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This week, Onell Crawford, host of the Cannabis Related podcast and industry consultant, joins the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss why he isn’t hungry for every opportunity and chooses to do good business with good people.
Crawford was working in the entertainment industry when he was exposed to the new world of cannabis around 2012. The new California market was booming, but it was still illegal in Canada, where Crawford lives. Still, Crawford was interested.
In 2017, he started working with a cannabis tech company and building industry relationships. The company manufactured vape hardware in Toronto, and it was an exciting time for the new product category. However, Crawford witnessed more money grabs than true product specialization and noticed a market gap. He recognized a need for vape expertise, and he turned it into a specialized consulting business; it was his way to impact positive change in the development of products.
In January 2023, Crawford launched the Cannabis Related podcast to tap into his extensive industry knowledge and passion and deconstruct the stigma while raising awareness around the plant.
In this episode, Crawford discusses:
- How he became the most connected man in cannabis. (9:50)
- What the industry is doing to reverse the harmful effects of the war on drugs. (13:48)
- The broader and underappreciated benefits of cannabis. (19:20)
- The state of cannabis interest in the U.S. (23:56)
- The role of legacy operators in the modern cannabis industry. (27:24)
- Problems with authenticity in the industry. (30:05)
- Why he started the Cannabis Related podcast. (32:13)
- How to introduce new products to the canna-curious. (35:30)
- His thoughts on unionization efforts in the cannabis industry. (44:27)
- Economic bright spots in a struggling cannabis industry. (47:30)
Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].
