“I truly believe that in the end, by giving people access to this plant, we have the ability to help a tremendous amount of people. End of story. Simple as that.” - Steven George
Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Steven George, advisor and founder of Kaya Advisors, to talk about the dichotomy between the aspects of the cannabis industry in Europe and America and the limitations attached to the legalities. He also shares his thoughts on how the current licensing processes painstakingly hinders effective global commercialization.
[00:01 – 07:47] Steven George’s Vision for Global Cannabis Accessibility
[07:48– 14:27] Aspects of the Cannabis Industry: Europe vs. America
[14:28 – 21:29] The Limitations of Cannabis Production and Consumption
[21:30 – 31:09] Licensing Procedures and the Legalization Process
[31:10 – 50:37] Global & Interstate Commerce and the Prevailing Competition: Let the Small Players in the Game
[50:38 – 54:54] Legal Grounds and Confusion in the Market
[54:55 – 57:42] Food for Thought: How can you take part in the industry?
Steven has been involved with the cannabis industry for the past 10+ years! He got started with medical cannabis cultivation back in 2010 in his home state of Michigan. In 2017 Steven moved to Portugal and soon after entered the medical cannabis industry in Europe working with Tilray as Country Manager of Portugal & Spain and most recently as European Alliance Manager. In July 2021 Steven left Tilray to launch his own firm, Kaya Advisors, which specializes in cannabis commercial strategy advice.
Connect with Steven
Visit https://stevenarthurgeorge.ck.page/cannabeme.
Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi
Key Quotes:
“If there's a state or place that's limiting licenses, these [big operators] are the ones with the big wallets and the big pockets, and they tend to find a way, right? So I definitely don't like that side of it. I think there needs to be caution always.” - Steven George
“I think it's tough to understand what the rules are, you know, I think limiting the licenses, especially to like small numbers, I think is just not fair at all… You have to let people compete, right? And that means you have to let the small compete as well.” - Steven George
“I know a large part of that community is much more involved in what they want to consume, and why they're consuming it, and who's growing it and how it makes them feel. And so I'm optimistic about the ability for these small players to survive.” - Steven George
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071 What We Can Learn and Compare from the European Cannabis Market to the United States with Steven George of Kaya Advisors