This Week in Cannabis Live

With midterm elections just days away, Jay and Jeremy are joined by Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) and Annarae Grabstein (High Spirits) to break down what's at stake for cannabis at the ballot box — from Massachusetts' unprecedented repeal effort to Republican candidates embracing cannabis tax cuts and deregulation in Michigan, California, and Texas.

The group also recaps Cultivated's Highrise event in Soho, where the heads of New York's OCM and California's DCC shared the stage to discuss the realities of regulating multi-billion-dollar markets with little federal guidance.

Plus: New York's labor peace agreement requirement gets repealed after Gotham takes the state to federal court, the lame duck session outlook for hemp policy, Canada marks eight years of legalization (and a cannabis brain drain), and a winners-and-losers round covering hemp beverage fire sales, social equity reckoning, and more.

This week on This Week in Cannabis Live, Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated) are joined by AnnaRae Grabstein and Ben Larson (High Spirits) and Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) to break down a packed week in cannabis news.

Jeremy kicks things off with an update on the Aurora–Curaleaf saga: Aurora has gone public about exploring "multiple parties," Organigram's CEO is playing coy, and a wave of Canadian LPs are suddenly flexing their EU GMP certifications. But is the international prize actually worth the fight — or is it still a fraction of the size of California's market?

Then the panel digs into the escalating war of words between advocacy and lobbying groups. The Marijuana Policy Project published an op-ed calling for regulation over prohibition in the hemp space, ATACH fired back, and former NCIA CEO Aaron Smith weighed in. Ben and AnnaRae pull no punches on why THC demonization helps no one — and how this infighting plays right into the hands of prohibitionists pushing repeal in states like Massachusetts.

Plus: a Florida cannabis license listed for under $1 million, what that says about the state of the market, whether rescheduling delays actually benefit big MSOs, and a lively Winners & Losers segment covering Aurora shareholders, the 49ers, a banner outdoor harvest season, cannabis stockholders, ATACH, and fusarium.

This week on This Week in Cannabis Live, hosts Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated) are joined by Ben Larson (High Spirits podcast / Vertosa) and Bryan Fields (The Dime Podcast) for a packed episode headlined by breaking news.

Jeremy exclusively reports that Organigram — backed by British American Tobacco — has entered exploratory talks with Aurora Cannabis, setting up a potential bidding war against Curaleaf's hostile takeover bid.

The panel breaks down what a winning bid would mean for European cannabis export markets, why EU GMP-certified facilities have become the industry's most coveted assets, and how Curaleaf CEO Boris Jordan's poop-emoji Twitter strategy fits the broader communication culture of cannabis public companies.

Plus: the political dimensions of a Canadian vs. American fight for a Canadian company, hemp beverage operators navigating regulatory limbo heading into Q4, the case for a stronger Canadian cannabis lobby, and an odorless cannabis product flying off Ontario dispensary shelves.

The crew closes with their weekly Winners and Losers segment and announces Cultivated's upcoming live events in New York, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Buffalo.

Read Jeremy's full scoop at https://cultivated.news.

This week on This Week in Cannabis Live, Cultivated's Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke break down a rocky week for the cannabis industry.

The rescheduling process hit an unexpected pause after a GAO report prompted the DEA's administrative judge to reopen briefs through October 13th — sending cannabis stocks plunging, with the $MSOS ETF down 14% over five days. Jay and Jeremy unpack what happened, what it means for the timeline, and whether any of this gets resolved before the midterms.

They also dig into Jeremy's reporting on Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and its ballot campaign in Massachusetts, where the organization is using a kernel of truth — a fourfold increase in psychiatric emergency admissions among teens — to claim teen cannabis use has quadrupled statewide, even though CDC data shows teen use has been cut in half.

Plus, the launch of Cultivated Memberships, a look ahead to the Highrise event in New York on October 22nd featuring the heads of New York's OCM and California's DCCC on stage together for the first time, and the return of Winners & Losers.

This Week in Cannabis Live brings together Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated), Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings), and AnnaRae Grabstein (High Spirits) for a wide-ranging discussion on the week's biggest cannabis stories.

The panel digs into new CDC data showing teen cannabis use has dropped to its lowest level since 1991 — just 12.9% of high schoolers reported past-month use, down from a 1999 peak of 26.7%. The group explores what's driving the decline, from age-gating and regulated markets to broader shifts in teen behavior, and what it means for prohibitionist arguments against legalization.

Next up: Florida issues 22 new medical cannabis licenses after a three-and-a-half-year wait. But with license values plummeting from $40–50 million to an estimated $3–4 million, mandatory vertical integration, and a market dominated by the top four operators, how many of these new licensees can actually commercialize? The discussion covers whether interstate commerce or wholesale reform could change the calculus.

Then, the team turns to New York, where retailers owe $3.9 million to growers and brands on the state's COD list. AnnaRae draws parallels to California's far larger accounts receivable crisis, and Marc breaks down a UCC auction of a Manhattan dispensary and the predatory lending terms endemic to the industry.

The episode wraps with the fan-favorite "Winners and Losers" segment, featuring takes on anti-legalization misinformation, a masterclass in political communication from Ukraine's President Zelensky, and Metrc's data cleanup in New York.

Plus: upcoming events in New York, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Buffalo, and a cliffhanger announcement from the Cultivated team.

The Cultivated team -- Jeremy Berke and Jay Rosenthal -- break down the biggest stories in cannabis this week.

First, Jeremy explains why crypto, cannabis, and AI all share the same frustration — Washington's deliberate slow-walk on emerging industry regulation, and why retail investors keep getting caught off guard.

Then, the hosts dig into the escalating Curaleaf vs. Aurora takeover battle, where CEOs Boris Jordan and Miguel Martin are trading public barbs over a $4/share bid, an ATM offering, and whether Aurora is on enough of a "war footing" — with former Aurora executive Cam Batley weighing in with pointed criticism.

Plus: New York Governor Hochul's office makes a striking new statement calling unregulated hemp drinks in bodegas "a public health risk," what it means for the December hemp ban, and Jeremy's on-the-ground bodega report.

The episode wraps with Winners & Losers — including Minnesota's impressive $250 million first-year cannabis market and Jim Higdon of Cornbread Hemp's thoughtful case for hemp regulation — plus upcoming Cultivated events in New York, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and Buffalo.

This week on This Week in Cannabis Live, Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated) are joined by AnnaRae Grabstein and Ben Larson (Higher Spirits) and cannabis attorney Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) to break down a wild week of cannabis legal news.

The crew dives into the Sixth Circuit's explosive ruling letting Curaleaf argue its own contracts are unenforceable because cannabis is federally illegal — and what it means for trust, creditworthiness, and doing business across the industry.

They also cover the DC Circuit declining to pause rescheduling, Virginia's new adult-use draft regulations (including a $10M conversion fee and a 350-license lottery), and a debate on whether the industry is too fixated on dispensary success as the measure of a healthy market.

Plus: state cannabis tax hauls hitting $3.5B, Visa and Mastercard's continued refusal to touch cannabis payments even under Schedule III, and a rapid-fire Winners & Losers segment covering Metrc tag fees in New York, the Cookies vs. Gron/Red Tech arbitration loss, and weed at the US Open.

Jay Rosenthal (Cultivated), Ben Larson (High Spirits), and Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) team up for the first time as a trio to break down the week's biggest cannabis news heading into Labor Day weekend.

Topics covered:

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Hemp gets a one-month reprieve as the ban deadline shifts to December 11th, folded into the federal government's broader funding fight — what it means for distributors, retailers, and the bills in motion.

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Inside the DC politics: CMS's still-undefined role, the White House's cautious stance on adult use, and whether a Democratic House/Senate flip changes the calculus

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A clip from Verano Chief Investment Officer Aaron Miles on capital allocation, footprint investment, and why consolidation is coming

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The public Curaleaf–Aurora acquisition battle and whether the industry is finally entering a real M&A cycle

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Winners and Losers: Speaker Mike Johnson and the hemp coalition vs. Senator Ted Budd and Rep. Andy Harris, plus Governor Gavin Newsom's cannabis tax tweets and a cautionary tale from Michigan's 24% tax hike

A candid, insider conversation on hemp policy, cannabis M&A, and state tax strategy from the This Week in Cannabis Live crew.

This week on This Week in Cannabis Live, hosts Jay Rosenthal, Jeremy Berke, and AnnaRae Grabstein kick things off with special guest Rachel Bell — creator of Gotham's viral "Hi, I'm High" series and recent New Yorker feature subject — who dives into building a cannabis content brand without ever showing the product, the ROI of branded storytelling, and what it's like becoming "cannabis famous."

Then the crew breaks down the biggest stories in cannabis: a deep dive into the 2,500-page rescheduling hearing transcript, including the DEA's surgical legal strategy, Dr. Deepak D'Souza's psychosis testimony, and what it all means for the road ahead. Plus, the escalating Curaleaf-Aurora "bear hug" takeover battle, the anti-legalization media playbook, and this week's winners and losers — from JARS Cannabis' big Arizona merger to Florida's Republican infighting over DeSantis-funded anti-legalization efforts.

Featuring Jay Rosenthal, Jeremy Berke, AnnaRae Grabstein, and guest Rachel Bell (Gotham, "Hi, I'm High").

Jay Rosenthal, Jeremy Berke, Marc Hauser, and AnnaRae Grabstein return from their summer breaks to break down the biggest cannabis news of the week.

They dig into Curaleaf's hostile takeover bid for Aurora Cannabis and what it means for EU GMP export assets, unpack a new Congressional letter pushing the White House on rescheduling (and a surprising DEA admission buried in the briefing), and call out The New York Times for its recent slate of skeptical cannabis coverage.

Plus: AI and data tools transforming cannabis analytics, a Massachusetts repeal measure poll, and this week's winners and losers.

Jay Rosenthal is joined by Marc Hauser and Jeremy Berke for a packed episode of This Week in Cannabis Live — and Washington is a hemp circus.

This week: Vice President JD Vance personally lobbied Republican Senators to delay the Hemp Act, fracturing his own party over cannabis policy. Jay, Marc, and Jeremy break down what it means, why it happened, and what's next.

Then: Texas state rep James Talarico takes his pro-cannabis message to Charlamagne Tha God and The Breakfast Club ahead of his Senate run against Ken Paxton.

Plus, Q2 earnings season is underway — what are cannabis companies saying about the impact of medical rescheduling?

And in Winners & Losers: Dwyane Wade's new Cann collaboration gets the panel's verdict, Ted Cruz gets roasted (again), and Jay floats a theory about TrumpCoin and regulatory change that you'll want to hear.

Also: Jay's got a hot cannabis beverage review from Toronto, an Oliver Hazard concert recommendation, and a new webinar announcement with Sweed on August 20th — "From First Visit to Repeat Customer."

This Week in Cannabis Live drops every Friday.

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Cultivated's Jay Rosenthal and Bryan Fields of The Dime Podcast break down the biggest cannabis stories of the week from the Chandelier Bar — well, almost.

This week: federal survey data officially confirms that more Americans use cannabis daily than drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes — a first in history. Jay and Bryan dig into what it means, the social media backlash, and why the Scott Galloway crowd needs to relax.

Then: Congress still can't agree on a hemp bill, so now there's a third one. Jay makes the case for why the November hemp ban is unlikely to go into effect — and why brands like LEVIA launching nationally right now are either very smart or very bold.

Plus: Total Wine's senior VP goes on record saying their THC customer "looks like their alcohol customer" — every demographic, 21 to 99.

Winners & Losers closes out the show, with Jay giving the W to infused pre-rolls, the one cannabis category actually holding its price in a market full of compression.

Hosted by Jay Rosenthal, Managing Director of Cultivated. Featuring Bryan Fields of The Dime Podcast.

Topics covered: Daily cannabis use stats · Hemp bill update · Total Wine & THC · Infused pre-roll pricing · DEA rescheduling · Retail strategy

This Week in Cannabis Live drops weekly. Subscribe today.

Jay Rosenthal and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated) are joined by AnnaRae Grabstein (High Spirits) and Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings) for a wide-ranging look at where the cannabis industry stands right now.

This week: Congress surprises everyone with a serious bipartisan hemp regulation bill — Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduce a framework for consumable hemp, potency caps, and FDA oversight. Is it destined for a continuing resolution or the chopping block? The panel breaks it all down, including why inhalables are the elephant in the room.

Then: The so-called "Year of M&A" has so far been mostly Vireo doing the heavy lifting. What does deal flow actually look like right now, and are private companies quietly outpacing their public counterparts? Plus, Jeremy's interview with Rove founder Paul Jacobson reveals what building a $100M private cannabis company actually looks like.

On rescheduling: When will the ALJ issue its finding? (Jay bets the Friday before Labor Day.) And what happens next — Marc walks through the lawsuit landscape, the DC Circuit, injunctions, and why the real action is still to come in federal court.

Winners & Losers: AnnaRae salutes the California State Fair's cannabis activation (100,000 sq. ft. and counting), Marc mourns the layoffs at CannaCraft, March & Ash, and NorCal Cannabis, Jeremy praises the bipartisan hemp effort, and Jay shouts out the Oakland Ballers — soon to become the Oaksterdam Blazers for a day.

Guests:

AnnaRae Grabstein (High Spirits Consulting)

Marc Hauser (Cannabis Musings)

Jeremy Berke (Cultivated)

Host:

Jay Rosenthal, Cultivated

Jay Rosenthal (Cultivated), AnnaRae Grabstein (High Spirits), and Jeremy Berke (Cultivated) break down the biggest stories in cannabis policy this week.

The DEA rescheduling hearings are over — but the real fight may be just beginning. The trio unpacks what actually happened in the room, why the opposition may have been building a federal court appeal all along, and what Kalshi's prediction markets say about timing. Plus: a Trump-linked PAC just collected $11.5 million from major cannabis operators — what does that signal about where policy is headed?

Then: Senate Democrats reintroduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), including a new hemp-derived THC regulatory framework. Is it a long shot, or the beginning of a bipartisan negotiation? And Pennsylvania punts on legalization — again.

They close with Winners & Losers, including the DEA (yes, really), Smart Approaches to Marijuana, San Francisco's new Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes, and Idaho legislators who may have killed citizen-led cannabis reform for good.

Also: a lesson from Canada's legalization experience on why "federally legal" doesn't automatically mean "good for business."

Topics covered:

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DEA rescheduling hearing recap & what comes next

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Kalshi prediction markets on Schedule III odds

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Trump-linked PAC collects $11.5M from Trulieve, Curaleaf, Verano & Green Thumb

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CAOA reintroduced — hemp language is the new wrinkle

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Pennsylvania budget excludes cannabis legalization, again

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San Francisco approves Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes

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Canada's legalization lessons for U.S. operators

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Winners & Losers of the week

This Week in Cannabis Live is a joint production of Cultivated, High Spirits, and Cannabis Musings.