Insuring Cannabis Podcast - Insurance Journal

EP. 104: 280E Is Key to Understanding Impact of Federal Shift on Cannabis

Ashley Waldrop — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:00:55 +0000

The effects of the change in the federal stance on the scheduling status of cannabis may have many impacts on what insurers and those who service the industry do. However, if you don’t know what it means for the 280E tax code and the changes that may follow, then you should pay attention to what Griffin Basden has been talking about to clients following a December 2025 presidential executive order to expedite rescheduling. Basden with AlphaRoot talked about the changes for this episode of the podcast with host Don Jergler.

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EP. 103: What Insurers Should Know About Banking for Cannabis Companies

Ashley Waldrop — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:00:22 +0000

Banking in the cannabis industry is a niche that few people may understand. It’s not without risk, but there are hundreds of banks offering their services to cannabis operators. In our latest episode, we talk to specialty banker Peter Su with First Central Savings bank about cannabis banking and what insurance and claims professionals should know about it. Listen to this interview with Insurance Journal’s Don Jergler and Peter Su with First Central Savings!

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102: How Recreational Cannabis Laws Have Affected Workers’ Comp Claims

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 22 May 2025 12:00:55 +0000

Has the adoption of recreational cannabis laws affected workers’ compensation claims? A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute seeks to answer that question and others related to cannabis use and workers. We spoke with Vennela Thumula, policy analyst at the WCRI and lead author of the study, to get lots of data for the latest episode of our podcast.

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101: A Softer EPL Market for Dispensaries, But Claims Are on The Rise

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:00:05 +0000

Dispensaries may be getting a bit of a break on employment practices liability insurance in recent times as capacity grows and insurers get better at evaluating the risks at these operations—and therefore become more comfortable with them. Nick Matsie, an assistant vice president at Berkley Select, is seeing a softer EPL market for dispensaries and other cannabis businesses. But he’s also seeing an uptick in claims frequency and severity. “It’s not a matter if but when these claims come in,” he warned in our most recent podcast episode.

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Ep100: 100 Episodes Later And We’re Still Looking Ahead

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 10:00:36 +0000

When we started our “bimonthly trip into the intersection of two industries that couldn’t be more different,” we were in the grips of a pandemic and cannabis legalization was sweeping states across the country. Episode 1 aired in May 2020 with a few industry experts talking about how the industry would weather the pandemic and an eventual return to normalcy. Four years later and the industry is still kicking—though federal legalization is probably about as far away now as it was then. One of our first podcast guests was Morgan Fox, who is now the political director NORML. To mark 100 episodes, we asked him on again to talk about what the cannabis industry will look like in the year ahead with the new administration, and what may lie beyond.

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The Insuring Cannabis Podcast – 100th Episode Alert!

Ashley Waldrop — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:00:15 +0000

The Insuring Cannabis Podcast launched at a time of uncertainty — pandemic lockdowns, shifting regulations, and a rapidly growing cannabis industry. Now, 100 episodes later, we’re still here, still talking, and still looking ahead!

For this milestone episode on Feb. 20th, we’re bringing back one of our early episode guests: Morgan Fox, Political Director at NORML, to discuss what the future holds for cannabis policy in 2025 and beyond.

Tune in Thursday, February 20th as we reflect on where we’ve been—and where we’re headed.

#Podcast100 #StillLookingAhead

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99: Cannabis Insurance Claims – Insight from a Producer and Former Operator

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:00:32 +0000

Insuring cannabis is far from a straightforward endeavor, so one would expect cannabis insurance claims to be a complex subject. One would be correct. Corey Tobin, a director with Symphony Grow, has seen some interesting—and big—claims. Tobin is also formerly a licensed cannabis operator. We spoke to Tobin about cannabis insurance claims for our latest podcast.

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98: Cannabis Beverages Are Popular but Pose Interesting Risks for Insurers

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:00:03 +0000

Cannabis beverages are a $1 billion and growing market, with some estimates calling for a $100 billion or larger market in the next decade. They are popular, but these infused drinks pose interesting opportunities and risks for insurers. For our latest podcast we spoke with Lee Woodruff, vice president of the cannabis practice for Jencap, and Beth Medvedev, vice president of underwriting for Hudson Insurance Group.

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97:What Insurance Pros Should Know About Testing for Mold in Cannabis Products

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:00:31 +0000

Testing for mold in cannabis products is a process that is being eyed lately as reports emerge that some level of “moldy weed” may be making its way to retailers. Product contamination poses some risks that insurers need to understand and be mindful of. Our latest podcast features Erich Schutz of Cannacover, a risk management consultancy and cannabis insurance incubator, and Carl Giannone, cofounder of Trade Roots, a growing cultivator and retailer in Massachusetts.

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96: CBD’s Gray Area an Opportunity for Insuring Cannabis Specialists

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:00:47 +0000

CBD, once considered a safer cousin to sell and to insure than marijuana, has become a bit of a gray area for regulators and insurers. That’s because of the lack of regulatory guidance, and the fact that the Farm Bill has yet to be finalized. There’s a level of trepidation in the insurance industry, but one insuring cannabis specialist sees the CBD space as an opportunity for producers. For our latest podcast, we spoke with Summer Jenkins-Wilson, a principal with Capital Green Consulting.

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Risk Management: The First Line of Defense in Cannabis Insurance

Ashley Waldrop — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:00:47 +0000

Explore how robust risk management serves as the foundation for cannabis operators, with insurance as a vital backstop against unexpected losses. Watch this clip from the Insuring Cannabis Summit 2024 as Al Ochosa of Curaleaf talks about what he’s seeing in the industry. To watch the full on-demand videos from the summit click here!

To register for free to next year’s summit or to be a speaker click here!

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Navigating the Complexities of Cannabis Insurance: Cyber Risks and Regulatory Challenges

Ashley Waldrop — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 10:00:12 +0000

Explore the evolving landscape of cannabis insurance as industry leaders discuss cyber exposure, regulatory hurdles, and the implications of widespread business platforms on risk management. Watch this excerpt from the Insuring Cannabis Summit as Alan Fiano of Crum and Forster talks about what he’s seeing in the industry. To watch the full session and the on-demand videos from the summit, click here!

#CannabisInsurance #CyberRisk

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Insuring the Future of Cannabis: Navigating Risk in a High-Tech, High-Stakes Industry

Ashley Waldrop — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:00:23 +0000

Explore how technological advances in the cannabis industry are driving new risks, including cybercrime and ransomware, as experts at the 2024 Insuring Cannabis Summit share insights on risk management and business protection. Watch this clip from the Insuring Cannabis Summit as Cooper O’Connor talks about these new risks — to watch the full panel and more videos from the summit click here!

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How Evolving Security Measures are Shaping the Future of Cannabis Businesses

Ashley Waldrop — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 10:00:53 +0000

The cannabis industry has made significant strides in security, standardizing systems nationwide while dispelling concerns over crime and property values in communities.Watch this excerpt from the Insuring Cannabis Summit where Ed Allen of Story Cannabis talks with moderator Charles Pyfrom of CannGen about what he’s seeing in the industry. To watch the full panel, visit insuringcannabissummit.com today!

#CannabisSecurity #BusinessGrowth

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The Insuring Cannabis LinkedIn Live Wrap-Up!

Ashley Waldrop — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 20:10:35 +0000

Check out the Insuring Cannabis LinkedIn Live Wrap-Up! Join hosts Allen Laman and Elizabeth Blosfield as they highlight the biggest moments from this year’s Insuring Cannabis Summit!

This virtual event brings together leading experts and industry insiders to dive deep into the fast-evolving world of insuring cannabis, hemp, and CBD – click here to watch the on-demand replays!

Topics include:
🗳️ Elections & their impact on the industry
🛡️ Smart cannabis risk management
💻 Cannabis & cyberattacks
🌎 Emerging markets …and much more!

CannabisInsurance InsuringCannabisSummit

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Cannabis Summit Snapshot for the Busy Insurance Pro

Ashley Cochrane — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 12:00:32 +0000

If you’re short on time but in need of some good information to help you in your daily grind in the insuring cannabis space, boy do we have a podcast episode for you. Seriously though. Our annual virtual Insuring Cannabis Summit just wrapped up, so we decided to bring our listeners a few “best of” clips from the event. It’s some of the best advice and information in about the time it takes to get a latte at a popular Starbucks.

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Hemp-Derived THC Drinks Poised to Dominate Mainstream Venues

Ashley Waldrop — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:00:26 +0000

As demand for hemp-derived THC drinks surges, brokers and buyers need to be prepared for its mainstream adoption, from backyard barbecues to major league stadiums, while navigating critical insurance challenges. Unlike cannabis-derived THC drinks that require dispensary purchases, hemp-derived THC beverages are more accessible, opening opportunities for sales in venues like stadiums and music festivals. Currently, hemp-derived THC drinks lack comprehensive on-site impairment and consumption insurance coverage, leaving businesses vulnerable compared to the established liquor liability policies. Watch this clip from the Insuring Cannabis Summit as Jesse Parenti describes what he’s seeing in the industry around the beverage market – to view the full interview and summit, click here!

#THCDrinks #HempIndustry

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Consumer-Centric Cannabis is Shaping Business Needs

Ashley Waldrop — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 10:00:18 +0000

Focusing on consumer needs is essential for driving business strategies and service improvements in the cannabis industry, ensuring reforms align with market demand. The Insuring Cannabis Summit 2024 provides key insights on the evolving cannabis landscape, covering risk management, supply chains, compliance, and more — to watch the full summit and get more insights from Allen Laman’s interview with Morgan Fox of NORML, visit the insuringcannabissummit.com today!

#CannabisIndustry #ConsumerFirst

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Future of Cannabis Insurance: Insights from the Most Mature Markets

Ashley Waldrop — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 10:00:11 +0000

Explore how Washington, Oregon, and Colorado’s well-established cannabis industries offer valuable lessons in overcoming regulatory challenges and scaling for success, as California continues to grapple with its unique market hurdles in this clip from the summit with Norman Ives of Amwins. To watch the full interview and other sessions from the Insuring Cannabis Summit, click here!

Mature cannabis markets like Washington and Colorado demonstrate the benefits of low production costs and industry stability.
California’s regulatory landscape, including high taxes and competition with the illicit market, presents ongoing challenges for the state’s cannabis growth.

#CannabisIndustry #CannabisInsurance

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Securing Your Cannabis Business: Property Risks and Auto Liability in a Changing Landscape

Ashley Waldrop — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:00:10 +0000

Experts highlight the importance of safeguarding cannabis properties from external threats while discussing potential improvements in auto liability with evolving technology. In this sneak peek from the Insuring Cannabis Summit, Shauna Blackburn of Blitz Insurance talks about property risk and other external exposures to be aware of – to watch all panels at the summit, visit insuringcannabissummit.com. Whether it’s cannabis or other industries, property risks are similar, but visibility into operations like dispensaries can invite unnecessary threats. #PropertyRisk #CannabisInsurance

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Unveiling Hidden Risks: Cyber Claims, Data Breaches, and the Cannabis Industry’s Insurance Challenges

Ashley Waldrop — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:00:02 +0000

Cyber insurance experts in the cannabis industry discuss unexpected cyber risks, such as hardware vulnerabilities in point-of-sale systems, and explore the evolving landscape of cannabis insurance in a dynamic industry. In this sneak peek, Summer Jenkins-Wilson, Executive Director at Cannabis Insurance Wholesalers talks about what she’s been seeing in the industry at this year’s Insuring Cannabis Summit.

Topics include:

Cyber Threats Beyond Software: A growing focus on hardware vulnerabilities, including point-of-sale machine data breaches, highlights overlooked risks in cyber insurance.
Underestimated Cyber Claims: Despite expectations, cyber claims are less frequent, with misunderstandings about breach protocols and policy coverage contributing to this gap.
Cannabis Insurance Insights: The Insuring Cannabis Summit delves into critical topics like data security, supply chains, and compliance, essential for staying competitive in this evolving sector.

#CyberSecurity #DataBreach

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Insuring Cannabis Summit is Available On-Demand!

Ashley Waldrop — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:00:10 +0000

This online conference that explores the fast-growing world of insuring cannabis, hemp, and CBD — is available on-demand now!

Expert panels on: Cannabis & Data, Risk Management, Supply Chains, Compliance, Claims & Legalization…and so much more!

Hosted by Claims Journal and Insurance Journal’s Don Jergler, Vice President of Insurance Journal Andrea Wells, and Content Editor at Insurance Journal Allen Laman!

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EP. 94: What Descheduling Could Mean for Insuring Cannabis

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:53 +0000

The buzz around descheduling has been growing louder as the elections near. The subject has been side-barred over political quarreling over the years, but just what it means for people who specialize in cannabis has never been more important. We spoke with Shauna Blackburn, cannabis team leader at Blitz Insurance, about what rescheduling would mean for the specialty.

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EP. 93: STIIZY Suit Bringing Cannabis Labeling Issue to Light

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:00:19 +0000

A lawsuit filed last month against the popular cannabis vape brand STIZZY alleging a teenage user developed cannabis-induced psychosis could be a harbinger of things to come if the industry doesn’t change its labeling practices, an insurance attorney steeped in the cannabis space is warning. For our latest episode we spoke with Ian Stewart, cannabis practice leader at Wilson Elser.

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EP. 92: Workers’ Comp in Cannabis is Just Another Day at the Office

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 23 May 2024 11:53:54 +0000

Is workers’ compensation insurance treated the same for the cannabis sector as any other industry? Are claims different? What about the risks? Kevin Tarango, director of Cannabis and the Workers’ Comp Dividend Program at Heffernan Insurance Brokers, answers “No” to all the above. He runs the Heffernan Cannabis Association, a workers’ comp program that pays dividends of up to 40% of premium to qualifying cannabis businesses. We spoke with him for our latest podcast episode to get a handle on workers’ comp in cannabis – and, of course, to ask him to talk about his program.

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EP. 91: Cannabis Insurance Underwriter on Surprising Info Left off Forms, Best Practices

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 09 May 2024 14:53:07 +0000

Think you’ve heard it all when it comes to the sort of information that is sometimes left off policy forms? Think again. Kieran O’Rourke, underwriting manager for Cannasure, has seen a few key pieces of information left off insurance forms. O’Rourke, who is kind of a “buck stops here” type, has also seen some key pieces of info absent on submissions. But he doesn’t mind too much. He’s been doing this awhile, and he had some good insight for insuring cannabis specialists in our latest podcast.

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EP. 90: Captive for Cannabis a Sign of Respect, Industry Maturity?

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:10:00 +0000

Want further proof that the cannabis industry is no longer the “red-headed stepchild” it is too often viewed as? Just ask TJ Frost. Frost is the president of Symphony Grow, which recently launched a captive program that Frost sees as evidence that the industry has arrived – it’s reached the point of maturity and respect. We spoke with Frost about the program, what sort of companies they are targeting, and why he thinks the program will grow.

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EP. 89: A Hard Look at Commercial Auto, Telematics and Cannabis

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:00:29 +0000

Commercial auto is a tough topic in any business segment, and as I like to make mention of a lot, it’s tougher still for cannabis businesses. This brings me to delivery, which is becoming a big business where it’s allowed – everywhere from California to Connecticut. One can imagine the needs around such operations, especially the insurance and risk management needs. To get a handle on what’s happening with insurance and the cannabis delivery market, I spoke with Griffen Kapulica, Broker Relationship Manager for Fairmatic, a commercial insurance company delivering data-driven fleet insurance using AI-powered technology and telematics. We looped into the conversation Chris Boden, a long-focused cannabis insurance broker and vice president of the Wholesale Cannabis Division for PL Risk.

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EP. 88: ‘Fine Lines’ Cannabis Brokers and Operators Should Keep an Eye on

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:00:58 +0000

The devil is always in the details, and if you’re a cannabis business with a lot of product and cash to protect – as many dispensaries happen to be – you’ve got a lot of details to note. Brokers specializing in cannabis have a lot of details to deal with too, on behalf of themselves and their clients, in terms of required security measures that carriers want to see implemented, warranties, and so on. For our latest podcast, we spoke with Shauna Blackburn, cannabis team leader at Blitz Insurance, about the “fine lines” that must be read carefully not just on policy forms, but on applications for coverage.

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EP. 87: How Do Insuring Cannabis Specialists Feel About 2024 with Most of Q1 Done

Ashley Cochrane — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:00:29 +0000

As we head into the final month of the first quarter, one would think we should have a good idea what the year in business – and the year in insuring cannabis – is shaping up to look like. How do retail insurance brokers who specialize in cannabis feel about things so far in 2024? Are they worried about prices for cannabis products? Are there any new risks to be concerned about? Are they still stoked about the possibilities of emerging products and newly legal states? We spoke with Charles Pyfrom, chief marketing officer at CannGen Insurance Services, about what he’s hearing from his clients so far this year

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