged with the high times and cannabis media, right? Because that's been more my experience, but also morning brew as as it pertains to a newsletter. It's probably one of my staples for the last five years. Uh is, you know, kind of a a humorous, lighthearted take on crappy news headlines, right? Um, and it's it's basically saying, hey, do we have a personality? Who is ignited? What like what voice are we offering here? And I think for us, that's that's an that's a company question, not just a media question, right? And I think we built Benzinga Cannabis as a capital conference, as as a as a stock focused um media center that all that interest in stocks massively dried up. Um that goes without saying. So, you know, how do we shift? Is we became a space for executives. And if I'm looking at a particular site that says, hey, I speak to an audience really successfully, but it's not a big audience, I'm looking at like Politico. I mean, that their audience obviously is massive for their public content, but their targeted feeds are small and effective. Uh and you know, they they command what they what they do. And that to me is is what I look at ignited as like yeah.

AnnaRae Grabstein 38:34

Nice. I think BevNet's a good one that's worth looking at. I think they've really gone deep in their niche and then they have have expanded in some relevant ways, like with a little bit more of like a like their Nosh platform, I think, is more snacks, and then they've got a a more beer track. Uh we had uh one of their um one of their leadership team, Mart Martin Caballero, on and sounds like they've got about 35 people uh at BevNet, which is not nothing for a focused niche kind of B2B media platform that also does events. So that's when I would throw out there for you.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

I I will absolutely dive further into that. And it sounds it sounds pretty on point with what we're trying to do in the next few years, I think.

Ben Larson 39:21

Yeah. So I you know, you mentioned you you posed the question, like, am I a bad, you know, entrepreneur? And uh no, the answer is no. Um there's not not yet, at least. But I like I I want to dive into that that aspect. Like, this is like I believe your your first crack of the bat as an entrepreneur. You're you know, you were embedded at Benzinga, which had had kind of like a a big umbrella feel to it. Um, but now you're in it, and and I think that's like a special opportunity for you. Like we we were talking about this before we started uh recording. You know, you're you're one of the cannabis founders now, and I I'm curious as to how that feels, how it's different. You know, I I see the these things on the wall behind you, um, you know, uh father to to uh some young children, like what's it feel like to be all in?

SPEAKER_01 40:19

Um a mix of pure terror, um uh with imposter syndrome. Um, yeah, I mean we could keep going on there, but you know, I I have to remind myself that like we built something valuable, right? And I have to be confident in that because if I'm not, you know, it's you know, it permeates into to what we do. And I I think you know, as the conversations persist and as we reach every event, I'm a perfectionist, right? So I'm like, is this set, is this set, is this set? Like, or are they gonna get what they want, right? Are we gonna drive the people there that we said we're going to drive? Like, um, and then you know, Patrick's like, Elliot, chill the F out, right? Like, you know, he's the he's the level-headed one of us too. Um, you know, but you know, I think, you know, for me, I've always trained to be a little pedantic with that kind of stuff because uh it I feel like it hits harder in cannabis. And I think because of that, the reward is like is greater when things happen, right? Even from our New Jersey event, two days after a brand told us that they met a licensing partner in New Jersey. Um, you know, I I know deals happen. You know, I was on uh in a conversation with key investment partners. I think it was last year or the year before at our Chicago event, they got a five million dollar investment. Uh, and now they've recently restructured Mary's Medicinals and Dixie Brands and MM Brands, right? You know, so I I think what we have built um it is worth the the fear. You know, it's worth the thought that, you know, I don't come from legacy, I don't come from the roots of this industry, but it doesn't mean, you know, that I can't lean into people that do and provide a connection point there. Um, and that's an active thing for me as well, is how do we speak to everybody? How do we provide value to everybody and not, you know, an audience that some would say, you know, is what they would expect. Because I think we have grown past that, right? And I think I'm always thinking about how can we grow, how can we change, how can we um live in what we do and and grow from there, add layers on of uh of value. Um it's exciting, you know, and I think it starts in fear and and ends in excitement nine to five every day. So that that's that's kind of where I where I thrive. But at the end of the day, at the end of the day, it's probably my favorite line because I get to go home to two kids and a wonderful wife, you know, and uh to me that's what matters the most. Um, you know, but building something in the cannabis space, even still at a pretty early point in the cannabis space, even though we've gone through more troubles than these than most people could ever dream of in other industries, uh, it's exciting.

Ben Larson 43:12

Yeah, I love that. A lot of that resonated with me. You know, it's like I I too came in as an outsider. Um, but the first step of of recognizing it and and just being vulnerable about it and then offering what you have to offer. I think that's an amazing step that endears you to the cannabis community. You know, we've seen other people come in from the outside and completely ignore that fact and and pretend like that they they know all and that they they they are entitled to to whatever they want to do with the industry. And um we we've seen how the industry uh feels about that. So yeah, good on you. I think it's gonna serve you well.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

But we haven't always done it right, right. And I think you know, some of it is learning curves from our own mistakes, um, you know, but I think We fought through that and we've still throughout all that, all that being, you know, any mistakes we have made, any mistakes any of them provider makes, right? It's not a business killer, right? You know, I think the the world of social media is loud and divisive, you know, just in life itself, you know, let alone business. But I do think that, you know, we we have an audience that drives value um and that lives within our ecosystem, and we can always lean on them, right? You know, so you know, I I'm excited. I'm excited to grow. I'm excited, you know, for what's next. I'm excited for where we are in five years, and I have very aggressive goals uh for us, and they're probably not half as aggressive as Jason Raznik's goals for us. So you know, we we're we're growing, you know, we we're tell us what some of those goals are. Oh man, for me, you know, we're our engine is cannabis, you know, but I think you'll see us hit other industries as well, and but not in a way that is, you know, let's hit you know 30 industries with with expos, right? You know, you'll see us uh live where we have extensions, right? Um, you know, and I you know, as to what those industries are, I don't I haven't really talked to Patrick and Jason yet about announcing anything publicly, but I do think they're they're one definitely is related to to where we are now. So all I can say is cannabis will go deeper and we'll go deeper and we'll go deeper and we'll go deeper. Um but it doesn't stop there for us. So that's the starting point. And then from there, I'd love to be able to give us a ton of people jobs. I think that that would be a really cool achievement, right? Is to say, hey, we created jobs with this business. I mean, that sounds kind of like uh something I could be happy with at the end of the day.

AnnaRae Grabstein 45:58

I think that that is like foundational to an entrepreneur's uh ability to recognize their own success, is when they start seeing the people around them have jobs that that they're doing well. It's it's an incredible, incredible thing. So I hope that for you too. We have had a great time chatting with you, and we're gonna have a great time hanging out with you at your future events. Um, I will be um on stage at the Ohio event that's coming up. Um, I hope to be attending the Chicago event. What are the other ones that are on the calendar that you want to call out?

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Yeah. Uh Chicago, June 14th through 16th, as the tenth poll. Be there, be square, September 18th is our Colorado spotlight. Uh, soon to be announced, but we're looking at that first full week of October for our next California spotlight. Uh been the sequel, take two. Um or you can join them on that one if you want. Uh, and then we're back for our second annual Capital and Policy Summit in DC November 18th. Um, you know, so we'll end the year with a bang.

Closing Thoughts And Listener Support

AnnaRae Grabstein 47:01

Awesome. Um, well, it is time for our last call. So, Elliot, this is your chance to leave a final message with our listeners, advice, call to action, closing thought.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

Um, I am very excited for what's ahead. Um, wouldn't be possible without speaker sponsors and attendees, right? So we are a community that is built for people to take advantage of it. Uh, we're open to feedback. You know, ignited.com to check out all of our news. You know, we recently published um a fantastic op-ed from AY Strauss Law Firm. Um, Lord Parfitt, you know, has posted something great there. Hirsch Jane had an op-ed with us, some great executive insights. But events.ignited.com, stay with us. You know, be in those rooms because you're going to be in the rooms with the people that are growing and that will be in this industry in five years. That's a guarantee.

Ben Larson 47:51

So see you soon. Amazing. Elliot Lane, co-founder of Ignite. Thank you so much for spending the last hour with us. And uh Godspeed on the entrepreneurial journey.

SPEAKER_01 48:03

Thank you both. Here is two uh sunny days uh at the end of 2026 here uh for all of our stakes.

Ben Larson 48:10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 48:11

Yes. Appreciate you all very much.

unknown 48:14

All right.

Ben Larson 48:15

Talk to you soon. All right, everybody. What do you think? It was great conversation. Hopefully, we'll see you at an ignited conference soon. Uh yeah, happy St. Paddy's Day. If you've enjoyed this episode, please drop us a like, a share, a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcast. Special thank you to our teams at Virtosa and Wolfmeyer, and of course, our producer, Eric Rossetti. I'm gonna get back to listening to Dropkick Murphy's, and I encourage you all to go look it up. I'm gonna listen to the Heart of Smile, The Warriors Code, Rose Tattoo, and uh yeah, if you listen to some of the lyrics, let me know what you think. What what what stands out to you as far as uh how it relates to this this stinking industry that we we get to operate in every day and that we love.

AnnaRae Grabstein 49:06

Maybe we should be making some high spirits playlists just uh to meet the moment.

Ben Larson 49:11

Oh, I like that. Yeah, something to pump you up. All right, folks. As always, stay curious, stay informed, and keep your spirits high. Until next time, Erin Go Brach. I gotta find the button now.