Federal cannabis reform is supposed to open the same door for everyone. The current market says otherwise.

The largest operators do not share one political agenda, and some of the barriers they complain about are also widening their moats. As capital markets, international medical standards, and state regulation collide, the operators built for uncertainty may be the ones hardest to dislodge.

This week we sit down with Jay Rosenthal

• Limbo as a moat
• EU GMP advantage
• Regulation's hidden winners

• 00:00 Federal limbo becomes the business model
• 02:17 The reform everyone agrees on
• 03:28 Capital markets and the bigger pond
• 05:35 Six hundred brands and no patience
• 06:55 Why Rochester can move New York
• 09:48 Strong operators become obvious
• 13:40 The cost of crossing state lines
• 16:28 Aurora Curaleaf and scarce EU GMP assets
• 20:26 The Canadian future that did not arrive
• 22:00 What mature industry compliance could bring
• 24:35 Cultivated's nonsecret sauce
• 31:41 Cannabis stigma still follows the operator
• 32:28 Why Cultivated launched membership
• 40:23 Quality media has a real cost
• 41:18 California and New York regulators share a market
• 44:02 Policy goals that fight each other
• 49:06 Competition cooperation and price compression
• 52:25 Where to find Jay and Cultivated

• Jay Rosenthal - Co-Founder and Managing Director of Cultivated Media
• Cultivated Media
• Cultivated events
• Sign up for the Cultivated Daily newsletter

• The Dime Podcast — website
• Bryan Fields on X
• The Dime on X
• The Dime on YouTube
• The Dime on Instagram
• Newton Insights — insights for extraction teams

Follow The Dime for more conversations on cannabis business, operations, and international markets.

Share this episode with an operator rethinking their edibles.

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Fast-acting edibles can command a premium, but labels such as "nano" do not prove the final product works. The larger operating question is whether the formulation improves taste, shelf stability, manufacturing efficiency, and trust at the same time.

This week we sit down with Kim Sanchez Rael

Fast onset economics
The nano problem
Science/ AI and so much more

Fast-acting cannabis edibles promise a more predictable experience, but the language on the package does not always tell operators what happens in the final product.

Kim Sanchez Rael, President and CEO of Azuca, breaks down what "fast" should mean, why slow-onset edibles still dominate, and how formulation choices affect taste, stability, curing time, shelf life, and production efficiency. She explains why "nano" is often a measurement or marketing label rather than proof of a better consumer outcome, then offers four questions brands should ask any infusion supplier.

The conversation also moves beyond formulation. Kim describes the economics behind fast-acting products, the role of supplier behavior when production is at risk, the case for a single regulatory framework for the cannabis plant, and why operators cannot build a business that depends on an unpredictable regulatory change.

Topics include:

• The consumer value of predictable onset
• Manufacturing tradeoffs in gummy formulation
• What brands should demand from infusion partners
• Why structured quality systems matter
• How Azuca uses AI inside its team and customer experience

Learn more about Azuca and TiME INFUSION® at https://azuca.co/.

Guest: Kim Sanchez Rael, President and CEO, Azuca
Host: Bryan Fields, The Dime

Chapters

• 00:01 Why slow-onset edibles still dominate
• 01:47 The economics of fast acting
• 03:56 Can brands claim "fast"?
• 05:56 Predictability and consumer trust
• 08:06 The retail education gap
• 10:24 How Azuca licensing works
• 14:44 Formulation, cannabinoids, and flavor
• 15:30 When "fast" does not feel fast
• 18:18 Onset, peak, and duration
• 20:01 Manufacturing efficiency R&D
• 23:14 Validating infusion science
• 24:43 Why "nano" is a buzzword
• 27:38 The operational cost of change
• 28:24 Four questions for infusion suppliers
• 30:00 Supplier behavior as brand experience
• 32:31 The Fourth of July production rescue
• 33:48 What cannabis still gets wrong
• 34:15 The One Plant Solution
• 37:04 Policy resistance and incrementalism
• 38:41 AI and "Kimothy"
• 41:21 Quality systems and sustainable math
• 44:58 The question Kim wishes people asked
• 45:45 Where to find Azuca

Our Links

• The Dime Podcast — website
• Bryan Fields on X
• The Dime on X
• The Dime on YouTube
• The Dime on Instagram
• Eighth Revolution
• Newton Insights — insights for extraction teams

Follow The Dime for more conversations on cannabis business, operations, and international markets.

Share this episode with an operator rethinking their edibles.

Guest Links

• Kim Sanchez Rael — Azuca

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Global expansion is often pitched as an opportunity. For an undisciplined cannabis company, it is an expensive way to expose every weakness at once.

International markets reward specific operating capabilities, not ambition alone. Pharmaceutical standards, reliable supply, disciplined data use, and local market fit determine whether an operator can cross borders without compounding its problems.

This week we sit down with Jamie Pearson

• EU GMP's undervalued strategic value
• Regulation exposes operating weakness
• Matching strength to global markets

On The Dime, host Bryan Fields speaks with Jamie L. Pearson, President and Founder of New Holland Group, about European cannabis expansion, medical cannabis supply chains, and building operations that can succeed across borders.

• Jamie explains why European medical cannabis markets call for pharmaceutical reliability, consistent supply, and a different operating model from adult-use brands.
• EU GMP (European Union Good Manufacturing Practice) capability can be a strategic asset for cannabis manufacturing and international market entry.
• Match the company's repeatable strengths to local buyers, regulations, and supply chains before choosing a market.
• Prove standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality controls in another U.S. state before adding language, currency, and cross-border complexity.
• The discussion spans the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Portugal, and Brazil, alongside cannabis data and U.S. hemp regulation.

00:00 Regulation is breaking the data layer
02:49 Finding trend data upstream
06:24 What EU GMP actually demands
10:19 Why compliant facilities become strategic assets
16:13 Canada-Europe regulatory harmony
19:20 Europe is medical first
25:28 First-mover advantage vs. disciplined execution
27:59 Medical supply rewards repeatability
30:48 Weak operations do not travel
32:24 Switzerland, Slovenia, and Portugal
35:54 Brazil and partner requirements
37:07 Practice expansion before global scale
40:08 The hidden U.S. hemp market
43:29 Turning customers into political force
47:10 Directness as respect

• Jamie L. Pearson — official bio
• New Holland Group
• New Holland Group on LinkedIn

Germany Is the Engine: What BAT Knows That Cannabis Doesn't ft. James Yamanaka — continue exploring Germany's cannabis market and operational discipline.

• The Dime Podcast — website
• Bryan Fields on X
• The Dime on X
• The Dime on YouTube
• The Dime on Instagram
• Eighth Revolution
• Newton Insights — insights for extraction teams

Follow The Dime for more conversations on cannabis business, operations, and international markets. Share this episode with an operator considering expansion.

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