00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:12.560
Welcome back to the Canon Connect Show season two brought to you by What Rebates.
00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:20.960
I'm here with Aiden McCluskey, man, professional comedian, uh soon to be uh upcoming host of Canakonnect Brainerd.
00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:24.000
Yeah, super excited to have you back in the North Woods.
00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:24.719
Yeah, dude.
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.519
Uh I'm excited.
00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:26.960
The Garrison one was fun.
00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:28.399
Yeah, I like that one.
00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:28.879
Yeah.
00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:32.159
Do you remember how many gummies you left with from that event?
00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:33.119
So many.
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.359
I ended up giving so many away.
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:39.280
Because it was like two gallon bags of your friend's rejects.
00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:41.359
So it was massive.
00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.079
They got stale at a certain point.
00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:44.399
Yeah.
00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:45.759
But I kept eating them.
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:56.079
Sometimes uh when I watch your show, I'll think back to like because you're you're a cannabis user, not not a that's not like what you talk about on stage, but like I pick up on that.
00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:59.439
So I'm like, sometimes I'm like, man, I wonder how he did with all those gummies.
00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:01.759
Yeah, I tried my best.
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:11.280
I mean, I have a pretty high tolerance, but like you can only eat so many of them before it's like this is fucking eating candy at this point.
00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:12.159
You know what I mean?
00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.879
And THD on top of THC on top of THC, like that's you kind of know what that feels like.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:27.760
Hey everybody, Steven with Canaconnect, taking a quick minute to shout out today's sponsor, CEE.
00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:29.920
That is the Center for Energy and Environment.
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:34.159
If you're not familiar with CEE, they're your one-stop shop for all lighting rebates.
00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:39.680
If you are in XL Energy Territory and you're a micro business, CEE is somebody that you need to talk to.
00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:45.120
Give Brad a call, give Tony a call, go online, one-stop shop, LED lighting rebates.
00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:50.959
They'll help take care of up to 60% of the cost associated with your grow and your build out with the lighting.
00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:56.560
Uh, really nice people, great people to work with, huge sponsors of CannaConnect, and uh give them a shout.
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.719
That's CEE, Center for Energy and Environment.
00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.159
Yeah, oh yeah.
00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:10.800
And like, I mean, I was using them at night to like help me sleep.
00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:16.400
But then it was like, okay, I'm taking two a night, but I have two gallon bags.
00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:18.479
I gotta start giving them away.
00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:24.159
So I just started giving them to people as like gifts and putting them in my own bags.
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:28.319
You know, I mean that's that's often what I do with products.
00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:28.879
Yeah.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:32.319
You it you get you get gifted and you people share.
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.039
It's yeah, very communal in this industry or this space.
00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:44.400
And uh um I just remember like at the end of Garrison Hemphest, like we didn't make a lot of money, but we sure had we sure had a lot of products to hand out at the end.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:45.120
Absolutely.
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:52.800
And like the thing is, like, I don't know, being in high school, I always used to be like, oh, like how rappers post with like bricks.
00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:54.719
And I was like, that's so cool.
00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:00.800
But then you get enough weed given to you where you're like, oh, I realistically can't use all this.
00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.560
There's really no way.
00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.400
I need like a half ounce, and that'll last me plenty of time.
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.639
Yeah, I mean, it will you don't stay 18 to 22 for forever.
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:12.080
No, no.
00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:23.360
Um, I think you know, our first time I saw you perform was at ACME, probably 2022 or 2023.
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:24.960
Early on.
00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:29.280
Like tell people a little bit about what you do for a living, kind of like how things are going.
00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:29.840
Yeah.
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:34.000
So stand-up comedian uh started at ACME.
00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:38.639
Well, I guess I re realistically I started at Boobs Brewing in Winona.
00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:38.960
Okay.
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.639
Acme, and then I worked my way up through ACME.
00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:47.759
It's called Boobs.
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:48.080
Yeah.
00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:49.120
B-U-B-S.
00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:49.599
Okay.
00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:50.000
Yeah.
00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:52.400
But pronounced boobs, I guess.
00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:52.800
Yeah.
00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.800
And you were you're from Wisconsin, so were you traveling from home to Winona?
00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:57.360
Yeah.
00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:57.680
Cool.
00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:02.639
Because my parents live closer to Minnesota than we do, like Madison.
00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:02.879
Yeah.
00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.439
So it was easier to just drive over there and to come up this way.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.159
There's more comedy up here than there is closer places in the state.
00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:15.759
It's kind of interesting how close the Twin Cities are to Wisconsin.
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:16.319
Yeah.
00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:21.040
I mean, within what, 35, 40 minutes here in Hudson, yeah.
00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:22.399
It's really not too bad.
00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:22.959
Mm-hmm.
00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:23.279
Mm-hmm.
00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:32.959
But that's what gets sketchy about like driving to and from with the weed, is it's like you kind of forget that you even I do when I visit back home.
00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:37.279
I'm like, oh yeah, I have I would go to jail here for this.
00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:37.759
Yeah.
00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:38.560
But yeah.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:43.199
Well, and get this, like this is what has shook fear into my heart.
00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:50.160
Like, if you're traveling with weed in Minnesota, it has to be in its original packaging stored in the back of the car.
00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:50.800
Yeah.
00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:58.160
And like think of it in think of like a liter or a 7.5 in like that same way, cap on.
00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:58.800
Yeah.
00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:03.839
So what if the seal, because like I bought a half ounce.
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.079
It's in the original thing, but it's like very clearly I've used it.
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:08.720
Sure.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.120
But in that case, then it's got to be in the trunk.
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:11.600
Yep.
00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.560
You know, your paraphernalia cannot be within the cabin.
00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:15.439
Yep.
00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:18.000
Not how I travel with weed.
00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:22.319
Generally not, because I don't think about if I go out, it's like in my pocket.
00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:24.480
And then I just get in my car and drive.
00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:28.800
Even if I'm not smoking and it's just in my pocket, I'm like, oh, I would be in trouble.
00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:29.600
I didn't even know that.
00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:38.959
Well, and I think part of it is like, you know, for dip depending on how you use cannabis recreationally, part of it is like, I just like to have it on me or it's nearby.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.639
You know, it's like, and it's a crutch in that, in that case, right?
00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:46.480
But it's in a legality standpoint, it's a DUI.
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:47.759
Yeah.
00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:51.199
Well, do they have accurate ways of testing?
00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:58.480
Because I know for a little bit it was like a blood test and then they have the mouth swab, but I've heard both of those are like not very accurate.
00:05:58.720 --> 00:05:59.120
True.
00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:04.319
I think the the bigger problem or the more the harder problem to get around is the open container aspect.
00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:04.639
Yeah.
00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:14.720
So whether whether you're impaired or not, like, and I the dude, I don't even like talking about this because like I've had probably the what I was saying before, it's like I have to make sure that I am not breaking law.
00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.199
Because that's that would be a huge problem if I did.
00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:36.160
Um, and like one of the things I wanted to talk to you about on the show is is like if you look at the Midwest, which you've you've played shows all across the Midwest, every state has a really different uh rule or program within the within cannabis as we know it in Minnesota.
00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:41.839
Like in North Dakota, it's medical marijuana, South Dakota, medical marijuana, Iowa, medical marijuana.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:47.600
All of a sudden you get to Minnesota, it's like, oh, okay, there's some sensible rules here, you know, depending on how you look at it.
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:59.759
Then you get over to Wisconsin and you've got uh THCA flour, yeah, high milligram gummies and drinks, and they don't even have medical marijuana at all.
00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:00.639
Oh, they don't?
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:01.040
Right.
00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:02.959
Oh, I thought they did for some reason.
00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:24.560
And so it's easier to turn on adult use recreational cannabis or recreational, a recreational program when you have medical when you have a medical marijuana program, because then you can kind of like grow those programs together and bounce them off of each other to move some people to the uh well, the market moves both ways, right?
00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:39.199
But like, and we don't have to get into the nitty-gritty, but like, for example, right now in Minnesota, and this has been the case all year and dating back to last year, the medical marijuana companies are offering or have offered free medical cards.
00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:39.759
Yeah.
00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.480
Because then I mean, I'm gonna speak pretty like candidly.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:51.519
Then they get you into their loyalty program, they get you into their app, they get you into like their rewards and things like that.
00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.399
On the consumer side, you end up saving money because you don't have to pay the 15% tax.
00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:01.360
Well, here I went to a dispensary and I was like, well, these prices are ridiculous.
00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:07.680
And then she gave me a card to sign up for medical use, but it was like 300 bucks or something like that.
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:07.920
Right.
00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.959
And I'm like, well, I'm also not gonna pay that.
00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:12.720
I'll just get it illegally.
00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:14.720
How I've been doing it.
00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:16.720
Why would I do all of this?
00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:21.279
And then there's certain products that they're like, oh no, that's just for the medical.
00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:25.279
But I'm like, you gave me a fucking card and said I could sign up in the parking lot.
00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:29.439
So if I did that and then came right back in, you would be like, oh yes, right here.
00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.399
I mean, she probably left off a few hoops that you have to jump in.
00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:32.639
Yeah.
00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:42.480
Because then you get lined up with a store pharmacist, and then they're gonna diagnose you and talk to you about like what products are good for you.
00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:42.799
Yeah.
00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:47.279
So there is a little bit of a lead time in becoming a medical cannabis patient.
00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.720
However, they marketed in a sense that like pretty much anyone in Minnesota now can become a medical cannabis patient.
00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:52.960
Yeah.
00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:57.519
It wasn't like that 10 years ago, five years ago, even three years ago.
00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:16.960
In the last three years, the medical marijuana program has added flour up until the last I'm loosely saying three years, up until recently, the products were in pill form, extract, okay, uh, gummies, all more, all further refined products that are more expensive to produce.
00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:17.679
Yeah.
00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:26.799
And then the the card that you talk about that you that you will you've always needed since 2014, that that was very expensive.
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:32.799
And so it kept a lot of people out and it pushed a lot of people to the black market.
00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:33.360
Yeah.
00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:41.200
And we're still seeing that in Minnesota because you're paying after tax, you're paying 60 60 bucks an eighth.
00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:42.240
An eighth, yeah.
00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:47.039
Well, that's the part that gets me is the price discrepancy in so in the different states.
00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.120
Because I've gone to a lot of different states, and it's like Michigan is extremely cheap.
00:09:51.279 --> 00:10:02.799
Yep, California is very cheap, Oregon's been very cheap, and it's like I would buy regularly from a dispensary if those were the prices I could anticipate paying.
00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:03.039
Right.
00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:08.080
But it's like when you get to$60 an eighth, it's like, no chance.
00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:09.759
What am I in high school again?
00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:10.799
Cash only.
00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:11.120
Yeah.
00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:12.879
You're not you can't Venmo the store.
00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:14.240
No, you can't.
00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.000
Uh some of them they wouldn't even.
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:18.240
I went to one, they wouldn't let me use my debit card.
00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:19.919
They were like, you gotta use the ATM.
00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.919
Oh, so that's gonna be$3.50 plus the$60 eighth.
00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:24.399
Right.
00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:25.759
And it's like, it's not worth it.
00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.799
Or a one gram joint for$22.
00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.360
And it's like, no shot.
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:33.840
In what world would anyone pay that?
00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.600
People are paying it.
00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:39.679
And and hopefully we're not here for that much longer.
00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:41.519
It's all supply and demand.
00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:42.320
Yeah.
00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:49.039
And it's frustrating from my perspective to see Michigan.
00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:51.279
Michigan's frustrating in a lot of ways.
00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:56.399
So there's some companies that benefit from like number of transactions.
00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:58.720
So let's say you sell mylar bags.
00:10:58.960 --> 00:10:59.360
Yeah.
00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:01.919
So you're you're you sell product packaging.
00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:02.159
Yeah.
00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:07.759
Well, there's so much volume in Michigan that the Mylar bag companies are happy, for example.
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:09.039
Gotcha.
00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:18.320
But then the cultivators and the businesses that are growing weed are selling weed at such a low price.
00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:18.960
Yeah.
00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:21.120
Generally speaking, they're not happy.
00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:21.919
I see.
00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:22.240
Yeah.
00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:24.399
Because the price is$8 a gram.
00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:25.039
Yep.
00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:30.399
And right now, like you could drive out to a dispensary in Wizetta and pay$20 a gram.
00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:31.600
Oh, yeah.
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:33.840
I mean, just over in Fridley.
00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.879
Because I live in Blaine, there's one in Fridley.
00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:42.000
And yeah, I think that was listed at$55 an eighth.
00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:42.559
An eighth.
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:48.240
But it's like with the tax and with everything else, it's going to be well over$60, close to$70.
00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:56.080
So what they screwed up is they licensed stores and growers at the same time.
00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:58.399
So should it what should have been the effect?
00:11:58.480 --> 00:11:59.840
The growers and then?
00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:00.399
Yeah.
00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:00.879
Okay.
00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:01.679
Mm-hmm.
00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:02.080
Right.
00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:04.159
You gotta you gotta you gotta let it grow.
00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:04.639
Yeah.
00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:07.200
And they there they had a window to do that.
00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:11.519
And they had consultants from Maine that were advising.
00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:22.399
Because this was a whole so also there was the like before you and I knew each other, there was the Office of Medical Cannabis that oversaw the medical cannabis program.
00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:23.200
Yep.
00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:30.320
And then for for a few years there was hemp, I think like CBD water and CBD gummies, those types of things.
00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:30.799
Yeah.
00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.279
That was overseen by the Department of Ag in Minnesota.
00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:41.200
And then when we legalized, we needed a new agency.
00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:41.679
Yeah.
00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:51.360
And so the OCM, the Office of Cannabis Management, has absorbed the hemp and the medical.
00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:51.759
Okay.
00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:56.399
But the state the state of Minnesota had to build a new agency.
00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:04.000
The government had to build a a new build, like a new a whole new group of bureaucrats.
00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:04.320
Yeah.
00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.480
You know, government, government folk.
00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:16.159
And and and yes, you can have compassion and empathy because this is a whole new venture and we we had a pretty minimal medical program.
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:17.120
Right?
00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:25.120
So more uh more robust medical cannabis uh states with more robust medical cannabis programs like Ohio, for example.
00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:25.600
Yeah.
00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:40.159
So more operators, more patients, more people patrolling, they were able to flip onto um adult use recreational faster than Minnesota was.
00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:40.960
Gotcha.
00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:45.440
In like the number of years it took before like a regular dispensary got opened.
00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:46.080
Yeah.
00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:58.720
However, medical cannabis is typically the businesses in the medical cannabis space are typically larger, more corporate, more uh multi-state operator-like.
00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:14.399
And that and so what Minnesota has going for it, because the medical cannabis program was so small and niche that there wasn't a lot of brand loyalty, there wasn't a lot of users buying prior to the total legalization.
00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:14.879
Total.
00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:18.480
Yep, exactly, which is referred to as adult use.
00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:31.519
So what that means is there's shops in Fridley and Hopkins and Blaine popping up that you know you may want to support or that you may have brand affinity for, things like that.
00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:46.159
So we are in some ways it is fulfilling this craft market where like everyday middle to upper class or folks that can find funding are able to have to live out the American dream and and start a company.
00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:46.639
Yeah.
00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:58.000
Cannabis is one of the hardest industries though to like be successful in because there are so many tax there's so much like uh there's there's a lot of taxation involved with it.
00:14:58.159 --> 00:14:58.559
Yeah.
00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:12.320
But the supply right now in Minnesota is coming from predominantly coming from the tribal organizations and the two medical companies that that are out of state operators.
00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:12.879
Yeah.
00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:19.840
So the folks that are selling cannabis, like that are growing it and more on the craft side, are small.
00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:20.720
Okay.
00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:35.519
The tribe makes I because initially, like I have a buddy who's native and he was getting it at his reservation that he would go visit his grandparents on, and he was buying it and then bringing it back down.
00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:40.480
But it was before anything else adult use was really yeah.
00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:41.919
So way, way before.
00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:43.679
Okay, because that that's what I was gonna ask.
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:52.559
Because for example, Red Lake Nation, which is like the most north tribe, which I'm wondering, maybe your friend is is a Red Laker.
00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.639
It's way the fuck up north.
00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:56.720
I know he drives like three and a half hours up there.
00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:58.000
White Earth and Red Lake.
00:15:58.080 --> 00:15:58.399
Yeah.
00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:10.320
And so I believe, I know for sure Red Lake, but I believe both had medical cannabis programs on reservation, which is where in this case your friend was getting their cannabis from.
00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:10.720
Yeah.
00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.799
Which is really cool because it allowed, well, one, they're sovereign.
00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:19.120
And so the state is because we had medical cannabis in St.
00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:28.559
Paul, that gave signal to the tribes that if they wanted to provide medical cannabis for their people, they could do that without worrying about the state of Minnesota.
00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:34.799
Oh, so it was a precedent set here for and then they just did it better, basically.
00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:35.519
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:36.639
For their people.
00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:44.559
And in the case of Red Lake, one thing that's really cool is this is this has never happened in in any other state.
00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.039
We legalized August 1st, 2023.
00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:53.679
Red Lake opened their first dispens their adult use uh open to the public dispensary August 1st, 2023.
00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:55.519
Oh, so day of they're ready to go.
00:16:55.759 --> 00:17:00.960
They flip, they flip to uh like yeah and and and yeah, exactly.
00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:03.360
I mean you can take what you want out of that right there.
00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:08.960
Red Lake is interesting where they're not uh they have I I'm gonna misspeak here.
00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.279
They have more sovereignty.
00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:22.079
They're there's this thing called 280 that they don't have to abide by that allows them to just like essentially report to Washington.
00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:26.000
So they have Oh, so it bypasses on a state level and goes federal.
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:26.319
Right.
00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:26.880
Gotcha.
00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:34.960
And so they have more uh they have an they have a unique ability to really do what what they feel is best for their tribe.
00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:35.599
Yeah.
00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:44.640
But how so if they're because when Minnesota legalized, I was really excited, and then they fumbled the bag entirely.
00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:50.079
Because I'm a store, I opened my I got my license the same time you did as a grower.
00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:50.960
Oh.
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.599
So what am I supposed to do if you don't have plants in the ground yet?
00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:09.759
But the thing that I don't understand is like, so if they've been growing it medically and it's been around for a while, right, they can't just be like, okay, use now you can do it for both.
00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:11.599
That's a great point.
00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:17.680
You know what's crazy about GrowPros?
00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:18.319
What?
00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:27.599
Is like less than a year ago, I just thought they were like a cool brand to aspire to, like premium, top tier, like whoa, untouchable.
00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.480
Yeah, like how am I ever gonna get their attention?
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:31.119
Yeah.
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:35.599
And now here we are talking to talking about them on the Canon Connect show.
00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:36.319
Love it.
00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:38.480
I couldn't have done it without you.
00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:41.200
You are a GrowPro.
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:42.640
Well, welcome.
00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.720
And you have solutions.
00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:54.480
But GrowPro Solutions is for cultivators and for people that are looking to build within Minnesota's cannabis space.
00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:58.000
They have a variety of solutions, no matter who you are, what you need.
00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:03.359
Grow pros can help you go from an idea to a real grow.
00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:04.000
Yeah.
00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:05.920
And we really appreciate their support.
00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:11.440
And check out their episode with Benchplug Benny, Benjamin Matsuda on the Canna Connect Show.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:22.160
However, the amount that they were growing for medical, let's say they were helping less than a hundred thousand people as patients.
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.759
Well, we have like five million, six million people in Minnesota.
00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:39.680
So what the medical companies were growing, and believe me, you bring up a good point, like they were advocating for like give us unlimited canopy limits, we'll grow for everybody.
00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.319
Yeah.
00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:46.319
But that then gives the bag to just like two private companies.
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:49.200
And you said those are out of state companies?
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:56.720
Initially, one was one was one came from a group uh that like it was a large group, but the Bachman family was involved.
00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:00.960
So like think the floral and garden uh Bachman's growing weed.
00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:05.039
Oh yes, that so they they had the first license out of Cottage Cottage Grove.
00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:05.519
Yeah.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:08.400
But like I want to stay on your I want to stay on your point.
00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:11.759
You have some groves in California that are a million square feet.
00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:12.880
Holy shit.
00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:13.359
Okay.
00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:21.119
And then the medical companies in Minnesota, they're fighting for like twenty thousand to forty thousand square feet.
00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:22.160
Oh, okay.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:34.960
So the nice thing is from my perspective, the nice thing is is like we haven't handed over the HOV lane to just a couple of big companies to like just dominate.
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:35.519
Yeah.
00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:43.359
There's a there's like intentionality with the license, the square footage so that like you get five thousand.
00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:52.960
So if you're a micro business, let's say you you throw the state 500 bucks, you put your license in, you've got your plan, your tray is Aiden, they're going, they're gonna make a grow.
00:20:53.039 --> 00:21:02.160
Like you could do that relatively inexpensive or at the lowest cost, and you would be able to grow like 5,000 square feet indoor or like X amount outdoor.
00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:18.880
And that micro license was seen as a unique uh feature of the Minnesota Cannabis program because like not you or I, but like guys not unlike ourselves that have a serious grow how are putting everything on the line and saying, I'm going for it with the micro license.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:19.359
Yeah.
00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:24.720
And then that micro license can turn into a mesolicense, which is 15,000 square feet.
00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:30.480
So now you're now you're looking at it, but still that pales in comparison to a million square feet.
00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:31.039
Right.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.880
Which there's one company in California, or maybe two companies, but they're out there.
00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.400
Even still that they exist.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:36.960
They exist.
00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:37.440
Yeah.
00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:45.920
And because cannabis is every cannabis market develops differently because it's a state run market.
00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:49.440
Cannabis, as we're recording this, is still federally illegal.
00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:58.559
So each state is gonna bring the each market develops differently, which is what I was uh kind of talking to you about.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:05.759
Is like that's why you see such Disparity or such wide acceptance or limitations when you look at the Midwest.
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.720
Minnesota's got a new scaling adult use market.
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.279
Michigan's got a mature adult use market.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:19.119
Illinois has a broad legal access and a large medical list, but there's a lot of taxes that raise the checkout price.
00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:21.599
Illinois also crazy.
00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:23.119
You were just in Chicago.
00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:24.799
Yeah, I was just in Chicago.
00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:30.480
I bought a half gram vape for after taxes, like close to 50 bucks.
00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:32.160
I think it ended up being$47.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:33.440
Wow.
00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:35.519
But it's still cheaper than here.
00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:39.759
And when I did try to get a vape, that was when they said I needed a medical license.
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:41.680
In here, in Minnesota?
00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:46.079
Because Yeah, I mean, we we still haven't fully explored that.
00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:59.279
So like right now, these two we'll you keep using these two medical companies, for example, like inside their facility, they have to have a room that's just for medical patients.
00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:04.559
So flowers that are being grown just for medical patients, and then a separate room that's just for adult use recreation.
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:06.799
Nothing.
00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:07.599
Oh, really?
00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:07.839
Yeah.
00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:14.480
So that it's not like they need more sanitation and protocol and the medical versus there's no distinguishing feature.
00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:14.880
Okay.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.519
It right.
00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:19.279
It's a great question because it's like it's a surprising answer.
00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:33.119
Now, in the latest legislature, uh in the latest legislative session, they've they've bifurcated the supply chain, which means they're gonna take away some of these unnecessary uh separations between medical and adult use.
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:48.240
However, when you bring it back to like the origins of why people use cannabis, oftentimes for pain management, a big thing that can't happen is you medical companies, medical flour cannabis companies can't run out of product.
00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:51.839
And that's on behalf of the patients.
00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:52.400
Yeah.
00:23:52.799 --> 00:24:02.319
So they could they could sell more flour if they were like if they just focused on adult use uh typical dispensary.
00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:02.720
Yeah.
00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:24.880
However, there's certain like allotments that they have to be they have to ensure that they're still providing for the medical patients, which is why because there's more requirements to like ensure they're kept in good supply, that's why there's incentives for a patient or a consist sorry, a patient to get their card.
00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:31.839
So then you're gonna have for now that you're gonna have more access to the dispensary products like that vape.
00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:32.400
Yeah.
00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:40.480
And so it gets very um confusing for just the everyday consumer who's like, oh, we legalize.
00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.480
I mean, to kind of take you back to 2023, you're like, great, we're gonna have weed.
00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:44.960
Yeah.
00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:50.960
The best thing we've got up until maybe recently was we we got home grow right away.
00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:58.000
And so that's mostly where I've been getting uh product from is my friends will grow more than they need and they'll they'll gift it.
00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.519
And gotcha.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:09.039
Yeah, well, that was the thing is like there was like a gray area where it was legal, but it still felt illegal.
00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:15.200
Where it was like, I know it is, but it feels like if I get caught with this, I'm still gonna be in trouble.
00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:18.319
Because I can't go to a there's no stores around me.
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:26.640
There's nothing that says this is legal to have beyond me having it and knowing that that's yeah.
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:39.440
I had Tanner Barris on a few months ago, and he was my previous co-host of the Northern Lights podcast, and he had looked into some of the uh numbers around arrests.
00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:50.079
And the good news is is very few people have been arrested since August 1st, 2023 for growing too much cannabis or having cannabis on them.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:56.160
When you get into like trying to distribute and sell cannabis, there's more arrests than that.
00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:04.640
But like for an average person who's just walking and walking to the movies and has cannabis on them, like very few people have been arrested since August 1st, 2024.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:07.359
But why are they still being arrested?
00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:22.160
Uh in I guess technically, if you had more than two ounces on you or more than four pounds inside your home, I think there were like the number was like four people that had been arrested for like having five pounds or having gotcha.
00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:22.559
Okay.
00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:24.480
So it it's an obscene amount.
00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:27.759
It's not like uh a user like me.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:29.359
It's not a user, no.
00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:39.279
It would be like a passionate home grower who knows what they're doing, is utilizing lighting and and things like that that could could get a yield of several pounds per plant.
00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:39.920
Gotcha.
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.279
So they just have a surplus.
00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.079
They happen to have a surplus and then get searched.
00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:45.359
And yeah, gotcha.
00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:49.920
And the search part, like, you know, I'm sure there were some details to the story, right?
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.079
Yeah.
00:26:53.200 --> 00:27:00.240
No, like, I mean, white privilege, but like I've I've been I you know, I haven't been pulled over in a while.
00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:03.279
I've been I haven't been pulled over in so long, like it's starting to worry me a little bit.
00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:04.640
I know that feeling.
00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:07.440
Yeah, I usually get it about once a year.
00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:09.599
I get something happens.
00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:16.640
But the part that scares me is the DUI, and that there is not an effective way to test for it, because it's like, yeah.
00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:21.599
Well, I definitely have used it within the last 24 hours, sure, sure.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:36.000
But whether that was this morning and I don't feel it anymore and it's not affecting me at all, or maybe two hours ago, and it I don't feel fucked up, but they have some scale that they're able to test.
00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:46.799
I mean, there was this viral video that we put out that was like the mouth squab where they took footage from the news and and like it very much looked like he was doing something in his mouth.
00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:47.279
Yeah.
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:57.519
But like the problem is when you try to compare a breathalyzer for alcohol to a breathalyzer for cannabis, the problem is alcohol and cannabis are not the same.
00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.480
Like it could be in your system for a month, right?
00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:05.359
And depending on how they're testing for it, like a urine test or something like that.
00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:12.640
But the data has shown that the testing for these pro these roadside tests are not legit.
00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:13.039
Right.
00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:13.759
A hundred percent.
00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.039
But then it's like somebody like me, I don't have a lawyer.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:17.519
Right.
00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:22.160
I can't pay somebody to be like, well, no, actually this test is ineffective.
00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:22.640
Right.
00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:24.880
If if I would still get a DUI.
00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:27.200
Like there's really no fighting that.
00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:33.200
And the the problem is it's like if you get a DUI, then you can't go to Canada.
00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:37.039
And one of the biggest like comedy festivals is in Canada.
00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:37.359
Right.
00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:40.559
So it's like if I were to get that, that's a felony and I can't cross.
00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:45.119
I'm sure there's comedian careers that have been buyback.
00:28:45.359 --> 00:29:01.599
Yeah, I mean, just even not even talking about weed at all, but like I remember an old comic that I like kind of taught me like the ropes of stand-up was like, last thing you want to get is a DUI, because then you can't go to just for laughs.
00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:02.319
Just for laughs.
00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:03.519
Is that in Ottawa?
00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:04.799
Uh or Montreal.
00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:05.359
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.519
And he's like, I knew a guy that happened too.
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.319
He was like, You got a DUI, and he couldn't go.
00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:14.559
So it's like that's my biggest incentive beyond.
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:15.200
Yeah.
00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:20.079
I the thing is, it's like the only thing I do illegally in my day is that.
00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:20.640
Yeah.
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:23.359
And that's really the only rule I break.
00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:27.920
And if that weren't a rule, I would live a totally legal lifestyle.
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:29.440
Likewise, likewise.
00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:38.960
So I mean, you know, for me, like I was telling you, it's like uh put it in the trunk or leave it at home, like use it before you leave the house or after you get home.
00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:39.440
Yeah.
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:40.799
Like that's the safest way.
00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:50.480
And like I'm saying it out loud, I'm trying to like convince myself because like I'm a super hard worker and I don't want to throw it away.
00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:57.200
No, that's the thing, is it's like that is really the only sort of trouble I could get myself in.
00:29:57.279 --> 00:29:59.519
And I don't smoke in the car at all.
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:00.000
Sure.
00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.480
I put in eye drops before I go anywhere.
00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:02.880
Nice.
00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:07.440
And if there aren't any, I won't smoke because I'm like my eyes get really, really red.
00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:08.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.920
So and that is seemingly the only tell.
00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:16.400
I don't know what grounds beyond that they would have to pull you out of your car.
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:16.799
Right.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:22.400
And I guess that's what worries me about it is not knowing what they're gonna be like.
00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:26.799
Do you smoke weed and I don't feel like I look high at all?
00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:29.440
And I you're scaring me just talking to me.
00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:30.160
You know what I mean?
00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.599
That's what stresses me out.
00:30:31.759 --> 00:30:41.680
And then even four or five years ago when I first moved to the city and I was smoking weed, I would smoke and drive and not really think about it.
00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:46.079
But now as I've gotten older, I'm like, no, I really don't want to be in trouble for this.
00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:46.880
That's right.
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:57.039
And that's I don't know why maybe my brain like fully matured, but I'm so I could get in a lot of trouble, and it's as bad as driving drunk.
00:30:57.279 --> 00:30:58.720
Right, right, right.
00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:06.559
You know, I think about like the science that's come out that said like our brains don't fully develop till we're 25.
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:07.519
Yeah.
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:15.680
And it's like, man, is there even a way to like keep a kid away from cannabis until they're 25?
00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:23.759
Because I mean, if you haven't consumed cannabis by 25, like it's a small percentage of people that start using it after that.
00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:32.720
Yeah, I think it's the same as like drinking or smoking uh cigarettes or really any of that stuff.
00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:38.640
It's like I know a guy who's he's 31, he's never drank and never smoked weed.
00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:42.960
And but he's at the point where he's like, Well, I don't really care.
00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:45.279
Like, I don't really want to that bad.
00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:45.839
Right.
00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:54.160
And um that's where it's like you you must hit a certain threshold of age where you're like, Well, I haven't done it for this long, why would I do it now?
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:54.880
Right.
00:31:55.119 --> 00:32:03.279
But I started as soon as I could get my hands on weed because I was like, that seems fun, I want to try it, but then I didn't know how to get it.
00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:06.240
But as soon as I did, I was like, Well, I love smoking weed.
00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:06.720
Sure.
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:10.559
Where did you where did you try cannabis for the first time?
00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:12.960
Uh my buddy Alex's garage.
00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:19.279
We got like an eighth from a dude who lived down the street, and then we all smoked.
00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:30.880
It was like eight of us, we smoked out of a one-hitter in his parents' garage, and we bought wraps, but none of us knew how to roll it, so we just smoked out of a really dirty one-hitter that my buddy's brother gave him.
00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:31.519
Yeah.
00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:34.640
And I mean, I freaked out the first time.
00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:35.279
We all did.
00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:38.160
We got really scared that the cops were coming and shit.
00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:45.680
But then afterwards, we just kept doing it because we had this little bag that we didn't use all of.
00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:51.279
And then, like, the second and third time, I was like, oh, this is fun, and there's nothing to be afraid of.
00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.640
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:57.039
Except here we are like 10 years later, like still afraid of the cops.
00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:58.079
Very afraid.
00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:58.480
Yeah.
00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:04.799
That is like, and I'm I don't know why the distinction in my head, I'm more afraid of state troopers.
00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:05.279
Okay.
00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:06.319
Than I am.
00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:11.200
So like if I get too high and I'm I'm like, well, I do have to get home.
00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:17.119
Because I like to smoke after a show to decompress and like hang out for a while.
00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:25.440
I'll take like a county road or like side streets all the way back to Blaine to avoid a state trooper.
00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:29.359
Because I'm like, those guys have always been way harder.
00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:34.319
Where I feel like a local cop would just be like, yeah, whatever.
00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:34.799
Yeah.
00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:37.599
Give me my ticket and move on if I got one.
00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:38.319
Yeah.
00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:42.880
What's um what's the road life been like for you in 2026?
00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:46.319
Uh I've it's a lot of flying.
00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:46.799
Okay.
00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:55.839
Yeah, it's a lot of going to different states and stuff, which has been interesting because I've gotten to go into dispensaries in almost all of the legal states.
00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:59.519
Yeah, you were mentioning so what states have you toured in this year?
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:05.759
Uh, this year, uh, it's been where so far?
00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:07.119
It's kind of hard to think.
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:14.000
North Carolina, Texas, Oregon, California, North and South Dakota.
00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:17.440
Everywhere in the Midwest, but that's been for the past few years.
00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:18.320
Okay, yeah.
00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:20.159
Uh you were just in Chicago?
00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:20.559
Yeah.
00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:21.199
I don't know.
00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:22.559
Chicago pretty good.
00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:23.679
Yeah, the shows are good.
00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:26.239
I like Chicago because it's like a bigger here.
00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:26.800
Okay.
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:29.440
So it feels like the jokes translate.
00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:29.920
Okay.
00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:32.239
Whereas some states it's a little harder.
00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:35.920
But like where have you been the least well received?
00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:36.639
Um.
00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:39.840
Is there anything that stands out?
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:41.199
Not particularly.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:46.480
There in California, I guess, in like I could see that LA or San Diego.
00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:51.360
It's like the younger people have money.
00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:56.559
And it's like a lot of the young people here don't, or they don't have rich parents.
00:34:56.719 --> 00:34:57.039
Yeah.
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:04.480
So it's easier to connect with that than it is over there where they're like, Well, I'm 25 and I'm a marketing rep.
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:07.760
And it's like, well, how I don't I don't know how to talk to you.
00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:10.239
I wouldn't even know how to talk to you at a bar.
00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:13.360
So it's even harder performing to them.
00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:22.159
So there, but it's like the sets go fine, but I can tell some of the stuff I'm saying, they're like, I don't know what you're talking about.
00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.519
I don't know what you're relating.
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:24.480
Yeah.
00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:28.159
Um, but in Illinois, you've said you said that that that makes sense.
00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:31.760
Like I've I've been liking some of your jokes about about your dad.
00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:33.039
Oh, thanks, man.
00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:36.719
And uh and like going to Target is something that people do around Minnesota.
00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:38.639
So like yeah, those are pretty relatable.
00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:38.960
Yeah.
00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:45.920
Yeah, those uh Minnesota is I'm biased too, because I do the best here.
00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:46.559
Sure.
00:35:46.800 --> 00:36:09.360
Cause it's like or really here, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, because it's sort of a universal experience in the Midwest to have a dad like that, or uh just even some of the references, they don't feel local, but like you said, Target, even though it's national, Minnesota people shop at Target.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:09.599
Yeah.
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:11.599
A lot more than other parts of the country.
00:36:11.760 --> 00:36:12.400
Yeah.
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:17.199
The uh you're I I like the opener.
00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:22.320
I've got the Uncle Pat sticker on the front of my pad.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:22.800
Yep.
00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:23.519
She was funny.
00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:24.719
Elise was very funny.
00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:26.880
Uh the guy.
00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:28.480
Sean, yeah.
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:32.400
Remember they were like the funniest guy in Minnesota.
00:36:32.719 --> 00:36:36.079
Oh, they did the that's right, they did the contest when you guys had to.
00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:36.480
Yeah.
00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:37.039
Yeah.
00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:38.719
Uh that's always tough.
00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:43.440
You you uh you address that situation pretty pretty well.
00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:48.239
Yeah, that was that they that was how they used to do it.
00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:55.840
So when I did the contest in 2018, they would have you like go through the green room and to get on stage.
00:36:56.639 --> 00:37:03.119
And then they stopped doing that for at least when I came back to doing stand-up.
00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:07.280
And then it hadn't been a thing until that night.
00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:09.840
And they were like, We'll try it again.
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:12.320
And on the first night, a guy ruined it.
00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:17.280
So they are going back to making them sit in the showroom and watch the show.
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:20.079
That that guy definitely ruined it.
00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:22.000
Oh, he ruined the vibe for sure.
00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:26.880
And I said, I was like, I asked the manager, I was like, Can they not be in there anymore?
00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:31.519
I was like, I really don't like being that person, but that guy fucking sucked.
00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:38.480
It was like the other three were totally fine, pleasant to talk to, but that guy sucked.
00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:42.800
Um recently you were on the Tony Hinchcliffe Kill Tony show.
00:37:42.960 --> 00:37:43.760
Yes, I was.
00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:48.400
Tell me how like luck of the draw, like how did how did you Yeah?
00:37:48.559 --> 00:37:58.000
I mean, that was purely luck, and I was in a bad fucking mood right before that, because I have been trying to get into the club down there.
00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:05.920
So I've been doing these like callback sets when I go back down to try and work my way into being able to send availability.
00:38:06.159 --> 00:38:06.480
Okay.
00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:10.639
And that callback just didn't go very well, it was pretty mid.
00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:11.199
Okay.
00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:14.239
And then I was just like, fuck this.
00:38:14.400 --> 00:38:26.480
I I come down here, I try to do this every time I'm in town, and the crowds like at least there, it feels like they're there to see a specific person.
00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:26.960
Yeah.
00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:29.679
And they're just kind of bummed until that person shows up.
00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:33.599
With Kill Tony in the at at the mothership.
00:38:33.760 --> 00:38:40.719
Yeah, it feels like people because you can buy tickets for either the big room or the little room.
00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:41.199
Okay.
00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:48.800
And they have you perform at the little room for like their open mic callback, and then their regular people come through.
00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:49.599
Sure.
00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:51.599
But those are cheaper tickets.
00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:58.559
But sometimes someone like Tony or Shane Gillis or Ron White, someone will stop in.
00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:09.280
So like that word has gotten around enough that it people have stopped in that people try to buy cheaper tickets and hope that the person they want to see shows up.
00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:09.760
Yeah.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:17.119
So it feels like they're kind of bummed that they're not getting the persons or people that they wanted.
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:17.599
Right.
00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:21.360
So it always feels like pulling teeth when I'm there, at least.
00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:23.119
So I just didn't have a great set.
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:24.400
So you're at the mothership.
00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.840
Then where do they film Kill Tony?
00:39:26.079 --> 00:39:26.719
At the mothership.
00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:27.679
In the in the bigger room.
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:28.239
Okay, cool.
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:29.360
So you're there.
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:49.280
And then, but they have you wait at a bar just down the block from the mothership, and then they call your name, and then you run through an alley, and then you gotta give all a security guard all your stuff, and then he pats you down and gives you like a metal detector, and then they put you behind the curtain and call your name.
00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:49.840
Okay.
00:39:50.159 --> 00:39:51.840
So and it happens really fast.
00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:52.400
Wow.
00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:59.440
But after the callback, I was sitting in the holding area where all of the comics are, and I'm texted my fiance.
00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:01.280
I'm like, this fucking sucks.
00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:02.400
I want to go home.
00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:06.639
I'm like, I think I might switch my flight around and come home early.
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:08.320
And then they called my name.
00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:14.960
But I was fully prepared to like leave and not Did you have one joke that you were planning on using?
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:15.360
No.
00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:20.000
Because I didn't I had gone down there before because a lot of my friends live there.
00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:20.480
Cool.
00:40:20.639 --> 00:40:26.000
So I can go down and do spots in town anywhere else but the mothership, really.
00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:26.480
Okay.
00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:30.719
So I have a lot of friends down there that are it's always nice to see them.
00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:31.039
Yeah.
00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:34.559
But I was after that one, I was like, fuck this.
00:40:34.880 --> 00:40:40.960
And then they called my name, and I was fully expecting to not get called and to go back home.
00:40:41.119 --> 00:40:44.559
And I was like, I'll just fly out tomorrow and whatever.
00:40:44.719 --> 00:40:45.119
Yeah.
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:47.920
Because I'd gone down like four or five times prior.
00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:48.559
Oh wow.
00:40:48.719 --> 00:40:50.880
And tried to sign up and then didn't get called.
00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:53.039
See, there's a good chance that you won't get called.
00:40:53.199 --> 00:40:53.679
Oh, yeah.
00:40:53.840 --> 00:40:57.679
There's probably upwards of 150 people that sign up.
00:40:57.920 --> 00:40:59.360
And how many spots do they do per?
00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:00.639
I think like eight.
00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:01.519
Eight or nine.
00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:02.559
So you're under 10%.
00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:03.679
Yeah.
00:41:03.920 --> 00:41:05.920
And uh 5% chance.
00:41:06.239 --> 00:41:09.840
So I was like, I'm probably not gonna get called.
00:41:10.079 --> 00:41:13.679
I don't really even care about getting called that much.
00:41:13.840 --> 00:41:17.280
I more so wanted to get into the club because then you get paid to be there.
00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:17.920
And yeah.
00:41:18.079 --> 00:41:20.239
They probably run a pretty good ship, but yeah.
00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:29.199
So I was like, that was more my goal in going down there than doing because I'm like, I'm already here, I may as well sign up, sort of a thing.
00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:29.760
Okay.
00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:33.760
And each time I hadn't gotten on, I wasn't too beaten up about it.
00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:37.519
Sure, I'm like, either way, I'm still doing stand-up.
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:38.079
Yeah.
00:41:38.239 --> 00:41:43.039
But then they called my name, and then so I really had no plan whatsoever.
00:41:43.360 --> 00:41:48.800
You I don't know, you tell me, but like you know Tony, you've met Tony, you you've been out to Skankfest, right?
00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:50.639
So like he has some idea of who you are.
00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:51.519
I don't think so.
00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:52.400
Not before that.
00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:52.719
Okay.
00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:56.880
Yeah, because he's pretty nowadays, he's he's like an insulated guy.
00:41:57.039 --> 00:41:57.280
Gotcha.
00:41:57.519 --> 00:41:59.119
Because he's like a celebrity.
00:41:59.360 --> 00:41:59.519
Yeah.
00:42:01.840 --> 00:42:02.079
Yeah.
00:42:02.239 --> 00:42:05.119
So he has his friends, obviously.
00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:07.760
Okay, there's no reason for him to want to talk to me.
00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:08.400
Gotcha.
00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:11.760
So I don't think he had any idea who I was prior to.
00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:14.960
And to be honest, he's probably forgotten who I am right now.
00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:16.079
Yeah.
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:19.360
But what has it been like now after you did your set?
00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:24.000
Uh they put it on posters now, but that's about it.
00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:28.239
I don't know if many people show up for that reason.
00:42:28.480 --> 00:42:32.000
Comedy is a lot of like opportunities compounding.
00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:32.239
Okay.
00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:36.719
So it's at least in my case, it's not one certain thing.
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:44.320
It's like, oh, I saw you open for this person, or I saw you on this podcast that I like, and then they come and buy tickets.
00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:49.760
But it's never been one solid thing that has drawn a sizable amount of people out.
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:51.760
I think it's kind of similar for me.
00:42:51.920 --> 00:42:52.239
Yeah.
00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:57.920
And part of the reason why I keep doing this show is like not that one is gonna pop off.
00:42:58.079 --> 00:43:00.480
I mean, for us, popping off would be a thousand views.
00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:00.960
Yeah.
00:43:01.119 --> 00:43:06.079
Like it's still pretty small, but like more people are watching it every week.
00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:15.199
And if we keep having better, in the sense of more relatable guests on, we'll find out who we really are and what we're trying to.
00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:16.320
Yeah.
00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:26.639
It's I think there's really even the idea of overnight success, like I've even doing stand-up now for an extended period of time.
00:43:26.719 --> 00:43:33.360
There's some people to the general public that's like, oh, this guy came out of nowhere, and it's like, oh no, he really didn't.
00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:36.719
It took probably 10 years for you to know who he was.
00:43:36.880 --> 00:43:37.199
Yeah.
00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:40.000
My favorite comedian is Tim Dylan.
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:40.559
Yeah.
00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:41.440
He's great.
00:43:41.679 --> 00:43:47.679
And, you know, he has no problem reminding you like he was a bus he was doing tour bus right.
00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:56.559
Uh he was a bus tour guide in in New York City and like a you know, Tim Dylan is a l he's he's I don't have to tell his story, right?
00:43:56.639 --> 00:43:57.039
It's out there.
00:43:57.280 --> 00:44:00.719
Yeah, like um No, I'm with you.
00:44:00.880 --> 00:44:11.920
I don't think it is overnight and like so much of what you do is like you reinvest it to try to get to that next place 'cause like you're going down to Austin this month for like Yeah, next week actually.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:15.360
But this time my fiance's coming with, which is gonna be nice.
00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:22.239
So it'll be m less work and more like actually enjoying the city.
00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:22.559
Yeah.
00:44:22.719 --> 00:44:32.159
Which I'm looking forward to because every time I go down there, it's just a lot of like hanging out with people and going to the clubs and stuff.
00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:35.920
But I don't really get to explore Austin that much.
00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:41.519
So to be able to bring her with, we can like drive around and go see other shit.
00:44:41.760 --> 00:44:44.239
Yeah, there's water and yeah, like enjoy.
00:44:44.480 --> 00:44:45.280
I'm excited to go.
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:53.440
We're gonna go to Barton Springs, which is like a swimming spot that I've heard local people talk about, but I've never had the time to go check it out.
00:44:53.679 --> 00:45:02.159
I mean, that's why I like the I like the framing of the name of the word partner because it is somebody that you can go to Barton Springs.
00:45:02.559 --> 00:45:15.679
Yeah, do fun stuff like that with, and there's no because like in stand-up, it always feels like there's so much pressure on the individual because your career is what you make your career.
00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:17.519
You're your own boss entirely.
00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:18.000
Right.
00:45:18.320 --> 00:45:27.039
So to go down there with her and reframe it as this isn't so much work as it is getting to hang out with my friend.
00:45:27.199 --> 00:45:29.360
Yeah, you know, quality time together.
00:45:29.599 --> 00:45:29.920
Yeah.
00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:37.199
And, you know, I mean, that's what was nice about COVID was for a while there, people were just getting their work off like wherever they wanted.
00:45:37.360 --> 00:45:37.679
Yeah.
00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:40.000
You know, if they were able to work remotely.
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:45.440
But um, you know, my wife, you know, we met when I was 27.
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:46.320
How old are you?
00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:47.199
Uh 27.
00:45:47.519 --> 00:45:47.679
Yeah.
00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:49.440
So we met, I was 28, I think.
00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:58.079
I just turned 28, but like she held me down for a long time with like having the regular job and having the benefits and things like that.
00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:08.719
And like I'm glad to see that things are continuing to open up for you because as a man, like, there's just something inside of us that like we want to provide.
00:46:08.960 --> 00:46:10.639
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:46:10.800 --> 00:46:34.079
And it's, I mean, like, especially like almost for me, it's not necessarily provide in the sense that it is because my fiance's a software engineer, so it's like to be able to be on par with that level of success and what I do, to just be like we we are equals to one another.
00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:34.559
Right.
00:46:34.800 --> 00:47:06.480
And I'm not because right now stand-up is so much more about like um making connections with clubs and making so like I'm still in like a foundational stage, but it's like to be able to work to a point where not necessarily um people know who I am, but it's like I can tour independently on my own and sort of have the same level of success as her in the sense of my own career path.
00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:07.119
Yes.
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:08.960
Yes, that makes a lot of sense.
00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:14.480
And it's it's about also just mutual understanding of what success means.
00:47:14.719 --> 00:47:15.119
Yeah.
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:21.440
You know, that's the internal conversation, the dialogue around, you know, we're we're doing two different paths.
00:47:21.920 --> 00:47:31.039
However, like there it there is an equal like you've agreed to like, you know, and those are personal conversations, but they're important to have.
00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:31.599
Yeah.
00:47:33.519 --> 00:47:40.800
Sometimes I think like, would my would my wife like to have someone else who she doesn't work in nine to five anymore, but for a long time she did.
00:47:40.960 --> 00:48:15.360
So it's like like is that who she wants, or does is is she actually attracted to somebody who's right totally different than yeah, I think some uh people are, and I think like the opposite though they work together well because it balances itself out because my life is really chaotic and hectic, and there's a lot of traveling, and she has a very stable nine to five job that she's like it's pretty boring, but she's like it it pays the bills, and I don't have to worry about money in the same way that you do.
00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:16.400
Right, right.
00:48:16.719 --> 00:48:37.679
So, but because of what I do, I can bring her with to do these sorts of things and go, she can come on the road with me and like travel around, and it's it's very she's very calming to me to have around, which I appreciate because everything else is really chaotic and stressful, sure, in my life.
00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:38.079
Sure.
00:48:38.159 --> 00:48:40.320
Well, wait till you see Canaconnect Brainerd, man.
00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:44.079
It's been just I mean, we're trying to pull off something.
00:48:44.960 --> 00:48:52.719
Here's what we're trying to do there's like these national trade shows that have been coming into town since like the Delta VIII days.
00:48:53.840 --> 00:49:09.199
And you walk through all these vendor booths, yep, these aisles of of but these trade shows or these conference centers are owned by entities and organizations that are not cannabis friendly.
00:49:09.760 --> 00:49:10.639
Oh yeah.
00:49:10.880 --> 00:49:22.079
So they'll take the ancillary cannabis dollar and they'd love for you as a cannabis consumer to buy a ticket, but you can't have the product on site.
00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:34.480
That was I vaguely remember it was uh in uptown, kind of by the Walgreens in that basement area when I came with my buddy Trey.
00:49:34.639 --> 00:49:35.039
Yeah.
00:49:35.280 --> 00:49:50.719
And people were smoking out of like the vaporizer bags, but it was cold out, and you had to go outside under a tent to smoke, and it was like, I don't think the vapor stuff is gonna sink this place up that much.
00:49:50.880 --> 00:49:55.280
There must be some sort of reason that we have to smoke in the cold.
00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:04.880
Yeah, that was October of 2023, and uh, yeah, that was probably around the time we were connected.
00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:05.679
Yeah.
00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:13.920
But there's the Minnesota Indoor Clean Air Act, and they have one of the we have one of the strictest indoor smoking rules in the country.
00:50:14.239 --> 00:50:14.639
Gotcha.
00:50:14.800 --> 00:50:18.800
And so there's so many cannabis entrepreneurs that would love to open up lounges.
00:50:19.119 --> 00:50:20.880
That I've always thought about that.
00:50:21.039 --> 00:50:26.159
I'm like, why can't we do like a hookah place for weed?
00:50:26.719 --> 00:50:29.599
But that makes sense that there's some sort of stipulation.
00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:31.519
It's a super hard one to get.
00:50:31.679 --> 00:50:32.480
Unknotted.
00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:33.039
Mm-hmm.
00:50:33.280 --> 00:50:34.480
Now get this.
00:50:34.880 --> 00:50:43.119
On Friday last week, we were up at Fondu Lock, Black Bear Casino in Cloquet or Carleton, Minnesota.
00:50:43.199 --> 00:50:43.760
Yeah.
00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:48.000
On tribal reservation, on Sovereign Land, they have a tasting lounge.
00:50:48.239 --> 00:50:48.559
Oh.
00:50:49.039 --> 00:50:51.440
And they have a they have a really good hash program.
00:50:51.679 --> 00:50:56.159
So they're selling flights of hash for like full 10 to 14 bucks.
00:50:56.559 --> 00:50:58.159
Like you'd buy a flight of beer.
00:50:58.320 --> 00:50:58.719
Yeah.
00:50:58.880 --> 00:51:00.000
And it was great.
00:51:00.239 --> 00:51:04.400
And because they're on sovereign land, there's puff like people are hitting the puffco inside.
00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:04.960
Right.
00:51:05.280 --> 00:51:07.360
Through through the bar.
00:51:07.440 --> 00:51:07.679
Yeah.
00:51:07.840 --> 00:51:09.679
It's not just like bring your own hash.
00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:10.159
Right.
00:51:10.320 --> 00:51:10.880
That's fine.
00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:11.280
Right?
00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:13.679
I mean, that would totally be fine.
00:51:13.840 --> 00:51:20.320
If it were like Anster Amsterdam, where it's like, you gotta buy the joint here, but you can smoke it here.
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:20.719
Right.
00:51:20.880 --> 00:51:21.519
Totally fine.
00:51:21.679 --> 00:51:23.280
And those joints are five or ten dollars.
00:51:23.440 --> 00:51:23.599
Right.
00:51:23.760 --> 00:51:24.639
Not$22.
00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:26.960
That's the thing that gets me too.
00:51:27.039 --> 00:51:39.760
Even with like the drinks, where it's like, I don't drink, but I'll go out and I'll try to be like, well, I'm gonna be social and have drinks with my friends, but one of mine is fifteen dollars.
00:51:39.920 --> 00:51:42.639
I'm not gonna buy three.
00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:44.880
If they were seven.
00:51:45.519 --> 00:51:46.159
Yeah.
00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:47.440
You read my mind.
00:51:47.519 --> 00:51:52.079
I mean, when's the last time you saw seven dollars for THC beverage on a menu?
00:51:52.239 --> 00:51:53.039
Meh never.
00:51:53.360 --> 00:51:54.719
I don't think ever here.
00:51:55.039 --> 00:51:55.599
Why?
00:51:57.119 --> 00:51:58.480
Why is this$15?
00:51:59.199 --> 00:52:00.079
That's what I'm saying.
00:52:00.239 --> 00:52:03.840
It's like this I equate to how many milligrams is this?
00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:04.480
Five.
00:52:04.639 --> 00:52:05.599
This is a beer.
00:52:05.760 --> 00:52:06.079
Yeah.
00:52:06.320 --> 00:52:06.800
To me.
00:52:06.960 --> 00:52:07.360
Yeah.
00:52:07.599 --> 00:52:11.199
And it's like, why would this have to be sixteen dollars?
00:52:11.280 --> 00:52:12.800
Because I went to CC Club.
00:52:12.880 --> 00:52:19.760
We went, uh, my lady and I, we went out on a date night and we went to Nightingale and then the CC Club.
00:52:20.079 --> 00:52:20.320
Great.
00:52:20.480 --> 00:52:27.119
And then she got a beer and I got a seltzer, but the seltzer was$16 and it was five milligrams.
00:52:27.199 --> 00:52:36.480
And I'm like, this is gonna do absolutely nothing to me, but I'm gonna fucking pay$15 just to be like, well, I'm having a drink with my fiance.
00:52:37.679 --> 00:52:40.559
The drink costs$250, let's just say.
00:52:42.880 --> 00:52:48.960
Then you you factor in testing, whatever, to get it out the door.
00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:49.760
Mm-hmm.
00:52:50.320 --> 00:52:51.199
No, yeah, please.
00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:52.320
Uh, that's our latest one.
00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:54.159
I'll send you home with one, too.
00:52:54.559 --> 00:53:00.079
It's got a good amount of CBD in it and uh two to one CBG to THC ratio.
00:53:00.320 --> 00:53:06.480
I've recently I opened for Sam Talent at Sisyphus.
00:53:06.639 --> 00:53:12.559
Oh, and he was putting me on to he's really into the terpenes really and stuff.
00:53:12.880 --> 00:53:14.800
And he sent me like this whole chart.
00:53:14.960 --> 00:53:27.599
Oh, and I'm like, I would like to get into it, but that's I think that goes hand in hand with the success I was talking about earlier, where it's like to be able to go, this is what I want.
00:53:27.920 --> 00:53:33.119
It the terpenes in it may cost more than one that's cheaper, yeah.
00:53:33.360 --> 00:53:36.880
But you know what I mean, to be able to be choosy about it.
00:53:37.280 --> 00:53:39.119
Um here's the flip though.
00:53:39.360 --> 00:53:42.880
Like at the end of the day, the restaurant's making seven bucks off you.
00:53:44.800 --> 00:53:45.440
Or more.
00:53:45.760 --> 00:53:48.559
I just like I know more than I can share.
00:53:48.800 --> 00:53:51.280
Not more so because I can't recite it all to you.
00:53:51.440 --> 00:53:51.679
Yeah.
00:53:51.840 --> 00:53:56.079
There I just don't understand where that$15 price point comes from.
00:53:56.480 --> 00:54:03.280
I don't really either, because it's like it's not even I guess here, sure.
00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:09.440
But like on a recre how I've been buying weed, it's always been like$10 a gram.
00:54:10.000 --> 00:54:14.320
If you were to just buy one singular gram, it's$10.
00:54:14.960 --> 00:54:16.800
And then the price varies after that.
00:54:16.880 --> 00:54:32.320
And it's like, where are you getting the the number seems pretty arbitrary, and it's like they're digging in our pockets for what re I mean, just think how cheap beer was when you first when you think back to what what Wisconsin beer prices were like.
00:54:32.719 --> 00:54:34.400
Oh, I mean, I was just back home.
00:54:34.480 --> 00:54:35.519
It's three dollars.
00:54:35.840 --> 00:54:36.320
At the bar.
00:54:36.480 --> 00:54:36.719
Yeah.
00:54:36.880 --> 00:54:37.440
At the bar.
00:54:38.159 --> 00:54:43.119
That means it it left the distributor, it left the manufacturer, it's made its way to the retailer.
00:54:43.280 --> 00:54:43.519
Yeah.
00:54:43.679 --> 00:54:48.159
The three-tier system, which is what they're more than likely going to move these beverages to.
00:54:48.800 --> 00:54:58.480
So made at Earl Giles, distributed at Grand uh GRD, sold to bars, restaurants, dispensaries around the country.
00:55:00.559 --> 00:55:03.199
Each time you make a little bit more money.
00:55:03.360 --> 00:55:08.400
The retailer makes more than the distributed, the distributor makes more than the manufacturer, it's a volume play.
00:55:09.360 --> 00:55:17.280
Still a a good four-pack of beer should cost me less than 20 bucks.
00:55:17.599 --> 00:55:18.800
Uh yeah.
00:55:19.039 --> 00:55:22.480
Like uh, you're talking like a brewery a brewery grade beer.
00:55:22.719 --> 00:55:23.199
Absolutely.
00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:27.280
I would pro I would put that at about 15 bucks.
00:55:27.760 --> 00:55:28.079
Okay, yeah.
00:55:28.480 --> 00:55:29.039
16 bucks.
00:55:29.280 --> 00:55:32.480
And and more than likely that's where these products are gonna end up.
00:55:33.440 --> 00:55:42.400
But there's companies in this space that are just that fucking found the pocket and are just beating the drum.
00:55:42.559 --> 00:55:43.039
Yeah.
00:55:43.280 --> 00:55:45.840
They're just milking it, dude.
00:55:46.159 --> 00:56:02.719
Well, that's kind of what gets me about like the dispensaries and like the tax cost, and it's like where states usually are kind of like, well, we'll use the tax money to fund, and it's like, you're not gonna get someone that regularly smokes weed.
00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:10.000
You're gonna get the dynamom who comes out and gets gummies to sleep once every two weeks.
00:56:10.239 --> 00:56:16.800
If you lowered the price on this, you would get a regular adult use smoker.
00:56:17.039 --> 00:56:22.320
I would come into the store at least once a week, probably more, to get more weed.
00:56:22.400 --> 00:56:27.440
And it's like, at that point, doesn't the volume supersede the I don't know.
00:56:27.760 --> 00:56:30.719
Two years ago, the taxes were only gonna be at 10%.
00:56:31.760 --> 00:56:32.079
Right.
00:56:32.239 --> 00:56:33.039
That's what I thought.
00:56:33.119 --> 00:56:34.239
Now it's like 15 or 10.
00:56:34.400 --> 00:56:43.119
Now it's 15, which when we when we uh rallied against that, it was marketed as a 50% tax hike.
00:56:43.599 --> 00:56:46.559
10 per 10% to 15%, 50% tax hike.
00:56:46.639 --> 00:56:47.039
Yeah.
00:56:47.360 --> 00:56:52.159
That was purely because of mismanagement of the Minnesota state budget.
00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:53.119
Oh, okay.
00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:56.320
That we became then like the new kid on the block.
00:56:56.400 --> 00:57:00.800
So like let's take their lunch money before the program even got started.
00:57:00.960 --> 00:57:01.119
Yeah.
00:57:01.360 --> 00:57:04.400
Before consumers even had the chance to pay that high of taxes.
00:57:04.639 --> 00:57:04.960
Yeah.
00:57:05.280 --> 00:57:08.159
And they hit it on the CBD side too.
00:57:08.639 --> 00:57:12.800
Which predominantly is grandma.
00:57:13.119 --> 00:57:18.159
Yeah, that's my my mom and my dad use CBD to sleep and stuff.
00:57:18.480 --> 00:57:19.039
Me too.
00:57:19.199 --> 00:57:27.760
Like, and so like I I generally like the folks that were buying six packs of CBD water, which was like 30 bucks.
00:57:27.920 --> 00:57:28.079
Yeah.
00:57:28.239 --> 00:57:28.400
Right?
00:57:28.480 --> 00:57:28.719
Right?
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:30.719
It's twice as much as beer, if not more.
00:57:31.119 --> 00:57:32.159
Significantly more.
00:57:32.480 --> 00:57:37.039
Because like, I mean, a six-pack of PBR is less than ten dollars.
00:57:37.280 --> 00:57:37.599
Wow.
00:57:37.760 --> 00:57:38.159
I think.
00:57:38.239 --> 00:57:39.119
At least in Wisconsin.
00:57:39.599 --> 00:57:42.239
But I mean, because I mean, if you think about it, they're producing millions of cans.
00:57:42.400 --> 00:57:42.719
Yeah.
00:57:42.880 --> 00:57:46.000
So they're able to like make less but sell more units.
00:57:46.800 --> 00:58:00.639
However, like you see these six packs and twelve packs at I think maybe even twenty-four packs, like what's twelve times six, like eighty bucks for a case of see of a case of TH VEVs.
00:58:01.039 --> 00:58:03.519
The milligrams is not even the most expensive part of it.
00:58:04.719 --> 00:58:05.280
What is?
00:58:05.519 --> 00:58:07.119
Well, it's it's seltzer water.
00:58:07.440 --> 00:58:10.480
I mean, really, most of these breweries are making seltzer water.
00:58:10.880 --> 00:58:12.000
And then somehow infusing it.
00:58:12.400 --> 00:58:22.000
Infusing it with flavors and things like that, but like it is not expensive to make, but there is a ton of uh regulation around it.
00:58:22.320 --> 00:58:29.440
And yes, there's probably more coming because Texas and hemp, I'm sorry, Texas and Wisconsin, similar hemp markets.
00:58:30.079 --> 00:58:30.480
Yeah.
00:58:30.719 --> 00:58:38.480
Well, like going to Austin feels a lot like going to Wisconsin.
00:58:38.639 --> 00:58:38.960
Yes.
00:58:39.199 --> 00:58:49.119
Where it's like you'll go to a smoke shop and they have weed, essentially, but it's not.
00:58:49.280 --> 00:58:56.639
And it's like THCA or Delta 8 or 10 or whatever, but it's like this is the wild west.
00:58:56.880 --> 00:59:08.480
Like in Wisconsin, I went to a few bars with my parents a few weeks ago, and they had they were selling like joints at the bar of Delta 8 weed.
00:59:08.559 --> 00:59:09.199
That's crazy.
00:59:09.440 --> 00:59:12.480
And it's like, this isn't regulated whatsoever.
00:59:12.719 --> 00:59:15.360
I can buy this joint, walk outside and smoke it.
00:59:15.440 --> 00:59:18.400
And they're like, yeah, that's that's fine.
00:59:20.320 --> 00:59:24.800
Uh you've got to get to another podcast here relatively soon.
00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:27.920
I'm looking forward to keeping this conversation going in Brainerd.
00:59:28.079 --> 00:59:28.480
Yeah.
00:59:28.639 --> 00:59:32.320
Uh tickets are on sale right now, they're on Eventbrite.
00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:36.079
Surprise special guest, Aiden McCluskey, will be in the house.
00:59:36.320 --> 00:59:36.719
Yes.
00:59:37.039 --> 00:59:39.119
And I mean, I really enjoyed this.
00:59:39.280 --> 00:59:40.400
There's a lot we can talk about.
00:59:40.480 --> 00:59:45.039
Cannabis is still so new in the sense of a above ground.
00:59:45.360 --> 00:59:51.199
I love learning about it because, like I said, it's the only illegal thing that I do in my life.
00:59:51.440 --> 00:59:54.880
That I reluctantly do because it's I don't drink.
00:59:55.039 --> 00:59:58.639
And it's like if it were legal, I would live a totally legal life.
00:59:58.800 --> 01:00:06.000
So learning more about what I can do to be a law-abiding citizen, but enjoy what I like to do.
01:00:06.320 --> 01:00:06.559
Yeah.
01:00:06.719 --> 01:00:09.599
We didn't get too far into this, but take this home with you.
01:00:09.760 --> 01:00:10.880
Take a look at it.
01:00:11.039 --> 01:00:12.960
I'll get more into it with Spencer.
01:00:13.119 --> 01:00:14.480
He's also from Wisconsin.
01:00:14.639 --> 01:00:22.239
I mean, really, though, like where I could see cannabis going in 20 years is it could be regulated like alcohol.
01:00:22.559 --> 01:00:23.199
I would love that.
01:00:23.440 --> 01:00:25.039
It could ship across state lines.
01:00:25.199 --> 01:00:29.360
So you'd see heavier concentration of cultivation in California.
01:00:29.920 --> 01:00:32.000
You'd see exports.
01:00:32.239 --> 01:00:32.800
Yeah.
01:00:33.039 --> 01:00:39.679
You know, the way we talk about champagne, people could talk about cannabis in certain regions of the country.
01:00:40.000 --> 01:00:42.079
And the great thing is, is the U.S.
01:00:42.159 --> 01:00:44.480
has a head start on a lot of other countries.
01:00:44.639 --> 01:00:49.119
So we we are doing well, but prog progress is a slow process.
01:00:49.599 --> 01:00:58.800
I guess before I go, I always ask, what is your projection for like total legalization across the country?
01:00:58.960 --> 01:01:02.800
Whether that's like within the state or federally legal.
01:01:02.960 --> 01:01:04.480
What how many years do you think?
01:01:04.880 --> 01:01:10.320
So this year, I'm expecting cannabis to go from schedule one to schedule three.
01:01:10.960 --> 01:01:13.760
It already has started to move that way for medical.
01:01:13.920 --> 01:01:18.960
What that means is you're gonna get regulated by the DEA instead of regulated by regulated by the OCM.
01:01:19.199 --> 01:01:23.039
So it's not like it's not like the the oversight will ever be fully off.
01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:37.519
However, descheduling cannabis, regulating it like it's alcohol is five to five years from an an announcement, perhaps.
01:01:38.159 --> 01:01:38.559
Whoa.
01:01:38.960 --> 01:01:47.039
Let's just say the Democrats take the White House in a couple years.
01:01:47.280 --> 01:01:48.559
I believe they will.
01:01:50.239 --> 01:01:52.239
I have a feeling they will, yeah.
01:01:54.480 --> 01:02:08.480
You'd be crazy to not build upon the progress of the Trump administration with respect to cannabis rescheduling and descheduling, because the Biden administration was also on the same tip.
01:02:09.039 --> 01:02:10.960
They just didn't get it done politically.
01:02:11.280 --> 01:02:12.000
Gotcha.
01:02:12.239 --> 01:02:18.239
I saw that he had signed some sort of bill that, like you said, it became Schedule Three.
01:02:18.639 --> 01:02:23.840
But with all of these things, they make it an announcement, and I'm like, so it's good.
01:02:23.920 --> 01:02:25.920
And then people are like, it's not at all.
01:02:26.079 --> 01:02:26.719
You can't do that.
01:02:26.960 --> 01:02:28.800
Like when they ended the Iran War.
01:02:29.039 --> 01:02:31.039
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
01:02:31.280 --> 01:02:32.559
That was great.
01:02:33.679 --> 01:02:35.360
For like four hours.
01:02:36.960 --> 01:02:37.599
Yeah.
01:02:37.920 --> 01:02:38.719
Not great.
01:02:39.039 --> 01:02:42.400
So schedule three, the hearings wrapped up today.
01:02:42.719 --> 01:02:58.559
Oh, so there were hearings in Arlington, Virginia t for two weeks, and now the judge will rule on uh following the hearing, but they expect some lawsuits to push back against it.
01:02:59.039 --> 01:03:10.000
But they're projecting that the a the administrative law judge will rule in favor of reschedule, which then that helps with taxes and research.
01:03:10.400 --> 01:03:17.840
Doesn't necessarily help with banking or with consumers, yeah, uh, from a price point perspective, but it helps entrepreneurs.
01:03:18.400 --> 01:03:23.280
And then it just how can they keep pulling that line?
01:03:24.079 --> 01:03:27.599
Because we need we need taxes, we need money.
01:03:27.679 --> 01:03:28.880
We're in a lot of debt.
01:03:29.119 --> 01:03:30.880
Well, yeah, insurmountable.
01:03:31.199 --> 01:03:41.519
And and so, like, I applaud the Trump administration for moving forward with cannabis and trying to create better rules because it's preventing institutional investment dollars from entering the space.
01:03:42.000 --> 01:03:44.159
Oh, I see, I didn't even know.
01:03:44.239 --> 01:03:45.280
I wasn't aware of that.
01:03:45.599 --> 01:03:57.760
There's not clear guidance from the Treasury and from FinCEN in the of how banks work with something that's federally illegal.
01:03:58.320 --> 01:04:03.920
So by rescheduling it, they're taking some of the handcuffs off of gotcha.
01:04:04.159 --> 01:04:07.840
So then, like, potentially could be able to use a credit card.
01:04:08.159 --> 01:04:09.280
Instead of a debit card.
01:04:09.519 --> 01:04:09.760
Yes.
01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:10.719
Or an ATM.
01:04:10.880 --> 01:04:11.199
Right.
01:04:11.440 --> 01:04:17.599
And that won't happen this year, but that that the credit card aspect, I could say three years.
01:04:17.920 --> 01:04:18.239
Okay.
01:04:18.559 --> 01:04:20.239
Because that is more convenient.
01:04:20.400 --> 01:04:24.480
Because I'm somebody that I put everything on my credit card and pay it off at the end of the month.
01:04:24.719 --> 01:04:25.039
Sure.
01:04:25.280 --> 01:04:32.320
The only time I genuinely use my debit card is if I'm in a state where it's legal and I have to pull money out.
01:04:34.880 --> 01:04:39.679
Um it and those are the things that keep it in the black market.
01:04:39.920 --> 01:04:40.239
Mm-hmm.
01:04:40.400 --> 01:04:40.960
Oh, yeah.
01:04:41.199 --> 01:04:46.800
I mean, the price, uh that sort of a thing, it's like I went to uh where was I?
01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:51.760
I was in Arizona and I didn't have a debit card at the time.
01:04:52.000 --> 01:04:56.320
And the guy wouldn't, he's like, I can't, you can't do anything about it.
01:04:56.480 --> 01:05:01.199
And then so then that night at the club, I just went and asked the people that worked in the kitchen.
01:05:01.280 --> 01:05:03.360
I was like, Can I buy like an eighth from you guys?
01:05:03.519 --> 01:05:04.400
And they were like, Yeah.
01:05:04.639 --> 01:05:07.760
I was like, I tried to do it the right way, and you guys wouldn't let me.
01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:10.400
So I'm I have to do it illegally.
01:05:10.639 --> 01:05:23.440
Yeah, there's there's a lot more there's a there's many more zeros beyond beyond what they're projecting the cannabis market to be because of the underground market, and then as well with the hemp stuff.
01:05:23.519 --> 01:05:23.840
Yeah.
01:05:24.079 --> 01:05:34.320
So if if they squeeze, if Wisconsin squeezes, if they get squeezed out of hemp, then there's a whole lot of gray area there.
01:05:34.639 --> 01:05:47.599
But if they were but if they were like Texas that has a medical cannabis program and a hemp a hemp program, the medical cannabis people are now getting excited because where are those customers going to move to?
01:05:47.760 --> 01:05:51.119
A lot of them are gonna move to the above-ground medical side.
01:05:51.440 --> 01:05:52.079
Not all.
01:05:52.320 --> 01:06:00.800
But that's why some of these folks are fighting to like just ban hemp because it will benefit the licensed cannabis businesses.
01:06:01.280 --> 01:06:01.679
Gotcha.
01:06:02.639 --> 01:06:10.320
And in and that restaurant in Wisconsin doesn't need much more than whatever they had operating as a restaurant and a bar to sell these products.
01:06:10.400 --> 01:06:11.519
So they're they think it's great.
01:06:11.599 --> 01:06:11.760
Yeah.
01:06:11.920 --> 01:06:13.360
But it's very unregulated.
01:06:13.440 --> 01:06:24.639
And that's those are the ongoing conversations in the industry of how do you regulate hemp cannabis marijuana, medical marijuana, all of these different connotations of the same plant.
01:06:24.880 --> 01:06:25.519
Yeah.
01:06:25.840 --> 01:06:26.400
Huh.
01:06:26.800 --> 01:06:27.840
Very interesting, man.
01:06:27.920 --> 01:06:28.639
Thanks for having me on.
01:06:28.880 --> 01:06:29.280
No doubt.
01:06:29.360 --> 01:06:29.519
Yeah.
01:06:29.679 --> 01:06:31.199
Uh I hope Brainerd goes well.
01:06:31.360 --> 01:06:32.079
Please support us.
01:06:32.239 --> 01:06:34.559
Can I connect Brainerd coming up July 30th?
01:06:34.719 --> 01:06:35.679
Tickets are on sale.
01:06:35.920 --> 01:06:38.800
Aiden McCluskey will be there, and it's gonna be great.
01:06:38.960 --> 01:06:39.440
9 a.m.
01:06:39.599 --> 01:06:40.239
to 5 p.m.
01:06:40.480 --> 01:06:42.639
July 30th at the Northern Pacific Center.
01:06:43.039 --> 01:06:43.280
Cool.
01:06:43.440 --> 01:06:44.559
We'll see you there.