2025-05-23
While legal weed headlines scream collapse and bankruptcies, Brendan McKee and the team at Silver Therapeutics are opening new stores across four different states. How? In this episode, Brendan sits down with Jason to reveal the exact playbook for surviving cannabis price compression, how to negotiate with predatory landlords trying to charge a "cannabis tax," and why turning their employees into company owners (ESOPs) might be the ultimate wealth-building hack in the industry. Chapters: 00:00 The Secret to 90% Employee Retention in Retail Weed 02:18 Rebranding for New York: Why the Word "Therapeutics" is Banned 04:19 Craft MSO: Competing with Corporate Cannabis Giants 09:08 Expanding Across State Lines: Mass, Maine, NY, & Vermont 15:14 The Reality of the "Border Store" Gold Rush 18:43 Predatory Landlords & The Extortion of the "Cannabis Tax" 26:18 Surviving Price Compression & Saturated Markets 35:07 The Ultimate Dispensary Budtender Training Strategy 41:02 Deverticalization: Why Silver Therapeutics Walked Away From Cultivation 43:51 ESOPs Explained: Turning Dispensary Staff Into Company Owners 52:54 Dispensary Failures & Losing Your Life Savings in Weed 01:17:48 The Future of Interstate Commerce in the Northeast šØ Disclaimer: This episode discusses adult-use cannabis business topics. Intended for audiences 21+. Please engage responsibly. š Subscribe for more episodes from the High Functioning Podcast.