Blake Patterson

As the cannabis industry matures, we are starting to get reliable data. This can help make decisions based on real sales figures and not predictions. 10 years ago, there was only one state with adult use sales (#colorado) and a handful of states with medical seals. Now there is 24 sates with adult use sales and an additional 15 states with medical seals. At the moment #california leads with total seals but #michigan leads with per capita seals. #florida leads in medical seals. #missouri with a relatively small population and only 17 months since they launched their adult-use market, is already in fifth place. Thank you Debra Borchardt from Green Market Report for the financial update. #cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #cannabisnews #cannabiseducation #cannabispolicy #cannbislaw https://lnkd.in/gc96gcCh

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🚨 Insightful DEA Report: Illicit marijuana flowers average a THC potency of 16%. 🌿💨 This statistic underscores a significant advantage of purchasing from licensed dispensaries—quality and safety. Unlike the unregulated market, dispensaries offer products that are tested, compliant, and consistent in their THC content. This not only ensures a safer consumer experience but also supports the legal cannabis industry committed to high standards. Why risk the unknown? Choose quality, safety, and reliability every time with dispensary-bought cannabis. Let's advocate for more informed consumer choices and support regulations that emphasize these benefits. Stay informed and choose wisely. #CannabisIndustry #ConsumerSafety #DispensaryQuality #THCPotency #RegulatedCannabis

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I have more than one industry client who has expressed to me (often in a hushed tone in an offline convo) that despite so much internal attention on other brands as competitive threats, the real pressure to guard against is losing market share to private label. I can't disagree as private label comes on stronger every year by building more of a brand identity that consumers increasingly recognize as a "regular" brand not private label necessarily. This article argues the following.... Traditional private-brand innovation has focused on the removal of negatives (i.e., “free-from” artificial flavors/preservatives/sweeteners/hormones/GMOs) and increasing the affordability and accessibility of organics. Future innovation will focus on improving the nutritional quality of food products and the promotion of innately healthy whole foods that are the cornerstone of FAM initiatives (fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, beans/legumes, seafood). So, the question becomes will private label become the place of products of improved nutritional quality and "innately healthy whole foods" that support the Food As Medicine movement? I would like to think this future exists for private label, but I have my doubts. Private label is about cost savings for the consumer, and at the same time, margin increases for the retailer. This doesn't exactly line up with making say a better-for-you pasta sauce with tomatoes grown specifically to increase lycopene density. Your analysis of private label in grocery? #food #diet #health #nutrition #medicine #foodasmedicine #foodscapefinds

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Connecting buying, planning, inventory management, retail stores, wholesale, operations, and logistics is a challenge in the #cannabis industry. We must take steps to enhance these connections to allow greater efficiency and improved business outcomes. This requires breaking down barriers, eliminating organizational fiefdoms (very important), and celebrating cross functional success stories. I am a big fan of using #scrum methods to create environments for idea sharing, to align functions towards common goals, and to allow for controlled conflict. This last part is key: scrum teams need diversity of thought, title, and function to be successful. Teams that practice "leave your title at the door" + open meetings to more junior team members = are better set up to embrace new ways of thinking. You’d be surprised at the magic that happens when silos are broken down. It's breaking down the silos where teams struggle. This is the goal: foster a culture of #collaboration and #innovation. Think different, act different. It’s not always perfect, but we embrace the concept of failing forward. Each misstep is a learning opportunity, bringing us closer to the operational excellence that we all desire. #retail #sales #wholesale #cpg #branding #marketing #digitalmarketing #socialmedia #management #technology #finance #cannabis #humanresources #hiring #motivation #inspiration

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Good morning California Cannabis Industry, Today, in the economic evolution of cannabinoids (both cannabis and help), there's one question remaining: WHO WON THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

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Shock Factor ~ 🎬 We are living in a world where “news” is an activity of attention grabbing bites to hold our attention until the advertisers attempt to have their way with us is satisfied in the way of “a sale”. The reality is that you may have a product or service that is excellent but getting in front of a buyer takes more than just a little persuasion, it takes: 1) An impressive opening line; 2) Striking presentation; 3) A rock star team; 4) Performance beyond good. A few days ago I ordered a glass of Merlot from a famous name winery in Sonoma. It was a young vintage so maybe it needed a little time to ‘open up’….so I swirled for several minutes and gave it some time. I was blown away, not by the excellence of this wine with a multi-generation family history, but by its pyrazine bitterness, its lack aromatic beauty, its defeating palate breadth, and its short-stifled finish. All I could think of (especially in an oversupply market) was, “how could the winemaking team allowed this wine into the bottle. It had a great brand name. The wines were historically lush, perfumed, juicy, and lingering. That’s the lesson, right? A name is only a name until the wine shows itself to be ‘honorable’ on its own, blind. But is a brown paper bag with a $45 price tag going to move it off the mark? Today, it better be a $45-$50 value at $24….or less. The point is that the US and global wine markets are struggling with consumer embrace. Personally, I think it’s the lack of so many grocery shelf wines being mediocre with a great label. (And many times the labels are simply cheesy). Ok, so “The Narcissist” Wine Brand. Shock factor….is that all it is? I look at what I just wrote above and I’m scared to death that I could fall into the same “cellar-palate” trap that my ‘big family name Merlot’ has fallen into. The kind of wine that gets trashed on “B” rated wine flicks. Oh, and the photo? One of my favorite spots in California wine country to catch both sunrises and sunsets! Today, it’s Sonoma. Canon 5Diii Canon 16-35f2.8 @ 25mm F1 Monopod held 1/60th Sec ISO 200 #photography #wine #winemakersforum #winemakerslife #sonoma

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-- Podcast Teaser Alert -- "If you want to lead the consumer, you need to be the consumer." - Eric Ryan At one point, Eric Ryan and I were "frienemies". Friends personally, competitors professionally. He was the co-founder and CEO of Method Products PBC, while I led Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. ................ But in the real world, we were always on the same team. Our collective efforts, along with the team at 7th Generation, were revolutionizing the cleaning category. At Mrs. Meyer's, our mission was clear: 'Together, we dream of a world where the better way becomes THE way.' ................ Eric Ryan shares his insights on creating method products pbc, OLLY PBC, and Welly Bandages, along with his go-to-market approach. Stay tuned for the next drop of the CEO podcast. 🎙 You won't regret it. #cultureFIRSTleadership #ceoPodcast #ChiefEternalOptimist

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Great article on Dry Atlas from Stuart Campbell discussing the branding and positioning of "non-alcoholic" beverages. I put "non-alcoholic" in quotations because that term itself begs the question - should these products be marketed as alcohol alternatives or their own, unique products? I think the balance lies somewhere in between. As humans we are hardwired to compare different alternatives in order to make decisions in our everyday lives - this restaurant over that, this TV show over that, etc. Even within the alcohol industry there's plenty of product positioning based on X product being a better or more appealing alternative to Y product, depending on the target audience. So while I don't necessarily think NA beverages shouldn't position themselves as alcohol "alternatives" (and I might be biased because it's literally in my brand's name), I have always believed that the future of this category is to create unique, standalone products with complexity and character that are independent of some alcoholic reference point.

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A question I get asked a lot is what’s our most popular flavor. Let me introduce you all to Mojito Mint & Lime 🍋‍🟩 Hype. Currently in the energy drinks market, there is no other brand that offers this unique flavor combination. NONE! The most common response after sampling - “It tastes just like a Mojito! 😳” Unique flavors in the energy drinks market, like Mojito Mint & Lime, distinguish our brand by offering a novel taste experience that can't be found elsewhere!. This uniqueness attracts consumers looking for something different, driving demand and setting the brand apart in a competitive market. Also our entire range is certified halal, vegan and gluten free 🙌🏼 You have to try it to understand what I am referring to. The students love it! Its also serves as a very popular mixer with your favourite tipple! It’s a winner with those who enjoy the mint and lime combination, hence we sell millions of cans of this flavor in the Middle East every month. We also now have many takeaways and shisha lounges making enquiries in the UK 🇬🇧, which is slightly removed from our usual retailers. The unique mix of lime and mint takes your taste buds on a wild ride with a flavor as irresistible as the original. Get ready for more power with every sip to keep you at the top of your game. Take the night by storm and own it with the zesty kick of Mojito 🍋‍🟩 🍋 #EnergyDrink #UniqueFlavor #MojitoMintLimeHype #StudentFavorite #MintLimeCombination #QualityIngredients #Mocktails #ZestyKick #MoreFxckingFun

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I think all the drinks manufacturers and canna-beverage hype is completely fake. I don't believe consumers prefer to drink Cannabinoids. The data doesn’t support that. I do believe cannabis-drinks are more costly to produce/deliver to a consumer, are more costly per inch of shelf space, ultimately for a lower dose/cannabinoid count per dollar spent, and therefore economics will inevitably maintain the drinks-category in 1-2% total marketshare territory.

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A few #mondaysparks to inspire and get your creativity going on a Monday morning: 1. Erewhon is known for its unconventional smoothies, but I love the idea of introducing one based on a non-food product. Their Sunscreen Smoothie leans into that smell we all know that says summer. Based on recent Menu Matters LLC research, consumers rank smell as the second most important sense when deciding what foods and beverages to select. That may not seem surprising, but how often do we as an industry actually leverage smell as a key element...particularly in this age of "Instagram-ability." Mike Kostyo and I have had some great conversations with clients about this issue. (https://lnkd.in/eZC_ncmY) 2. As we expand our culinary boundaries into less familiar (to Americans) ingredients, consider for a moment the pine family. In both Asia and Scandinavia, spruce and pine are used to infuse flavor into savory and sweet foods as well as create teas and other aromatic beverages. We're seeing these ingredients pop up every so often but they are still under appreciated which is why I thought this Spruce-infused Ponzu Sauce by blisgourmet was so interesting. As we edge ever closer into Fall and Winter, consider how these flavors can "spruce up" (see what I did there) your LTOs or seasonal menus. (https://lnkd.in/e2mjkBe5) 3. I have no idea how this tastes, but am fascinated with Kraft Heinz introducing Every Sauce, a new sauce that is a blend of all of (well nearly) their sauces. I hope there's a great story behind this like someone dropped a mixed case on the floor and someone in R&D said "what a minute..." Either way, it's a new product celebrating all the "old" products. Really interesting. (https://lnkd.in/edzwD7ZJ) #trends2024 #newproducts #foodandbeverageindustry #foodservice #restaurants #cpg #innovation

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F the Treaties: Rescheduling and Marijuana-Particular Controls https://lnkd.in/gwnhJv2Z <a href=""> - Marijuana-specific controls in schedule III? The drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed its Discover of Proposed Rulemaking (“NOPR”) final week to a lot fanfare. The NOPR would reschedule marijuana, “marijuana extract” and “naturally derived delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinols” from schedule I to schedule III of the Managed Substances Act (CSA). However that’s not all. In my very fast evaluation after the rule dropped, I flagged DEA’s assertion that it might develop “marijuana-specific controls” together with rescheduling. I’m shocked this DEA assertion hasn’t spurred a lot dialogue, regardless of its Easter egg placement at NOPR web page 86. “Marijuana-specific management” guidelines might turn into a reasonably large deal. For context, the U.S. is a celebration to sure worldwide treaties that require it to regulate hashish and different drugs. Due to that obligation, the Division of Justice’s Workplace of Authorized Counsel (OLC), has suggested DEA that extra controls could also be wanted for marijuana on schedule III. That’s the best method to clarify it: if you need extra element on the whys and wherefores of the authorized regime and OLC’s rationale, go to pages 83-87 of the NOPR. In my publish final week, I highlighted that marijuana-specific controls could be thought of by DEA “concurrent with this rulemaking.” In different phrases, DEA is saying, “we’re taking a look at adopting new and particular guidelines for marijuana, past simply shifting it to schedule III. However we don’t know what these new and particular guidelines could be but. Keep tuned.” This strategy is artfully imprecise and noncommittal, and awkward, and begs examination. The trail to marijuana-specific controls I’m not an administrative legislation knowledgeable. Nonetheless, my understanding is that DEA could be required to note any proposed, marijuana-specific management guidelines within the Federal Register and open them up for remark. In different phrases, the method would mirror what we simply noticed with final week’s NOPR. If this occurs, it is going to be attention-grabbing to see what the “particular controls” guidelines present. To that finish, I’m not conscious of any such guidelines for different schedule III drugs. As a substitute, there are solely basic controls relevant to all schedule III drugs: e.g., sure storage necessities, allowances for paper or phone prescriptions, refill caps, and many others. None of that appears relevant to e.g. marijuana flower, which isn’t authorised by FDA for something. Alternatively, what might these guidelines probably say that might matter, particularly with respect to state marijuana packages? Would anybody, outdoors of scientists learning marijuana, pay any consideration to a DEA’s “particular controls” for sched...

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While the timelines are HIGHLY variable at the moment, between a few months on the short end to multiple years on the long-term forecast on when exactly cannabis rescheduling to Schedule 3 (S3) will be formally approved, the Surfside team wanted to share our initial advice on how to best prepare our current (and future!) clients for the positive impacts on their ability to compliantly advertise & market their products and services. The TL/DR: One of the biggest implications of the rescheduling will be the removal of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. With the change in legislation, cannabis businesses expect to be able to take normal tax deductions afforded to other industries on selling, general, and administrative expenses. With that said, the ability to deduct marketing and advertising costs themselves is the pending game changer. Read on below to learn more on how to start preparing..... #cannabis #cannabismarketing #retailmedia #retailmarketing #dispensary #adtech #innovation #ecommerce #digitalmarketing #commercemedia #marijuanarescheduling #measurewhatmatters

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"Why would anyone want a FLAT seltzer!?" It's crazy to think 4 years ago NOCA Beverages was run out of Galen Hand's family log cabin...hand selling a few hundred cans a month at best. Three finance nerds who wanted to go up against industry titans with the "Anti-Seltzer". Our idea for a smoother bubble-free boozin experience was laughed out of more retail and distributor meetings than I can remember. "why would anyone want a FLAT seltzer!?" Fast forward to today and those same industry titans are launching products with tag lines like "bubble free, non-carbonated, no bloating" NOCA Beverages now sells millions of cans a MONTH and is about to break into the Top 50 suppliers in the country. I don't say this to brag. I say this to tip my hat to all the investors, friends & family, amazing customers, and dead loyal employees that never gave up on us... We promise to never cut corners on quality or creativity. HUGE things in the works! Below is our first advertisement....#content #marketing #viral #beverage #consumergoods #noca #lemonade #tea #nocarbonation

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Brand Love. Back in 1946 when my grandfather Milo Carlton founded Milo's Tea Company, Inc. (it was a burger stand back then called Milo's Hamburgers), he had a philosophy of always listening to his customers, using high-quality, natural ingredients, and never sacrificing taste. That philosophy, which still guides us today, has helped us build a passionate, loyal fan-base, which is why we're still here three generations later. Milo's fans come back time and again because they love our delicious homemade taste but we think it's so much more than that. It's our authenticity, consistency, and #MilosMoments of joy when they share our drinks in moments that matter - from gatherings with friends and family to that experience of delicious solitude. 😍 We've been debating how you measure delicious. You can do scientific tests on "taste," which we certainly do conduct frequently. But, having done this for a long long time, I am 100% certain that it is something that you can't ever measure in the Milo's Magic, brand love, and fan experience beyond that sip. 📏 I was reminded of this example recently when a fan reached out to share that she had gotten a tattoo of Milo's. Y'all, this is not the first Milo's tattoo. In fact, it is probably the 4th or 5th I've known of over the years. Fans show their love to us every day - reaching out on social media, calling us (where we have an actual human talk to them because we think that's just how you treat your consumers, y'all), and stopping our field TEAm at store shelves. Serving your fans - those people that make your business successful - is the Magic. And, it fuels my (and our TEAm's) purpose to know that we bring joy to the lives of Americans through our drinks. It's what we stand for - and DO - as a company, and how we treat our People. That is why we continue to work tirelessly 24/7 to deliver delicious every time and keep that trust because last I heard a tattoo is permanent and we will not let this fan, or any other down. Do you have a #MilosMoment or memory to share? Also, could use some serious help on how you define delicious? It would be extra sweet if you posted in the comments below. #DrinkMilos

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Awesome morning🌅, Entrepreneurs, Professionals, Leaders, and Creators! Check out this excellent and insightful article by HIGH TIMES A.J. Herrington! Ben Kovler, the CEO of Green Thumb Industries (GTI) is pitching a merger between his company and The Boston Beer Company, the manufacturer of the Samuel Adams family of brews. The Boston Beer Company has a market capitalization of about $3.6 billion, while Green Thumb Industries (GTI) is worth about $2.8 billion! Alcohol consumption is declining with young adults drinking less than previous generations. Stock market analyst Aaron Grey, CFA, CPA, CEO of Alliance Global Partners, said on Monday that the proposed merger would allow The Boston Beer Company to enter new markets as alcohol sales continue to decline. Aaron stated that a Green Thumb merger with Boston Beer would give the cannabis company a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, making its shares available to a wider base of shareholders. Read more below 👇🏿

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