Isn't that a line from the song, This Land is Your Land? No? Well, it's the journey I've had the past couple of weeks that I'd like to share with you.
I often talk about how it's so important to consider the culture in the cannabis industry and I had the most unbelievable time at Meadowlands soaking in the culture in the Emerald Triangle with a couple hundred cannabis professionals. Then I flew to my hometown of Chicago, to meet with some of the same cannabis professionals alongside investors and executives at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference. These juxtapositions in life that I find even more striking in this once illegal industry are fascinating to dig into. And I could not pass up the opportunity to spend some time writing about it so here we go.
Meadowlands came about when David Hua, the founder and CEO of Meadow (one of the Point of Sale companies that I recommend) went to his team and pitched the idea of a summer camp for stoners. Meadow is one of those special companies that has stayed lean and retained employees now with an average employee tenure of seven years! And that's in the cannabis industry which is in its infancy. They have something special going on for sure and Meadowlands is just one of the cool things they've produced. But back to David Hua and his vision that he brought to life and has recreated year after year for professionals in the cannabis industry who are lucky enough to partake.
Meadowlands is indeed summer camp for stoners. Camp Navarro is where many people in the area went to camp when they were children and it's the perfect retreat for adults to kumbaya and have important conversations. Hua (as those who know him call him) has been an important figure in California cannabis and is an authentic leader who leads with his heart. He's someone you should pay attention to and he cares more about progress than profits while growing one of the most amazing teams in the industry. Hua also appreciates amazing cannabis and knows that bringing people to the Emerald Triangle where the best cannabis is grown matters. It was announced that this was the last California Meadowlands and it would be moving to the East Coast next year. A lot of chatter around this move and it will be interesting to see how it's done, but if anyone is going to do it right, it's Meadow.
The entire experience was well thought out and executed. From the team welcoming us to camp and helping us get settled for the next few days to the experiences curated by the brands and sponsors. We were surrounded by cannabis experts including Swami who is an icon growing some of the most unique cannabis and educating others about the plant. I was able to meet Swami, learn from him and enjoy some of his amazing flower. Really a special experience for this longtime consumer who feels like a novice in so many ways.
Lots of my favorite brands showed up and shared their products with us. Proof made us snow cones that we could dose with their tinctures. It was very hot while we were there and an infused snow cone really hit the spot! Beard Bros infused some caramel with their RSO for us to dip apples in, which was a yummy treat and Jamie Evans made us spiced apple cider-infused cocktails with Artet spirit. It may have been hot but fall was in the air and I was there for it!
There were also lots of activities from choose your own adventure that included archery, listening to talks, or doing whatever your heart desired. One of my favorite things to do when consuming cannabis is crafting! Leah Cerri brought a crafter's dream of supplies and encouraged us to get creative with a fun craft corner. She also did the stage decorations which were beautiful and added extra magic while taking in the content. Leah has really lovely energy and I feel fortunate that I got to know her a bit while at Meadowlands.
That's really what Meadowlands is all about...the community. Spending time with people that you encounter in the industry but getting to know them and increasing your appreciation for each other. I feel fortunate that I went into the experience with some friends that I could spend quality time with but also that I got to get to know people better that I had met in passing recently. Aubrey Amatelli is one of those people. We met during The Emerald Cup weekend and I formed a partnership with her company PayRio but it was Meadowlands that created the space for us to spend time together. I love having my own company but it can be lonely and the partnerships and friendships that I'm building are what make it worth it.
And on that note, some pictures with the Beard Bros team, Bill, Jeff, and Brian. And also a T-shirt appreciation moment...Brian in the NASA shirt (shoutout from a girl who went to Space Camp), Jeff in the Bob Ross shirt, Bill in the Embarc Reefer Madness shirt, and me in the Beard Bros shirt! The Beard Bros are legit, they care about the culture, doing good business and access to the plant. Support them in any way you can! Maybe even buy a T-shirt, I always get compliments on mine.
Another aspect of Meadowlands that made it cool is that you can work from there which for me wasn't a whole lot different than any other place I work. There was strong wifi by the main lodge and you could take meetings there and I had zero issues working from my campsite at night which was a short walk from the main area. It was so good that when I woke up the last morning I thought the wifi was out when I didn't have internet but it was actually a power outage that affected a lot more than just the internet. It was a tough morning for those who got there after we finished all the coffee they were able to brew before the power went out. It just added to the ambiance of the wilderness IMO but I also had coffee. In any case, I enjoyed feeling somewhat disconnected out in nature but also being able to stay in touch with work that needed to continue.
One of my favorite experiences from Meadowlands was meeting Joyce Cenali from Sonoma Hills Farm and chatting about CBG. For those that don't know, CBG is cannabigerol and it's the mother of all cannabinoids. We don't know a ton about it but early information is indicating anxiety relief, help with gut distress and other inflammation, and maybe even increasing appetite without psychoactivity (which would be huge for chemo relief). I learned about the Spicy Arugula high CBG strain during the Sonoma Hills Farm meal at Hall of Flowers and was excited to chat about it with Joyce.
As she lit up a joint of Spicy Arugula I told her about how I've been taking an RSO tablet of White CBG from Emerald Bay Extract for over a year now and it has helped with a number of things including stomach irritation, anxiety, and even very likely helping my thyroid. I shared with her how I have Graves Disease and am not in remission but that I've had a completely normally functioning thyroid for the entire time I've been taking CBG. Little did I know that the flower they use to make the tablets I take comes from Sonoma Hills Farm! Our paths could have crossed a number of different times and had this exchange but I am really grateful that Meadowlands created the space for this encounter to occur.
I share this story about my health pretty freely as I think it's important for people to understand that there are paths to using cannabis alongside Western medicine. Don't get me wrong, it's challenging and I had a previous doctor who overmedicated me with a pharmaceutical and didn't do the correct blood tests to understand what was going on in my body. But now I have an Endocrinologist who acknowledges he knows nothing about cannabis (because it's not taught in medical school and there's so little research) but there could be potential and lets me do what I think is right as long as I get bloodwork that shows that I'm healthy. Please do use caution though, I am not saying CBG is a thyroid medication nor am I saying that CBG is regulating my thyroid but I'm feeling good and happy to chat more about it with anyone interested. I'm hopeful that someday soon we will have actual data that gives us actual answers.
The talks we heard amongst the redwoods were top-notch as well. From brands to retailers and trade organizations to people who were imprisoned for the plant, so many important topics were discussed. The talks included a panel on the California supply chain, one discussing California policy updates, and another discussing social equity, justice, and Indigenous sovereignty. There were also discussions on tech and innovation, events, and how to sustain craft cannabis. Really thoughtfully curated conversations that resonated with the people who took time out of their schedules to venture out to the redwoods and share that quality time.
In addition to the panel discussions, there were fireside chats that were one of the options from the choose your own adventure part of the program. A number of good, short talks about various aspects of the industry that you could pick and choose from. I listened to several including Dana Cisneros talking about the CDTFA and taxes, which is something I've been working on quite a bit with clients and found the information she shared quite helpful. AnnaRae Grabstein spoke about reinvention talking about her own journey and how reinvention is critical to growth and how we can do it as individuals and also for our businesses. So much that we could learn from leaders in the industry while soaking up the surroundings and consuming at our leisure.
Another cool experience that I was able to have at Meadowlands was learning to assess cannabis using the system created by the Ganjier program and used by the Budist team. Joseph Snow provided some of his living soil indoor flower for us to learn the process of calibration together. We observed the flower visually, by smell and compared it to how it smoked. The whole process was really interesting and I learned a lot. I've judged a few local flower competitions but I haven't had a lot of exposure to people who really understand and appreciate cannabis the way the Budists do and it was enlightening to learn from them.
Before heading home from camp we were invited to check out the local farmers market at The Bohemian Chemist. Local brands set up booths in their courtyard and you can chat with them and buy their products at a discount inside the dispensary. The Bohemian Chemist is set up like an old apothecary and is not only beautiful but they curate a fabulous inventory including their own brand which has stunning packaging and lots of little details that make it a stand out. Not to mention they have some really interesting and hard to find genetics that they grow locally. I picked up some Black African Magic flower to enjoy along with a few other things. Budist's founder, Jocelyn Sheltraw wrote a thoughtful review on the flower you can find it in the app through this link if you have it on your phone.
Now I could bore you with the details of my flight home getting canceled, flying to LAX and renting a car to drive back to San Diego, and all the drama that went along with that but I'll spare you the details. I knew it was a quick turnaround and spent a day at home before catching a flight to Chicago, which is where I grew up. My mom was heading off on a trip and wanted to catch a little time with her before she left.
It also worked out because Sandra Bergman, who I met on LinkedIn in the spring and hadn't yet met in person had gone to Ohio for a conference the week before and was spending an extra couple days in Chicago before Benzinga as well. We were able to meet up, visit a few dispensaries and have dinner with my mom on Sunday, which was one of the highlights of my trip to Chicago. Sandra is a loyalty consultant and I enjoy chatting with her about our businesses, clients and all things cannabis retail and tech.
We visited three dispensaries together and though it wasn't as fun as shopping in our home states of California and Colorado, we learned about the market and gained valuable insights. The picture was taken at Village Bucktown which is a large store with a huge parking lot perfect for events. In Illinois, all the product has to stay in the back of house and you only see display items and interact with a kiosk and then pick up your order at the register. It's frustrating for a number of reasons and makes the shopping experience pretty lackluster.
First, in every shop we went to, there was stuff on display that they didn't actually have in stock. I've seen this in California before and found it frustrating but it was a one-off and typically you find actual products that you can buy on the store floor, though it is still mostly behind a counter. In addition, interacting with a kiosk can be frustrating for some and lacks accessibility. And finally, when it comes to flower, being able to see and smell the flower is important to understanding it. Terpenes can be listed, effects can be described but it's really that personal interaction that gives you the best information.
It's not perfect in California and you can't always have that experience but it's fairly common and something you can seek out, if desired. We stopped by two other MSOs and picked up some products to try and I'll be honest, product selection has improved in Illinois but there is still a way to go. Hopefully craft businesses will be able to bring some variety to the market, prices will become more reasonable and this market will reach its full potential.
On to the main event! Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago was one of the first events I attended last year after I established Grass Goddess Consulting over the summer. It's not a tough decision for me to come since I get to see family when I'm here and Benzinga attracts decision-makers and high-caliber people that want to get business done. The difference in how I approached it from last year to this year was striking and shows how much my business has grown in a short time. I felt like last year, I was soaking it all in and hearing what people had to say. This year I was scheduling meetings and having conversations that will bring me good clients and help me advise my existing clients better.
I was extra excited for the talks to start because a friend of mine from San Diego, Jackie Bryant, was emceeing the event and it was a special treat to see her on stage. Jackie's a longtime cannabis journalist who everyone should already know especially after her New York Times article on Danksgiving a few years back! She was the managing editor for San Diego Magazine for a number of years and hasn't been as active in the space but I subscribe to her newsletter Cannabitch and really appreciate our discussions about cannabis and the industry. Jackie did an amazing job and brought a quick-witted humor to Benzinga that I'm not sure people expected but I'm sure they enjoyed. It seems like we might just be seeing more of Jackie back in the cannabis space, which is a great thing!
The panels at Benzinga are always high caliber. You get to hear from leaders in the industry from across the country about the state of the industry, specifics of different markets, and predictions for the future. I'm always eager to hear from people in the tech space and retailers, especially their pain points so that I can better help my clients. One of the panels, which resonated with me was From Storefront to Supply Chain: Boosting Wholesale with Retail Expertise. This is something that is really important to me that I emphasize with my clients. That Brand/Retailer relationship is key for both to be successful and the panel discussed some insightful ways to achieve a better connection.
Another really good conversation was titled Good Reviews are the Best Marketing Strategy: Cultivating Loyalty in Cannabis Retail. Thanks to my friend, Sandra, I've become increasingly aware of the importance of loyalty in the cannabis industry. Loyalty programs are critical to dispensaries keeping customers coming back and I learned some really interesting strategies from this panel that I'll be discussing with my clients. Christine Apple from Gron mentioned Seed Talent a number of times and how it is utilized with budtenders to train and incentivize. I've known the CEO of Seed Talent, Kurt Kaufmann for a while but haven't yet implemented his platform with my clients and that needs to change. Looking forward to digging into this more.
One of the talks I prioritized was Next-gen Cannabis Retail: Tech Trends and Best Practices for Being Customer-Centric. It's important to me to hear directly from the leaders of tech companies that work with retailers and this panel had it covered. It was great to see Jon Lowen up there from Surfside. They are one of the newer players in the space that I find very interesting for my clients to consider. Their commerce media offering is free for retailers and displays ads from brands on your e-commerce menu and you get paid when they are viewed. The panel itself didn't cover much new in my opinion but I did agree with most of what they had to say and I appreciate having that content out there for others.
The last panel I want to mention briefly was Maximizing Margins: Leveraging Data for Effective Cannabis Retail Pricing and E-Commerce Strategies. This was a great combination of people with different perspectives and it's very relevant to a lot of the work I'm doing with clients currently. Data is important to all aspects of a business and as cannabis grows the data we have is getting better and can be used to operate smarter instead of harder. There are great tools out there and it's great to see that they are gaining traction. Lisa Williams from The Toke Agency was a part of the panel and I love how bluntly she talks about discounts, which have gotten out of control in the industry, especially in markets like California. Lisa says, discounts hurt your margins, loyalty programs don't. It's a good lesson. Create loyalty programs that give your customers the perceived discounts they want without hurting your bottom line.
Have I mentioned before how much I love the people in this industry? I've met some amazing, authentic people since I've joined the cannabis space and the relationships I'm building are one of my favorite parts of having my own business. I wanted to share a bunch of pictures highlighting people that matter to me. Though it was different spending time in climate-controlled buildings and comfy chairs compared to the previous week out in nature, there was still plenty of kumbaya-ing that was had. Whether it was smoking some sun-grown California flower in blazers or having deep-dish pizza with some of my favorite people, it was special and important. I'm grateful to be a part of this crazy industry and enjoy growing it with my people, wherever that may be.
Before I close, here's one last picture of me and Sandra from the day we hung out before the conference. Another thing we chat about often is how to best promote our businesses, including swag and branded clothing. I firmly believe that it's important to love your brand and represent it in any way that you can. Sandra and I both love our logos and have custom-branded matching hoodies we were sporting to dinner. Thanks to my mom for taking this cute picture of us together!
