The Dime

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
Chapters
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
Guest Links
Jay Rosenthal - Co-Founder and Managing Director of Cultivated Media
Cultivated Media
Cultivated events
Sign up for the Cultivated Daily newsletter
Our Links
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.
Key Takeaways
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.
Chapters
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
Guest Links
Jamie L. Pearson — official bio
New Holland Group
New Holland Group on LinkedIn
Related Episode
Germany Is the Engine: What BAT Knows That Cannabis Doesn't ft. James Yamanaka — continue exploring Germany's cannabis market and operational discipline.
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 considering expansion.

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Much of the licensed cannabis industry is quietly counting the volume it expects to inherit from the federal hemp ban coming this November. ** Now December.

What they may not realize is that the ban could eliminate the full-spectrum therapeutic hemp formulations that helped change America's view of cannabis and are used daily by an estimated 45 million Americans.

The provision was written by two members of Congress, without a conference or regular order, and inserted into a massive spending bill during the longest government shutdown in American history.

What should have been handled with a scalpel was done with a sledgehammer.

This week we sit down with Paige Figi to discuss

• Silence is a position

• The scalpel Congress skipped

• Oval Office, then banned

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the legislative landscape of cannabis

00:21 The impact of Charlotte's story on cannabis perception

00:48 Distinguishing hemp from marijuana in legislation

02:11 The challenges of passing therapeutic hemp laws

02:52 Congress's need for simple, effective regulation

03:48 The slow progress of therapeutic hemp legalization

04:53 The importance of clear plant distinctions

05:56 The November 12 hemp ban and its implications

07:02 The dangers of Franken hemp and synthetic cannabinoids

08:00 The public health emergency posed by recent bans

08:49 The role of science and data in regulation

10:13 The importance of industry and public unity

10:58 How regulations can support medical and adult use

12:06 The impact of federal bans on patients and consumers

13:00 The need for a balanced, science-based approach

14:00 The political landscape and legislative hurdles

14:53 The power of public advocacy and individual action

16:07 The future of cannabis regulation and industry alignment

17:06 How to effectively communicate with policymakers

18:03 The importance of clear, science-backed legislation

19:00 The role of the FDA and federal agencies

20:01 The potential for bipartisan support and progress

21:08 The significance of the November 12 deadline

22:06 The ongoing fight for access and regulation

23:04 The moral and ethical considerations in cannabis policy

23:49 How consumers can influence policy change

24:47 The importance of unity within the industry

25:46 The potential for a balanced, effective regulatory framework

27:06 The role of science and data in shaping policy

28:03 The need for responsible, clear regulations

29:02 The future outlook for therapeutic hemp and CBD

30:02 Final thoughts and call to action

Guest Links

https://www.coalitionforaccess.org/

https://www.instagram.com/paigefigi/

https://realmofcaring.org/about/paige-figi/

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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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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