This episode we look at 8000 plus jobs in Quebec with cannabis, some good new from Rubicon Organics, AGLC walks back the price drops, a call to our Prime Minister for change and retailers tell LPs what kind of change they'd like to see. We stop on Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke we try tasty Korzie Kush from Royal Harvest.
This episode we look at 8000 plus jobs in Quebec with cannabis, some good new from Rubicon Organics, AGLC walks back the price drops, a call to our Prime Minister for change and retailers tell LPs what kind of change they'd like to see. We stop on Cultivar Corner, brought to you by Up In Smoke we try tasty Korzie Kush from Royal Harvest.
Ask the prime minister or help
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00:00:01Ian
From a Studio High above the clouds of the Okanagan Valley. This is the cannabis potcast.
00:00:09Ian
Blowing the world of Canadian cannabis culture 1 toke at a time.
00:00:15Ian
Now.
00:00:16Ian
Here's your host and Budtender Gary Johnston.
00:00:19Gary Johnston
And this is a perfect time for me to welcome you to the Cannabis potcast for the first time, perhaps, or for multiple times. In either case, I am especially happy to have you here. Thanks for being a listener.
00:00:32Gary Johnston
Now I want to tell you that for the next 30 minutes or so, we're gonna spend on a subject that I have a lot of interest in. In fact, I'm rather passionate about and that is cannabis. Before we get too much further, let me tell you this podcast is intended for those of legal consumption age in your jurisdiction and is intended purely for entertainment and perhaps educational purposes.
00:00:52Gary Johnston
You should always consume your cannabis responsibly.
00:00:56Gary Johnston
In episode 222.
00:01:00Gary Johnston
We look at some good times at Rubicon, they're having a good quarter. 8000 jobs have been created in Quebec and the cannabis sector. Retailers have some opinions about what LP's could do a little better. The AG LLC in Alberta has walked back their discounts and cannabis producers.
00:01:20Gary Johnston
An urgent call to Prime Minister Carney for some change.
00:01:24Gary Johnston
We are going to stop on cultivar corner for Corsi Kush from royal harvests done out of their Duncan facility. It is delicious. That's on cult of our corner, brought to you by up in smoke. All of that and more on episode 222 of the Cannabis potcast.
00:01:44Gary Johnston
Always. I am so thankful for you to be here. If you are a listing of the cannabis potcasts, thank you for your appreciation. As always, I want to thank you for being a listener at the Cannabis potcast. I'm glad that you're here along for the.
00:01:56Gary Johnston
Right now, let me remind you, if you want to make a comment on anything you hear, please send a note to info@cannabispodcast.com. And if you'd like to help out further, you can go to buymeacoffee.com/cannabis potcast if you like what you hear and you feel so inclined, you could even buy me a doobie.
00:02:14Gary Johnston
Well, where are?
00:02:16Gary Johnston
We I'm about two weeks since I had my accident running my bike into the side of a bridge, crossing a Creek here in Kelowna.
00:02:26Gary Johnston
Three ribs were cracked in that endeavor. It's it's healing nicely. I'm still not past the pain threshold, but it is moving fairly closely and and I'm back to being able to do cannabis, so I'm glad about that.
00:02:45Gary Johnston
Thank you for being here. Let's get on to the next story and we're picking this story up from strachan.com and this is the GLC. Walking back, the proudly offered a cannabis price cut that we talked about last time.
00:02:56Gary Johnston
Alberta's Cannabis Entity agency is walking back part of a recently announced effort to promote local cannabis products by temporarily lowering its provincial markup on selected items in early August, the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Commission, the GLC which overseas cannabis distribution and sales in the province, said it was launching its proudly Alberta campaign in the week of August 18th.
00:03:20Gary Johnston
The program's goal was to support local cannabis producers by increasing consumer awareness of their products as part of.
00:03:27Gary Johnston
The promotion, the Aglc said it would also be producing, reducing the price of all Alberta cannabis products by 5% for four weeks. The AG LLC will still be running their property Alberta campaign to highlight cannabis products, just without the added discount.
00:03:45Gary Johnston
A media representative with a GLC Telstra scan that after an in-depth interview of the potential impacts as a part of our efforts to support the proudly Alberta initiative, the AGL C had initially planned a temporary 5% price reduction on all Alberta licensed producer products to start on August 20.
00:04:04Gary Johnston
First, in the spirit of free trade, cannabis products in Alberta are subject to uniform pricing structure. After an in-depth review of the potential impacts, the GLC determined we will not be proceeding with the temporary price reduction.
00:04:18Gary Johnston
We have apologized to Alberta retailers and LP's for getting ahead of ourselves and causing this confusion. We value our relationships with our cannabis business partners and we'll continue our conversations with them on how best to serve the industry.
00:04:32Gary Johnston
Despite this change, the GLC says it's proudly Alberta in store collateral campaign will continue as planned. It encourages all cannabis retailers to display the proudly Alberta materials to help highlight local Alberta products. Just don't expect there to be more discount in terms of price.
00:04:52Gary Johnston
Why am I not surprised by that change of heart?
00:04:56Ian
The cannabis infused studio in the clouds. This is the cannabis potcast.
00:05:00Gary Johnston
And we're picking this story up from theems.ca. This is about a BC company that's doing rather well these days.
00:05:08Gary Johnston
Good vapes mean good times at Rubicon.
00:05:12Gary Johnston
Vaping products were elevated to the top of the podium as BC based Rubicon Organics released results of a profitable financial quarter.
00:05:20Gary Johnston
Our strong results reflect our relentless focus on quality across every aspect of our business, said CEO Margaret Brodie as the BC Company released quarterly and six month reports, we're now seeing the established success of our 510 thread FTSE resin vapes, which have been in a market for a full year.
00:05:40Gary Johnston
Alongside momentum from our premium genetics, she said.
00:05:44Gary Johnston
Looking ahead, I'm excited about the potential of our newly launched all-in-one FSE resin vapes, upcoming genetic releases, and the commissioning of our hope facility to support continued sustainable growth.
00:05:58Gary Johnston
Rubicon reported its highest ever net revenue of $15 million, record gross profit and record profit from operations of 1,000,000.
00:06:07Gary Johnston
Orders.
00:06:08Gary Johnston
The company also generated Adjusted EBITDA earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and advertising. Tion of $1.4 million and positive operating cash flow of 0.8 million, said CFO Glenn Abbott.
00:06:23Gary Johnston
Revenue for the quarter was up 30% over the previous year's quarter.
00:06:27Gary Johnston
For the quarter ending June 30th, the company's national market share was 5.2% in premium flower and pre rolls, 15.1% in resin vapes 26.2% for premium edibles and it had the number one topical brand, the report said.
00:06:43Gary Johnston
Rubicon also debuted its 1964 Supply Co all in one full spectrum extract risen vapes.
00:06:51Gary Johnston
In 2025, we're focused on expanding our genetic portfolio with several new launches under the simply Bare organic brand, the financial statement said.
00:07:01Gary Johnston
The company said its initial medical cannabis exports are small but growing.
00:07:06Gary Johnston
Stamp costs for the company's second facility in Hope will eat into profits in the near term, but will expand production capacity by over 40%. The hope location isn't expected to be generating revenue until 2026, and that update from pat.palmer@theounce.ca.
00:07:25Gary Johnston
And this story we're picking up from Strachan com where the Canadian Canadian producers have an urgent call for Prime Minister Carney.
00:07:33Gary Johnston
Highlighting the persistent challenges facing Canada's legal cannabis sector, a coalition of industry leaders penned an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for urgent federal intervention to foster the industry's continued growth and solidify Canada's global leadership.
00:07:50Gary Johnston
The letter, issued in June of 2025, underscores the sectors substantial economic contributions while outlining critical barriers hindering its full potential.
00:08:01Gary Johnston
The letter is signed by representatives from dozens of cannabis producers across the country of different sizes and styles for lining around a common message. Canadian cannabis industry has emerged as a global front runner and regulation, production and research since legalization.
00:08:16Gary Johnston
The sector has injected over $43 billion into Canada's GDP, including 7.4 billion in 2024 alone.
00:08:24Gary Johnston
This economic impact surpasses that of several established industries, such as breweries, wineries and dairy product manufacturing, demonstrating its growing significance to Canada's economy.
00:08:36Gary Johnston
Public sentiment also reflects strong support, with 64% of Canadians open to further government assistance for the legal cannabis industry, despite continued public bias against cannabis.
00:08:47Gary Johnston
The open letter identifies several key issues facing the industry. A primary concern is the presence, in some cases, even the reemergence of the illicit market.
00:08:57Gary Johnston
Although legalization has been effective at displacing the illicit market, it has not eradicated it by 100%.
00:09:04Gary Johnston
Industry leaders emphasize that illegal products pose the single greatest risk to public policy objectives, including youth protection and consumer safety.
00:09:14Gary Johnston
They advocate for a comprehensive strategy from different levels of government, encompassing aggressive enforcement against illegal production, storefront and online sales, coupled with public awareness campaigns on the dangers of the illicit market.
00:09:28Gary Johnston
Another significant administrative burden highlighted in the letter is the current excise stamp system.
00:09:34Gary Johnston
Unlike the single national stamp adopted by the alcohol industry in 1982, cannabis producers are still required to use province specific stamps.
00:09:44Gary Johnston
This fragmented system, estimated to incur $100 million in annual cost, will complicate inventory management, generates excessive packaging waste and inadvertently supports the illicit activity through supply disruptions.
00:09:59Gary Johnston
The letter strongly recommends adopting a single national stamp to streamline operations, reduce cost and enhance competitiveness.
00:10:07Gary Johnston
The industry is also advocating for a shift in excise duty remittance, proposing that the obligation moved from producers to provincial distributors, mirroring Canada's alcohol taxation model.
00:10:20Gary Johnston
This change could help lessen in ministrative burdens on producers, improve cash flow, and dismantle interprovincial trade barriers, ultimately leading to more competitive consumer pricing and greater migration to the legal market.
00:10:34Gary Johnston
A fundamental reevaluation of the current cannabis excise model is also central to the industry's demands. The present framework, designed in 2018 with an average retail price of $10 per gram in mind, is now out of step with today's reality. When prices average closer to $3.00 a gram. This discrepancy explains the open letter would means that.
00:10:55Gary Johnston
Approximately $0.40 of every dollar spent on legal cannabis goes to government coffers, with some producers losing up to 35% of gross sales to excise tax.
00:11:04Gary Johnston
The industry proposes replacing the $1.00 a gram minimum, with the originally envisioned flat of 10% rate, arguing it is essential for sustainable growth, consumer access and Canada's global competitiveness. Finally, the letter urges Canada's new Prime Minister to champion a bold national export strategy with the global cannabis.
00:11:25Gary Johnston
Market projected to exceed $140 billion by 2026, Canada's federal framework offers a unique.
00:11:32Gary Johnston
Advantage positioning Canada as a trusted source for pharmaceutical grade cannabis internationally would drive investment, create jobs, and secure the nation's long term leadership in health, science and innovation.
00:11:46Gary Johnston
It concludes with the call for cooperation and courage, asserting that by addressing these outdated barriers, candidate can solidify its global leadership, attract vital investment, create jobs and set new standards for responsibility and excellence within the cannabis sector.
00:12:03Gary Johnston
Ultimately contributing to A1 Canadian economy that works for all regions and generations, and that story from strachan.com.
00:12:12Ian
THC CBD Terpenes profile what;s in me
00:12:26Ian
Cultivar Corner, cultivar corner, please explain this stuff to me.
00:12:32Gary Johnston
Welcome to cultivar corner brought to you by up in smoke at 258 W Broadway in Vancouver and online at its open smoke.com. Remember, if you were 19 years of age or older and you live in BC, you could order something from the online menu and have it sent to you.
00:12:47Gary Johnston
By a mail order.
00:12:48Gary Johnston
Or if you're in Vancouver and you order by 2:00 PM.
00:12:51Gary Johnston
That day, and they can get something sent to you by E scooter. It's wonderful to building a real reputation for local delivery and mail or delivery at it's up in smoke.
00:13:03Gary Johnston
At up in smoke, I should say. Well, today we are going back to Royal Harvest. We did sell a couple of weeks ago and we picked up some from up in smoke. It's called corsey. Kush is the brand of Royal harvest we are doing.
00:13:21Gary Johnston
And now I notice that when I go to the.
00:13:25Gary Johnston
Website None of this is there. It tells me about master grower Kevin Varner and all of that kind of stuff. They have frosted fruit cakes, they they have frosted fruit cake 1g, no other.
00:13:39Gary Johnston
Types of weed on their order board, but we're going back to.
00:13:46Gary Johnston
Up in smoke, where I'm picking up my details. Oh, this is just just beautiful flower. I love it. So let me give you a sense of what we have here in my flower with my Corsi Kush, and I'm picking up mine.
00:14:05Gary Johnston
Little.
00:14:07Gary Johnston
Jewelers loop. Let's take a peek. Let's see what the jeweler is looping.
00:14:15Gary Johnston
Ah, very nice.
00:14:19Gary Johnston
OK, now again, as most of the stuff that I have picked up lately. So there is some little bit.
00:14:24Gary Johnston
Of green I.
00:14:25Gary Johnston
Don't. I'm not picking up a lot of Violet hues. I'm not picking up any Violet. In fact, out of what I'm looking at. But it says some, so we'll say there's some there. This has been cured.
00:14:37Gary Johnston
Pretty well. As I look at the.
00:14:41Gary Johnston
At the sugar flowers that are still attached on the bottom of the bud, that could have been done a little bit better, but so orzy Corsi Kush.
00:14:45Speaker
There's.
00:14:53Gary Johnston
Is an indica dominant cultivator. It's not a cultivator. It's not honest, it's not Corsi. Kush is an indica dominant cultivar that fuses the creamy warmth of Madagascar vanilla with a bright splash of Tahitian lime zest.
00:15:13Gary Johnston
All tied together by a rich ribbon of OG gas that lingers on the finish.
00:15:20Gary Johnston
Corgi Kush glows with deep Violet hues, with sunburst orange pistols now. See, I can see these sunburnt orange pistols.
00:15:29Gary Johnston
And giving some of those in there so I can pick up on those and dust it and glistening trichomes that sparkle like sea salt on an Obsidian. Who's coming up with these descriptions? It's a turbine profile. It's chirping profile is sweet, tangy and gassy, evoking hints of lime.
00:15:49Gary Johnston
And jet fuel.
00:15:51Gary Johnston
Now I don't know about you how much I want jet fuel in my in my smoking, I don't know. But when we're talking about gassiness, that's usually what we're talking about. There's going to be a little jet fuel hanging on the end of it. So it.
00:16:08Ian
Oh, I love the.
00:16:09Gary Johnston
Flower just when you put your nose into this door. Now I've moved them into a jar, so I brought it out of the envelope.
00:16:17Gary Johnston
And I've been really impressed with the weed itself, how it tastes.
00:16:24Gary Johnston
And as I say, there are a number of orange pistols as it rolls through. I'm not seeing any violent, so there might be something missing in my in my sense of the weed because I'm not seeing any violent notes, but it is time for another cultivar corner time to get some weed.
00:16:28Gary Johnston
Deeper.
00:16:43Gary Johnston
Into my body.
00:16:45Gary Johnston
I am on the tail end of my my brush with ribs cracking.
00:16:53Gary Johnston
Yeah.
00:16:57Gary Johnston
You may or may not remember the last time we were together. I had a little incident with a bridge as I was travelling across it with my bike and I decided to use that bridge as it as an impediment. And boy did it impede me the bruise.
00:17:16Gary Johnston
Got off of that it it is absolutely disgusting. The whole left side of my body is just this deep.
00:17:23Gary Johnston
Purple hues. Speaking of purple hues.
00:17:27Gary Johnston
It's not something you want to see. It's not something I like to share with anybody. I'm coming to the end of two week.
00:17:34Gary Johnston
I'm really hoping that it's going to start to.
00:17:37Gary Johnston
Blessing in terms of the pain, I can still tell you that when you hear, when you feel those ribs crack.
00:17:45Gary Johnston
And you try to get a deep breath and you cough.
00:17:48Gary Johnston
Oh my God, it hurts. So let's get back to where we are. This is cozy. Corsi kush. Where did Korsi come from?
00:17:57Gary Johnston
Where did they come up with that name? That's a weird name. Korsi kush. Now kush. I get because that's going to be most of our indicas. We're going to go into the cush type of thing. So there is some deep Violet hues. No, there isn't some burst orange pistols dusted and glistening trichomes that sparkle like a sea salt and an Obsidian.
00:18:17Gary Johnston
It's a terpene profile. The suite of tangy and gassy evoking hints of lime and jet fuel. So we've got the mighty vaporizer headed to the temperature range.
00:18:28Gary Johnston
It's time now. We smoke a little corsey Kush and see what it's doing for.
00:18:33Gary Johnston
This is from Royal harvest, Kevin.
00:18:36Gary Johnston
Is the guy in charge? They're they're growing us.
00:18:39Gary Johnston
Actually, in Duncan's great gardener farms is growing. It's cultivated by raw harvest craft cannabis.
00:18:45Gary Johnston
In Duncan, BC, just down the road from my cousin. So here we go.
00:18:53Gary Johnston
Emesa also have heard by might he come to temperature, so that's going to be ready pretty quick.
00:19:02Gary Johnston
Oh yes.
00:19:04Gary Johnston
Always a look at these buds, they're really firmly packed. They're really, really Nike, and that's a nice load for my 7G.
00:19:14Gary Johnston
Some nice buds. Oh, really liking how those are enjoying it.
00:19:22Gary Johnston
So Madagascar vanilla, with the bright splash of Tahitian lime zest all tied together with a rich ribbon of Ogg gas that lingers on the finish.
00:19:33Gary Johnston
Do you pick up on any of that or do you?
00:19:35Gary Johnston
That.
00:19:37Gary Johnston
I know OG gas has been heavy in our in our realm lately. We love lots of gas.
00:19:47Gary Johnston
OK, so there's three or four of the joint.
00:19:51Gary Johnston
Now let's give a try to the.
00:19:54Gary Johnston
Mighty and let's see what the.
00:19:58Gary Johnston
Herb does through my vaporizer.
00:20:05Gary Johnston
Oh, and once again, as soon as you put the vaporizer to your mouth.
00:20:11Gary Johnston
You start to feel what's happening behind the scenes.
00:20:18Gary Johnston
And I pick up on a little bit of that Madagascar vanilla.
00:20:23Gary Johnston
And maybe even a bright splash of Tahitian lime zest.
00:20:30Gary Johnston
Of course, tied together with that rich ribbon of OG gas that lingers on the finish.
00:20:37Ian
Oh.
00:20:42Gary Johnston
And I have to say in terms of what I'm looking for, it is a true indica that I'm looking for. I'm looking for some deep body relaxation to take care of some of.
00:20:55Gary Johnston
My ailing ribs as their pain starts to dissipate a little bit, I'd love to be able to pick up a Golf Club one day that's going to happen soon, I hope.
00:21:06Gary Johnston
Couldn't believe I was sitting at home. My buddy Darren Cole and said let's go golfing and.
00:21:11Gary Johnston
I said good.
00:21:13Gary Johnston
I just entered 3 of my cracked ribs. It's not good for golfing.
00:21:21Gary Johnston
Oh, but good for waiting and feeling and enjoying that deep indica rush that comes with that body feeling. Oh, I love it.
00:21:38Gary Johnston
OK, so I've got a couple of good hits.
00:21:43Gary Johnston
Off the mighty.
00:21:51Gary Johnston
Royal Harvest Craft cannabis Corsi kush.
00:21:56Gary Johnston
Now when I look at the picture on the website, I can see a little bit of purple haze that's coming or a little bit of haze that's coming through there.
00:22:05Gary Johnston
Let.
00:22:06Gary Johnston
And just get a picture of that.
00:22:09Gary Johnston
Corsi.
00:22:12Gary Johnston
I said we got not to bring.
00:22:15Gary Johnston
What are the notes on this? I haven't even give you any details. Your terpenes total Terps to 4.66%.
00:22:26Gary Johnston
Caryophyllene, limonene and humulene are my indicate are in my terpenes.
00:22:32Gary Johnston
My flavors sweet citrus.
00:22:35Gary Johnston
Creamy fresh arch, high actant gas so it's across the triangle. Cush and Gelato, 45. That's where they're getting the Corsi Kush.
00:22:47Gary Johnston
I'm really liking this. This is really going to my endocannabinoid system, right where I want it to be. Oh, I love that taste off of the mighty. Get that vaporizer going. Get it smooth into my lungs. Now we're going to pick up the joint and we're going to finish it off by starting some more of the joint.
00:23:09Gary Johnston
We'll check to see how it's growing and we'll give you a sense of what the ash is coming up, but so far I am really like and I got some high, I got some happy eyes, I got a euphoria coming on. I got nice body stone coming on. My body's feeling good. Ohh yeah.
00:23:27Gary Johnston
And did I give you the THC level? I don't think I did. The THC level on this is 25.3% total Terps, 4.44 and total THC.
00:23:39Gary Johnston
25.525 point 3% see. Obviously I'm getting a little screwed up because I can't even tell what.
00:23:46Gary Johnston
Your numbers are.
00:23:49Gary Johnston
That means that we've done a pretty good job.
00:23:53Gary Johnston
OK, where is my ash going?
00:23:56Gary Johnston
My joint is underway now. I've got about 1/2 an inch, half an inch, 3/4 of an inch. And as I swirl that around, there is not a single bit of black. Oh, I love it. It is all nice and Gray and it drops off into the ashtray just like that. I love it.
00:24:15Gary Johnston
Now remember cultivar corner is brought to you by up in smoke at 258 W Broadway in Vancouver and online at it's up in smoke.com. If you are 19 years of age or older and you live in BC, you can order some mail order and have it sent to you. If you live in Vancouver, you can order by 2:00 PM and get it sent to you by E scooter. They are building a reputation.
00:24:37Gary Johnston
In Vancouver and online for mail order and local delivery, they're doing a great job. Matt and Sarah, thank you so much for letting me join the party. Ah, I have enjoyed this party.
00:24:50Gary Johnston
Oh yeah.
00:24:52Gary Johnston
And I I really needed some nice something nice that's going to help me deal with my pain as my 3 cracked ribs start to dissipate. This has been a wonderful haul. Royal Harvest Kevin Varner is the guy he still hasn't.
00:25:11Gary Johnston
Come on the podcast.
00:25:12Gary Johnston
Talk about it, but he's so busy with other things and and I understand that it's OK, Kevin, Great gardener farms is where it was grown, cultivated by royal harvest craft. Cannabis in Duncan, BC.
00:25:26Gary Johnston
Corsey Kush is what we're doing. Ah, and we are loving it.
00:25:33Gary Johnston
And let me take you back now that I've had a little time to my poor, my endocannabinoid system to roll around in that.
00:25:40Gary Johnston
Oh, really nice. In the body stone. I've. I've come out of my head.
00:25:45Gary Johnston
It's gone into my body and I'm feeling a little bit of pain dissipate as my ribs start to heal a little bit. I'm coming down to about about 3-3 days away from two weeks. I really hope it's healed in two weeks.
00:25:59Gary Johnston
But regardless of that, oh, this has been a blast. Another beautiful weed from Kevin Hart, Varner at royal harvest. He just does things a little differently.
00:26:14Ian
From a studio.
00:26:15Ian
Of the clouds of the Okanagan Valley, this is the cannabis potcast.
00:26:19Gary Johnston
And this story we're picking up from strachan.com about what retailers wish licensed producers.
00:26:24Gary Johnston
Would stop doing.
00:26:26Gary Johnston
When it comes to building strong, profitable relationships in Canada's cannabis industry, radiators have a long list of things they wish licensed producers the LP's would stop doing.
00:26:36Gary Johnston
From Inbox overload to an inconsistent inventory updates, these frustrations come straight from the sales floor, where the gap of Puma LP's think works and what actually moves product can be surprisingly wide, and for retailers, the stakes are high. Missteps from LP partners don't just cause inconvenience, they can cost sales.
00:26:56Gary Johnston
Erode trust with customers and weaken long term relationship.
00:27:01Gary Johnston
Strike can't smoke with three three retailers across the country to learn what behaviors hurt business AD and a customers, and ultimately make it hard for LP's to succeed. While each store has its own priorities, many of the issues raised fall into new, clear categories, and all offer insight into how LP's.
00:27:20Gary Johnston
And improve communication underwhelm overload.
00:27:25Gary Johnston
Retainers agree that staying connected with LP reps is important.
00:27:28Gary Johnston
But when every inbox in a business is getting duplicate messages, the result is frustration rather than cooperate.
00:27:35Gary Johnston
I monitor all our inboxes and often receive the same message two or three times with no option to unsubscribe, says Jenua Caviar, founder of Calix and trichomes.
00:27:46Gary Johnston
Just ask which e-mail is best for what type of communication and update your contacts as needed. It's not that readers don't want to hear from MPs, they just want those conversations to be targeted, relevant and efficient. Mass blasting multiple addresses for the same store waste time and makes important messages easier to miss.
00:28:04Gary Johnston
On the flip side, a lack of timely communication can be just as damaging, Ashton Faulkner, regional manager for plant Life Cannabis, says sudden changes in availability or packaging often leave teams scrambling. Consistent, transparent inventory updates, even if just a quick heads up, enable us to set accurate customer expectations.
00:28:25Gary Johnston
And guide them toward great alternatives without disappointment in store when communication is inconsistent too much at once, or not enough when it matters most. It forces retail teams to operate reactively instead of strategically.
00:28:39Gary Johnston
2 product retention and strain name names.
00:28:43Gary Johnston
Nothing drains excitement from a product launch like Deja View on the menu.
00:28:48Gary Johnston
How many versions of Pink Cush do we really need? Right now the market is flooded with permanent market, says caveat. She believes LP should work with experts early in their Health Canada licensing process to secure unique, high quality genetics rather than relying on the same source as everyone else.
00:29:06Gary Johnston
This isn't just about variety for variety's sake, it's about differentiation.
00:29:10Gary Johnston
With so many similar products hitting the market, retailers struggled to keep their menus fresh and give customers a reason to come back for something new.
00:29:18Gary Johnston
Even when LP's do introduce variety, some undermine it by disguising the same cultivar under different names. Stop packaging the same cultivar under a pseudonym, says Corey Waldron, CEO of Mood Cannabis.
00:29:32Gary Johnston
Savvy consumers notice, and it arose trust with both retailers and consumers.
00:29:37Gary Johnston
Be transparent. Include the actual cultivar name right on the packaging.
00:29:43Gary Johnston
When customers find out they've been buying the same product under multiple labels, it's not just the LP's reputation that takes ahead. The retailers credibility is also on the line.
00:29:54Gary Johnston
Misplaced priorities in retail relationships.
00:29:58Gary Johnston
LP sometimes focus their attention on large chains. Assuming bigger automatically means better, but independents say the opposite is often true. Indies may take more effort on the surface, but the payoff is bigger. Caveat notes. You cannot be everything to everyone. A strong connection with the right retailers will have real impact.
00:30:18Gary Johnston
Walden raises another relationship misstep when helps blur the lines between supplier and competitor.
00:30:24Gary Johnston
Your supplier should never be your competitor. There's a reason you don't see Labatt or Molson Beer stores. Pick a lane and stay in it.
00:30:32Gary Johnston
For false, our strong relationships often come from more in, more consistent in person presence.
00:30:38Gary Johnston
When our teams can understand the story and passion behind a product, we can convey that enthusiasm directly to consumers.
00:30:46Gary Johnston
This is a reminder that building a relationship isn't just about order forms and marketing tax. It's about showing up, listening and engaging at the store level for packaging problems. Retainers say poor packaging choices create headaches for them and their customers alike. For Waldron, the problem starts with size. There is no need.
00:31:06Gary Johnston
For a 7G bag, the size of a cereal box, smaller, smarter packaging benefits everyone.
00:31:14Gary Johnston
It continues with usability if I need pliers and a screwdriver to open a beverage, can we have a problem?
00:31:20Gary Johnston
To real world consumer testing, not just with R&D team and actually listen to feedback.
00:31:27Gary Johnston
Faulkner points out to last minute product changes such as sudden packaging redesigns as a related issue. Without notice, retail teams are left scrambling to update menus, signage and product knowledge. This leads to consumer confusion and undermines the LP's own brand consistency.
00:31:44Gary Johnston
Information that misses the Mark #5 for some customers, technical details or a selling point for many others, it's a barrier to making a quick decision when strained descriptions, tipping profiles or effect notes become too technical or inconsistent, it can slow down the interaction and confuse the guests, says Faulkner.
00:32:04Gary Johnston
He advocates for a more standardized, simplified, and accessible presentation of this information, both to support staff and customers.
00:32:13Gary Johnston
Chasing short term gains over long term success.
00:32:17Gary Johnston
Some LP's flood the market with new products without considering the value of consistency.
00:32:22Gary Johnston
I'd rather see two or three strong, consistent skews than 10 mediocre ones, says Caviar. Focus on what you do best and build on that success.
00:32:32Gary Johnston
Others fall into pay to play arrangements, which caveat sees as chasing bad money.
00:32:37Gary Johnston
Retainers do it because competitors do LP's. Do it for the same reason and because they fear being dropped if they don't participate. If no one is being paid for self for shelf space, the playing field would be level.
00:32:49Gary Johnston
She argues those funds would be better spent on meaningful partnerships, quality marketing and or events that build real loyalty.
00:32:57Gary Johnston
And #7 marketing that doesn't connect, Faulkner says genetic national campaigns often miss the mark, with local customers providing some sort of adaptable, region specific marketing tools allows us to teeter messaging to the customers we know best, which help amplify LP brands in what what I would feel a more authentic.
00:33:17Gary Johnston
Reliable way.
00:33:19Gary Johnston
Without local relevance, marketing efforts risk becoming background noise, something customers glance at but don't engage with.
00:33:28Gary Johnston
While these concerns range from Inbox Etiquettes to cultivar transparency, they share a common thread. Retailers want LP's to focus on quality, honesty and sustainable relationships.
00:33:40Gary Johnston
The best way to earn shelf space and keep it isn't through gimmicks or overproduction, but by creating products and partnerships that retailers are proud to stand behind. That's some good advice from strachan.com, written by Jonathan Hiltz.
00:33:57Gary Johnston
I assume you're giving yourself thanks for having made it through the entire episode, because we've done it once more. We've come to the conclusion of another cannabis potcast, and here we go with the world's worst dad joke, and we're going to end with this note.
00:34:14Gary Johnston
Why do chicken coops have two doors?
00:34:17Gary Johnston
Because that they had 4 doors, they would be a chicken sedan.
00:34:23Gary Johnston
If you're cold, why should you go stand in the corner?
00:34:26Gary Johnston
Of the room.
00:34:28Gary Johnston
Because the corner is 90°.
00:34:33Gary Johnston
Why shouldn't you live just a stone throw from your family?
00:34:37Gary Johnston
You'd get too many head injuries.
00:34:41Gary Johnston
And why can't cannabis eat clowns? No, it doesn't say cannabis. That is me changing the way this wording was. That's how I would have liked to have said it. Why don't cannibals eat clowns?
00:34:57Gary Johnston
They taste funny.
00:35:00Gary Johnston
I hope you're continuing to enjoy and you enjoyed the episode. That's it for me. The guy in the clouds for episode 222 of the Cannabis potcast.
00:35:11Ian
In the cannabis infused studio.
00:35:14Ian
High above the Okanagan Valley.
00:35:18Ian
This was the cannabis potcast.