Innovative Profiles Archives

Wrestlers Mercedes Varnado and Kalisto Launch New CBD Company

Professional wrestlers risk their lives every time they enter the ring. They endure rigorous training to ensure no one is injured during a match, but the dangers remain. Paralysis, brain damage, concussions, and spine injuries are all shockingly common among this group of extreme athletes. Even in the absence of critical...

How Revelry is Connecting New Yorkers to the Cannabis Industry

This article first appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of Cannabis & Tech Today. As the leaves change from deep greens to hues of yellow and red in the fall of 2022, New York State will open the doors to its first conditional adult-use cannabis dispensaries. Lulu Tsui will experience the historic shift from her neighborhood in...

Missy Bradley Shares How to Make Everything an Edible

We’ve come a long way since the days of pot brownies being the go-to (and only) edible available on the “market” — the market being your brother’s roommate’s basement bakery. The edibles industry has flourished in the last decade, with new combinations of gummies, cookies, hard candies, mints, and even beverages...

Round 2: Mike Tyson is Back in the Cannabis Game

Mike Tyson is a man of many talents, but one particular set of skills is heralded above all others by his fans — the ability to knock highly trained heavyweight fighters to the ground. With a record of 50 wins (44 by knockout) and only six losses in his career, it’s no wonder many boxing pundits consider him one of the greatest...

Olivia Newton-John Gave a Voice to Those With Cancer and Shifted the Focus to the Life of Survivors

Alex Broom, University of Sydney Since news of Olivia Newton-John’s death this week, many have paid tribute to her character, humble nature and cultural significance. She also made a significant contribution to cancer survivorship and the ideal of treating the whole person, not just their disease. Newton-John was diagnosed...

Valuable Lessons Three Startups Learned From Investors

Each day, hopeful cannabis entrepreneurs reach out for investors, advice, and partnerships. There is fierce competition for investment dollars and the pandemic only fueled the fight for funding. That’s why Cannabis & Tech Today, in partnership with the Emerge Virtual Cannabis Conference, launched the Cannabis Investor Pitch...

New Research Into Terpenes Could Change Medicine Forever

You’ll often hear people say cannabis science is in its infancy. While it’s true there is much more to learn about the plant, some regions of the world have been studying cannabis intensely for decades. The field of cannabis science was pioneered by Raphael Mechoulam in the 1960s. His research, based in Israel, laid the...

How One Company Created a New Standard for National CBD Testing

According to current predictions from market research firm BDSA, the U.S. hemp and CBD market could hit $20.5 billion by 2025. But, the highly variable landscape from state to state threatens this potential growth. This regulatory fragmentation must be resolved before the market reaches the forecasted 40% compound annual growth...

Slutty Vegan CBD Gummies Now Available Nationwide

In the two years since launching her first Slutty Vegan location, founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole has amassed a national following. With revenues topping $4 million in the first six months, Cole’s vegan junk food is bringing communities together in four locations and growing. She’s now using that momentum to move into the CBD...

One Reporter's Decade-Long Journey in the Cannabis Industry

In 2011, there wasn’t much reporting on the business of cannabis because the legalized industry didn’t really exist in the United States. Medical use had passed in California, but it wasn’t until 2012 that Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize adult use. Until then, there was little demand for cannabis...

Wilfred Star Jason Gann on How to be Taken Seriously in the Cannabis Industry

Five years ago, having fulfilled my dream of becoming a Hollywood star, I set my sights on an even greater dream — to build a global cannabis brand and become a cannabis mogul, the likes of which the world has never seen. Some didn’t take me seriously. They thought I’d run away with my tail between my legs when I discovered...

Death Metal Frontman Ivan Moody on the Benefits of CBD

There are few hard rock bands that carry as much clout as Five Finger Death Punch. They are the second most consumed band in hard rock history, behind Metallica. Lead singer and frontman Ivan Moody has been pivotal to the band’s success, his vocal range and lyrical talents earning the group 25 top 10 hit singles since 2007. Since...

Pete Holmes Stars in New Series on CBS

Actor, comedian, and author Pete Holmes is starring in CBS’ new comedy series How We Roll. The series features Holmes as Tom Smallwood, a Midwest husband and father who is laid off from a car assembly line. To provide for his family, he decides to pursue his dream of becoming a professional bowler. The Crashing star and...

USCC Chair Jessica Billingsley Turns Problems Into Opportunities

When Jessica Billingsley had the foresight to create Akerna, the industry’s first seed-to-sale tracking software, investors started paying attention. When Akerna became the first cannabis technology business to list on the NASDAQ, the world started paying attention. But when Billingsley accepted the position of chair of the...

Rolling With The Best: RAW Founder Josh Kesselman

When you first think of RAW rolling papers you might think of a natural and more sustainable rolling paper that has organically grown into a worldwide brand. But, when you peel the layers back, you realize that the brand and the attitude of the company is a direct reflection of its leadership and more specifically Josh...

Pioneering With Pride: Celebrating LGBTQ in Cannabis

The cannabis industry owes a lot to the LGBTQIA+ community. Not only has the community continuously fought to be seen authentically, it has led an uphill battle for the cannabis plant to be seen as well. Noteworthy LGBTQIA+ advocates for cannabis came at a time when the streets were alive with gay liberation protests, anti-war...

A Deeper Look at Aster Farms' Sustainability Report

With the release of its Sustainability Report 2020, Aster Farms is one cannabis company choosing to tackle the industry’s sustainability issues head-on.

Cannabis and Equipment Innovations with GreenBroz Inc.

Cullen Raichart, Founder & CEO of GreenBroz Inc. What is the state of innovation in the cannabis ancillary sector & how does it differ from mainstream, non-cannabis equipment manufacturing? Cullen Raichart: It’s a hot sector. We have companies outside the cannabis industry adapting and re-purposing equipment from other...