With the upcoming elections fast approaching, the cannabis industry is watching closely as local and state ballots shape the future of legalization. But what happens when a gubernatorial candidate in the world’s largest cannabis market decides to explicitly champion the industry?

**We’d love to see you at our upcoming Morning Mixer, December 3rd in Las Vegas during Cannabis Week. Space is very limited, so be sure to head over to https://luma.com/65uzcu56 to request your spot today. We can't wait to hang out with you all!

Big shout out to Kind Cannabis Advantage Program for sponsoring the Morning Mixer! Visit axelworkforce.com/kind and explore their solutions for cannabis operations.**

In this special election roundup episode, Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein break down key cannabis ballot measures and political divides across the country, from Massachusetts and Idaho to the contentious hemp debates in Texas. Then, they sit down with Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for California Governor, who shares his pragmatic vision for cutting red tape, battling the illicit market, and restoring "abundance" to the Golden State's cannabis operators.

What You’ll Learn:

• The 2024 Election Landscape: A breakdown of the key state and local ballot initiatives that could expand or restrict cannabis access.
• Tax Relief Strategy: Steve Hilton’s perspective on using the "Laffer Curve" to revitalize California’s legal cannabis market by lowering taxes.
• Combating the Illicit Market: How local regulations and unchecked illegal street sales are choking compliant operators, and what a new administration would do to enforce the law.
• Destigmatizing the Plant: Why California needs to start treating its legal cannabis industry with the same reverence and support as its iconic wine industry.

Meet the Guest: Steve Hilton is a tech entrepreneur, former cable news host, and the Republican candidate for Governor of California. Originally from the UK, where he served as a senior advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron, Steve moved to California in 2012. He later founded Golden Together, a policy organization dedicated to restoring the California Dream through pragmatic, pro-business, and pro-abundance policies that aim to decentralize power and cut bureaucratic red tape.

Why Tune In? Whether you are tracking national policy shifts or fighting to survive in California's heavily regulated market, this episode delivers critical election insights and a provocative, fresh take on how to fix the broken systems holding the cannabis industry back.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations.

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.

Is the cannabis industry cannibalizing its own future just to protect its past?

This week, High Spirits co-hosts Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein cross the streams to join Cultivated's Jay Rosenthal, Jeremy Berke, and Cannabis Musing's Marc Hauser for a fired-up episode of This Week in Cannabis Live (TWICL). From the boardroom to the cultivation fields, the crew breaks down a wildly busy week of global M&A rumors, tumbling license valuations, and the escalating civil war between hemp advocates and regulated cannabis lobbyists.

If you are a cannabis or hemp operator, entrepreneur, or executive, this episode is a mandatory listen. We cut through the noise of corporate press releases and trade association posturing to uncover the real economic and political forces shaping your market share and the future of THC access.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Global M&A Chessboard: Jeremy breaks down the Aurora, Curaleaf, and Organigram speculation. Plus, why the sudden flood of EU-GMP and GACP press releases from Canadian LPs might be more about shareholder comms than actual market maturation.
• The Hemp vs. Regulated Civil War: Ben Larson takes the gloves off regarding ATACH and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Discover why conflating lobbying (protecting legacy moats) with advocacy (expanding access) threatens the entire category—especially the booming hemp beverage sector.
• Florida’s Valuation Reality Check: Why a Florida license—once a golden ticket—was just listed for under $1 million, and the stark reality of the $20M+ infrastructure cost required to actually compete in the Sunshine State.
• The West Coast Harvest Report: AnnaRae Grabstein shares why this year’s "gangbuster" outdoor harvest is a massive win for consumers and the extraction supply chain, plus the looming agricultural threat of Fusarium wiping out fields.

Why Tune In: Because you can't navigate the future of the cannabis and hemp industries by reading sanitized press releases. Tune in for unfiltered, slightly provocative, and deeply insightful analysis on the real mechanics driving our industry forward—from the dirt on the West Coast to the policy battles in D.C.

Catch the replay and join the conversation!

#Cannabis #Hemp #CannabisBeverages #CannabisRetail #CannabisPolicy #MergersAndAcquisitions #Cultivation #CannabisCommunity #BusinessStrategy #TWICL #HighSpirits

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations.

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.

Is Pennsylvania poised to become the cannabis industry's next massive adult-use market? With a $7 billion budget shortfall and a pivotal election cycle underway, the Keystone State could be on the brink of historic legalization.

In this episode of High Spirits, AnnaRae Grabstein (holding down the fort while Ben Larson is away) sits down with Peter Marcus, VP of External Affairs at Terrapin, to break down the complexities of the Pennsylvania cannabis market. They dive deep into the political gridlock in Harrisburg, the reality of operating as an independent challenger brand among tier-one MSOs, and how Terrapin navigated vertical integration loopholes to expand their retail footprint. Plus, AnnaRae covers the latest business news, including the brewing M&A bidding war for Aurora Cannabis and Square's sudden payment processing crackdown on hemp.

What You’ll Learn:

• PA's Path to Adult-Use: How the state's budget shortfall and the current election cycle could finally force the transition to recreational legalization.
• Navigating Retail & MSOs: The strategies Terrapin used to successfully lobby for retail permits in a market heavily dominated by large, vertically integrated operators.
• Product Innovation in a Strict Market: Why Terrapin is launching cannabis "pouches" in a medical state that currently restricts edibles and pre-rolls.
• The Hemp Infrastructure Crisis: The immediate fallout of Square dropping hemp and CBD merchants, and what it signals for federal policy and payment processing.

Meet the Guest:

Peter Marcus is the Vice President of External Affairs at Terrapin, one of Pennsylvania’s original medical cannabis growers and processors, which operates a 180,000-square-foot cultivation facility and three retail stores. Before joining Terrapin in 2017, Peter spent over a decade as a political journalist, earning recognition from the Washington Post as one of the nation’s top state-based political reporters. Today, he leverages his deep understanding of government to lead Terrapin's communications, lobbying, and community impact work in Harrisburg and beyond.

Why Tune In?

Whether you're an operator eyeing expansion in the Northeast, an executive tracking M&A trends, or an entrepreneur navigating the tricky waters of hemp regulations and payment processing, this episode delivers the insider intelligence you need to stay ahead of the curve.

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

--
High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.

Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn.

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover?

Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.

THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations.

Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.