If the past year proved anything, it’s that cannabis isn’t short on opinions, it’s short on honest conversations that actually help people move forward.
Across business, culture, retail, finance, and global normalization, the Beard Bros Media Network spent the year sitting down with people who aren’t chasing trends, they’re navigating reality. These episodes didn’t just reflect the industry as it is; they helped define where it’s going.
What follows are the ten conversations that stood out, not because they were flashy, but because they were useful, grounded, and still relevant long after the recording ended.
This list wasn’t built on views alone. With hundreds of hours of conversations across the network, narrowing it down meant focusing on episodes that delivered lasting insight, challenged conventional thinking, and spoke directly to the realities operators and leaders are facing right now. If an episode still holds value months later, it earned its spot here.
1. Branding Like A Boss — Inside MJBizCon: Strategy, Storytelling & Brand Leadership
Host: Angela Pih
MJBizCon is often treated like a finish line. Show up, make noise, collect leads. This conversation flipped that script. Instead of obsessing over booths and buzzwords, Angela, Emilie, and Harrison dug into what actually separates brands that survive from those that quietly fade once the lights come down.
This episode resonated because it didn’t pretend branding was easy or optional. It framed storytelling as infrastructure, not decoration.
Why it mattered:
Because cannabis branding without strategy is just expensive hope.
A moment that stuck:
“Cannabis brands that survive are the ones that know who they are before they walk onto the show floor.”
Dive into the full MJBizCon conversation on the Network, then explore the companion article for deeper context and takeaways.
2. Travel Tuesday — Exploring Cannabis Heritage & Hospitality with Beard Bros Pharms
Host: Brian Applegarth
This wasn’t a travel episode in the Instagram sense. It was a reminder that cannabis has always been tied to place, people, and ritual long before it was tied to revenue.
Featuring the Beard Bros Pharms team, the conversation moved through cannabis history, hospitality, and the responsibility that comes with telling these stories accurately.
Why it mattered:
Because you can’t scale culture without respecting its roots.
A moment that stuck:
“You can’t understand this plant without understanding the people and places that protected it.”
Watch the episode to experience the journey, then read the article to connect the dots between travel, heritage, and modern cannabis business.
3. Some Guys Talking — Building Trust & Supporting Operators with Byron Staton
Hosts: Brian Holler & Aaron Washington
Trust is easy to talk about and hard to earn. Byron Staton didn’t sugarcoat that. This conversation peeled back what real operator support looks like when margins are tight, regulations are heavy, and patience is running thin.
What made this episode stand out was its refusal to sell easy answers.
Why it mattered:
Because operators don’t need motivation, they need honesty.
A moment that stuck:
“Trust isn’t a buzzword. It’s built in the trenches.”
Catch the full discussion on YouTube for a clearer picture of what meaningful operator support actually looks like.
4. Highly Enformed — Standing on Business & Shaping the Cannabis Beverage Space
Host: Shaun Salvaje
Cannabis beverages are often talked about like a future promise. This episode treated them like a present challenge. From formulation to regulation to consumer education, the conversation with Kim Flores focused on what it takes to build a beverage category that doesn’t collapse under its own hype.
Why it mattered:
Because emerging categories don’t forgive sloppy execution.
A moment that stuck:
“Growth only matters if the foundation can support it.”
Watch the episode for industry insight and a grounded look at where cannabis beverages are headed and what could derail them.
5. Branding Like A Boss — Wellness, Luxury & Purpose-Driven Brands with Sveta Doucet
Host: Angela Pih
Luxury in cannabis often gets dismissed as packaging-deep. This conversation proved otherwise. Sveta Doucet unpacked how wellness, values, and premium positioning intersect when brands are built intentionally and not opportunistically.
Why it mattered:
Because purpose-driven branding isn’t a trend. It’s a filter.
A moment that stuck:
“Consumers feel when a brand stands for something real.”
Watch the conversation to hear how premium brands are built from the inside out, then read the article for actionable branding insights.
6. Retail Revelations — Cash Flow, Compliance & Cannabis Strategy with Jennifer Makris
Host: Chelsea Mulligan
Retail is where cannabis theory meets reality. Jennifer Makris didn’t romanticize it. This episode addressed the pressure points retailers face every day, from compliance fatigue to cash flow choke points.
Why it mattered:
Because retail survival is strategy, not luck.
A moment that stuck:
“You can’t scale chaos.”
Watch the episode for real-world retail insight, then read the article to understand how strong operations create breathing room.
7. Retail Revelations — Cannabis Receiverships Explained with Ryan Baker (Verax)
Host: Chelsea Mulligan
Receiverships aren’t a popular topic but they’re an important one. In this conversation, Chelsea and Ryan break down a complex financial tool in plain language, giving operators knowledge they may never hope to use but absolutely need to understand.
Why it mattered:
Because preparedness is leadership.
A moment that stuck:
“Receivership isn’t failure, it’s a tool.”
Explore the full episode to understand the mechanics, then read the article to see how this knowledge fits into long-term risk management.
8. Some Guys Talking — Powering Medical Cannabis Progress with CMed
Hosts: Brian Holler & Aaron Washington
Medical cannabis rarely gets the spotlight it deserves. This episode featuring Rachel Johnson of CMed brought the focus back to patients, access, and responsibility without drifting into nostalgia or politics.
Why it mattered:
Because medical cannabis is evolving, not disappearing.
A moment that stuck:
“The medical side of cannabis isn’t going anywhere, it’s evolving.”
Watch the conversation for perspective, then read the article to see where medical cannabis fits in today’s market.
9. Financing Your Cannabis Future — Equity, Advocacy & Building Brands That Last
Host: Rachel Wright
Capital can accelerate growth or destroy it. Rachel Wright and Luna Stower walked through what responsible financing looks like in an industry where shortcuts are tempting and consequences are real.
Why it mattered:
Because how you fund your business shapes who you become.
A moment that stuck:
“Smart financing protects the mission, not just the margin.”
Watch the episode to understand the financial landscape, then read the article for a deeper dive into equity and advocacy.
10. Normalization Island Jamaica — Final Episode with JM Balbuena
Host: JM Balbuena
This episode closed a chapter by widening the lens. From Jamaica, JM Balbuena explored cannabis normalization as a cultural, political, and global issue, reminding viewers that legalization alone isn’t the finish line. The episode also contains an exclusive tour of the Cedella Marley Booker Herb Shop, located on the premises of Bob Marley’s Mausoleum.
Why it mattered:
Because normalization without justice is incomplete.
A moment that stuck:
“Normalization isn’t about permission, it’s about recognition.”
Watch the final episode to experience the conversation in full and understand why global perspectives matter now more than ever.
What These Conversations Tell Us
Taken together, these episodes on the Beard Bros Media Network, we would like to make one thing clear: cannabis is growing up, but it still needs people willing to tell the truth, especially when it’s uncomfortable.
The Beard Bros Media Network will continue to spotlight voices that move the industry forward with clarity, accountability, and respect for the culture that got us here.
Explore more summaries in the Beard Bros Media Room, subscribe to the Network on YouTube, and if you’re interested in sponsoring or joining an upcoming conversation, let’s connect.
