Jeff Papows

🚨 Massive Opportunity for New Jersey Cannabis Operators! 🚨  💰 The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has launched a $5 million Cannabis Business Development (CBD) Grant Program, offering up to $75,000 in reimbursement funding per licensed, independent cannabis operators in the state of New Jersey. This is a critical opportunity to support small businesses with compliance, operational costs, and sustainable growth measures.  🤔 Who’s eligible?   ✔️ Must hold a valid annual NJCRC license (Cultivator, Manufacturer, Retailer, or Testing Lab)   ✔️ Actively operating, or close to launch   ❌ MSOs and prior grant recipients are not eligible   🌍 Special funding set aside for businesses in Impact Zones  With extensive experience in cannabis vertical operations, particularly in manufacturing, workforce training, and operational development, I understand the profound impact that targeted support can have on long-term success. If you’re looking to optimize your business operations and establish a strong foundation for growth, Operator Academy can help with: 🔹 Manufacturing Workforce Training (Specialized programs to ensure compliance, efficiency, and industry-standard best practices.)  🔹 Management Training (Equipping leadership teams with the tools to streamline operations, improve communication, and enhance productivity.)   🔹 Operational Pipeline Optimization (Implementing lean systems to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and support scalability.)   🔹 Product Development (Strategic guidance for formulation, compliance, and market differentiation.) 📅 Applications are opening soon, don’t wait to prepare!  💬 If you’re applying or want to refine your operational strategy, let’s connect.  #OperatorAcademy #NJCRC #TransparencyMatters #WorkforceDevelopment #LeanSystems #OperationalSuccess

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🗣️ Fuelling Growth: Funding Pathways for New York Cannabis Companies Access to capital in New York’s cannabis market is complex — from restrictive banking rules to cautious private equity. Yet for well-prepared companies, 2025 offers unprecedented opportunity to secure strategic funding. ∘ Seth Yakatan - Co-founder, Katan Associates International ∘ Heather Quinn Molloy - CEO, Speedwell Partners, LLC ∘ Jeffrey Schultz - Partner, Foley Hoag LLP This conversation brings together investors and operators to discuss how to position for financing, structure deals that protect equity, and tap into alternative funding models such as revenue-based financing, joint ventures, and cross-border partnerships. Whether you’re scaling a single dispensary or expanding multi-state, the right capital strategy could define your market share for years to come. #BOFCNY25 #newyork #CannabisLeaders 🎟️🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNqS2WkW

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What New York Can Do Right Now to Protect Its Cannabis Market During a lobbying event in Albany, I sat in on a hearing about mail-order cannabis and hemp-derived products being shipped into New York. The discussion in the room was that this was a federal issue — outside the state’s control. That may be true at the national level, but within New York, the Office of Cannabis Management has the authority and responsibility to act. Because right now, out-of-state companies are selling psychoactive cannabinoid products — often hemp-derived — directly to New Yorkers through the mail. These products bypass every licensed dispensary, processor, and distributor in the regulated system. Here’s what New York can do to stop it 👇 1️⃣ Terminate any and all brands selling psychoactive cannabinoid products into New York — including and especially hemp-derived intoxicants. These sales are expressly prohibited under OCM rules, and most of the companies involved are multi-state operators based outside New York. 2️⃣ Fine any licensed processor manufacturing or filling these brands. If they skipped due diligence, failed to submit brand license applications, or ignored TPI filing requirements, they’re complicit in undermining the market. 3️⃣ If any of these brands somehow received Tier 3 brand approval or TPI clearance, OCM must be held accountable for that lapse. Revoke the licenses and prohibit those brands from further operations in New York. 4️⃣ Publish a public list of offending brands. Dispensaries deserve to know which companies are diverting customers out of licensed stores and into illegal mail-order funnels. These are not extreme measures — they are the necessary steps to preserve the integrity and future of New York’s legal cannabis market. Accountability matters. #NewYorkCannabis #OCM #CannabisRegulation #CannabisCompliance #VeteranOwned #AccountabilityInCannabis #CannabisPolicy #NYS #HempDerivedTHC

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How Arrogance Destroys Cannabis Businesses “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility.”  TS Elliot Most cannabis companies have organizational challenges.  A big one is the presence of arrogant thinking and its associated behaviors. ⚠️ A postmortem on cannabis business failure would undoubtably find arrogance as a contributing factor. A definition Arrogance is overconfident and stagnant thinking.  Importantly, not everyone who is arrogant believe they are or seek to use this trait in a negative way. Arrogance and its associated habits are not limited to specific functions, roles or management levels.  It is an equal opportunity corporate saboteur. 💡 Enter the Illusory Superiority Effect Most people think they are smarter, more ethical, and more capable than they really are. On a scale of 1 to 10 (5 being average), research shows that people will rank themselves a 7 - and implicitly acknowledge their peers are less competent and hardworking.  The higher you go up the chain of command, the higher the person will typically rate themselves versus their peers.   However, basic mathematics shows us the impossibility of most people being well above the average. This 2 point gap is arrogance, and helps to explain why bad decisions are made and corporate morale is so low.  📌 Arrogance in a functional sense Problems occur when companies allow opinion to substitute for data, analysis and common sense.  We have all seen these examples in cannabis: one’s opinion trumps other opinions & conflicting data when it shouldn’t. And the corollary:  data & people that support your beliefs are favoured over data & people that do not. 🦓 The problem gets worse when the egotists have enjoyed prior success. These Zebras – Zero Evidence but Really Arrogant – often ignore the role of luck, the team, and other factors, instead doubling down on their own beliefs and abilities. 💥 Hubris on a corporate level Cannabis firms are prone to mono directional errors, or a predisposition to point strategies in one direction or cluster thinking in one area.  This shows up when competitors and outside ideas are disrespected; ‘sacred cow’ assumptions are not challenged and there is an ’it could never happen here’ approach to risk. The negative impact of arrogance goes beyond poor decisions and faulty analysis.  The adverse organizational effects include increased politics as well as unethical behaviours like falsifying reports and corruption. Firms can mitigate arrogance by: ➡️ Institutionalizing checks & controls that force cross functional input & decision making plus add guardrails on key strategic & capital decisions; ➡️ Foster a culture of evidence-driven decision making; ➡️ ‘Bring the outside inside’ in terms of consumer & supplier feedback and best practices. I help firms solve difficult strategic, cost & organizational problems and capitalize on growth opportunities. #management #cannabis #cannabisindustry #LPs #MSOS    

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What news will today bring 🤔? "Massachusetts cannabis sales have surpassed $8 billion, reflecting strong consumer confidence and market resilience." Or "In early 2025, 23 cannabis businesses in Massachusetts surrendered or allowed their licenses to expire, indicating challenges within the industry." https://lnkd.in/euY49wKJ https://lnkd.in/ePPFYH_t

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Kratom, derived from Mitragyna speciosa, is increasingly recognized for its potential in managing chronic pain, supporting mental well-being, and aiding in opioid recovery. However, decades of stigma and limited research have kept its benefits largely unexplored until recently. The primary alkaloid in kratom, mitragynine, acts on multiple systems in the brain, including opioid receptors. Unlike traditional opioids, it does not cause dangerous respiratory depression, a key advantage in its potential as a safer alternative for pain relief. Mitragynine’s interaction with different receptor systems suggests that it could not only help with pain but also improve mood and energy levels. Recent research supports the safety of kratom, particularly when used responsibly and in its natural form. In a 2022 study, mitragynine was shown to have a favorable safety profile without causing significant adverse effects when consumed in controlled doses. These findings provide further evidence that kratom, when used correctly, holds promise as a safer option than traditional pain medications, many of which are linked to addiction and severe side effects. As more studies continue to unfold, the scientific community is gaining a deeper understanding of kratom’s potential, supporting its use as an alternative to manage pain and enhance overall quality of life. Citations: • Zamarripa, A., et al. (2024). “Safety profile and neurocognitive function of mitragynine in humans.” Psychopharmacology. • Huestis, M., et al. (2024). “Exploratory studies on the pharmacokinetics of mitragynine.” Journal of Pharmacology. • Smith, J., et al. (2024). “Impact of Kratom on chronic pain and opioid dependency: A long-term observational study.” Journal of Addiction Science.

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