Grassroots Marketing

Discussing The Budtender Awards and Protis Global with Keith Allen, CEO of Round Meadow Holdings, Founder of the Budtender Awards. Plus, we profile Frank Judd, director of client accounts for Protis Global.

Russ Belville chats with Leif Kantro from ProMax Grow at the SW Cannabis Conference. Pro MAX Grow provides a line of LED grow lights using properties NASA uses to grow plants in space.

ASD Market Week Part 2 With Ed Lynch on Grassroots Marketing. ASD Market Week features thousands of exhibitors and attracts 45,000 buyers twice a year. ASD Market Week is the leading event for low-to-mid-level merchandisers and was voted “Trade Show of the Year” by TSNN Trade Show News. Nearly 3,000 vendors from department stores to convenience stores, from college book stores to general stores from grocery store distributors to fashion boutique stores and many more attend to find unique merchandise that will set their business apart. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”

Russ Belville chats with Carlos Alfaro from The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol at the SW Cannabis Conference. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol will allow adults 21 years of age and older to possess and consume marijuana in private, as well as grow and sell in licensed marijuana retail stores with certain restrictions leading to responsible use of cannabis.

ASD Market Week Part 1 With Ed Lynch on Grassroots Marketing. ASD Market Week features thousands of exhibitors and attracts 45,000 buyers twice a year. ASD Market Week is the leading event for low-to-mid-level merchandisers and was voted “Trade Show of the Year” by TSNN Trade Show News. Nearly 3,000 vendors from department stores to convenience stores, from college book stores to general stores from grocery store distributors to fashion boutique stores and many more attend to find unique merchandise that will set their business apart. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”

Business Corporate Transactions for Cannabusinesses with Laura Bianchi from Rose Law Group, and how she has helped the cannabis movement, providing information, education and facts about cannabis and its industry professionals, as well as its business, medical and economic benefits and potential.

Product Earth Expo-Fest is totally unique in the UK, being the only Hemp, CBD, and Cannabis event that highlights the complete business eco-system of this amazing plant, its many varieties, derivatives and uses. From agricultural, industrial, medicinal and recreational, to production, wholesale and retail, it is the leading UK showcase for this rapidly evolving and exciting industry. Likewise, the camping element is not found at many hemp events across the world! bA carefully curated a line-up of D.J's and bands will also provide another exciting element to the event and the perfect soundtrack for the weekend.

Russ Belville chats with Peggy Noonan with Cornucopia at the SW Cannabis Conference. Cornucopia Infusions creates top quality cannabis products made from scratch providing customer service, patient care and education.

Affordable Shopping Destination Market Week with Vic Carretti, Business Development for ASD Affordable Shopping Destination Market Week. ASD Market Week features thousands of exhibitors and attracts 45,000 buyers twice a year. ASD Market Week is the leading event for low-to-mid-level merchandisers and was voted “Trade Show of the Year” by TSNN Trade Show News. Nearly 3,000 vendors from department stores to convenience stores, from college book stores to general stores from grocery store distributors to fashion boutique stores and many more attend to find unique merchandise that will set their business apart. ASD began as a military surplus trade show in 1961. In fact, ASD at one time was the abbreviation for Associated Surplus Dealers. This west coast trade group was founded by Walter Fletcher and began as small trade shows held in Santa Monica, Ca. ASD added Associated Merchandise Dealers (AMD) to their name: “ASD/AMD Trade Shows”. ASD Market Week is also home to the SourceDirect trade show, a B2B show for importers, distributors, wholesalers, and large retailers to buy wholesale goods directly from overseas manufacturers. SourceDirect at ASD is the go-to destination for buyers looking to source new product categories and find new ways to directly profit from manufacturers coming from top sourcing countries.

Russ Belville chats with Gary Angel from MagicalButter at the SW Cannabis Conference. MagicalButter extracts botanical molecules, developing culinary devices and natural treatment options.

High level conferences and trade shows with Morris Beegle, President Of WAFBA or We Are For Better Alternatives. Morris is the co-founder and president of the WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives) family of brands, including the NoCo Hemp Expo, Silver Mountain Hemp Guitars, Tree-Free Hemp, The Hawaii Hemp Conference. They are an event producer creating high level conferences and trade shows heavy on education and advocacy for the plant and planet.

Russ Belville chats with Chris Beals from WeedMaps at the SW Cannabis Conference. Weedmaps is an online legal outlet to review and chat about cannabis strains and local dispensaries with the community.

The ABCs of CBD The Essential Guide for Parents (and regular folks too) with Shira Adler. Shira (aka the Canna-Cantor due to her background as healer and Clergy) is the Founder & CEO of Synergy by Shira Adler — a ComPASSIONate care holistic health & wellness company. The acclaimed author of The ABCs of CBD The Essential Guide for Parents (and regular folks too) Shira is a nationally recognized media-wellness personality seen on Bravo, GMA, The Today Show, and a contributor across myriad digital and linear outlets on topics ranging from spirituality and holistic parenting, to cannabis & hemp and FemPowered entrepreneurism.

Russ Belville discusses Strategic Marijuana Investments with Khadijah Adams, founder and senior managing partner of Marijuana Investment and Private Retreat™ (MIPR).

Today we speak to Matt Shotwell of Native Tree Farms in California. Matt came to the cannabis business from notoriety as an actor (known for Weed Country (2013), I (Almost) Got Away with It (2010) and Campaignin': The Movie) and some related legal entanglements that were later dismissed. His Native Tree Farms brand has a real story (the pigs, the cows, the fallen native trees used for mulch, etc) and he says that's what customers want in order to feel good about a product, something big corporate cannabis companies don't have.His use of the media (Instagram, etc) to communicate that story, and therefore having an influence on the market that most other growers don't have makes his brand stronger. Matt used the “ask” method of marketing to determine that many customers' main complaint was that budtenders didn't know much about the products, and inserted representatives into stores to bridge the gap. He also used the data to divide customers into useful sub-groups so that products and marketing are tailored to appeal to each group.

Russ Belville chats with Evann Senn from CULTURE Magazine at the SW Cannabis Conference. CULTURE Magazine provides the latest news and lifestyle trends of your state's medical cannabis culture.

Vision sells seeds and cannabis paraphernalia, primarily to European and international wholesale customers. In this interview, Ferdi talks about what Cannafest means for Vision Seeds in terms of marketing their products to the right audience as well as the strategy behind and inner workings of Vision Seeds. Ferdi also talks about the importance of sharing good information about products backed up by lab analysis, and developments in the industry like a recent increase of interest in a range of new CBD products. He also hints at the nature of 8 new strains that Vision will soon release without saying too much just yet.

Talking about Plant Nutrients and Supplements for Growing Cannabis as Russ Belville speaks with ‎the Vice President of Marketing and Operations at Remo Brands Ltd., maklers of Remo Nutrients, Joel Twaites.

Slim Jim India started out making smoking papers and filters and has now diversified into hemp body washes, vape oils, CBD products, a grow box controlled by an app, and other related products. They manufacture branded products which they distribute to headshops all over India along with many other cannabis-related products by other manufacturers. They also operate an online headshop selling their own products and those of other companies to retail customers.Kunaal shares his experiences at Cannafest, what the event means for the Slim Jim's business as well as some of their international marketing strategies. He also offers some insight about the Indian market for cannabis-related products, the legal paradigm for cannabis users in India, and current developments in India relating to medical cannabis research.

Russ Belville chats with Dan Bacon from Grow Element Technologies at the SW Cannabis Conference. Grow Element Technologies specializes in Lighting Research and Design, Grow and Dispensary, and Industry Software Tracking Technology.

Today we speak to Matt Shotwell of Native Tree Farms. Coming from notoriety as an actor (known for Weed Country (2013), I (Almost) Got Away with It (2010) and Campaignin': The Movie) and some related legal entanglements that were later dismissed. His Native Tree Farms brand has a real story (the pigs, the cows, the fallen native trees used for mulch, etc) and that's what customers want in order to feel good about your product, something he says big corporate cannabis companies don't have. His use of the media (Instagram, etc) to communicate that story, and therefore having an influence on the market that most other growers don't have is what makes his vision that must more unique. Matt uses the "ask" method of marketing to determine that many customers' main complaint was that budtenders didn't know much about the products, and inserted representatives into stores to bridge the gap. Also using the data to divide customers in useful sub-groups so that products and marketing can be tailored to appeal to each group is another one of his effective methods

Russ Belville chats with Courtney Myers from Green Mountain Solutions at the SW Cannabis Conference. Green Mountain Solutions is a software and solutions company focused on the people side of the cannabis industr

Audrey Kerger has a background in health and nutrition, helping people transform their bodies into exactly what they desire. Her journey into the cannabis industry came after her son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the medical establishment was looking to create a “patient for life.” Audrey began digging deep into the research of cannabis and was astonished at what she discovered. Her family has found hope and life using CBD-rich cannabis products and she has dedicated herself to helping others understand this plant is not from the “Devil,” but a true gift that will transform not only human health and well-being but will change the future with the abundance of ways we can use this powerful plant.

Cultivating Organic Sun-Grown Cannabis is discussed as Russ Belville speaks with Dr. Jeffrey Homburg from billy-budz. Dr. Homburg spearheads Billy Budz' strain development, nutrient development, and soil productivity.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Total Grow Control CEO Derek Oxford. Derek shares how automation and the data gathered from it can help cultivators improve their products, as well as their profits.Automation is an investment in your business that isn't always easy to make when considering the additional costs involved; however, streamlining cultivation practices and automating certain manual tasks can provide many benefits to cannabis growers.

Russ Belville chats with Bruce Spiegel from Phoenix NY Co and Melinda Hinkson from Sigma Consulting at the SW Cannabis Conference. Phoenix NY Co is a full service architecture and landscape architectural firm with both commercial, residential clients, and Sigma Consulting is a full service professional firm providing sound solutions and innovative ideas to today's engineering challenges.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Kandypens Kreuger Reddin. Kandypens creates Premium Vaporizers sold worldwide.Kandypens produces the Best Vape Pen and Vaporizer Pen. They're ranked #1 for Best Wax Pens, Dab Pens on the Vape Electronics Market! Vape Cartridges which are spun and locked onto most vape pens, can even hold your favorite oil or wax. The heating mechanism on our pens are the absolute best in the industry. Several of our vape pens feature a button-less heating mechanism, you literally puff the pen at your own pace.

Russ Belville speaks with Capsule Consulting Group Founder and CEO, Jonathan Gilinski, to discuss their work in developing concentrated cannabis in capsule form.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Kip Michaelson, Sales Director at 365 Cannabis at The NAV People. 365 Cannabis deals with the Advanced Cultivation Techniques at the USCC Expo in Phoenix. The NAV People Inc. are an experienced provider of Microsoft Dynamics ERP software. As the cannabis industry emerged they saw a great opportunity to build and support the best end-to-end cannabis solution on the market, based on the power of Microsoft; thus was born 365 Cannabis. They know that cannabis companies need to be able to concentrate on developing their business, safe in the knowledge that the supporting back-office functions like compliance and regulation are taken care of.

Talking Cannabusiness Career Networking, Recruiting and Employment as Russ Belville speaks with Hector Santa Cruz, director of business development from THCJobs and Emerald Opportunities

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Jacob Cataldo, Assistant Grower - Copperstate Farms. We talk about the launch of their new line of edibles, Good Things Coming and new product line, Jack Rabbit which they introduced at the USCC expo on the show floor and through a nighttime launch party. At Copperstate Farms It takes energy, passion, and creativity to be successful in every aspect of our business. If you work hard, are dependable, reliable, and honest with a great deal of integrity, then Copperstate Farms has a career for you! Copperstate Farms continues to bring growth to the local and state economy through the hiring of local laborers, material suppliers, and contractors when possible.

Russ Belville chats with Chef Nugs from Weed for Warriors at the SW Cannabis Conference. Chef Nugs is a US Army veteran that moved back after five years of active duty, who continued on to become a chef. He now uses his expertise to specialize in delicious cannabis culinary delights.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Richard Velazquez, Executive Chef and Production Manager at Sublime Brands AZ. We speak about Edibles, how his wife and her medical issue compelled him to work on Cannabis in the kitchen. Sublime is the proud producer of Arizona's finest medical cannabis products. With just one hit, bite or application, you will taste and feel the difference in our quality. Why cannabis? At Sublime, they are passionate about living clean, healthy lives maintained with superior natural, time-tested, herbal medicine.

Scottsdale, Arizona based mural artist talks with Russ Belville about his Cannabis-inspired artwork that offers us the Artistic Anatomy of Cannabis, being showcased at the Southwest Cannabis Conference.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Andrea Short, Solution Center Advisor of CEDR Solutions. Andrea graduated from the University of Colorado Law School and is barred in both Colorado and Arizona. As a Solution Center Advisor, Andrea helps employers stay in compliance with employment laws and best practices. While in law school, Andrea worked with startup canna-businesses, was an active member of the Colorado chapter of NORML, co-founded the Cannabis Law League (an accredited organization designed to help new attorneys connect with the industry), and at CEDR she continues to pursue her passion for the cannabis industry with a focus on employment related issues.

From the SW Cannabis Conference 2015, Russ Belville speaks with Jessica Crozier from Harvesting Hope about her work helping kids with epilepsy have access to medical marijuana

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Robert Labaut, the Operations Manager of PayBotic. Paybotic is a payment solutions company that excels in tailoring our solutions to the cannabis industry. Their mission is to help cannabis businesses fortify, comply, and thrive in evolving regulatory environments, with a solid foundation in payment processing. They believe in the essence of “getting-to-know” a business's payment infrastructure and needs before recommending the approaches to put the right pieces of the puzzle together. PayBotic recommendations focus on solutions that are the most cost effective, efficient, and streamlined.

Russ Belville chats with Nadim from Baked Bros at the SW Cannabis Conference. Baked Bros is a company striving in baking, confections, extraction, chemistry, communication, and sports medicine resulting in an accurate, great tasting, effective edible.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Scott Jordan, managing director of Vertical Company. Scott Jordan has been in Colorado providing access to capital for marijuana business owners since 2009 and has been called “The Marijuana Money Man “by Fox San Francisco and the Denver Post. He created one of the first companies to provide access to debt based capital, Dynamic Alternative Finance in 2014 and arranged over $30 million in funding before accepting the position with Vertical in 2018 as managing director of the newly created Financial Services division.

Russ Belville chats with Bob Eschino from Incredibles Colorado at the SW Cannabis Conference. Incredibles Colorado specializes in THC infused chocolate bars from homemade, in-house hash oil, green butter and bubble hash.

Today on Grassroots Marketing we are joined by Khadijah Adams, Master Distributor at CBD WELL 101. Cannabis Entrepreneur, Investor, and Partner at C. E. Hutton, LLC. and Master Distributor at CBD WELL 101 powered by C. E. Hutton, LLC in Partnership with Award-Winning - Altitude Products. Promoting a CBD Business In a Bag, they are giving Entrepreneurs an Opportunity to Partner with CBD WELL 101 in a franchise type model. Providing them with leadership, support, and tools to help them become successful. WELL 101 offers a premium line of luxury CBD infused beauty, fitness and health and wellness products.

Russ Belville chats with Andrew Pitsicalis from Purple Haze Properties at the SW Cannabis Conference. Purple Haze Properties is a lifestyle Brand that's involved in Social, Medical, Entertainment, aspects of Cannabis & Advances in CBD research.