Toke Talk 1/31/23

Toke Talk 1/31/23
Toke Talk


Howie:
Good morning. Is this the mayor? Pro-temp ?

Cody:
This is me. How’d you know?

Howie:
Uh, you know what a certain vibe on Tuesdays. I can predict every single caller who’s going to call. I know who they are. Even collectors. Mm-hmm. .

Cody:
Wow. Man. That is, uh, some line reading.

Howie:
Hey, so is it a, I just love the terminology. Uh, I know it’s Mayor Kregan. She’s our Christie, right? I think that’s her first name. And then, uh, your That’s right. Prote. Is it t e m p? Like pro temporarily. Like he’s professional, but he is only temporarily professional.

Cody:
. Nice. I know. It is a very, uh, A weird name. Interesting technology.

Howie:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Pro-temp mayors like, yeah. He’ll get there eventually. Hey, so, um, before we get started, you, you’re actually speaking today with our mayor at five 30, right?

Cody:
We are, yeah. Yeah. We’re, uh, doing a meet and greet at the American Legion, so, okay, cool. Yeah, everybody, we’re inviting the whole public and, talk about a broad range of topics, anything that really anybody wants to, come and talk about. So, yeah, it’ll be a great event and everybody’s invited. So come, come on by five 30 at American Legion.

Howie:
American Legion Hall, folks, five 30 – Right there. We don’t have to do the address. It’s right across the street from the Red Hut. So, that’s gonna be fun. Now, are you gonna answer if someone goes, Hey, man, why don’t you cut your hair? Why do you always wear that hat? You know, there’s gonna be some idiot that says that.

Cody:
. , you’re right. Well, that’s, uh, that’s me and who I am, and that’s, you know…

Howie:
Exactly

Cody:
Always be right.

Howie:
Somebody said that once. I said, look, this isn’t even my head. I’m just borrowing it, so you’re gonna have to deal with it. Okay. I can’t change my hair because I have to give it back to the person who loaned it to me, and they just freaked out and walked away.

Cody:
, right? Nice. Yep. .

Howie:
Cody and Howie! What’s the latest that we should know about in the world of cannabis before we even get started about some of the good stuff over there at Tahoe Wellness Center.

Cody:
Things have been good. We actually just brought a new crop down, you know, the cannabis that we grow here on site, which, you know, we’ve talked about quite a few times, but really, we provide cannabis from a variety of different growers throughout California. And, about three years ago, we decided to really develop and kind of reinvigorate our methodology around how we grow and move into regenerative farming. And, um, it’s really been a big learning process, to say the least, but also have we’ve come up with better and better results as we’ve kind of embarked on this new method that we’re using to cultivate and we’re seeing much better results. So what’s awesome, we, by law, have to test, all of the medicine and products that we make.

Cody:
And so what’s cool about that is we get to see kind of the progress, of the quality and through real science, get to see the different levels of terpenes content and the cannabinoid content. And what we’re seeing is better results than we’ve ever seen before. And at the same time also using the most sustainable techniques and methodology that you can use to grow. And so, uh, so we got a great crop coming down. Um, one of my favorite personals is, is the terp switches. You know, there’s indica and sativa, and the indica is a much more kind of sweeter right? Fruitier kind of cannabis taste wise. But the effect is much more of a kind of cerebral mindset and really helps with sleep and appetite. You know, some people, it’s, it’s almost too potent for, but for me, it really kind of slows me down and helps me relax in such a great way. So anyway, that’s, that’s really exciting for us. It’s always fun anytime we have a new harvest, that’s for sure.

Howie:
That’s really, I didn’t realize that you’re making a brand new product. You’re experimenting, you’re growing it, but then is it, when it’s finished, then you tell or show the powers that be what it is that you made? Or is it, as you’re piecing it along, do you still have to report what it is that you’re creating?

Cody:
So, yeah, you know, what it is, is that we have to, in every product has to be tested, what’s known as final form. And so if we’re taking and making a a pre-roll, we actually have to get that pre-roll fully manufactured into the package that we’re gonna sell it in. Rroperly labeled, right? And then we bring in a laboratory, which is a completely different license. They’re licensed by the Department of Cannabis Control, and they will come in and if we created, let’s say, a thousand pre-rolls, they have a, a ratio of how many that, that that lab agent has to come and selectively grab out of that batch, right? And they’re randomly gonna test throughout that whole batch. And they’re testing for over 66 different pesticides that are being, you know, known to be used on plants to eliminate things like bugs or mold but that we know are harmful when they’re consumed through a combustible or through smoking.

Cody:
And so, that’s one of the coolest things I would say about a regulated supply chain, is that the testing analytics behind it truly guarantee the cannabis to be safe for consumption. And there’s not even our, our, you know, food chain. So the food supply chain does not test at this level, especially, you know, every single batch that comes through the supply chain. And so it’s the other side that’s awesome about that is the analytics around what you’re smoking as far as the potency or if it’s an edible, you’re guaranteed for it to be 10 milligrams through a very rigorous set of regulations. And then also, you know, laboratories that are regulated to a point that that’s really pretty phenomenal in a lot of ways. I mean, we’re learning, there’s a lot of corrections to be made within it, but we’re getting, yeah, we’re getting to a good place.

Howie:
Can I be a part-time analytic where you get test it on me? Do you have like a, not like focus groups, but I guess you have people that work there to go, Hey, try this, we just made this, what do you think? We’re taking a survey

Cody:
. Yeah, Howie, you’re always the best part of any focus group. So yeah, we’re, we’re all about that for sure. The thing about, you know, from the perspective of how we purchase cannabis and buy, because the supply chain in California is vast. I mean, the amount of different companies and the product variations that are out there, it’s pretty unreal. So yes, we still use our own judgment through our own taste and real deep understanding of cannabis to really make the purchasing decisions. It’s not based purely on the analytics and the kind of black and white data. We definitely still use, you know, our favorite preference around a lot of that.

Howie:
Yeah. You know what I like about TWC, AKA Tahoe Wellness Center. It’s one of the few places I think any local will go. I’m gonna stay up here on the mountain and shop there. That’s the only place I don’t have to lie and say I’m going down the mountain to get something cuz it’s cheaper because it’s already right here in our backyard. You can’t get a better place than right here in South Lake Tahoe than TWC.

Cody:
Yeah, man and the real thing, I think that that is as well, you can go anywhere right now. Cannabis is broadly available in 29 states and Nevada, California. But yeah, for one, you’re supporting local people, right? Creating local jobs and honestly, we price our cannabis, out of really the most competitive rate. Some people say, oh, well there’s eighths there that are for 60 bucks, but we also have eighths that are 20 bucks. And so we really do provide every spectrum of cannabis, and at the same prices you really will find on the street. We have that kind of variation. And also, again, from the difference of the street to licensed cannabis is what I was just talking about with the guaranteed product that is safer consumption, that you know exactly the potency of it. And really, you know, supporting, bringing cannabis out of the shadows and into the light. Normalizing something that really all people should have access to all plant life that helps us and heals us. And, that’s really what, you know, what it’s about.

Howie:
Hey, do you ever borrow, I’m sure you borrow a lot of marketing techniques by regular retail outlets, particularly grocery stores. Like, you know, I never thought about it, but buying like, hey, like sometimes I’ll buy a, a 12 pack of strawberry poptarts and I’m wondering, can you get that with cannabis? Like, hey, do you have like a six pack of fine joints that you could get that’s maybe cheaper than buying one individually?

Cody:
Yeah, yeah. No, we do, we have multi packs. Of all of our pre-rolls and most definitely. We have six packs of our beverages, you know, that are different cannabis infused beverages, just like you’d get a six pack of beer.

Howie:
Great, man.

Cody:
We’ve even got the Lagunitas, which is HiFi Hops, one of our greatest products that we have as far as the beverage goes, made by the company Lagunitas. It’s actually the same bottles that they brew their beer in. So yeah, come check ’em out. It’s pretty amazing because of being somewhat of a new industry in the sense of manufacturing products at the level we are, some of the innovation that we’re seeing is, is really unique. And it’s gonna be cool as we continue to go man. There’s gonna be more and more, just great product innovation.

Howie:
You know what I’ve noticed, like, just from chatting with you over the years and all the knowledge I’m learning because, man, I was a total novice. I mean, I look back to my days in Arcata up there at Humboldt State, which I’m gonna be visiting next month, not to make a run, but just, uh, I’ll be doing a comedy show, but Oregon. On the way back, I want to drive through Humboldt show Connie, where I went to college. Hey, see that greenhouse over there? That’s where I used to harvest! I’m wondering, that you’re in a position, not just with your knowledge, but with your company. I bet there’s other cannabis outlets that actually maybe refer to you, when they’re asking for advice, even if they’ve been around longer than you. Because if you, your knowledge, cuz you seem really obviously knowledgeable in this field, but I bet there’s other cannabis outlets that seek your ideas and knowledge if they’re trying something for the first time, right?

Cody:
Yeah, I’ve been around for, for longer than most operators. I mean, Tahoe Wellness actually, we’re gonna be, on February 5th, we’ll be 14 years from the day we began selling cannabis. We actually opened on January 2nd. So yeah, we really are known as a true legacy operator, is what people kind of refer to us as the state. And, for me, I’ve kind of have hit many other parts of the cannabis industry and including cultivation, manufacturing, really involved in the advocacy side of things in the law. So yeah, I, I’m definitely known as an expert in the field. And, you know, I have done little bits of consulting and actually, right now I’m gonna be working on some different projects that are, that are more international and we’re seeing cannabis all over the world right now, really take hold places, even like Thailand, where you would’ve never, ever imagined, that cannabis would be legal. Thailand is embracing it. Wow at a very real level right now. So yeah, as I go forward, we’ll definitely be working, to help it emerge into new states and countries all across the globe.

Howie:
What we have to get together since, well, obviously we have to get together. I missed having you live in studio, but I know you’ve got like a city counseling today. You’re probably one of the very few folks that owns a cannabis place that’s also a politician. I was trying to think about, I wonder how many politicians actually have some stock or actually own that’ll, that’ll have the balls to come up front and say its their own cannabis store. You’re in a unique position, my friend.

Cody:
Yeah, I would say so. I was definitely one of the first to actually be elected from being a cannabis operator. But, you know, John Bohner, was probably one of the first major politicians that decided to jump in, but he was a politician first, right? And got out of the political game to get into cannabis. For me, it was really more in a lot of ways to show that cannabis people do have the ability to exist in the world and be a positive part, right, of a community as we’ve always been. And as I’ve gotten involved in the political spectrum, there’s so many problems that are far beyond cannabis that need help. So it’s motivated me to try to stay a part of it, to be a part of the solution more or less. But with that we’re actually doing our strategic workshop this morning and it’s here at The Landing, so everybody’s invited to this, but it will be where we kind of put down our strategy and our policy for the next couple years. So anybody that wants to come down, come check it out. But I am, uh, I’m gonna be late if I don’t jump off the call.

Howie:
Yeah, yeah. You better. Take a breath man, and then head on over and then Have fun over there. Have fun over there, but have more fun. Five 30 over at the Legion Hall, my friend.

Cody:
Yeah, buddy, I’ll see you there, hopefully, and we’ll talk next week. Have a great day.

Howie:
Alright, man. Don’t take any crap from anybody. Alright. Later.

Cody:
Never will I. All right, bye. Bye.

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