Tabla de contenidos para Vol. 7 Issue 4 en Cannabis & Tech Today

In the spirit of the Giving Season, we’ve packed this issue with the people, research, and ideas shaping cannabis in 2025 and beyond. Volume 7, Issue 4 brings together our MJBizCon, Finance & Investing, and Women of Influence coverage into a single, comprehensive edition. Our cover story features Big Mike Straumietis, founder of Advanced Nutrients, who discusses how decades of scientific studies are refining the way cultivators understand plant nutrition. His insights reveal an industry shifting from experimentation to precision agriculture. In Media & Entertainment, writer and producer Lena Waithe shares her passion for cannabis and storytelling through her new strain, First Draft, created in collaboration with Chris Ball of Ball Family Farms. Ball’s separate profile offers a candid look at social equity, entrepreneurship, and the familyrun legacy behind one…

Joseph Edwards possesses an intimate knowledge of cannabis cultivation’s perils. As chief science officer at Deconix he has witnessed harvests ravaged by invisible foes: yeast, mold, bacteria and the insidious Aspergillus. Beyond regulatory compliance, these contaminants imperil the very essence of the plant, compromising terpenes, cannabinoids and aromatic profile. Edwards’s solution eschews brute force for subtlety. His company’s technology solution delivers microbial annihilation through carefully measured and stable ozone exposure, preserving the flower’s intrinsic value. The cannabis industry grapples with microbial bioburden amid fragmented regulations. States like Illinois and New York enforce rigorous limits, while others, such as Oregon until recently, maintained laxer standards. Internationally, the European Union’s GMP framework looms as the gold standard. Failed tests force destruction or downgrading to lowmargin extracts, erasing weeks of labor and capital…

From tissue culture labs to engineered soils and solventless hash testing, cutting-edge cultivation tools are setting a new standard for cannabis cultivation. Cannabis cultivation is evolving, adopting technologies once reserved for mainstream agriculture and biotech. In a plot twist, it’s the OGs, the breeders who preserved genetics through decades, who often are at the forefront of putting these tools to work while advancing the plant with both tradition and innovation. Innovation in Cultivation Cannabis cultivation has undergone a seismic shift in the last decade. Once driven mostly by tradition and trial-and-error, today’s most forward-thinking cannabis growers are embracing tools borrowed from mainstream agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental science. These technologies are redefining how plants are grown, evaluated, and brought to market. What may surprise many, however, is that many OG breeders,…

Post-harvest can often feel like a bottleneck. But for JJ Fabian, Director of Business Development and Sales at Eteros, it’s where true innovation begins. “When we started in 2016,” said Fabian, “the cannabis automation space was new, and early machines didn’t seem to match the needs of processors demanding both high-quality and high-volume outputs.” Mobius, the equipment line developed by Eteros, emerged out of that gap. Founder Aaron McKellar brought his background in custom marine fabrication to cannabis, marrying engineering with the nuanced needs of flower processing. From the beginning, the team at Mobius focused on redesigning entire systems from the ground up. Beyond the Trimmer That rethink has since evolved into a full suite of machines: buckers, trimmers, sorters, conveyors, and millers that are increasingly being adopted as integrated…

Accelerant Manufacturing upholds its reputation for innovation with new, Americanmade Pre-roll Cones (Iowa) and significant advancements in its Kief-Coating Machines (Missouri) and Pre-roll Machines (Maryland). Accelerant’s “PaaS” (Production-as-a-Service) business model where partners pay only for prerolls produced has always helped operators preserve capital, avoid CapEx, and align the machine builders with their manufacturing partners’ goals. The new alignment—actually making the cones used in the pre-roll machines is a game-changer. The best cones, at the best prices, going into the best and ever-improving pre-roll machines is a winning formula. Accelerant, famous for its high-end pre-roll machines, will announce and demo several new innovations on its flagship PRO2, which will be deployed for all new and existing partners. These upgrades deliver material increases in efficiency and throughput—up to 2,000 pre-rolls per hour…

It’s 2025. Technology is reshaping every industry— and accounting is no exception. Yet too many CPA firms still operate like it’s the 1990s, leaning on outdated systems, paper-heavy workflows, and manual processes. That may pass in slower-moving sectors, but not in cannabis. This is one of the most highly regulated, fast-changing business environments in the country. Operators face a constant wave of compliance updates, tax deadlines, and financial reporting requirements. In this environment, an accounting firm that can’t keep pace risks holding its clients back. A Modern Stack, Built For Speed At Growise CPAs, we made a choice: we won’t let legacy systems slow us down. Instead, we’ve built our operations on a modern technology stack designed to deliver faster, clearer, and more reliable service to cannabis operators. The goal…

Flowers for Roz McCarthy, Founder and CEO of Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) from Gia Morón, CEO, GVM Communications, Inc. Over a decade ago, Roz launched Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) with a clear mission to ensure equitable access to medical cannabis for marginalized communities. Roz quickly recognized that true advocacy required more education, more justice, and more policy reform. Under her leadership, M4MM became a national force, tackling everything from expungement clinics for justiceimpacted individuals to state and federal lobbying efforts. She’s provided thoughtful counsel to new business owners, always with a focus on empowering minority-led ventures. She’s never been one to chase the spotlight, but her impact is undeniable. Her voice has pushed this industry forward, and her work has created real opportunities for so many people. She’s…

Few figures in cannabis embody both the visionary drive and technical rigor of Mike Straumietis, the founder of Advanced Nutrients. Known throughout the cultivation world as “BigMike,” he has spent more than two decades chasing a singular goal: unlocking the plant’s full genetic potential. From early tissue-sample experiments in the 1990s to today’s eighth-generation nutrient formulations, Straumietis has built his company on an unyielding belief that cannabis can and should be treated like any high-value agricultural crop. When Cannabis & Tech Today caught up with him, Straumietis was in the thick of preparing for MJBizCon, where Advanced Nutrients remains a fixture on the expo floor. What followed was a deep, unfiltered conversation about the evolution of cannabis science, the breakthroughs that defined his career, and the future of cultivation—from digital…

Anne G. Donohoe, Firm: KCSA Strategic Communications Anne G. Donohoe is a Managing Director at KCSA Strategic Communications, where she leads the Los Angeles office and the firm’s Alternatives Practice. With over 20 years of experience, Anne has helped shape the public narrative of the cannabis industry, guiding strategic communications for clients. She founded, co-hosted, and produced the weekly podcast, The Green Rush, for over six years. Anne is recognized for her quiet, savvy, and mission-driven approach, as well as her commitment to advancing thoughtful dialogue in the cannabis industry through advocacy, storytelling, and strategic leadership. “I’m passionate about building access to safe, effective mental healthcare and wellness solutions for all, especially those historically underserved. My work in cannabis (and psychedelic science!) stems from a deep belief that these therapies…

For too long, cannabis has been boxed into restrictive labels. This oversimplification has slowed science, misled consumers, and held back innovation. As hemp grabs attention and rescheduling debates heat up, maybe the science—and the language—will finally catch up. One of the most chemically diverse plants on Earth somehow got reduced to just two words: hemp and marijuana. Hemp is praised for its industrial and wellness uses, particularly CBD, while marijuana is scrutinized for THC and “getting you high.” The legal distinction? A plant with 0.3% THC is classified as “hemp.” At 0.4%, it’s “marijuana.” That tiny threshold may make all the difference in law, but it tells us almost nothing about the plant’s biology, compounds, or therapeutic potential. By reducing cannabis to hemp or marijuana, we erase the nuance that…

Kirsten Wedegartner is the Vice President, Sales & Marketing Operations at Melt-to-Make, where she focuses on strategic planning for commercial gummy bases. With a background in marketing strategy and new business development from roles at Heritage Hemp LLC and The Sandri Companies, she brings extensive operational expertise. Sara Brittany Somerset, Ph.D., a United Nations and cannabis correspondent, brings a global perspective to cannabis reporting,covering key issues and developments at the intersection of international policy and cannabis reform. Ras "Kaya" Paul, lifelong writer and founder of Pacific NW Roots, is a regenerative cannabis farmer and breeder known for the award-winning cultivar Koffee and one of the nation’s preeminent hash makers. As part of the Arcana Collective, Kaya brings decades of cannabis cultivation experience. Brendan McKee is a graduate of Amherst College…

In a crowded conference room at CanMed 2025 in Puerto Rico, Dr. Carika Weldon commanded attention—not with hype or hyperbole, but with hard data. A Bermudian biochemist and founder of CariGenetics, Weldon is spearheading a transformative initiative in the Caribbean: personalized medicinal cannabis guided by genetic science. “We are scratching the surface right now,” she said, describing the vast potential of pharmacogenetics. Her team has collected DNA from across the Caribbean through the ambitious Caribbean Genome Programme, uncovering key insights into how diverse populations metabolize cannabis. The early findings are striking: over 80% of Afro-Caribbean individuals tested are rapid metabolizers of THC and CBD— meaning standard dosing recommendations may offer little therapeutic value. In contrast, Caucasian-Caribbean individuals showed 0% prevalence of rapid metabolism, suggesting they require vastly different cannabinoid ratios—sometimes…

Buying cannabis seeds used to be simple. There were two categories: feminized or non-feminized regular. But now there are Auto-flowering and FI (hybrid) seeds as well. Cannabis & Tech Today picked the brains of award-winning cultivator, Lorelie Sandomeno of Sunrise Mountain Farms, and Danny Danko, legendary, former Cultivation Editor for High Times magazine, and the current Cultivation Section Coordinator for CHAMPS Trade Shows. The following is what they “dansplained” about how to select which type of cannabis seeds to cultivate. Different types of seeds have pros and cons, depending on the growe's intention and interest. Starting with seeds that occur naturally, when a male cannabis plant pollinates a female cannabis plant, that female flower fills with seeds, and those seeds can be approximately 50% male and 50% female. REGULAR SEEDS:…

Lorelie Sandomeno (pronounced Lor-eh-lee), Co-Founder of Sunrise Mountain Farms, along with her husband Dave, have been cultivating organic cannabis in the mountains of Humboldt County, California, for 25 years. She began as an outdoor guerrilla gardener, growing small, clandestine batches of cannabis in the wilderness under the canopy of trees, despite the pre-legalization dangers. Risking her freedom, running from Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP)—a multi-governmentagency anti- cannabis taskforce—helicopters in steep mountainous terrain, was a common occurrence. At the time, due to the danger and illegality of the situation, there was very little public information available about cannabis, so Lorelie began to self-explore, ultimately evolving into a highly awarded, legacy-minded, legal cannabis producer. Her farm symbolizes a rare, legacy-to-legal success story. Passion for the Plant's Healing Modalities The couple passionately believes…

Pharmaceuticals taught Franny Tacy about profit margins; farming taught her about healing. When she left the industry after twelve years, the choice felt less like risk than necessity. “I spent over a decade in pharmaceuticals, pushing pills and seeing an ‘unhealthcare’ system that wasn’t healing people the way nature can,” she said. The pull of the land, rooted in her Tennessee cattle-farm childhood, never loosened. In 2012, she bought raw land in Leicester, North Carolina. Five years later, she planted hemp, becoming the first woman in the state to legally grow it in more than 75 years. Tacy saw hemp as proof that farming, when done with care, could restore both the soil and the spirit. Balancing Mission and Market Today, Franny’s Farmacy has grown into a vertically integrated hemp…

In a clandestine Denver basement, amid whiteboards and legal tomes, Bob Hoban and Dotan Y. Melech conceived CTrust in 2022. Hoban, a veteran attorney who has counseled more than 30 governments on cannabis policy, and Melech, a receivership specialist thrust into the sector via a court-appointed oversight of a Nevada cannabis operation in 2019, bonded over shared travails in distressed assets. “We were in a basement in Denver in this historic building trying to hatch a plan to mitigate and address risk in the cannabis space,” Hoban recalled. Their genesis stemmed from observing the industry’s maturation, from a frenzied equity influx to a debt-dependent reality, where traditional financial safeguards faltered. Collateral Conundrums Cannabis financing defied convention, ensnared by federal Schedule I status and a patchwork of state regulations. Lenders grappled…

Cannabis brands entering the 2025 MJBiz season are facing the most complex procurement climate in the industry’s short history. Categoryspecific tariffs on imported plastics and metal tins now exceed 100% in several cases. Freight volatility remains high, and Chinese New Year, an annual shutdown of much of Asia’s manufacturing base, looms early in 2026. Few people see the impacts of these pressures as clearly as Truman Bradley, CEO of CRATIV Packaging, a North American manufacturer based in Denver and Toronto. Bradley has spent 15 years in the legal cannabis industry. His observation: brands don’t fail because of tariffs. They fail because of process weaknesses exposed by tariffs. “Tariffs are the shock but the vulnerabilities were there years beforehand,” he said. Bradley argues that brands with disciplined procurement, integrated planning, and…

When Donald Trump released a video in late September endorsing Medicare coverage for hemp-derived CBD, the industry reacted. Stocks rose. Reporters flagged the move as his clearest pro-CBD signal yet. But while the video carried weight, it laid bare a deeper problem: the legal foundation for CBD remains unstable. If that message is to matter, lawmakers must convert rhetoric into regulation. A Legal Framework Built on Half Steps The modern CBD industry traces directly to the 2018 Farm Bill. That law excised hemp, defined as cannabis with no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight, from the Controlled Substances Act. The door opened for federal cultivation, interstate transport, and derivative manufacturing. Congress did not go further. The statute left untouched crucial regulatory questions, including how to test products,…

Cannabis remains a federal crime, yet 38 states allow medical use and 24 permit adult recreation. The contradiction forces companies to thread a needle between national prohibition and local permission, inventing supply chains that scale without ever crossing a state line with finished product. One approach involves non-infused precursor ingredients. These activators, developed with proprietary methods, ship legally to licensed partners for local infusion. Hemp versions carry compliant cannabinoids, tailored to rules in manufacturing and destination states. This model allows operations in dozens of jurisdictions without direct violation of federal transport bans. Kim Sanchez Rael, co-founder and CEO of Azuca, explained the rationale in an interview with Cannabis & Tech Today. Her early career included service as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, followed by roles in venture…

What makes a marketing maven stand out? Someone who is a creative genius, who orchestrates buzzworthy brand activations, executes impactful product drops, and makes a brand a household name. Often creating behind the scenes, it’s time to give credit where it is due. Jes Feuer, VP of Marketing, Eaton Botanicals Jes Feuer is an accomplished marketing and communications leader with a proven track record of driving meaningful growth for brands. As the former Director of Marketing for New York’s only women-founded medical cannabis registered organization, she led the brand’s expansion across the state, overseeing retail growth, brand development, and strategic partnerships. Jes, former marketing director of Etain, now serves as VP of Marketing at Eaton Botanicals, a New York-based cannabis brand making low-dose, functional gummies. She leads the brand’s positioning…

When Lena Waithe tells a story, you feel it in your chest. From the intimate heartbreaks of Twenties, the hard-edged hope of The Chi, or unforgettable moments in Master of None, Waithe’s work cuts with precision. She’s long been a creative force unafraid to merge message with medium. But her latest storytelling canvas swaps script for strain. First Draft, her debut cannabis release, is a lush, sativa-dominant hybrid co-developed with Ball Family Farms, the award-winning cultivation company founded by Chris Ball, a legacy grower and equity advocate. Known for his meticulous, living-soil cultivation and phenohunting prowess, Ball brings deep credibility to a collaboration that could’ve easily been just another celebrity brand. Instead, First Draft is something else entirely: a creative tool born from months of testing, tweaking, and—of course—smoking. For…

Dialed In Gummies is redefining the cannabis beverage experience with the launch of Dialed In Rosin Drops, a solventless, full-spectrum elixir crafted with the same precision and purity as the brand’s award-winning gummies. Designed for effortless mixing, the drops blend seamlessly into mocktails, smoothies, coffee, and even low-temperature recipes—delivering fast-acting, plant-derived effects with authentic strain flavor and no artificial additives. To showcase their versatility, Dialed In partnered with top mixologists to develop a collection of inspired recipes that elevate everyday drinks into functional, flavorful experiences. The Wake and Bake Recipe: 1 cap full of Rosin Drops 2tbsp coffee syrup 4oz whole milk 1 shot of espresso 5 mint leaves Add all ingredients in a glass with a milk frother (or shaken), and whip it all together. Top with Whipped Cream.…

JANUARY 2026 Annual SUNY Cannabis Conference Niagara Falls, NY | January 12–13 National experts converge for culinary explorations and broad industry dialogues, spanning education, production, and policy innovations in New York’s maturing market. GrowUp Conference & Expo Vancouver, BC | January 19–21 Canada’s preeminent gathering for cultivators and retailers features masterclasses, competitive championships, and trend-setting discussions on extraction and branding. FEBRUARY 2026 Connecticut Cannabis Expo Plantsville, CT | February 14–15 Advocacy meets innovation in seminars on research, cultivation, and wellness, culminating in the X Cup awards honoring top-tier flower and products. Lucky Leaf Expo Minneapolis, MN | February 27–28 A vital hub for Minnesota’s expanding sector, showcasing exhibitors, speakers, and sessions on medical access, adult-use opportunities, and operational strategies. MARCH 2026 Natural Products Expo West Anaheim, CA | March 3–6…

It started, as these things usually do, on Reddit. A stoner with too much time and too little flower looked into his grinder, saw nothing but seeds, stems, and powdery shake, and had a revelation: this worthless detritus is still more real than the U.S. dollar. Within weeks, Shakecoin was born—the world’s first memecoin backed not by faith, not by gold, not by the full credit of a government teetering on $35 trillion in debt, but by the true floor sweepings of dispensaries nationwide. “People laughed at me when I said money grows on trees,” said Shakecoin founder Dankonomist420. “Now it grows on cannabis plants. Literally.” Because Nixon Ruined Everything Once upon a time, America’s money meant something. You could walk into a bank, slap down a crumpled bill, and…

When Kyle Loucks founded RollPros, it was out of frustration with a simple product that should have been perfect: the pre-rolled joint. Too often, what he bought was brittle, uneven, or burned like a canoe. With a background in medical device and VR hardware engineering, Loucks saw a familiar problem in that the tools were limiting the potential of the product. He set out to build a system that could deliver hand-rolled quality through automated precision. After much trial and error, he and his team created the Blackbird. Following the machine came its companion initiative, the True Roll Certification, a quality mark designed to help consumers identify pre-rolls made with care and consistency. Engineering Craft at Scale Loucks’ career before cannabis revolved around high-tolerance engineering and process control. At RollPros,…

It was meant to be a quick score—an RV packed with 80 kilos of weed rolling toward the Mexican border, a risky get-rich plan cooked up by a NASCAR mechanic and his partner in crime. But instead, dreams of fast cash gave way to gunfire and hard time served in a Juarez prison for drug smuggling. That jailed mechanic was Autumn Karcey’s father, and his fateful gamble in the 1970s became the ignition point for the professional life his daughter would eventually lead—this time, with cannabis at the center, and the law on her side. Falling in Love with Cultivation With over two decades of working in the cannabis space, Autumn Karcey has become a leader in the industry. Throughout her career she has maintained her passion for cannabis, which…

The CBD and hemp sector remains one of the most heavily regulated corners of American retail seven years after the 2018 Farm Bill. Merchants must contend with shifting state rules, restricted payment processors, limited advertising options, and the ever-present threat of federal reclassification. Many mainstream platforms either prohibit CBD and hemp sale by merchants entirely or impose sweeping restrictions. SHOPLINE, an Asia-born e-commerce company that entered the U.S. market in recent years, has taken a different approach. It openly courts licensed hemp brands and builds features designed for their specific compliance burdens. “We only work with licensed, compliant hemp brands,” said Christopher Yang, Co-President at SHOPLINE. “Our aim is to provide them an infrastructure that adapts quickly as state and federal guidance evolves.” Founded in Hong Kong in 2013, SHOPLINE…

Director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at the Drug Policy Alliance an Ohio native, Cat Packer, has found herself at the epicenter of America’s cannabis reform movement. In 2015, Packer graduated from Ohio State University with a master’s in public policy and a law degree, and acknowledges that her interest in public policy felt personal. What ignited her interest in drug policy reform and cannabis reform in particular came from a marijuana law and policy course she took as an elective during her final semester at Ohio State. “While I was taking this class I came to learn about the Drug War, the impacts that it had on communities of color, and how our drug laws weren’t working,” Packer said. “I was kind of shocked to understand how impactful…

Roaming the halls of MJBizcon you hear a familiar story: You've got the license; now you need $8M in financing, 6 months for engineering and permitting, 8-12 months for long-lead equipment delivery, 12 months to build and you're still hoping everything works when you flip the switch. By the time you're operational, wholesale prices may be half what they are today. The Waterfall Problem Traditional facility development follows a waterfall approach: find a property, then architects, then engineers, then financing, then procurement, then construction. Each phase waits for the previous one to complete. In newly regulated markets where first movers capture 12-18 months of premium pricing before commoditization, this sequential approach kills profitability. Coordination gaps between separate vendors results in rework and costly field errors leading to extended timelines and…

By the time most of California’s cannabis market began to fracture under its own weight, Autumn Shelton had already been preparing for it. The co-founder of Autumn Brands, a familyrun farm on the Santa Barbara coast, came into the business with a finance background and a pragmatic view of cultivation: treat cannabis like an agricultural commodity instead of a gold rush. “We transitioned the greenhouses from cut flowers into medical cannabis during California’s Prop 215 era, then formalized as a for-profit when adult use launched under Prop 64,” Shelton said. “The cut-flower market had been squeezed by South American imports, and my finance background let us run a tight ship— exiting a declining category and standing up a new one with minimal cost.” That approach, characterized by tight margins, careful…

Chris Ball does not speak about cannabis the way most CEOs speak about their product. When he talks about cultivation, you hear the cadence of someone who has spent years in locker rooms and weight rooms, preparing for high-stakes competition. The founder of Ball Family Farms credits his discipline to professional football, which he says taught him lessons that would later prove indispensable in building one of Los Angeles’ most respected social equity cannabis brands. “Sports taught me time management. It taught me how to work hard. It taught me there are no excuses,” Ball recalled. “Once you get to those levels, everybody’s talented. What separates the pros from the rest is the work ethic.” That work ethic carried him from the uncertainty of grassroots cultivation into the upper echelon…

Volume 8, Issue 1: The Sustainability Issue Spring 2026 As the cannabis sector emerges from the high-stakes convergence of MJBizCon 2025, where innovators dissected supply chain efficiencies amid record attendance, Volume 8, Issue 1 pivots to an imperative reckoning with planetary limits. This Sustainability Issue dissects the environmental ledger of cultivation, illuminating pathways from resource-intensive legacies to regenerative paradigms that align profitability with ecological stewardship. At the forefront, renewable energy integrations in indoor and hybrid greenhouses command attention. Facilities harnessing solar arrays and geothermal systems now slash carbon footprints by up to 40%, as evidenced by recent deployments in California’s Central Valley, where operators like Glass House Farms report sustained yields without fossil fuel dependence. Parallel advancements in eco-conscious packaging reveal biodegradable films derived from hemp cellulose and mycelium composites,…