Today on The Mary Jane Society , we're joined by Shane Johnson, a Stanford-trained medical doctor and accomplished biotech entrepreneur. Shane is the co-founder of BayMedica, a pioneering manufacturer of rare and minor cannabinoid ingredients known for their exceptional purity, consistency, and scalability traits critical to the future of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products. BayMedica was acquired by InMed Pharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ-listed, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Can...
Jul 04, 2025•45 min•Ep. 148
The Cannabis Media Council was founded to build bridges between the cannabis industry and mainstream media, elevate advertising standards, and help shift public perception through strategic public service announcements. Acting as a think tank of forward-thinking industry leaders, the Council believes in collaboration over competition—sharing knowledge and resources to make sure that all boats rise. Today, I’m joined by co-founder Amy Deneson to explore the mission behind the Cannabis Media Counc...
Jun 30, 2025•44 min•Ep. 147
Today, we will learn about a potentially groundbreaking digital platform called The Cancer Playbook that could accelerate cannabis medicine for cancer treatment and redefine how patients, doctors, and researchers approach cancer care. Joining me are Jamie Bennett , Founder and Director of Operations, and Ryan Castle , Director of Research at The Cancer Playbook and Whole Health Oncology Institute. In today's episode, we'll explore: How the Playbook empowers cancer patients with tools for symptom...
Jun 19, 2025•40 min•Ep. 146
Abstrax Tech is a leading terpene research, formulation, and manufacturing company renowned for its proprietary analytical technology and scientific breakthroughs. Most recently, the team made headlines for discovering a new class of volatile aromatic compounds responsible for the unmistakable skunky scent of cannabis. Abstrax recreates precise and authentic terpene profiles that reflect the original plant by reverse-engineering each strain and flavor from scratch. Today, we're joined by TJ Mart...
May 30, 2025•49 min•Ep. 145
Bud and Mary_ Duncan Mackie. PhD Director of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics Today, I’m joined by Dr. Duncan Mackie, Director of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Bud & Mary's —an MSO with operations in Colorado, Michigan, Iowa, and Missouri. Under Dr. Mackie’s leadership, Bud & Mary’s became the first cannabis company and multi-state operator to obtain a DEA research license—marking a major milestone for the industry. With a PhD in pharmacology and deep expertis...
May 22, 2025•54 min•Ep. 144
Today, we're welcoming the team behind Vitabudz — a NYC legacy street brand making the leap into the legal cannabis market. Founded by brothers Jullian and Rich Murray , Vitabudz has teamed up with veteran cultivator Aaron Field to bring their passion for top-shelf, regeneratively grown cannabis to the New York marketplace. Their story is rooted in experience — with Jullian, Rich, and Aaron honing their cultivation skills in Colorado and California before returning home to New York, ready to tak...
May 05, 2025•42 min•Ep. 143
Today's guest is Dr. Avery Gilbert , a Sensory Scientist with roots in the luxury perfume industry. He's worked with major global brands and now brings his expertise to the cannabis space, helping companies elevate their products through sensory research and R&D. In this episode, we explore what truly defines a luxury product—beyond just price or packaging. From wine to perfume, luxury goods share common threads: craftsmanship, culture, technology, media, retail experience, and the art of bl...
Apr 14, 2025•49 min•Ep. 142
Josh Krane is heading cultivation and manufacturing operations for one of NJ's top brands, Garden Greens. He brought his expertise from California, where he started in the medical market and transitioned into rec. He and his partners launched Field Extracts, which won multiple awards, the Emerald Cup, and Masters of Rosin, and then sold the company to GlassHouse Farms in 2019. He also ran 4 Front Ventures California operations for few years before setting his sights on the East coast. Join us as...
Apr 05, 2025•42 min•Ep. 141
Today, we're talking about sensory science and its crucial role in R&D product development. While this methodology has been widely used for decades in the hops, beer, food, beverage, and perfume industries, the cannabis industry is just beginning to tap into its potential. Our guest today is Marshall Ligare, Ph.D. , former Research Scientist and Product Development Lead at John I. Haas , one of the world's leading hops suppliers. The beer and hops industry has long relied on sensory science ...
Mar 31, 2025•44 min•Ep. 140
Today, we're discussing cannabis extraction with industry expert Murphy Murri . She has been working in extraction since the early days of legalization in Colorado and has built a reputation as a go-to expert in both solventless and BHO techniques. She helps extraction teams optimize their operations, develop new products, and write SOPs to ensure efficiency and quality. In this episode, we discuss how extractors can fine-tune their processes to preserve important compounds that are easily destr...
Mar 22, 2025•48 min•Ep. 139
As the beverage industry heats up, convenience store operators are debating about embracing this fast emerging category despite its legal gray area. Meet Melissa VonderHaar, she is a nationally recognized expert in the convenience store channel . She regularly writes for the sector, covering stories specifically on cannabis, tobacco, vapor, and alcohol categories, and she speaks on the subject at numerous industry events. She is also Head of Industry Relations for iSEE Store Innovations. Melissa...
Mar 20, 2025•36 min•Ep. 138
Today, we’re joined by Ian Dyche, Head of Operations at MFNY, a top-selling brand in the NY market with its line of live resin products. A seasoned cultivator with 20 years of experience, Ian honed his craft in California before returning to his home state of New York bringing extensive expertise in large-scale cultivation and processing, specializing in indoor and high-tech, light-assisted greenhouse environments. Ian and his teams have earned top honors at the Emerald Cup, Santa Cruz Cup, Cann...
Mar 11, 2025•50 min•Ep. 137
When we talk about crafting the best cannabis products, we often focus on extraction and preserving key compounds. But what happens in the curing process is just as crucial—if not more—when it comes to manipulating and enhancing a strain's unique characteristics. Joe Edwards knows a lot about this and has engineered decontamination and curing technology for Yofumo where he is the chief science officer. He is a biochemist, engineer, and expert on various agricultural systems and operations. He ha...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 136
Today, our guest is Tom Cortez, CEO of Emergent Beverages , a seed-to-shelf company specializing in hemp-infused beverages. With a team of veterans from the alcohol industry, Emergent develops its own brands—like Calexio—while also helping other companies with brand development, manufacturing, and distribution. We’ll be talking about the growing hemp beverage market and what it takes to succeed in this space. https://www.emergentbeverage.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-cortez-851b4610/ Innov...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 135
Every cannabis market has its own unique path to legalization, and Washington, DC, is no exception. Terrance White, CEO of the luxury dispensary Monko , joins us to discuss the city's evolving cannabis landscape. As the former chairman of the I-71 committee (more on that), he has played a key role in shaping DC's cannabis regulations. Now, as he prepares to open his second location—complete with a cultivation license—he shares his mission to destigmatize cannabis through high-end dispensary expe...
Feb 12, 2025•35 min•Ep. 134
High Tide, the company responsible for Canna Cabana, the largest cannabis retail brand in Canada with over 190 retail locations, has officially entered the German cannabis market with its recent acquisition of Purecan- a German manufacturer and distributor with a license to import cannabis. They also announced they are actively seeking to participate in Germany's pilot retail program scheduled to launch in 2025, hoping to bring their Canna Cabana retail brand to Germany. High Tide's Chief Commun...
Feb 05, 2025•31 min•Ep. 133
Johns Hopkins University, renowned for its world-class medical program, established the Cannabis Science Lab (CSL) a number of years ago, but its research has become increasingly critical as the US government continues to neglect its duty in this area, hindering the industry's growth and economic development. Armed with a Schedule 1 research license, access to state-of-the-art cognitive testing equipment, an in-house pharmacy capable of formulating various products, and a reliable supply of high...
Feb 02, 2025•46 min•Ep. 132
BevNET is a media company focused on the mainstream beverage industry that includes producing one of the country's top beverage industry trade shows in Los Angeles and NYC each year. BevNet also creates CPG food and drink-focused podcasts, networking events, and a print magazine. I interviewed BevNet's founder, John Craven, to get insights into the mainstream beverage industry that might be applied to cannabis beverages. If you are thinking of launching a cannabis beverage or want insights into ...
Jan 27, 2025•41 min•Ep. 131
PHCANN International is one of a handful of European vertically integrated cannabis companies leading the way in establishing a trusted medical-first cannabis market. Last year, they partnered with Mike Tyson 2.0 to launch his products into the EU medical market. Today, our guest is Sasho Stephanoski, CEO of PHCANN. We talked about the European cannabis landscape and PHCANNs partnership with Mike Tyson. https://phcann.com/ Innovating Cannabis is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a journalist, f...
Jan 21, 2025•48 min•Ep. 130
Red Light Holland , a publicly traded company based in Canada, has been a trailblazer in the legal cultivation and sale of psilocybin truffles in the Netherlands for years. They also have a business selling functional mushroom grow kits for home use worldwide. Today, our guest is Sarah Hashkes , Red Light Holland's Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, to talk about their app, imicrodose, a journaling app they developed to gain insights into the usage and benefits of psilocybin microdosing th...
Jan 12, 2025•45 min•Ep. 129
Kyle Page grew up in the NYC and NJ area before being sent to a Kansas prison on marijuana charges for 8 years until the Last Prisoner Project intervened and got him released. They also helped him land a job with Ascend Wellness in their NJ cultivation operations. Kyle rapidly moved through the ranks into a top cultivation position. This year, Ascend Wellness is setting him up with his own dispensary called East Coast in Dank. This is a happy ending for someone who served time in federal prison ...
Jan 04, 2025•38 min•Ep. 128
Peter Shafran, publisher of The Other Magazine, a new lifestyle magazine focused on NYC and the Hudson Valley, joins The Mary Jane Society podcast to discuss his plans for the cultural magazine and how he plans to build community through music events, farm tours, and wellness retreats as an extension of the magazine. He has big plans outside of just the magazine. Let’s welcome Peter Shafran to hear his big ideas. https://www.theothermagazines.com/ Innovating Cannabis is produced and hosted by Pa...
Dec 29, 2024•31 min•Ep. 127
German company Storz & Bickel is well known for its medical-grade dry herb vaporizers that have been in the market for over 20 years. The company was acquired by Canopy Growth in 2018, and Jurgen Bickel has been leading the company and R&D since then. Jurgen joined The Mary Jane Society podcast to talk about the company's trajectory, new innovations, the state of the German market, and why recreational users should use his products, not just medical patients. https://www.storz-bickel.com...
Dec 11, 2024•31 min•Ep. 126
Alex Rogers grew up in the Northeast California /Oregon area and has been in the cannabis industry for a few decades. He moved his family to Slovenia, where his wife is from, and founded the International Cannabis Business Conference, also known as ICBC. This B2B cannabis business conference has been running for about ten years and attracts people around the globe. He is now launching an extension of the conference with The Talman House , a private membership club for investors and businesses to...
Dec 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 125
You may have heard of new AI-powered apps that match you to a specific cannabis product based on your preferences and other people who share their outcomes using products for the same purpose. Now, there is the HashDash app. It matches flower strains to consumers based on over 5,000 strain profiles. It directs consumers to a nearby dispensary that sells the strain or products with the same strain or similar cannabinoid profile. You can purchase it and pick it up through the app. Today, our guest...
Dec 02, 2024•47 min•Ep. 124
Welcome Jake Litke, CEO of MediaJel, a digital advertising platform specializing in the cannabis industry. Jake has had 20 years of experience building ad tech platforms around geo and mobile data. In 2018, he launched MediaJel to specifically serve the cannabis industry in media buying, attribution, and retargeting capabilities. We talk about programmatic advertising strategies, especially for CTV, and why it may be the next big advertising opportunity for the cannabis industry. https://www.med...
Nov 13, 2024•48 min•Ep. 123
David Nava , CRO at Rukli, a well-known California cannabis warehouse and distribution company. David started in the alcohol industry, learning the ins and outs of sales and distribution with large distributors like Southern Wine and Spirits. He went on to lead sales for 4 years at PetalFast and is now taking the reins at Rukli, We talk about the challenges and solutions of the distribution supply chain, why you shouldn't self-distro, how to get into retail and stay there, CPG trends, and what's...
Oct 21, 2024•41 min•Ep. 122
Is connected TV ready for the cannabis industry? Today, I interviewed Steve Peterson, president of Citizen Green TV , a new interactive streaming channel on the ROKU TV network that operates on blockchain technology. Steve talks about the content they are curating, advertising opportunities for brands, and their focus on educating the public on cannabis health, wellness, and industry education. Listen to how Steve is taking the industry to a new level in mainstream media. Global Compliance Appli...
Oct 14, 2024•47 min•Ep. 121
As the cannabis industry and its needs evolve, customized machinery and equipment are needed to support its growth. Today, our guest is Ryan Hoitt, the inventor and CEO of the vape-filling company Vape-Jet. Vapes are the 2nd best-selling product in the country, and the demand for rosin-based or solventless products is increasing. With that comes the need for improved machinery. Ryan talks about how he needs to stay ahead of trends in the industry to ensure his machinery can adapt to the consumer...
Oct 03, 2024•46 min•Ep. 120
TRENDS cannabis dispensary in Queens, NY, celebrated its grand opening this summer. It is the largest cannabis dispensary in NYC, founded by brothers Rodney and Brandon Carter, both of whom have been arrested for past possession. Their father, Rodney Carter, Sr., also received a conviction close to 30 years ago. We spoke to the brothers about their dispensary operation in NYC to learn how things are going in the first few months of opening and their plans for the future. Innovating Cannabis is p...
Sep 27, 2024•34 min•Ep. 119
