From Olympic hockey banter to Washington politics and THC drinks at major arenas, this episode proves there’s never a slow week in cannabis. AnnaRae joins a familiar roundtable to unpack policy signals, market stress, and why beverages keep stealing the spotlight.

About This Episode

On this week’s edition of This Week in Cannabis Live, Jay Rosenthal is joined by Jeremy Berke, Marc Hauser, and AnnaRae Grabstein for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of the industry. Topics include Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s candid take on cannabis reform, GTI/Rhythm’s THC beverages landing at the United Center, MSO financial distress, and a surprise capital raise from Willie Nelson’s THC beverage brand.

AnnaRae also digs into what these headlines mean for operators navigating policy uncertainty, capital constraints, and shifting consumer behavior.

💡 What You’ll Learn

• What Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s comments signal about cannabis reform under a Trump administration
• Why THC beverages are breaking into arenas, concerts, and hospitality venues
• How MSO distress (including asset sales and forbearance agreements) reflects a broader industry reset
• Why Willie’s Remedy raising $15M surprised many investors
• What New York’s Brand Power Rankings reveal about local vs. national cannabis brands
• How policy uncertainty is freezing capital—and where momentum still exists

Have a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!

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Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.

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