Few people have spent more time in Washington advocating for hemp than Geoff Whaling. Over the past decade, the former Canopy Growth hemp executive has helped shape hemp policy through the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills and is now involved in the debate over the 2026 Farm Bill.

Rather than waiting for Congress to write the next hemp bill, Whaling and the National Hemp Association joined forces with industry leaders to draft one themselves. Called the Goodness of Hemp Act, the proposal would create a federal framework for hemp and cannabinoid products as an alternative to the November 2026 ban.

After ten drafts and months of industry collaboration, the National Hemp Association is now taking the proposal to Capitol Hill in search of congressional sponsors.

In this episode, Geoff explains how a bill makes its way through Congress, what lawmakers are saying about cannabinoids and dosage limits, and why he believes the industry's best path forward is to "go low and go slow."

https://www.thegoodnessofhemp.org/

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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Today's guest is Ryan Douglas, who brings more than 25 years of experience managing large-scale cultivation operations.

Ryan is also the author of Presence is a Strategy, a new book that explores what happens when cultivation teams rely too heavily on technology and lose the human oversight that keeps operations running smoothly.

Drawing from decades of experience, Ryan explains why leadership needs to be present on the cultivation floor, where small issues can be identified before they become expensive problems. He examines the hidden costs of deferred maintenance, disconnected HR decisions, an overreliance on dashboards, and management styles that push top performers out the door.

Ryan offers practical insights into balancing technology with the experience and judgment that only people can provide.

Ryan is the founder of Ryan Douglas Cultivation LLC and the host of Future Crop Files, a conversation series focused on real-world execution in controlled environment agriculture.

Link to Ryan's book, Presence is a Strategy, on Amazon

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancultivation

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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Alleh Lindquist is the CEO and co-founder of FloraWorks, a cannabinoid innovation company focused on bringing science-backed minor cannabinoids into the mainstream.

As a leading supplier of hemp-derived cannabinoids to manufacturers, FloraWorks has been at the forefront of CBN research and commercialization, including helping popularize CBN as an ingredient for sleep products.

Today, the company's biggest focus is charting a regulatory pathway for CBN as a dietary supplement. After spending four years developing the safety data needed for FDA review, FloraWorks recently published peer-reviewed research supporting CBN's safety and has self-affirmed it as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), with plans to submit its GRAS notification to the FDA.

As cannabis rescheduling continues to evolve, so does the opportunity to develop cannabis-based supplements and medicines. In this episode,

Alleh explains why scientific validation is essential, what it takes to navigate the FDA pathway, and how CBN could become one of the first cannabinoids to bridge the gap between the cannabis industry and mainstream consumer health products.

https://flora-works.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/allehlindquist

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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Much of the complexity of the cannabis plant stems from its aromatic compounds beyond terpenes, such as sesquiterpenes, aldehydes, esters, and ketones, and sulfur compounds, which are difficult to preserve during cultivation and extraction.

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Cook, CEO of True Terpenes, to discuss the company's Headstash product line and its ability to preserve volatiles and restore a strain's true expression.

We also discuss the future of sensory science in cannabis, the need for a shared language around aroma and flavor.

Cook shares his perspective on the future of cannabis beverages, global markets, and how better understanding the plant's complexity could shape the next phase of cannabis innovation.

https://trueterpenes.com

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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Is Peru the Next Hot Market for US Cannabis Brands?

If you work with hemp, the market is about to open for import/export operations.

Peru's medical cannabis framework dates to 2017, when cannabis was legalized for medicinal use, scientific research, and pharmaceutical production. Patient associations gained cultivation rights in 2021, though the market remained limited — by mid-2025, official records showed just 27 cannabis-related marketing authorizations, most for natural products rather than medicines.

That's changing. A new law passed in December 2024 established the legal basis for industrial hemp below 1% THC. The draft regulation specifically addresses hemp derivatives in processed foods, beverages, supplements, and additives — with hemp edibles and beverages expected to be permitted as regulated food products.

Today, we meet José Escalante, co-founder of Organnical, a telehealth platform, who has been working directly with Peruvian lawmakers to help shape the emerging framework.

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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New York retailers have been among the most vocal critics of METRC's required Retail ID tags — another layer in the state's track-and-trace system that adds real labor and cost burdens for operators.

QRLogix, a labeling software company with roots in the medical industry, has adapted its technology to work within the METRC framework and eliminate that burden.

Here to explain how it works is David Carson, CEO of QRLogix.

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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District Cannabis was founded in 2015 as a cultivation company and has steadily expanded its footprint over the past decade, adding manufacturing capabilities and building one of the region's most sustainable cannabis brands.

In 2024, the company completed a major expansion, launching a retail location in Washington, D.C., while also growing its cultivation, manufacturing, and retail operations in Maryland.

Today, we're joined by Grace Hyde, Director of Operations at District Cannabis. Grace is deeply involved in the day-to-day realities of the D.C. cannabis market and brings a unique perspective on how the industry is evolving as it continues to establish itself. In our conversation, she shares insights into the opportunities, challenges, and market dynamics shaping cannabis in the nation's capital.

https://districtcannabis.us

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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Episode 195_ Inside the Bellrock Turnaround with Joe Bayern

Before entering cannabis in 2019, Joe Bayern spent more than 25 years in C-suite leadership across some of the biggest names in beverages, helping drive major turnarounds, global strategy, and brand-building at Snapple, Cadbury Schweppes, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Voss Water.

He entered cannabis after recognizing the potential of early CBD beverage trends, initially helping take a California operator public before joining Curaleaf, where he led the company through explosive expansion from roughly $250 million in revenue to more than $1.2 billion in just over two years.. After leaving Curaleaf, Bayern set out to pursue what he sees as cannabis's long-term future: an asset-light, brand-focused business model.

Most recently, he brought BellRock Brands out of receivership and is now leading its revival.

Today, we talk with Joe Bayern about how he plans to bring legacy brands like Mary's Medicinals and Dixie Elixirs back into the marketplace.

https://www.mmbrandsinc.com

The Innovating Cannabis podcast is produced and hosted by Pam Chmiel, a freelance writer and editor for the Cannabis Industry Journal.

Get in touch with pam@InnovatingCannabisPodcast.com.

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