JR and Diana talk about the snake oil effect in the CBD industry, and Laura from The Healing Rose (the opposite of snake oil) discusses the current state of Massachusetts cannabis.
JR and Diana talk about the snake oil effect in the CBD industry, and Laura Boehner from The Healing Rose (the opposite of snake oil) discusses the current state of Massachusetts cannabis.
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Listeners can get 20% off their next purchase of Alice Mushrooms when they use the code YOURHIGHNESS.
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Time stamps:
1:25 - Welcome to Your Highness Podcast
2:11 - Fave pot
6:01 - Fave not pot
10:33 - Main Segment
25:13 - Closer Look at Massachusetts with Laura
Speaker 1 0:00
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Speaker 1 1:24
Welcome to Your Highness podcast. I'm your host, Diana crush, and I am joined by my lovely co host today Jr. Crash? How are you doing today Jr.
Unknown Speaker 1:35
Doing? Awesome. Happy to be here.
Unknown Speaker 1:37
I guess I could have let you introduce yourself. But I like
Unknown Speaker 1:40
the introduction. It's nice.
Speaker 1 1:44
Yeah, so if you are new to the show, Jr, is both my partner in podcasting and in life. And he is the reason why this show sounds so good. So anyway, we're going to start this episode as we do every episode with our fav pot fav not pot, which means we're going to talk about our favorite cannabis related and non cannabis related items at the moment. And I'm going to start with my fav pot Jr. It might be a little bit of a stretch, because it's not technically a cannabis item. But if you listen to this podcast on a regular basis, first of all, thank you. And second of all, you know that I like to stretch it a little bit. So my favorite part right now is a bit of a self promotion. We would really love it if people would subscribe to our substack Your Highness media newsletter. That's where you find out about everything that we're doing, including in person events, which we are having one soon, at the end of October. So if you are in the Maryland area, particularly the Harford County, Maryland area, unless you want to take the hike, which Hey, you know what, I will be very happy and I'll make sure that you're rewarded for that hike. So anyway, this is all to say subscribe to Your Highness media newsletter for all of the information about our shows and events and pretty much anything else that I feel like posting about, but I promise you, you won't be bored. What's your favorite pot right now Jr.
Speaker 2 3:23
I'm actually gonna go with a strain. It's called blue flame. And it is actually it's a cross between super blue dream and Inferno haze. I got the opportunity to try this last week. And actually really very much enjoyed it. It gave a very, like uplifting, yet creative and euphoric kind of feel to it. But it wasn't too intense. It didn't kind of spiral me out into like that anxiety, or paranoia that a lot of times comes with like that focus creativity. With that, you know, it's because of the the terpene profile, you know, mostly its dominant with a myrcene, which even though it's very rich and pinene, which gives that role solid focus quality, that myrcene helps pull it back, so it doesn't start spiraling. And then it's also coupled with the third highest terpene profile of beta caryophyllene, that beta caryophyllene Really steering those thoughts into a positive more jubilant direction to keep you from focusing on anything that's like too intense for you at that moment, that could cause you to kind of spiral into anxiety. So if you are in an area, and they are, they have the availability of the stream blue flame, I definitely recommend that you give it a try. Because especially if you are someone that's creative, and maybe having a little bit of a writer's block or creative block is something that could really kind of help bounce you out of that.
Speaker 1 4:51
I definitely have to try that for sure. Oh, yeah, you have tried it. Did I like Did you
Unknown Speaker 5:00
said I like this? Oh, yeah, you're gonna try to be for me?
Speaker 1 5:05
Well, this just illustrates the fact that I do not keep a journal about what I consume, as I have told people to do in the past. So this is one of those me also me situations where I'm contradicting myself, in case people aren't understanding what I mean by that, because it's an inside joke.
Unknown Speaker 5:24
Yeah. Just inside joke between us, they don't know what we're doing.
Speaker 1 5:28
Yeah. So just to explain it a little more. If you know that meme. Is it a meme or a GIF? Or it's not moving? It's not moving. The mean, where there is a person who's like doing one thing, and then they say me, and then it's like, the complete opposite of that. And this is also me. I'm pretty much the physical embodiment of that embodiment of the I Am That personified. Right. So that's what we're trying to say. All right, so moving on, to the fav, not pot. My fav, not pot right now is a show on Hulu called the other black girl. And it is both a thriller and a comedy. Which I think we can both attest to it being both of those things. It's like both kind of scary. I mean, not scary, but it is a thriller. It's a mystery. It's a comedy. It's extremely well written and well acted. Everyone in it does a phenomenal job. Garcelle Bouvet bhuvi booth. I know I'm mispronouncing her name, she's in it. A bunch of other people are in it as well. It's a star studded cast, and I highly recommend it. I don't want to say too much about it. Because I feel like I'll give it away if I try to explain the show. But yes, that is my fave not to pot right now. And you can check it out on Hulu. So what is your fav not pot right now Jr?
Speaker 2 6:59
I'm actually gonna go with a movie, a movie that we watched last night. As a matter of fact, it's spooky season is my favorite season is chili. I got my flannels, the pumpkin spice is flowing. And the spooky movies are a go. And, you know, well, I very much love the genre of horror, Diana not so much. So I get really excited when when we find something that can actually be good for both of us. And that's what we watched last night it was called totally killer. It was on Amazon Prime. And I gotta tell you, I need to make sure I said yes, it is called totally killed. I was trying to kill time there and it just wasn't working. But it was a awesome fun blend of of comedy with that. That typical 80s kind of slasher horror with a lot of fun time travel involved in which have had a lot of fun playing on things like showing things happening in the past and then showing how it was affecting in the future right at that moment. Instead of waiting till the end. It was just really a lot of fun. It was like the Hot Tub Time Machine except way more cleverly done, we were cleverly done, and then with it with a serial killer. So though it may not be like the most horrific thing you've ever seen in your entire life, to find something that me as a horror fanatic, and Diana as someone who dislikes her, you know, but being able to sit down watch it together and both enjoy it so that she's not just like sitting there pretending to enjoy it, you know, but actually laughing at it and having fun with it. It was really great. So it's on Amazon Prime is totaled, totally killer, and I definitely recommend checking it out. Well,
Unknown Speaker 8:52
I don't dislike all horror, you're
Unknown Speaker 8:54
gonna make Halloween seal. With me.
Speaker 1 8:57
I like things that are phony. Like I can I can say okay, that won't happen in real life. But as we know, it's something that can be even remotely applied to real life. It terrorizes me, and I will say it again. I think that complicit is the scariest movie out there. All right. So anyway,
Unknown Speaker 9:18
do a whole new podcast just on complicit? No, cuz,
Speaker 1 9:20
no, I can't. I can't. I can't even think about that movie anymore. I mean, okay, think
Speaker 2 9:27
about it. Like every day. Every day you bring up that movie. We watched it like eight years ago.
Speaker 1 9:33
It haunts me, and it was not marked as a thriller. Or well, maybe it was a thriller.
Unknown Speaker 9:39
I guess it wasn't a horror movie.
Speaker 1 9:43
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Speaker 2 11:12
Yes, very much. So especially because it's sad that it's become so accessible. But because of that accessibility, it's impossible to know if you're getting something legitimate when when something reaches the accessibility point that you can purchase it at a gas station, you have to start questioning, wait a minute, you know, this is sitting next to a bunch of killer bees, you know, caffeine pills and all this other wild concoctions that are just shoved together let's not forget the period of time where Spice was easily accessible in gas stations to anyone who doesn't know Spice was a chemically produced kratom. Well, no cannabis. Oh, that's right. That was a it was a faux cannabis is supposed to get the same.
Unknown Speaker 12:03
Hi, how's it written about that?
Speaker 2 12:07
credibly dangerous, I mean, it's made with like gasoline and
Unknown Speaker 12:10
other chemicals, the same thing with kratom to
Speaker 2 12:13
kratom was just a very, that's just a very high extraction that they can they can pull from it. But yet again, because of the accessibility, there's there was a lot of kratom that was on the market that wasn't good, or natural, or pure, or even even kratom will
Speaker 1 12:29
still even now, I mean, it's getting a lot better, because there's legislation happening for that, but you can still get some not so great kratom from getting
Speaker 2 12:39
it from a gas station is probably not going to be very good. You know,
Speaker 1 12:44
or even one of those like, Well, yeah, quote unquote, smoke shops. Yeah. I don't even know what you call them anymore, because sometimes you'll just see them in grocery stores, for instance. Okay, so there was recently a post by James Kennedy, not that one, Bravo holics. Okay, we're not talking about that James Kennedy. So this post from James Kennedy, who is I guess, involved in brand strategy, I don't know him personally. So this is just I'm just grabbing things from his post, and wanted to give him credit for it, because it's a very thoughtful post about how he walked into Wegmans CBD section and all the yellow tags. I mean, the picture that accompanies this post is says a lot, it's well over 100 CBD products in this, this Wegmans grocery aisle, and almost all of them have yellow tags on them being marked as 50% off because they're discontinued. And so that just kind of illustrates the point that this market is oversaturated. And there are a lot of false products out there. I don't want to say false prophets. But
Speaker 2 14:00
we have to, because a lot of times it's us, for example, when we first came into this industry, we came in eyes wide thinking everyone was in this industry for very altruistic reasons, you know, but you have to realize that there's going to be a lot of bad players in there, especially when we're living in end stage capitalism. So with that, there's going to be people basically just producing whatever they want to produce, just to kind of collect that money, they're not going to go and do a proper r&d, they're not going to get you know, pure strains of actual hemp that aren't like just filled with toxins and pesticides to extract their their CBD from they're just going to grab whatever they can to make a quick buck and sometimes even escalate the price to make it seem like it's got to be really good if it's going to be this much money. And they're doing this all knowing that it's what people are naturally going to go for. Because especially in dates where it's medical only. There's a lot of times with a lot of states where someone's medical ailment isn't actually covered under the program, so they can't get their medical card, or there's some people that just don't want to be put on a list or whatnot. So these people are going to be trying to find something that's easily accessible. And over the counter that they don't need to go to a doctor and get a recommendation for. So they're going to go to CBD. And they're just going to, they're going to buy what they see available to them. And oftentimes, it can actually turn them away from the plant entirely, because they could either have no reaction at all, or possibly even a bad reaction is completely unregulated. So there's really no telling what is actually inside the bottle that they're consuming.
Speaker 1 15:48
Right? When I wrote about it, I was surprised to find how many products were being tested without any CBD in them. And so James Kennedy points out in his post, I just want to talk about a little bit what he says here, because you just touched on it a little bit, the fact that the products aren't working, and sometimes that doesn't mean that the CBD isn't in the product. Sometimes it means that it's under dosed. Okay, like five milligrams to 10 milligram per serving. So I've had this experience where I tried to get someone to try CBD and I say, Look, this can really help with your pain, or whatever ailment it may be, but they don't feel anything. Because the dosage is too minimal for them to even have the effect. And also, the taste. A lot of these products taste funky, which I did not realize, I always thought that was like something you had to deal with when you had CBD products. Like in the beginning, when I started taking it, I thought, well, yeah, it's going to taste a little funky. But what I found out was that if it does taste funky, then you should not be consuming it. If it smells funky, you should not be consuming it. And I know that, you know, it can have a little bit of a smell like an herbaceous smell, even if it is a quality product, but that smell should dissipate after a few minutes. It shouldn't hang, you know, it shouldn't be so much that you're it shouldn't be so pronounced that you take some oil and you're like, Oh, like that should not be happening.
Speaker 2 17:31
No, it's It's natural. But it's not supposed to be horrendous, you know, it's not supposed to have like, almost like that spoiled quality to it. Whereas like, almost has like a that that bitter, lasting, you know, taste inside your mouth, it should be you know, much like anything that that's natural, that doesn't necessarily taste good kava, for example, it just popped my head, because I just had some has a very earthy dirt tastes to it. But that taste is very quickly flushed from your mouth and from your taste buds, you know, just by drinking anything afterwards. But if you're consuming salt, and same with CBD as it should, if you're consuming something, and that taste is just lingering in your mouth like a film. That's something that is not supposed to be happening when you're consuming.
Speaker 1 18:23
Yes. And also, the packaging matters. If you're buying something that is in a clear glass, and it's on a on some type of shelf where there is a lot of light exposure, then chances are the product is no longer good to consume or safe to consume. Also, look at the other ingredients that are being listed. Are they there for some type of entourage effect? Or is it something else that could pretty much minimize the effect? Or actually just give you no effect at all right? Because sometimes there are other ingredients in there that might not work with what you're already taking. So make sure that you're paying attention to that. But one of the biggest things is to pay attention to the certificate of analysis, which should be easily discoverable. And I don't mean like a teeny tiny QR code somewhere someplace that is not scannable. I mean, like we should be able to access that COA quickly. And it should be a third party COA not in house.
Speaker 2 19:34
Yeah, you know, do research, do research on labs. I'm not saying that. Labs are out there not being right. But I'm just saying
Unknown Speaker 19:45
not being right.
Speaker 2 19:47
Just I'm just saying Do your homework. You know, labs are run by people just like any other company. You know, just do your homework on what people are saying hang about these labs before you just automatically trust them. But absolutely pull up the COA before you purchase the product.
Speaker 1 20:08
And that can seem like a lot of work, just to get some products to make you feel better, which is one of the reasons why Delta eight is so popular right now.
Speaker 2 20:18
Well, the thing is, and it's so messed up because like, like Maryland's MediCal program, you know, for people that actually want to consume things that are rich and CBD because it's more beneficial for them, it's almost impossible to find anything. So people even still with medical cards are having to find themselves purchase unregulated CBD because there's certain things that CBD does that THC doesn't. And while some people are disappointed by CBD because it doesn't give them any kind of psychoactive effect. There's some people out there that do not want that psychoactive effect. And also some people just carry CBD because it can help bring them down. Fun fact, if you ever find yourself getting too elevated, and in a state of anxiety or panic or whatnot, or just feeling uncomfortable, if you consume just CBD, it will help counteract those psychoactive effects and helping you bring you down. So some people want to have CBD on hand just for that. And because, you know, we've now reached this point where we are adult use. So a lot of companies are pulling back on CBD products because they're more costly to produce. They're not as popular, people aren't going to come in and throw money when especially a lot of people start number chasing, and they want things that are highest in THC. And that's all they care about. So companies are responding by putting all their money into those products, pulling back from CBD, people with legitimate cards now have to go and buy unregulated hemp derived CBD. So, you know, it's one of those things where it's become incredibly successful or accessible on one end, you know, for the, the hemp derived CBD aspect, and completely on accessible when it comes to cannabis derived and cannabinoid derived CBD products. So because of that, you know, we really need to make sure we're doing our research, because this is where companies are discussed are throwing anything out. Yeah. So it may seem like a lot. But you have to think about is this accessible, you really need to do your research before you're buying it. You know, before I buy anything off of Amazon, I read all the reviews, you know, and that's not something I'm going to be putting inside my body every single day. You know, if you're going to be using this to help yourself a therapeutic level, you really need to do your research,
Speaker 1 22:44
especially about the application method. Because I cannot tell you how many times I've had people who sell CBD oil, say, oh, it can do X, Y and Z? Well, it's not topical. So it's not actually addressing nerve pain the same way something that is topical or transdermal is actually formulated so that it breaks the blood skin barrier in a certain say that correct? Yeah. It and so it actually like enters whatever part of your body it needs to in that specific way. And that is really important because a lot of these smaller businesses put a lot of time and effort into figuring out the formulation of these products. And they think about the application meaning is it going to be on top of you? Is it going to be something you rub onto you? Is it going to be something that you ingest? Is it something that you drink because your body processes all of that differently? So if someone's saying, hey, you know, this is this oil can do it all, then no, it cannot. I'm sorry, it cannot.
Speaker 2 23:55
And when it comes to doing your research, I mean this has gone for your pets, too. There's a lot of CBD derived pet products out there, which are great because dogs can't consume THC is poisonous to them, it'll kill them, you know. So if you have a dog that has a lot of anxiety, you know separation anxiety and stuff like that, medicating them with CBD is amazing. And there's a lot of really fantastic hemp derived CBD CBD products out there on the market, you just need to make sure that what you're getting is one that you wouldn't mind consuming as well. You know, make sure that the ingredients are are healthy, and something that your dog can actually digest and consume. And don't just grab whatever you see on the shelves because just because it's on the shelves and you can buy it doesn't mean that it should be on the shelves and you should buy it. I
Speaker 1 24:48
think that's a good place to end it. Thanks. So there's a lot more to say on the topic and we probably will so stay tuned for that. And also stay tuned for a closer look. Look into the Massachusetts cannabis scene with deep friend of the pod, Laura beaner of the healing rose. So we are joined today by Laura beaner of the healing rose. How are you doing today, Laura?
Speaker 3 25:20
I am so good. I'm so glad to be here with you today. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 25:25
I'm always glad to have you here, as you know. So, Laura, let's start by taking a snapshot of the Massachusetts cannabis scene. What is the current attitude among consumers and business owners? I know that could probably be two separate answers. But
Speaker 3 25:44
yeah, I will break that into two parts, I can start with the business side of things. So it's a quickly changing market over here. So I will say that it's like following the trajectory of California, Colorado, Oregon, right, where there's more players in the space, the barriers to entry get lower, there's more product, there's also more competition to try to move that product. So the prices go down. So for retailers, I'd say there's a range of attitudes really depends where you are in the state. I think it's like over half of municipalities opted out of cannabis, originally, when we pass recreation, recreational so there's like pockets, will there'll be like 20 dispensaries within 20 square miles. And then you can go 45 minutes and really not find one. So like, it really depends where you are, and like what kind of dispensary you're operating. They're doing a lot more like, you know, promotions discounts. They're able to, like I said, lower prices. And that's also, you know, there's delivery now. So that's another option that's competing with people. So delivery operators are able to, you know, deliver it to your house, they're also offering discounts and deals and things like that. So there's just like, overall, much more competition. And that goes for cultivators, as well. cultivators, of course, as always, an all farmers, right, they get squeezed, unfortunately, so like their costs for inputs and to grow aren't going down. Because Massachusetts is incredibly expensive for electricity,
Unknown Speaker 27:18
everything
Speaker 3 27:20
for everything you have to add. And they're like struggling to figure out how to make, you know, good money off growing the plant. So I want to talk
Speaker 1 27:29
about two ways. Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off there, but let's
Speaker 3 27:34
throw it out there. To add, makes it so that cannabis businesses are not allowed to have any tax write offs. So they pay taxes on that top number. So they have a million dollars in revenue, that's the number they pay their taxes on, they don't pay their taxes on, you know, minus expenses minus this minus that, that bottom number, they're paying it at that at that top number. So it really hurts profits. And that drives up prices. That reduces you know, wages that can go around to and benefits and things like that. So hopefully that will change at the federal level, because that's a federal thing. So that means Hey, the government saying your illegal business will, I guess, let you operate, we can't do much, but we'll take all your money, pretty much like makes it so it's like a lot of people are holding out hoping for better days waiting for to add to clear. So they can really see those profits. So it's a lot of people like holding on. Holding on to hope, obviously. Yes, exactly. And then like on the brand and manufacturer side, we have a lot of great craft brands that are like, you know, the top players in the game. I'm sure they're doing great. But then on the same side of things, there's a ton of new brands coming in, there's new manufacturers opening up, that's bringing in new products. And then it makes it hard to figure out like as buyers, am I going to add new products do I want to see like what's always just cycling in new brands? Or do I want to stick with the regulars, there's only so much about space, only so much many spaces, all that stuff. So it's just creating a lot more competition. And then that leads to lower prices that they can charge lower profit margins. So it just makes it you know, being lean operation, being smart, running it as any other business that you you know, you're operating are the people that are going to be sustainable, sustainable, long term. And then on the consumer side of things. I think it's mostly a positive right, the increased competition, lower prices, more promotions, consumers are shopping, more promotions now. So they're hopping dispensaries. You know, like you'll hear on Tuesdays, they have half off pre rolls. That's where I get my pre rolls, all that stuff that consumers are really starting to get locked into those type of buying scenarios, which is awesome. And then I think personally in Massachusetts more than any other state. What you're seeing here minor cannabinoids and everything. So sure there's THC and things, and most of them have CBD. But now you're seeing CBD and THC V CDC, a lot of those in the products and that's in part a lot of it because hemp cannabinoids can be used by manufacturers. So that was a bill that was passed about almost three years ago by have coalition and then other hemp activists that allow for both extracts to go from hemp farms into cannabis products, because they're the same molecule. So it's just creating like really cool products. There's products for focus for for pain, more for sleep, for energy, so it's just instead of just being like, Hey, this is a sativa edible, or this is an indica edible, you barely see that in Massachusetts anymore. Like consumers are like, that's pretty much BS. Like, you can't, you know, have some ghost train haze, and then you're making it into cookies. And all of a sudden, I'm gonna feel energy, just like the science behind it doesn't really add up the terpenes aren't really like processed that way by the liver. That's going to create like a euphoric effect. But if you're bringing in other cannabinoids, you're eating terpenes I guess. You're not faking it. There's debate there. But by different ratios of these cannabinoids, it's just creating a whole new experience for consumers. So I think it's it's an exciting time to be a Massachusetts cannabis consumer. It's
Speaker 1 31:22
nice, I bet they probably have some pretty quality products to choose from. So I mean, obviously, you touched on it a little bit how much has changed in the last few years? But what what have you seen since you began your business? Like what is the general shift in attitude or acceptance or anything like that? Like what is what is the biggest change you've seen?
Speaker 3 31:46
Yeah, I would say I mean, obviously we're on the hemp side of things. But we do sell into cannabis dispensaries, we're in about close to 109. Massachusetts. Yeah, so a lot of some of them are just have lip balms and things like that. So it's nothing like
Speaker 1 32:00
so you're allowed to sell that inside cannabis dispensary. Cool. Yeah,
Speaker 3 32:05
exactly. So that is exclusive to Massachusetts hemp companies. So that's just a really awesome thing. We had gotten just state law that literally changed the game for us. So I do, I am able to, like, you know, excuse me, like see how that is. But like, I'll say we started at especially the recreational side of things. It was just so expensive. And like, I didn't understand how people were paying, like over $500 with tax for an ounce of weed. I was like who, besides rich older people, yeah, are buying that like when it was on the, you know, Legacy market for 150 200. So there was a huge discrepancy in the legacy pricing in the legal market several years ago. Now that gap is slowly closing. And so then on that side of things, where there used to be a lot of underground sashes and things like that, those are getting smaller and smaller, less money is going to that market. And then when a one's very well connected, Legacy sesh Steen is much more segregated. Like divided and small. That's a big thing I've noticed is the legacy market.
Speaker 1 33:16
Are you allowed to consume in public and Massachusetts like at an event?
Speaker 3 33:21
Oh, yeah. So you can like private grounds or if there's, you can smoke cigarettes there. You can smoke cannabis but you there is a like, citation you can receive. I think that's actually might be for anyone, you could technically receive a citation unless you're a medical patient. I'm a medical patient. So sometimes I forget everyone's smoke anyway.
Speaker 1 33:45
Yeah, I just remember they were really strict in Boston about smoking cigarettes in bars the last time I was there. So I was just wondering, like, if that's you know,
Speaker 3 33:54
we're super inside for sure. But if there's a bunch of private clubs now that are popping up there's one in Worcester the summit lounge that's been there for years. They have ventilation systems, everyone goes there and smokes dabs. It's really cool. And then there's like a place that's just north of Boston now that's holding all these private events with like three 400 people. Everyone's smoking, because it's like a privately owned and they're like renting it out to have like a smoke club, I guess. I don't know. It's really cool. All the dispensaries are renting it out for their brand launches. And it's pretty cool to see that to a lot of people having fun.
Speaker 1 34:30
That sounds like fun. So what do you wish people outside of Massachusetts could understand about the cannabis industry there?
Speaker 3 34:38
Yeah. So I will say that we have a huge focus on organic ingredients amongst the craft brands. So brands like coasts, obviously the healing rose. There's just a lot of people looking at the ingredients understanding what they're putting in their bodies. There's a brand Lea they're like huge drink company in there. Like getting zero calorie seltzer that people love. So people are very health conscious. So, um, yeah, I would just say that like, you can expect to see like, great branding and packaging on the shelves here the dispensaries are immaculate, a lot of them look like an art gallery when you walk in. It's just like a whole experience. So I was like a tourist coming to the state, I highly recommend like cannabis tourism to our state. It's wonderful. And prices, like I said, are going down. That's definitely more affordable. And I will say, you know, I know we're gonna be talking about masks, but Maine is right north of us too. And they have the best cannabis in the whole country, in my opinion. So there's a lot of genetic shared amongst like the New England states. That's the best place for cannabis. Yeah.
Speaker 1 35:53
The best I ever had probably the highest I ever got was in Maine. And I'm from there. So maybe I'm a little bit biased, but so what are your hopes for the future of the cannabis space in Massachusetts?
Speaker 3 36:10
Yeah, so I hope that we're able to promote craft cultivation. Because with those lowering prices, and margins and things like that, we discourage organic craft growers that use regenerative practices, because those are less cost effective, and the yields aren't as good. So like, if you're in a purely money game, and you're just trying to crank out those type of products, I worry about the lack of like really high quality products in the future, because the brands that are trying to do things, right, you're doing dealing with to ad E, you're in a state where like the average home cost $700,000 or whatever, like Massachusetts is so expensive, everything, it's just like it all adds up. And then a lot of small businesses are going to have trouble staying around is my worry, unless we do something that specifically gives some kind of balancing leverage or something I know they're looking into, like they are launching a program for 0% social equity loans in Massachusetts. So they're going to use tax dollars in cannabis and loan it back to social equity company. So I think that's amazing as 0% interest rate. So things like that I think will make a difference. There are people who really feel passionately about it. We have an amazing, like network of activists. And then also we're a lot of lawyers who are activists. So we have people who are actually doing things instead of just like talking about it online or doing like little petitions. No, they're at the Statehouse. They're writing the laws. They're like, You need to pass this right now, including you, you know, you're doing a lot I do my own little part where we have like people like Shailene title, who's running the problem center is like a national think tank, which I support we're partner of. So I do my part to support but there are people just like like I'm like, all day every day thinking about like, what is going on or looking into like, hey, this person's actions are totally nefarious. And they just I love it about Massachusetts. Yeah, so proactive to get stuff done.
Unknown Speaker 38:05
There's a lot of drama.
Speaker 3 38:08
Oh, my God, we can get in and out like a whole podcast. Crazy. The CCC level? Have you seen that? Yes.
Speaker 1 38:14
Every time I go on? Well, whatever you want to call it now. X. You know, I always see a new Twitter thread about that drama that's going on in Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 38:26
There is some drama, like you said, we are well connected. So there's drama leaks out quick and it spreads fast.
Speaker 1 38:31
But that's good. Because consumers need to know right? And as do the people who want to enter the industry, they need to know what's going on. So I think that's good. I'm here for it. So
Speaker 3 38:42
yeah, I mean, every so every new industry has those players that come in those bad actors try to take advantage of new industries. You gotta let people know. You gotta like screaming out loud if they're scumbags. People ripping people off. That was a problem Massachusetts for a while as people not paying bills, invoices going like six, seven months without getting paid. And then people started like compiling, like anonymous ways to submit, like people's old invoices. And then I think people start to get a little bit more smart about it. Like I want to get put on blast, like should we pay that like seven month old boy scouts pay that you know, so?
Speaker 1 39:14
So we need that in every state? Yeah, call them out. Yeah, exactly. Well, one bad player that doesn't exist is you because you're not a bad player, though. I was trying to segue it more into the quality products but we started talking about
Speaker 1 39:38
so before we end, tell us about the healing rose and how we can support you.
Speaker 3 39:43
Sure. So the healing rose We were founded in 2016. So seven years ago. We are an organic cannabinoid manufacturer of wellness products like salves, tinctures extracts, suppositories, lip balms, and more. And we are available online at the healing rose.co. And we make everything ourselves right here in Newburyport. We're certified organic. We have an all female production team. We make things with so much love. And we are always available to talk to people through like what you'd need. There's a live chat or you can reach out to us. I'm always happy to talk to someone about what would work best for you.
Speaker 1 40:25
That's amazing. Thank you so much for joining me today. I appreciate it. And I appreciate what you're doing. Truly.
Unknown Speaker 40:32
I appreciate you so much. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 40:35
Thank you for listening. Until next time, stay high and beautiful. This episode was produced by Your Highness media. audio editing by Jr. Crash. intro music by your mom likes my music. Subscribe to our substack Your Highness newsletter for the latest announcements and event updates
Transcribed by https://otter.ai