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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AI has made software easier than ever to build. That does not mean every internal tool should become the backbone of your business.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Chris Guthrie to break down the growing temptation inside cannabis companies to vibe code internal tools, dashboards, CRMs, ERPs, and operational systems in the name of saving money.

The problem is not the first version. The problem is what happens two months later, when a field does not map, the workflow breaks, the person who built it is unavailable, and a production team is now relying on code nobody fully understands.

Chris explains the difference between a useful AI-built prototype and an enterprise-grade system that can survive real operators, messy data, security needs, compliance, multiple departments, M&A diligence, and future FDA-style requirements.

This conversation covers why descriptive data does not create predictive insight, why Google Sheets to vibe coding can become a path to failure, and why the real AI opportunity starts after the business has clean data, clean processes, and a system strong enough to trust.

This episode covers:

• The weekend build that fails
• Descriptive data will not predict
• Clean books before M&A

Chapters

00:00 The Rise of AI in Software Development

03:07 Challenges of Internal Software Development

06:09 Understanding What 'Works' in Software

09:10 The Risks of Vibe Coding

12:05 The Importance of Established Infrastructure

14:58 Cost Considerations in Software Development

17:56 Predictive Insights and Data Utilization

21:13 Defining Core Business Focus

23:17 The Challenges of AI Implementation

27:00 Understanding AI's Limitations

28:58 The Importance of Data Governance

31:11 Navigating Change Management in Cannabis

35:51 Preparing for Industry Evolution

40:09 The ROI of ERP Systems

Our Links:

Bryan Fields on Twitter

The Dime on Twitter

Extraction Teams: Want to cut costs and get more out of every run? Unlock hidden revenue by extracting more from the same input—with Newton Insights.

At Eighth Revolution (8th Rev), we provide services from capital to cannabinoid and everything in between in the cannabinoid industry.

The Dime is a top 5% most shared global podcast

The Dime is a top 10 Cannabis Podcast

The Dime has a New Website. Shhhh its not finished.

🎥 YouTube: The Dime

📸 Instagram: The Dime

https://www.newton-insights.com/

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Cannabis rescheduling is not as simple as “Trump rescheduled cannabis.”

States are interpreting rescheduling completely differently depending on their license structure. These tiny details are widening the gap between potential winners and losers.

In this episode, we break down what actually changed, what is still unresolved, and why rescheduling may already be picking winners and losers.

This week, we sit down with Hirsh Jain to discuss:

• What the April order and June 29 hearing actually mean

• How the DEA registration portal could impact operators

• The three pathways for interstate commerce

• Why state license structure may determine who is positioned for a national market

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Cannabis Rescheduling

02:53 The Implications of Medical vs. Adult Use Cannabis

05:48 Navigating Federal Legality for Medical Cannabis

09:03 DEA Registration: A New Era for Cannabis Businesses

11:53 The Complexities of DEA Registration

15:02 Interstate Commerce: The Future of Cannabis Trade

17:46 State Models and Their Impact on Cannabis Regulation

21:02 Winners and Losers in the Cannabis Market

24:04 The Role of Politics in Cannabis Regulation

27:01 The Future of Interstate Commerce in Cannabis

38:15 Understanding the Dormant Commerce Clause

40:46 Interstate Commerce and Political Friction

42:43 Legal Challenges to Cannabis Rescheduling

44:37 The April Order and Its Implications

51:05 Upcoming Hearings and Their Significance

59:22 Emerging Markets in Red States

01:05:34 Cultural Shifts and Legal Implications

01:10:16 Looking Ahead: Signals for Progress

Guest Links:

https://www.anandastrategy.com/

Our Links:

Bryan Fields on Twitter

The Dime on Twitter

Extraction Teams: Want to cut costs and get more out of every run? Unlock hidden revenue by extracting more from the same input—with Newton Insights.

At Eighth Revolution (8th Rev), we provide services from capital to cannabinoid and everything in between in the cannabinoid industry.

The Dime is a top 5% most shared global podcast

The Dime is a top 10 Cannabis Podcast

The Dime has a New Website. Shhhh its not finished.

🎥 YouTube: The Dime

📸 Instagram: The Dime

https://www.newton-insights.com/

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Predictable cash flow is the whole game. In cannabis, predictable is the one thing almost nobody has.

Organigram CEO James Yamanaka came up over 20 years at British American Tobacco, where that discipline is the entire model. He thinks the opportunity starts there: trim the portfolio, stop chasing every trend, tighten the supply chain, lean on the science, and align operations. Germany's market could nearly double in the next two years, but capturing it will take more than expansion.

This week we sit down with James Yamanaka, CEO of Organigram:

• A BAT perspective on cannabis
• Why chasing every trend loses money
• How the Sanity deal unlocks Germany

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Organigram and BAT's Involvement

05:24 Shifting Perspectives: From BAT to Organigram

09:08 Understanding the Complexity of the Cannabis Market

13:12 Balancing Listening and Leadership

17:24 Data-Driven Decision Making in Cannabis

21:18 Strategic SKU Management and Market Forecasting

24:17 Leveraging BAT's Expertise in Cannabis

30:04 The Strategic Importance of the Sanity Deal

39:57 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in the Cannabis Industry

Guest Links:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-yamanaka-aaa32a/
• https://www.organigram.ca/

Our Links:

Bryan Fields on Twitter

The Dime on Twitter

Extraction Teams: Want to cut costs and get more out of every run? Unlock hidden revenue by extracting more from the same input—with Newton Insights.

At Eighth Revolution (8th Rev), we provide services from capital to cannabinoid and everything in between in the cannabinoid industry.

The Dime is a top 5% most shared global podcast

The Dime is a top 10 Cannabis Podcast

The Dime has a New Website. Shhhh its not finished.

🎥 YouTube: The Dime

📸 Instagram: The Dime

https://www.newton-insights.com/

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When a regulator asks what the downside is of adding one more testing requirement, what is the downside? Just a little more safe. Just in case. Especially when adding one more item to an already exhaustive testing panel.

That logic is how licensed cannabis markets end up buried under compliance layers copied from other states, calibrated to someone else's problems.

It is also exactly how two adjacent markets with nearly identical consumer bases, Ohio and Michigan, ended up with completely different market structures.

What they do not share is regulatory philosophy. When one state watches another add a rule and asks itself whether it should do the same, the answer it lands on shapes the entire cost structure of every licensed operator inside its borders. Ohio learned to ask the follow-up question. Most states never do.

Ohio closed the intoxicating hemp loophole on March 20th, ahead of the federal government, and those shops are starting to close. The next unlock may already be here: THC beverages reaching the customers who will never walk into a dispensary, sold at the restaurant down the street.

This week we sit down with Caroline Henry, VP of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Buckeye Relief.

• The regulator FOMO problem
• Ohio vs. Michigan: two markets, one lesson
• THC beverages as the dispensary gateway

Chapters

00:00 The Disconnect in Cannabis Perception

03:12 Navigating Stigma and Misconceptions

05:48 Regulatory Challenges and Industry Standards

08:55 Building Relationships with Regulators

11:54 Small Wins in Regulatory Negotiations

15:02 The Impact of Over-Regulation

17:48 Child-Resistant Packaging and Its Irony

25:38 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in the Cannabis Industry

26:00 The Role of Beverages in Reducing Stigma

30:37 Learning from Michigan: Ohio's Cannabis Strategy

39:31 Focusing on Ohio: The Case for Local Expertise

44:00 The Realities of Working in the Cannabis Industry

Guest Links

• www.buckeyerelief.com
• www.amplifydispensary.com

Our Links:

Bryan Fields on Twitter

The Dime on Twitter

Extraction Teams: Want to cut costs and get more out of every run? Unlock hidden revenue by extracting more from the same input—with Newton Insights.

At Eighth Revolution (8th Rev), we provide services from capital to cannabinoid and everything in between in the cannabinoid industry.

The Dime is a top 5% most shared global podcast

The Dime is a top 10 Cannabis Podcast

The Dime has a New Website. Shhhh its not finished.

🎥 YouTube: The Dime

📸 Instagram: The Dime

https://www.newton-insights.com/

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