In episode 186 of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier tackle a much-requested topic: hemp THCA flower. Like many things hemp, THCA flower is a controversial topic in the cannabis industry currently. Is it legal? Is it just marijuana by another name? Tune in to hear the host’s thoughts on the topic. While this podcast never constitutes legal advice, the legality of THCA flower is a particularly nuanced topic that requires Bob and Xavier to describe and analyze both botanic and legal topics so we wan...
Jan 27, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 186
In the second episode of 2024, Bob and Xavier jump into the podcast booth with cannabis industry attorney, Thomas Howard to discuss their predictions for the industry in 2024. The three industry insiders discuss the recent news that THM listeners may have missed over the holiday break before pulling out their crystal balls and looking to the future. The conversation covers several topics ranging from federal to state markets, the continued emergence of the hemp-derived cannabinoid industry, the ...
Jan 13, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 185
In their annual holiday recap episode, Bob and Xavier reflect on top headline news from the cannabis industry in 2023. They start with the HHS recommendation to move marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3, including a discussion of the impact rescheduling would have on the industry. Hint: DESCHEDULE OR BUST is not a realistic approach to getting meaningful change at the federal level. Bob and Xavier then pivot to discuss state-level headlines regarding new medical and adult-use marijuana market...
Dec 30, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 184
Back from a break in the podcast studio, Bob and Xavier jump right back into the swing of reporting on important news stories in the cannabis industry. First, they discuss their experience in Las Vegas for “weed week,” also known as MJBizCon, including covering post-conference feedback and how conference organizers may be able to bolster the value of the conference in the future. After wrapping up their recap, Bob and Xavier move to cover recent headline news in the industry: Ohio’s legalization...
Dec 16, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 183
In this episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier continue to discuss recent cannabis industry news to provide their insider insights to listeners. They discuss how regulators are - surprised! - actively restricting the cannabis industry in Colorado; how Missouri released over 15,000 previously recalled products; and what various hemp product lawsuits around the country mean for the hemp industry moving forward. Finally, they cover a relevant topic to all listeners: how state-based marijuana m...
Nov 11, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 182
In episode 181, Bob and Xavier jump back into the podcast booth to share their thoughts on the current state of the cannabis industry. Fresh off a trip to Detroit for MJUnpacked, the hosts debrief their experience in the Motor City and discuss recent news around tax relief and state-funded grants before jumping into a discussion on cannabis consumption regulations and policies. Why is smoking the most popular form of consumption? Where should cannabis be consumed? How are hemp beverages leading ...
Oct 28, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 181
Season 3 | Episode 180 Description: Season 3 of The Hoban Minute is here! After a brief break over the summer, Bob and Xavier are back with a new podcast format and have been riding the high of recent federal news related to the cannabis industry. Moving forward, THM will focus on breaking and recent news in the cannabis space - from state, federal, and international markets - and the hosts will provide analysis and commentary from their learned perspectives. In this episode, Bob and Xavier focu...
Oct 14, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 180
In this week’s episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier are joined by Blunt Strategies ’ principals Laura Monn Ginsburg and Leili Fatehi. Leili and Laura are fresh off a successful adult-use legalization campaign in Minnesota that which Blunt Strategies played a central role. Bob and Xavier ask Leili and Laura about the current sentiment in MN’s cannabis industry, their push to integrate hemp-derived cannabinoid products included in the adult-use framework, how cannabis brands can tap into ne...
Sep 02, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 179
In this week’s episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier are joined by Kim Stuck and Kelsey Hanley of Allay Consulting. Allay is a leader in cannabis and psychedelics compliance and works with licensed operators across the United States to ensure that their business meets all required obligations in those highly-regulated industries. Kim and Kelsey have a unique background that includes an introduction to cannabis from an enforcement perspective: they both were members of Colorado’s Department...
Aug 12, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 178
In this episode of The Hoban Minute, Xavier interviews Paul Trowe of Herban Inc. , a hemp-product distributor that focuses on providing access to legal alternatives to cannabis patients that do not have access to medical or recreational marijuana. Paul and Xavier discuss Paul's journey into the hemp product space, a day in the life at Herban , the problem with Bad Actors in the hemp-product industry, and, finally, are surprisingly joined by Bob to give a quick update on the Colorado hemp product...
Jul 01, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 177
In this episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier discuss how the first 6 months of 2023 have gone for the cannabis industry. From new marijuana markets in the US to legalization abroad, Bob and Xavier cover the hottest topics of 2023 so far and put on their wizard hats to predict what might happen on the back half of 2023. Hint - SAFE Banking probably isn't it. Tune in for a recap of the year to date and to hear what Xavier and Bob think comes next!
Jun 03, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 176
In this episode of The Hoban Minute Bob and Xavier hop on Zoom for a chat with Kevin Schultz, Co-Founder and President of 357 Company, a leading global logistics provider serving the cannabis industry. The three discuss Kevin’s journey into cannabis and the opportunity he saw that led to the creation of 357 Company; along with covering some of the challenges and opportunities around the domestic and international cannabis logistics industry. Tune in to learn more about moving legal cannabis prod...
May 27, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 175
In this episode of THM, Xavier and Bob are joined by Bryan Passman, co-founder and head "hunter" of Hunter + Esquire, a boutique cannabis recruiting and staffing firm that also provides human capital advisement services. Tune in to hear Xavier, Bryan and Bob discuss Bryan's journey in cannabis to date, the state of the cannabis industry job market, how individuals with non-cannabis experience can jump into the industry, how cannabis compensation has normalized - but still has a way to go, and, f...
May 09, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 174
In another exclusive interview straight from the NOCO 9 trade show in Colorado Springs, Xavier speaks with Liz Geisleman, CEO at Rocky Mountain Reagents; David Vaillencourt, CEO at The GMP Collective; and Darwin Millard, CSO of Final Bell and, as some know him, The Spock of Cannabis. The four have an in-depth conversation about the role of ancillary service providers in the hemp and cannabis industries; particularly how those companies must support the ongoing growth of those industries and not ...
Apr 29, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 173
Episode 172 Description: Tune into this episode of The Hoban Minute to hear Bob and Xavier interview Summer Westerbur, principal of Kairos Insurance Agency. Summer is a long-time cannabis industry professional that started offering insurance and benefit packages to cannabis operators early on in Colorado’s recreational market. Summer, Bob, and Xavier discuss their experience at NOCO the week before; explore the contours of cannabis insurance – good, bad, and ugly; drop some helpful tips to canna...
Apr 22, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 172
Episode 171 Description: Spark 'em if you got 'em! In this special 4/20 episode, Bob and Xavier myth bust the origins of the phrase "420," discuss the significance of the date and number to the cannabis industry, and wish listeners a happy 4/20!
Apr 19, 2023•12 min•Season 2Ep. 171
In this short, special episode straight from the NOCO 9 trade show in Colorado Springs, Xavier interviews Asa Waldstein, founder of Apex Compliance and principal at Supplement Advisory Group . Xavier gets a first look at Asa’s new compliance tool, Apex, and the two discuss the dire need for marketing claim reviews in the hemp cannabinoid product space and how Apex Compliance is a tool designed specifically to help brands, marketers, consultants, and more navigate the ever-changing regulations ar...
Apr 17, 2023•9 min•Season 2Ep. 170
In this week’s NOCO-themed episode, Xavier is joined by The Hoban Minute’s former host Eric Singular. Focusing on the hemp space, Eric and Xavier catch up on what Eric has been doing since he departed from the show; discuss the value of hemp industry trade shows and how they provide meaningful opportunities for growth and alignment; explore the many applications of industrial hemp; and Eric gives Xavier a crash course on carbon credits. Tune in today for a great companion episode for NOCO week!
Apr 08, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 169
Episode 168 Description: In this week’s episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier speak to MLB legend Steve Garvey. Steve played for the Dodgers and Padres from the late 60s through the late 80s and is a 10-time All-Star, a World Series champion, a NL MVP, and a four-time Golden Glove recipient. Steve’s most recent venture is as Ambassador for Level Select, a CBD product line focused on recovery and maintenance for athletes. Bob, Steve, and Xavier discuss product formulation – with Steve discl...
Apr 01, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 168
Episode 167 Description: In this episode of THM, Bob and Xavier speak with Adam Bierman, cannabis advocate and former CEO of MedMen, the cannabis industry’s first unicorn. Adam discusses his tenure at the company with candor and drops valuable wisdom to any current operators in the space: it’s inevitable that some segments of society will be pissed at you, so keep your head high and stay true to your core values. Adam, Bob, and Xavier also cover the current retail cannabis experience and how Med...
Mar 25, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 167
Episode 166 Description: In this episode, Bob and Xavier had the privilege of speaking to Sean Knutsen and Tim Swail of Boveda Inc., manufacturer of the cannabis industry's leading two-way humidity control pack. Intended to be a companion to Bob's recent article "The Best Offense is a Good Defense" concerning water activity regulations, this episode focuses on the history and growth of Boveda before Sean, Tim, and the other Boveda founders identified a massive commercial opportunity for their hu...
Mar 18, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 166
In this episode, Bob and Xavier speak with Adriana Kertzer, co-founder of Plant Medicine Law. Adriana is a NY-based attorney and plant medicine advocate whose corporate practice focuses on assisting clients that operate in the cannabis and emerging psychedelics industries. Adriana, Bob and Xavier discuss what it means to serve clients in the plant medicine industries, parallels (or the lack thereof) between cannabis and other plant medicine industries, and what to expect from the emerging psyche...
Feb 11, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 164
In this episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier have a one-on-one conversation about the recent conditions in cannabis capital, ways new operators can prepare for long-term success, and the impact (or lack of impact) the FDA’s recent CBD announcement will have. Tune in as they discuss Bob’s recent Forbes article comparing the recent capital trends in the cannabis industry to similar trends seen in the early tech boom of the 90s; lay out strategies for licensed operators in new states to ensu...
Feb 10, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 165
In this episode of The Hoban Minute, Bob and Xavier sit down with Endourage's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Steward. Dr. Steward shares his career path and how he came to be a "cannabis doctor," the importance of teaching medical professionals about the endocannabinoid system, and shares details of a recent study he conducted that examines the effects of one of Endourage's products on long COVID systems. Tune in today to get a glimpse of what it is like to be a medical practitioner that wor...
Jan 28, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 163
Bob and Xavier sit down and discuss equity, marketing, and career callings with Hermine Ngonomire, the "Mother of Medicine" and founder of Persona Group and Truve Health. They explore the failings of so called equity provisions across the United States, discuss strategy around marketing hemp-derived products, and share the reasons why they initially got involved in the cannabis industry.
Jan 13, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 162
Jan 07, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 161
Episode 160 introduces Philip Wolf, founder of Cashom and a pioneer in the cannabis-enhanced experiences space. Join Bob and Xavier as they talk to Phil about his path to the cannabis industry, what participants at his cannabis experiences can expect, and his excitement for the New York industry. They also discuss basketball and Philadelphia sports fandom – perhaps to foreshadow a later special episode. Presented by Benzinga Cannabis The Hoban Minute was created to get closer to our network, hig...
Dec 17, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 160
John Mueller is the CEO of Greenlight Dispensaries, a Multi-State Operator of cannabis retail experiences across Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, South Dakota, and West Virginia. Bob and Xavier share their surprise and admiration with John for operating an MSO across jurisdictions that are rarely affiliated with cannabis in public discourse, explore his historical experience in the cannabis retail space, and discuss different retail models that can help attract previously untapped market segments t...
Dec 10, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 159
Bob and Xavier sit down with New York’s own Vladmir Bautista. Tune in to understand what the state of New York’s emerging adult-use cannabis industry, and the important grassroots work Vlad and his colleagues have taken on over the last two decades to bring us to this point. The hosts and Vlad discuss the “suits vs legacy” discourse, explore what brought them all to the cannabis industry, and get into the details of why New York will be different than any other cannabis market in the world. Pres...
Dec 03, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 158
Bob and Xavier sit down to have a conversation about the state of the US and international cannabis industries in Q4 2022. Presented by Benzinga Cannabis The Hoban Minute was created to get closer to our network, highlight the many voices that make up this multifaceted global industry and provide a broader perspective on cannabis, hemp, and marijuana international markets. Contact Bob Hoban at bobhoban.com...
Nov 19, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 157
