#28 - Taking the Pain Out of Growing Pains - Claire Poulos and Kyle Findley-Meier from Sky Colony Consulting

On this episode, Tom chats with Ben Arn, the CEO of the Cannabis Business Company (CB Events). Ben shares his roots in cannabis activism and how that got him into the cannabis industry, as well as what the different CB events have to offer.

They also dive into some of the big topics that will be discussed at the upcoming event, like the changes in cannabis rules in Germany, questions about CBD, and where cannabis laws are heading globally. Tom will be a panelist at the next conference and his panel discussion is sure to be a highlight, alongside names like Carmen Doran from Helius Therapeutics and Ben Stevens from Business of Cannabis.

So if you’re curious to learn more about how the cannabis industry is evolving (especially in Germany and the rest of Europe) then give this episode a listen.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.cb-expo.com

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Alex Rogers, the Founder and CEO of the ICBC (International Cannabis Business Conference). The flagship b2b event takes place on the 29th and 30th of June and consists of both an expo and conference section. For more information check the links below.

This episode Alex and Tom discuss Legacy vs Legal, and how Europe should address this issue. Alex has a great perspective on the topic as he is an American who grew up in the states when the legacy market was booming. He also played a pivotal role in helping activists, such as Jack Herer and Denis Perone, move cannabis policies forward on the West Coast, but he also runs cannabis business events here in Europe. As a result, Alex is in a good position to discuss Legacy vs. Legal, how Europe should tackle this issue, and what we can learn from what the US did right and did wrong.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.internationalcbc.com

Related podcast episodes:
#58 - ICBC: Bringing cannabis businesses together in Europe
#69 - What is the ICBC getting up to in Slovenia?

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Lukas Hurt, who is a chief publisher at Magazine Konopi and Cannabis Therapy Magazine in Czechia, and he is also the manager at CzecHemp. As a result, he has his finger on the pulse when it comes to everything and anything related to cannabis, CBD and hemp in Czechia.

Lukas explains the historical and cultural relationship Czechia has with cannabis, as well as what the current situation looks like. Unfortunately, everything is not moving forward as smoothly as it may seem from the outside, and Lukas explains why. But there is still hope if the current government decides to act fast.

So if you're curious to learn more about the current state of cannabis Czechia and how full legalisation is coming along in the country, then give this episode a listen.

Links:
www.smelllslikebusiness.com
www.cannathemag.com
www.czechemp.cz

On this episode, Tom is having a chat with Fleta Solomon, the CEO of Little Green Pharma, Australia's leading medical cannabis producer. This Perth-based company is the only producer in Australia with locally-grown products that could pass all the mandatory testing required. Over the last few years, Little Green Pharma has grown significantly, making it "not so little" anymore. 

A big topic discussed in this episode is their relatively recent move to Europe, where the company has set up its European base of operations just outside Odense, in Denmark. Tom had the pleasure of visiting the facility in February, which is currently the largest medical cannabis production facility in Europe. 

Fleta shares her personal story of how she ended up in the medical cannabis space and how Little Green Pharma grew from humble beginnings in Perth to a global production powerhouse in a relatively short period of time. Fleta also discusses some of the company's growing pains, how the board has implemented ESG practices, and what the future may hold for Little Green Pharma. 

Links:

Smells Like Business - www.smellslikebusiness.com

Little Green Pharma - www.littlegreenpharma.com

Related podcast episodes:

#61 - Does The Cannabis Industry Need ESG? - Leonid DeWarrrior from DeWarrior Unlimited

#65 - Will Denmark Be The Medical Cannabis Hub of Europe? - Lone Knudsen Krogsbøll 

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Pia Meyer and Phillipp Hagenbach from Cannavigia. Pia is the product manager and Philipp the COO of Cannavigia, a Swiss company that creates compliance software solutions for the cannabis industry, with a strong focus on track and traceability.

If you want to learn more about the company then give Episode 51 of Smells Like Business a listen, where Tom interviewed Luc Richner (the CEO of Cannavigia).

This episode, however, we focus the discussion around the Swiss pilot program called WEEDCARE. The pilot program is the first recreational cannabis pilot program in Europe and started in Basel on the 30th of January this year (2023). Cannavigia is working closely with the Swiss government by providing the software for the pilot program.

Pia and Philipp are the two responsible for making this happen so give this episode a listen if you want to find out more about Europe's first recreational cannabis pilot program and how Cannavigia got involved.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.cannavigia.com
LinkedIn - Smells Like Business
LinkedIn - Cannavigia

Related Episodes:
#51 - Transparency and Traceability in the European Cannabis Industry - Luc Richner from Cannavigia

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Xavier G. who is the Head of EU Sales for Klonetics, a Canadian licensed cannabis nursery offering ready-to-flower clones and having the largest breeder-backed global catalog in the industry. 

Xavier explains the benefits of using clones, the complicated science behind them, and how Klonetics is working with some of the best breeders in the world. The company has also recently partnered up with a Portuguese cannabis production facility to provide more clones to the growing European medical cannabis market.

So if you want to learn more about clones and legacy breeders this is the episode for you.

Links:
www.klonetics.com
Instagram - Klonetics
LinkedIn - Klonetics

www.smellslikebusiness.com
Instagram - Smells Like Business
LinkedIn - Smells Like Business

Related Podcast Episodes:
#68 - Discovering “Cannatonic” and the Modern Origins of the CBD Movement

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Alex Rogers, the founder and CEO of The ICBC (the International Cannabis Business Conference) which organises B2B cannabis events in Europe. 

The ICBC flagship event is in Berlin every summer and if you want to learn more about that you can listen to episode 58 of smells like business, where Alex and Tom discuss the event in great detail. Alex also shares his personal and professional story into the cannabis space. 

This episode focuses on the partnership ICBC has with Spannabis (the largest B2C cannabis event in Europe), which happens takes place in Barcelona. 

However, the main portion of this episode is based around why Alex has moved to Slovenia, what he’s getting up to there, with ICBC and otherwise, as well as what Slovenia’s current attitude towards cannabis looks like and how Alex is trying to push legislation forward there.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.internationalcbc.com
Article - "Europe's Most Cannabis-Friendly Country"

On this episode Tom is having a chat Xavier G, who is the managing director for Resin Seeds, a Spanish Seed bank that specialises in CBD rich genetics. Xavier is also the Head of EU sales for Klonetics, a Canadian nursery cultivar, offering ready-to-flower clones and having the largest breeder-backed global catalog in the industry.

But we’re going to save Klonetics for another episode. On this episode it's all about Resin Seeds, and how Xavier developed his cannabis career over the last 20 years, after having moved to Barcelona. 

Fun fact, Resin Seeds created "Cannatonic", one of the first CBD-rich strains to hit the market. Since then, the company has been working hard at creating more CBD-rich genetics to help supply the growing demand.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.resinseeds.net

On this episode Tom is having a chat with Gilberto Cannarozzi, a multidisciplinary artist. about tattoos and cannabis. Gilberto and his good friend Samuele Salvadori, a tattoo artist who goes by the name of Sam Boy, have created a book called 'Stay Stoned'.

The book has a variety of cannabis themed tattoo flash and illustrations, all designed by different tattoo artists from around the world. Gilberto shares how they came up with the idea of bringing these two subcultures together, and how they ended up collaborating with the Hash, Marijuana and Hemp Museum in Amsterdam.

So if you're into tattoos and weed, then 'Stay Stoned' might be just for you.

Links:
www.smellslikebusiness.com
www.staystonedpress.com
Instagram - @stay_stoned_book

On this episode, Tom is having a chat with you! Tom summarises some of the important developments that have happened in 2022 regarding cannabis in Europe. He discusses what steps different European countries have taken towards legalisation, both medically and recreationally. 

With so many exciting developments having occurred this past year, Tom has a lot to discuss. But one thing is for sure, the future of cannabis in Europe looks very bright!

So if you’re curious to have a 2022 recap of cannabis in Europe, this episode is just for you.

Topics discussed:

• How many people in Europe have access to medical cannabis?
• Is it difficult getting a medical cannabis prescription in Europe?
• Why is it so hard to get a medical cannabis prescription in the UK?
• How is Germany moving along with full cannabis legalisation?
• What is the new approach to the EU drug policy?
• Is Czechia legalising cannabis?
• Will Czechia legalise cannabis for adult use before Germany?
• Is Denmark the medical cannabis hub of Europe?
• Is Juicy Fields the largest scam in the cannabis industry?
• What is Dispenseroo?
• How is France supporting the French hemp industry?
• Is Ireland decriminalising marijuana?

Links:

Smells Like Business - www.smellslikebusiness.com

Related podcast episodes:

#31 - What is Cancard? - Carly Barton from Cancard

#48 - For A Free Cannabis Market In France - Daniel Kaddik from ELF

#60 - JuicyFields: The World's Biggest Cannabis Scam Explained - Ben Stevens from BusinessCann

#65 - Will Denmark Be The Medical Cannabis Hub of Europe? - Lone Knudsen Krogsbøll