Paige Figi joins us and shares her views on the shifting perspectives in the cannabis industry: “People are wanting that supply and complaining that there isn’t enough and trying to get it, it’s those big guys taking control and doing that. So, while we’re complaining about it, we’re also complaining about the solution. It all has to sort of wash out. It all seems so new.”
Seth Adler: Paige Figi returns. Welcome to Cannabis Economy. I'm your host, Seth Alder. Download episodes on Canneconomy.com. That's two N's and the word "economy". We've got a ton of direct insight on Canneconomy.com including a monthly column by Paige Figi. This is one of those columns in audio form. So, you can get it here, you can get it there, Canneconomy.com.
Seth Adler: First a word from MedMen and then, Paige Figi.
Seth Adler: MedMen continues to expand its footprint on the cannabis landscape, opening new stores in Los Angeles, Los Vegas and the iconic Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. They've also opened a 45,000-foot high tech cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility in Nevada. The company has reached a one billion dollar valuation, making it the country's first cannabis unicorn, and it's just the beginning. Learn how MedMen is building the future of cannabis today at MedMen.com.
Paige Figi: Okay. Seth Adler. I thought today would be fun to do a ... We'll switch it around and today you are going to answer the questions. So, you have this very, very broad base of knowledge being that you run this podcast and this whole website, Cannabis Economy, and the whole history in the cannabis industry. So, you must have a completely different perspective meeting all the different people who stay in their pockets and stay in their lanes. And I thought it would be really neat to hear the answers to some of your questions. From what you've learned and all the years and all the very interesting people you get to interview, you must have more of a 40,000-foot view of things. And, I don't think that gets, probably, heard often enough. People don't ask the interviewer. So, I have some questions for you today. Are you in for this?
Seth Adler: I am. One of my friends recently told me to do something that's outside of your comfort zone every day. And, of course, that was you who told me that. So, I'm happy to do it, and specifically, I'm happy to do it with you. So, thank you for even wanting to do this.
Paige Figi: Oh, yeah. I think it's going to be very, very interesting. And there's stuff I want to learn. Anyone who really is in this with staying power, in this industry, in cannabis ... It's such a fast moving industry, it's all brand new, there's so many trends, there are so many things that fall by the wayside. I think anyone who's got that staying power is going to want to learn from an expert who is in your position to have all this information.
Paige Figi: Okay. So, I'm going to start with a tough question. If you don't want to answer this, I'll understand. But, I wanted to start with the question of your personal cannabis in your personal cannabis. So, your personal use. Is there any, or is there not? And that'll just kind of help set the groundwork here.
Seth Adler: Sure. To help set that groundwork, I do not consider myself an expert. I consider myself an unlicensed anthropologist. I'm just trying to figure this out. As far as my personal use, currently it is whenever I am around friends that are in the space. That's traditionally and usually when cannabis happens for me. Otherwise, my girlfriend has never engaged with the plant, and so I'm not really doing that here at home. I will say though, that my dog [Mooky 00:03:26] is a CBD user. She uses Treatibles. Hat to Julianna Carella. So, that's the today. The yesterday is, I would say that I was a professional in college. It would be difficult to find someone else that was more familiar with the plant during my college years.
Paige Figi: I think that's very interesting. I'm sort of similar myself. Probably less use and less in college, certainly. But, we don't really use this in our daily lives. I do now, because of my injury, I use CBD. But, I just think it's interesting. You've been in this so long and you don't have a personal/medical stake in the whole thing. You're just sort of an eyewitness to it all happening. It's very interesting to me.
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