Humboldt Health is breaking new ground with a specialized healthcare captive tailored specifically for cannabis businesses with 50 to 2,000 employees. Blackwell Captive Scott Byrne joins Blunt Business to full us in on the details on the plan offering enrollment on October 1st.

By leveraging shared purchasing power and self-funding models, the program empowers employers with greater data transparency, cost efficiency, and design flexibility that traditional carriers rarely offer. The plan integrates modern solutions—such as 24/7 virtual behavioral health, Outfox AI-driven provider navigation, and the five-PBM "Bwell RX" coalition aimed at curbing pharmacy expenses and reclaiming drug rebates.

We also look at the future of cannabis reclassification and thus possibly how operating under state-level regulations could open the door for future medical marijuana coverage as industry acceptance expands.

As the timer ticks down on an impending federal crackdown, the hemp industry faces an existential race against the clock. Mainstream retailers—led by convenience store associations—are urging Congress to hit the pause button on an outright ban and instead establish a regulated, age-gated marketplace for consumable THC products.

Meanwhile, commercial insurers are already recalibrating their risk models and tightening coverage in anticipation of severe legal fallout. With just 30 days left before enforcement deadlines reshuffle the deck, operators across retail and agriculture are caught in a frantic scramble to pivot before time officially runs out on the market's current legal standing.

In this episode of Blunt Business, Berner opens up about putting his own money on the line to co-write, co-direct, and produce his gritty Bay Area crime thriller, Splash City.

Rather than waiting around for traditional studio approval, the cannabis mogul and artist invested $2 million of his own capital to deliver a finished film to Lionsgate, exploring San Francisco’s underground wave of "bipping" through the eyes of two brothers on divergent paths.

Berner shares how he navigated two years in the editing bay whittling down a sprawling three-and-a-half-hour cut into a tight 90 minutes, the process of demanding authentic street dialogue, and the satisfaction of watching his self-funded gamble pay off on the theatrical big screen.

Splash City is streaming on demand on streaming platforms including Apple, Roku and Prime Video