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Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Check out what’s coming up this week on Legacies.
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome to Legacies! I’m your host, Tom Ritchie. Joining me, Mr. Wesley “The Wizard” Bowles—co-host, executive producer, CEO! You do a lot of things, man, and I’m never going to let the wizard title down.
Wes Bowles Says: I do! And my wizard hat is officially in the mail, so hopefully it arrives soon.
Tom Ritchie Says: I want to see it! We’ve got a great show today. I’m really looking forward to being joined by Genevieve Newton of Stewart Farms. We’re going to talk about a lot of things, but I’m super interested in these bath bombs. I can’t lie—I need to understand this world of bath bombs and THC.
Wes Bowles Says: Yeah, I was under the impression that the bath bombs were just CBD. And then you mentioned to me last week that no, they’re actually high-potency THC.
Tom Ritchie Says: Yeah, they’re not edibles—they’re like 100 to 250, maybe 300 milligrams of THC, which is great. I need to understand the science behind how that works.
Wes Bowles Says: So you’re absorbing it through your skin? Like a transdermal cream of some sort. Very popular from what we’ve seen across socials over the last six months or so.
Tom Ritchie Says: We’ll figure all that out and we’ll be speaking with her in no time. Big weekend!
Tom Ritchie Says: We were at Cannexpo on Saturday. It ran from Friday to Sunday, but we made it out there on Saturday. What did you think? I had a great time.
Wes Bowles Says: Yeah, it was good. I feel bad for the poor buggers that had to get there on Thursday to set up during that snowstorm. But yeah, great show Saturday. We got to meet with a lot of our brand partners and meet exciting folks. Depending on who you spoke with, there was either a ton of positivity about the potential in the industry, or honest talk about how brands are struggling. I felt bad for the folks with only one or two people manning their booths because they were completely slammed. We could barely get time with them!
Wes Bowles Says: We wanted to talk to our brand partners—Irie was there, Ricky, TLC, TLM, and Pinners. Sometimes it was legitimately hard to jump in because the booths were so crammed full of people. That was a big positive setup going into that event for sure.
Tom Ritchie Says: Some of the sampling was technically non-compliant with plain packaging rules, while other brands were right on point. But overall, Cannexpo blew it out! And shout out to Disciplined Stoners—hosting the main stage with nonstop high energy all weekend.
Wes Bowles Says: High energy, yeah! Three days of hosting and rapping on stage, they probably lost some of their voices and were completely tanked come Monday.
Tom Ritchie Says: We’re certainly not complaining about the samples though—a lot of great new products we hadn’t tried before.
Tom Ritchie Says: Kyp Rowe from Victoria Cannabis Company brought a special sample he purchased from BC—their G-Wagon pre-roll. Wes, this was your big return to flower after being in the beverage and edible space for so long!
Wes Bowles Says: Yeah, and I don’t want this to be a shameless plug because they’re not paying for this. I have not been traditionally a flower person. In high school, my buddies were into flower, but once everything became legal, edibles and beverages became my go-to because of dosage predictability. I know that roughly 40 minutes after taking an edible or drink, I know exactly where I’m going to be. Flower was always a mixed bag for me—sometimes harsh on the throat and unpredictable.
Wes Bowles Says: But when I came back from Cannexpo, one of the samples was this G-Wagon pre-roll. What, five fucking unbelievable hits! It was superb. I’m no connoisseur, but I really enjoyed smoking that. Now I feel ruined because every two weeks you’re going to be giving me something top-tier!
Tom Ritchie Says: That’s not a bad thing! There are great producers out there spending immense time and energy coaxing out terpenes so it’s smooth and flavorful.
Tom Ritchie Says: Speaking of genetics, we got to meet Ryan Lee at Cannexpo—cannabis geneticist and neuroscientist behind Chimera. I have never felt so uneducated in the cannabis space after speaking with that gentleman! He was incredible.
Wes Bowles Says: Neuroscientist!
Tom Ritchie Says: We’re definitely having him on the show in a future episode. He’s done breeding work for Victoria Cannabis Company and has been in the space for decades. Just a brilliant individual.
Tom Ritchie Says: One group I was disappointed we didn’t get enough time with at Cannexpo was Great White North Growers. I took a call yesterday with George, one of the co-founders, and it was so enlightening. He wasn’t sugarcoating anything about the industry, just a genuine dude doing it right.
Tom Ritchie Says: Their head of cultivation is Patrick Page, formerly of MTL Cannabis, who was responsible for their famous Sage n Sour cultivar. Patrick is over at Great White North Growers now, which is incredible.
Wes Bowles Says: Didn’t you mention that George was also a Montreal Canadien at one point?
Tom Ritchie Says: Yes! He mentioned his lifetime in hockey, and afterwards I Googled him—he was drafted in 1978! He also spent decades in Quebec broadcast media with CFC before cannabis.
Wes Bowles Says: Seems like we probably should keep that episode away from Ian because he’d be quite disappointed if we had too much Habs talk! We’re certainly not getting any Red Wings players on, that’s for sure.
Tom Ritchie Says: We’ve had Olympic snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, now an NHL draftee in George… we’re on track now! We definitely need a pro UFC fighter and an F1 driver next.
Wes Bowles Says: Let’s call on Georges St-Pierre! That’d be fun.
Tom Ritchie Says: There’s a lot of chatter going on around the legislative review recommendations for the Cannabis Act amendments. Wes, what are the highlights and lowlights you want to address?
Wes Bowles Says: Specifically the recommendation not to increase the 10-milligram edible limit. The document justified keeping it at 10mg to save the children. Of course protecting children is critical, but I keep comparing it to alcohol: I can walk into an LCBO and buy 40% alcohol, 80-proof spirits. Capping edibles at 10mg makes no sense to me.
Tom Ritchie Says: Shane Morris did a great breakdown of the wins and losses in the report. In the illicit market, people buy 250mg to 1,500mg chocolate bars, making it difficult for legal brands to compete. But there is real pharmacology behind Health Canada’s hesitancy.
Tom Ritchie Says: When you smoke flower, heat decarboxylates THCA into Delta-9 THC, and it goes almost immediately to the brain. When you consume an edible or beverage, the cannabis is already decarboxylated. It passes through the digestive tract into the liver through first-pass metabolism, converting Delta-9 THC into 11-Hydroxy-THC. 11-Hydroxy-THC crosses the blood-brain barrier much faster and is significantly more potent! A 10mg drink can hit like 15mg or more. Because metabolisms vary, onset takes 20 to 60 minutes. People get impatient, take more, and green out bad. So I understand Health Canada’s caution.
Wes Bowles Says: Well, that’s it—I’m buying you a lab coat! Anytime you do those science sessions, you’re wearing the lab coat on here with beakers and all that shit!
Wes Bowles Says: The other recommendation that was outrageous: there were no recommendations to reform packaging to allow adult marketing, but they recommended allowing flower packaging to contain a slightly transparent window so you can see the product inside! Which is absolutely fucking asinine! All product is stored in the back vault of the dispensary anyway—you can’t see it until after you purchase it. Adding a clear window adds packaging costs to Mylar bags and reduces space for vital label info.
Tom Ritchie Says: What we needed was real marketing reform and excise tax relief. On that note, we’ve secured Jonathan Wilson from Crystal Clear—who is very vocal about regulations and tax reform—for our 4/20 episode!
Wes Bowles Says: Speaking of marketing regulations, there was an amazing, timely article from StratCann on the 26th breaking down the societal costs of alcohol versus cannabis across Canadian provinces. The article concludes that it’s getting very hard for the government to rationalize the preferential treatment of alcohol over cannabis when alcohol is over 16 times more costly to society than cannabis!
Tom Ritchie Says: The healthcare disparity is insane. There will always be exponentially more money spent in healthcare treating alcohol damage than cannabis. It really ticks me off.
Wes Bowles Says: And look at the criminal justice stat: nearly $4 billion—40% of all criminal justice costs in Canada—is related to alcohol, versus a quarter of that for cannabis. Alcohol contributes way more to crime, yet cannabis carries all the stigma and restrictions.
Tom Ritchie Says: I usually remain neutral, but I’ve got to take a stand: if you support the illicit market in Canada, you are the fucking problem! If you are an influencer with a massive Instagram following receiving illicit product to pump and promote across socials, you are the problem.
Tom Ritchie Says: Growing four plants at home or sharing homegrown rosin with a buddy is legal and fine. But packaging illicit products into Nerds, Stoned, or Gushers candy knockoffs that appeal to children is dead wrong. You have individuals who transitioned from legacy to legal working their asses off and spending millions to comply. Influencers pumping untested black-market products are hurting this entire industry.
Wes Bowles Says: We’ve had guests like Kevin Varner, and Jeff and Sheri Aubin of Smoker Farms on the show. If you hear their stories and how much they sacrifice, and you’re still promoting the illicit market—quite frankly, fuck off! There’s been too much money, blood, sweat, and tears put in by legal operators. If you want to run illicit, go to a country that doesn’t have a legal framework.
Tom Ritchie Says: Who had your favorite booth at Cannexpo?
Wes Bowles Says: Next Friday! They had a bunch of old retro CRT tube TVs stacked on top of each other playing video loops. Straight street vibe, it was awesome.
Tom Ritchie Says: At High Flyer, we love that vintage 70s rec room vibe. Next Friday, Irie, VCC, and TLM had constant crowds. Another booth with great traffic was Drips.
Wes Bowles Says: Drips had that 15 to 20-foot tall inflatable Drips chair! People were jumping on it taking pictures with the logo plastered everywhere, sharing it all over social media. It was cool as shit.
Tom Ritchie Says: Let’s call Gavin from Next Friday on speaker right now to confirm him for next week’s episode!
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey Gavin, what’s going on, brother? We’re recording right now!
Gavin Says: Hey Tom! Doing good, man. We’re in the middle of setting up for the ninth year of the Downtown Defiance festival.
Tom Ritchie Says: We just announced you’re coming on next week, so I’m calling to make it legally binding—you can’t back out now!
Gavin Says: We’re locked in for April 3rd! Looking forward to it.
Tom Ritchie Says: Awesome, brother. Thanks for picking up, see you next Wednesday!
Tom Ritchie Says: Shout out to Alex—Sash with Alex on Instagram—who was holding down the Next Friday booth at Cannexpo. Wes, you walked away with their Dank Sinatra, right?
Wes Bowles Says: Yeah, I smoked that Dank Sinatra last night and the terp flavor was really, really nice. Creamy!
Tom Ritchie Says: Next Friday also has that Chameleon Connoisseurs 7-strain sample pack. Brands, do more sample packs, please!
Wes Bowles Says: Well, it is a Chameleon Pack, so I’m not surprised you can’t find it! [laughs]
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s up, everyone? Have you ever considered medical cannabis? You probably should—chances are your insurance benefits cover it. High Flyer Media has partnered with leading medical cannabis provider Mendo Medical to bring you an exclusive offer: register using code FLY WITH US to get 15% off your first order! Curated by Jay Schwartz, Mendo ensures every product meets elite craft standards. Register today with code FLY WITH US.
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by Genevieve Newton, Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms. Genevieve, thanks for joining Legacies!
Genevieve Newton Says: Thanks for having me on, guys!
Tom Ritchie Says: You were crowned Canada’s 2023 Top Grower! Walk us through your incredible list of accolades.
Genevieve Newton Says: I won my first awards in 2019 at HempFest in Calgary for Highest THC and Best Indica. In 2020, I won second in Top Female Grower. In 2021, I won first in Top Female Grower, alongside Highest THC and Highest CBD with two separate cultivars.
Genevieve Newton Says: Last year at the Grow Up ceremony, Stewart Farms won Top Standard Producer, and our Blue Dream Bath Bomb won Top Topical. And at the end of 2023, I was chosen as Canada’s Top Grower by Grow Opportunity, sponsored by CannDelta!
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about the high-CBD medical strain that started your deep dive into genetics.
Genevieve Newton Says: It was a medical cultivar called Candida by Medical Marijuana Genetics. I got motivated to grow CBD because my dog was diagnosed with severe epilepsy at age four. The vet said he needed heavy barbiturates that would destroy his liver, giving him an estimated lifespan of only eight years. The vet supported using CBD to relieve side effects. My dog lived to be 14 years old on daily CBD!
Genevieve Newton Says: I pheno-hunted Candida at home and isolated a sativa-dominant phenotype that tested around 12% CBD with under 0.3% THC, making it an official hemp variety.
Tom Ritchie Says: People think hemp is simple, but harvesting industrial hemp is brutal. When McGill University was doing scientific hemp trials, the fibrous stalks destroyed conventional harvesting combines!
Tom Ritchie Says: You’ve been quoted saying cannabis saved your life and then gave you a life. Walk us through that journey.
Genevieve Newton Says: My dad grew weed in his closet to get off alcohol. When I was in my twenties, I was drinking and partying heavily. One morning when I had a hangover, my dad opened his closet and showed me his plants. That was my first introduction.
Genevieve Newton Says: Years later, after four years of complete sobriety from drugs and alcohol, I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis in 2015. I developed chronic ulcers, lost dangerous amounts of weight, and was on death’s door from malnutrition and sheer pain. Everyone in 12-step recovery told me I couldn’t touch cannabis without relapsing into hard drugs.
Genevieve Newton Says: Out of pure desperation, I took a puff of cannabis. For the first time, my stomach spasms calmed down and my appetite returned. It saved my life physically, allowing my gut to heal and weight to stabilize, and took the emotional edge off without any desire for alcohol or cocaine. It became my medicine.
Genevieve Newton Says: In 2016, my local connection started bringing in $300/oz exotic strains like Black Dog and Rockstar. We spent hours researching lineage and terpenes. When buying became too expensive, I ordered seeds from BC Bud Depot and Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds—growing White Widow, Girl Scout Cookies, and Liberty Haze from Barney’s Farm.
Tom Ritchie Says: That’s the best approach: deep research and keeping the grow program simple. Cannabis isn’t a gateway drug—it heals and allows people to cope without harsh pharmaceuticals like Lyrica.
Genevieve Newton Says: I started with a 2×2 closet with Mylar and a Mars Hydro light. Soon I bought two grow tents for perpetual cycles and converted my craft room into a processing and drying area. I had worked in social work for 15 years in Edmonton, but cannabis wasn’t just a hobby anymore. I decided to make a complete career leap into commercial weed.
Tom Ritchie Says: What was your journey entering commercial facilities like Sundial?
Genevieve Newton Says: I completed the Olds College Cannabis Production course in 2018, did my practicum at Acreage Farms, and joined Sundial in June 2019. Sundial was a massive 500,000-square-foot facility. I worked in veg, mother rooms, and irrigation. When COVID hit, the team went from 1,000 down to a skeleton crew, and we walked kilometers every day managing 22 flower rooms per pod.
Genevieve Newton Says: In 2020, I moved to CannTx in Sundre, Alberta as Irrigation Lead. It was an automated Cadillac facility with 3-tier vertical racks and air showers. They let me create behind-the-scenes video content showcasing commercial equipment and plant care, which caught the attention of Stewart Farms.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tanner Stewart and CEO Katrina Jackson reached out to recruit you. Katrina said, “We need her.” What did that mean to you?
Genevieve Newton Says: It was the first time I felt truly valued in legal cannabis. In previous commercial grows, male coworkers would propose ideas and get approved instantly, whereas as a woman, I always had to prove the concept first. To have a female CEO validate my skills meant everything.
Genevieve Newton Says: Tanner showed me his seed library with legacy California genetics from Kevin Jodrey, promising I could spend my first year pheno-hunting. I packed my Jeep with my dog, cat, and a small U-Haul, drove nine days across Canada through COVID checkpoints, and arrived in St. Stephen, New Brunswick!
Tom Ritchie Says: Stewart Farms seems like a genuine, family-oriented operation.
Genevieve Newton Says: It truly is. In a high-turnover industry, our core cultivation and production staff have been here since the beginning. Katrina and I prioritize positive culture and have zero tolerance for workplace toxicity. If someone isn’t a fit, we address it immediately.
Wes Bowles Says: That’s what you have to do! In corporate life, companies keep unfit people around forever and just move them around the organization, or promote them up the management chain to strip away responsibilities so they don’t destroy people. Addressing culture directly is how you build a winning team.
Tom Ritchie Says: Stewart Farms is renowned for 2.0 product development, especially topicals and bath bombs. Wes and I were talking about the science behind them.
Genevieve Newton Says: Katrina has developed over 20 topical SKUs! Our most potent bath bomb contains 100mg THC and 100mg CBD, while our bath salts pack 1,000mg of total cannabinoids (500mg THC / 500mg CBD or 1,000mg CBD).
Tom Ritchie Says: What is the effect like absorbing cannabinoids transdermally in a hot bath?
Genevieve Newton Says: As a daily user, I put a couple of bath bombs or a whole bag of salts in the tub, soak for 45 minutes to two hours, and everything is amplified—deep physical relaxation. Non-consumers report that their entire body feels completely relieved and restored without feeling intoxicated. We also have 500mg Turmeric and Lavender medical balms that provide incredible relief for arthritis, nerve damage, and Bell’s palsy.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about your award-winning cultivar, Daily Grape.
Genevieve Newton Says: During my first week at Stewart Farms, I popped 300 seeds across 15 strains, including 22 seeds of Daily Grape (featuring Sundae Driver lineage). We narrowed it down to five elite flowering females, and Daily Grape #6—our “Sweet Queen”—smelled like pure grape bubblegum. It finishes dark purple with thick trichomes, testing between 28% and 33% THC!
Tom Ritchie Says: True fruit and grape aromas are created by esters, flavonoids, and alcohols, making an authentic grape terpene profile incredibly rare. What’s next in your genetic pipeline?
Genevieve Newton Says: Number two is Banana Poutine—combining old-school skunk funk with overripe bananas. It’s launching in the Australian medical market first before coming to Canadian adult-use.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about the Buy Weed From Women movement and apparel.
Genevieve Newton Says: It’s an initiative highlighting female and diverse entrepreneurs in an industry historically dominated by white men. Only about 5% to 10% of Master Growers in Canada are women. Winning Top Female Grower was a proud stepping stone, but proving that a woman can win Canada’s Top Grower overall shows that dedication and skill know no gender.
Wes Bowles Says: Genevieve, you’re a massive inspiration. What message would you send to women out there—especially women considering entering the industry?
Genevieve Newton Says: I started over at age 40, which was terrifying. My message to women of any age is: do the research, take online courses, ask questions, and jump in! The cannabis industry is evolving every day and there is plenty of room for dedicated, hardworking people.
Tom Ritchie Says: There is room for everybody. That’s why we do Legacies—to tell the authentic stories behind the pioneers building this industry.
Tom Ritchie Says: What does the future hold for Stewart Farms?
Genevieve Newton Says: We are scaling export and medical partnerships. We are currently raising $3M to $5M to expand our facility in St. Stephen into a full genetic R&D nursery. We are also looking for craft micro-cultivators growing in living soil or organics who want to contract grow our Daily Grape—we will buy every single gram off you!
Wes Bowles Says: That’s it—I’m moving to New Brunswick! [laughs]
Tom Ritchie Says: Let’s raise $5M, wrap a motorhome with Legacies, build a mobile lab like Molecular Science Corp, and do a cross-country facility tour!
Wes Bowles Says: That was refreshing and super inspiring. Genevieve’s accolades are incredible—she must have a whole trophy room! Stewart Farms recruiting her was one of the smartest business decisions they ever made.
Tom Ritchie Says: I’ve got to go source some Stewart Farms bath bombs now!
Wes Bowles Says: I’ve got to get a bathtub first! We’ll throw them into Lake Ontario—how many bath bombs do we need for Lake Ontario? Let’s do the math on that! [laughs]
Tom Ritchie Says: Next week we’ve got Next Friday on the show. Check out licensed brand swag at thehighflyer.ca, and we’ll see everyone next week on Legacies!
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Check out what’s coming up this week on Legacies!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome to Legacies! I’m your host, Tom Ritchie, joining me as always, Mr. Wesley “The Wizard” Bowles—co-host, executive producer, CEO! You do a lot of things, man, and I’m never going to let the wizard title down.
Tom Ritchie Says: My wizard hat is officially in the mail, so hopefully it arrives soon! We’ve got a great show today. I’m really looking forward to being joined by Genevieve Newton of Stewart Farms. We’re going to talk about a lot of things, but I’m super interested in these bath bombs. I need to understand this world of bath bombs and THC!
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes was under the impression that bath bombs were just CBD, but no—they’re actually high-THC topicals. They contain anywhere from 100 to 250, even 500 to 1,000 milligrams of cannabinoids. You absorb it transdermally through your skin like a cream. It’s been wildly popular across socials over the last six months, and we’ll unpack all the science with Genevieve shortly.
Tom Ritchie Says: We were at Cannexpo in Toronto on Saturday. It ran Friday to Sunday, and we had an absolute blast. I feel bad for the folks who had to set up during the snowstorm on Thursday, but Saturday was a great turnout.
Tom Ritchie Says: We got to connect with our brand partners and meet so many exciting people. Depending on who you spoke with, there was either massive excitement about the potential in the industry, or honest talk about the struggles brands are facing. Some booths had only one or two people manning them and were completely slammed. We tried getting into booths for Irie, TLC, TLM, and Pinners, and they were packed solid all day.
Tom Ritchie Says: Shout out to Disciplined Stoners—they hosted the main stage all weekend with nonstop high energy! Three days of hosting and rapping on stage; they must have slept for a full week after that weekend!
Tom Ritchie Says: Kyp Rowe from Victoria Cannabis Company brought a special sample—their G-Wagon pre-roll. Wes, this was your big return to flower after sticking to edibles and beverages for so long!
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes traditionally stayed away from smoking flower because of dosing unpredictability and harshness, preferring the reliable 40-minute onset of edibles and drinks. But that G-Wagon pre-roll had five unbelievable hits with smooth, rich flavor. Victoria Cannabis Company really knows how to coax out terpene profiles without any throat burn.
Tom Ritchie Says: Speaking of genetics, we got to meet Ryan Lee at Cannexpo—cannabis geneticist and neuroscientist behind Chimera. I have never felt so uneducated in the cannabis space after speaking with that gentleman! He’s done breeding work for Victoria Cannabis Company and has been in the scene for decades. We are definitely having him on a future episode of Legacies.
Tom Ritchie Says: Another standout connection was George, co-founder at Great White North Growers in Quebec. Speaking with him was so refreshing—no sugarcoating the industry, just a genuine operator doing things the right way. Their head of cultivation, Patrick Page (formerly of MTL Cannabis), is the mastermind behind the famous Sage n Sour cultivar.
Tom Ritchie Says: It turns out George was drafted to the Montreal Canadiens back in 1978 before spending decades in Quebec broadcast media with CFC. We’ve had Olympic snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, now an NHL draftee in George—we’re on track to interview a pro UFC fighter and an F1 driver next! Maybe we’ll give Georges St-Pierre a call.
Tom Ritchie Says: Let’s talk about the legislative review recommendations for the Cannabis Act. One of the biggest disappointments for consumers and retailers was Health Canada’s recommendation against raising the 10mg THC limit on edibles.
Tom Ritchie Says: You can walk into the LCBO and buy 80-proof, 40% alcohol, yet cannabis edibles remain capped at 10mg under the justification of protecting children. Shane Morris did a great breakdown of the wins and losses in the report. While I want the limit increased, there is real pharmacology behind Health Canada’s caution.
Tom Ritchie Says: When you smoke flower, heat decarboxylates THCA into Delta-9 THC, delivering an immediate effect to the brain. When you ingest an edible or beverage, Delta-9 THC undergoes first-pass metabolism in the liver, converting into 11-Hydroxy-THC. 11-Hydroxy-THC crosses the blood-brain barrier significantly faster and is far more potent. A 10mg beverage can hit the body with the intensity of 15mg or more, and with delayed digestion (20 to 60 minutes), inexperienced users frequently green out.
Tom Ritchie Says: However, the recommendation to add clear windows to flower packaging is completely asinine! All products are stored in back vaults or behind counters, so consumers can’t see through the window prior to purchase anyway. Adding clear windows adds manufacturing costs to Mylar bags and reduces space for critical label information. What the industry desperately needed was marketing reform and excise tax relief, not clear packaging windows!
Tom Ritchie Says: StratCann published an incredible breakdown examining the social and healthcare costs of alcohol versus cannabis across Canadian provinces. The findings are staggering: alcohol is over 16 times more costly to Canadian society than cannabis!
Tom Ritchie Says: Nearly $4 billion—or 40% of all criminal justice costs in Canada—is directly attributable to alcohol, compared to a tiny fraction for cannabis. Yet alcohol receives tax relief and lenient marketing rules while cannabis is taxed into the ground.
Tom Ritchie Says: I usually stay neutral, but I have to take a hard stance here: if you are supporting the illicit market in Canada, you are part of the problem. And if you are an influencer accepting illegal products in candy packaging—copying Nerds, Gushers, and kid-appealing branding—and pumping it on Instagram, you are directly hurting this industry!
Tom Ritchie Says: We have guests like Kevin Varner, Jeff and Sheri Aubin, and Genevieve Newton who poured their life savings, blood, sweat, and tears into building compliant legal businesses. Supporting illicit black-market operators who skirt testing, taxes, and youth protections undermines every legitimate craft grower in Canada.
Tom Ritchie Says: Next Friday had one of the coolest booths at Cannexpo—a stack of retro CRT tube TVs playing custom video loops, capturing that vintage street vibe. Drips also killed it with a massive 15-foot inflatable chair right at the entrance that had everyone jumping in for photos.
Tom Ritchie Says: Let’s get Gavin from Next Friday on speaker right now to lock him in for next week’s episode!
Gavin Says: Hey Tom! Doing good, man. We’re in the middle of setting up for our ninth year of the Downtown Defiance music festival.
Tom Ritchie Says: You’re on speaker and we’re recording right now, buddy! We just announced you’re coming on Legacies next week—you can’t back out now!
Gavin Says: We’re locked in for April 3rd! Looking forward to it, brother.
Tom Ritchie Says: Awesome! Shout out to Alex—Sesh with Alex on Instagram—who held down the Next Friday booth at Cannexpo. Their Dank Sinatra and Chameleon Connoisseurs 7-strain sample packs are pure fire!
Tom Ritchie Says: Have you ever considered medical cannabis? Chances are, your insurance benefits cover it. High Flyer Media has partnered with leading medical cannabis provider Mendo Medical! Register using promo code FLY WITH US to receive 15% off your first order. Curated by Jay Schwartz, Mendo delivers the finest craft medical cannabis directly to your door.
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by Genevieve Newton, Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms. Genevieve, thanks for joining Legacies!
Genevieve Newton Says: Thanks for having me on, guys!
Tom Ritchie Says: You were crowned Canada’s 2023 Top Grower by Grow Opportunity! Walk us through your incredible list of accolades.
Genevieve Newton Says: I won my first awards in 2019 at HempFest in Calgary for Highest THC and Best Indica. In 2020, I took second in Top Female Grower. In 2021, I won first in Top Female Grower, alongside Highest THC and Highest CBD with two separate cultivars.
Genevieve Newton Says: Last year at the Grow Up Awards, Stewart Farms won Top Standard Producer and Top Topical for our Blue Dream Bath Bomb. And to cap off the year, I was awarded Canada’s 2023 Top Grower by Grow Opportunity and CannDelta!
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about the high-CBD strain that started your journey into medicinal genetics.
Genevieve Newton Says: It was a medical cultivar called Candida by Medical Marijuana Genetics. I started growing CBD because my dog was diagnosed with severe epilepsy at age four. The vet told me the heavy barbiturates would destroy his liver and he wouldn’t live past eight years old. I added home-grown CBD oil to his daily routine—he lived to be 14 years old with great quality of life!
Genevieve Newton Says: I pheno-hunted Candida at home between an indica and sativa expression, isolating a phenotype testing at 12% CBD and under 0.3% THC. Working with hemp is tough because the fiber is so dense it tears up conventional harvesting combines, but the therapeutic value is undeniable.
Tom Ritchie Says: You’ve stated that cannabis saved your life and gave you a life. Walk us through that chapter.
Genevieve Newton Says: In my twenties, I partied hard with drinking and drugs. My dad had a strict household, but one day when I went outside to smoke a joint for a hangover, he invited me into his bedroom and opened his closet—he had cannabis plants growing inside to help him quit alcohol! He gave me some brownies and home-grown flower.
Genevieve Newton Says: Fast-forward to 2015: I had been completely sober from drugs and alcohol for four years. Suddenly, I was diagnosed with severe, chronic ulcerative colitis. I developed chronic ulcers, lost massive amounts of weight, and was on death’s door. The pain was unbearable. In 12-step recovery programs, everyone told me, “You can’t touch weed or you’ll relapse on cocaine and alcohol.”
Genevieve Newton Says: I was in so much agony that one day I finally took a puff of cannabis. Immediately, my appetite returned and the stomach spasms calmed down. It saved my life physically, allowing my gut to heal, restore nutrition, and stabilize my weight. Mentally and emotionally, it took the edge off without any desire to return to alcohol or hard drugs. It was pure medicine.
Tom Ritchie Says: When did you transition from consuming into growing your own medicine?
Genevieve Newton Says: Around 2016 in Edmonton, my legacy supplier started sourcing $300/oz exotic strains like Black Dog and Rockstar. We would spend hours researching genetics and terpenes. When buying weed became too expensive, I ordered seeds from BC Bud Depot and Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds—strains like White Widow, Girl Scout Cookies, and Liberty Haze from Barney’s Farm.
Genevieve Newton Says: I set up a 2×2 closet with Mylar and a Mars Hydro light. Soon, I added two grow tents for perpetual cycles and converted my craft room into a processing space. I had worked in social work for 15 years in Edmonton, but at age 40, I decided to quit my career, pack up my life, and pursue commercial cannabis cultivation full-time.
Genevieve Newton Says: In 2018, I completed the Olds College Cannabis Production course and did my practicum at Acreage Farms. In June 2019, I joined Sundial’s massive 500,000 sq ft facility in Olds, Alberta. I worked in veg, mother rooms, and irrigation. During COVID, as the workforce fluctuated from 200 to 1,000 and back to a skeleton crew, we walked kilometers across the facility managing 22 flowering rooms per wing.
Genevieve Newton Says: In 2020, I moved to CannTx in Sundre, Alberta as Irrigation Lead. It was a Cadillac automated facility with 3-tier vertical racks and air showers. They let me create behind-the-scenes video content showing how commercial equipment and genetics operate, which caught the attention of Stewart Farms.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did the move across the country to New Brunswick come together?
Genevieve Newton Says: CEO Katrina Jackson and Tanner Stewart reached out over Zoom in April 2021. Katrina said, “We need her.” Having a female CEO validate my skills meant the world to me, especially after years of having to work twice as hard as male peers in commercial grows to get my ideas heard.
Genevieve Newton Says: Tanner showed me their seed library featuring legacy California genetics from Kevin Jodrey. They offered me full control to pheno-hunt and build the cultivation program. I packed my Jeep with my dog, cat, and a small U-Haul, drove nine days across Canada during COVID checkpoints, and arrived in St. Stephen, New Brunswick!
Tom Ritchie Says: Stewart Farms seems to have an authentic, family-oriented culture.
Genevieve Newton Says: It truly is. In a transient industry, our core production team has stayed with us from the beginning. Katrina and I prioritize a healthy, supportive culture with zero tolerance for workplace toxicity. If someone isn’t a fit, we address it immediately to protect the team dynamic.
Tom Ritchie Says: Unpack the science behind Stewart Farms’ famous high-potency bath bombs and topicals!
Genevieve Newton Says: Katrina has developed over 20 unique topical SKUs! Our most potent bath bomb contains 100mg THC and 100mg CBD, while our bath salts pack a massive 1,000mg of cannabinoids (500mg THC and 500mg CBD).
Genevieve Newton Says: Cannabinoids in warm water absorb transdermally through your pores, providing deep systemic muscle relaxation without an overwhelming cerebral high. If you soak for 30 to 45 minutes, your entire body feels incredible. We also produce 500mg Turmeric and Lavender medical balms that have received life-changing reviews from patients managing arthritis, nerve damage, and Bell’s palsy.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about your award-winning Daily Grape cultivar.
Genevieve Newton Says: When I arrived at Stewart Farms, I popped 300 seeds across 15 strains, including 22 seeds of Daily Grape (featuring Sundae Driver lineage). Over a year-long pheno hunt, we narrowed it down to five flowering females. Daily Grape #6—our “Sweet Queen”—stood out with rich grape bubblegum terpenes, heavy trichome coverage, and tested between 28% and 33% THC!
Genevieve Newton Says: Next up is Banana Poutine, combining old-school skunk funk with sweet banana notes. It’s launching in the Australian medical market first before coming to Canadian adult-use recreation.
Tom Ritchie Says: You’re a big supporter of the Buy Weed From Women initiative. What are your thoughts on industry diversity?
Genevieve Newton Says: Buy Weed From Women creates awareness around diversity and female leadership in a historically male-dominated industry. Only about 5% to 10% of master growers in Canada are women. Winning Top Female Grower was an important stepping stone, but proving that a female cultivator can win Canada’s Top Grower overall shows that passion and skill transcend gender.
Genevieve Newton Says: For any woman—especially women in their 40s considering a career change—do not be intimidated! Take online courses, study plant biology, ask questions, and step into the industry. Cannabis is evolving rapidly and there is plenty of room for dedicated, hardworking people.
Genevieve Newton Says: We are currently raising $3M to $5M to expand our facility in St. Stephen and scale our R&D genetic nursery. We are also seeking craft micro-cultivators who grow in living soil or organics to contract grow our Daily Grape to meet surging medical demand in Canada and Australia.
Tom Ritchie Says: Genevieve, thank you so much for joining us! You are a true rock star and an inspiration to the entire Canadian cannabis community.
Genevieve Newton Says: Thank you so much, Tom and Wes! Cheers to the future!
Tom Ritchie Says: Catch us next week with Next Friday, grab your brand gear at thehighflyer.ca, and tune in on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Peace!
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Director of Cultivation
Genevieve Newton serves as Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms, where she produces award-winning cultivars like Daily Grape. Cannabis played a direct role in managing her colitis, and she advocates for women's visibility in the industry through the Buy Weed From Women movement.
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Learn More About Partner ↗Genevieve Newton is the Director of Cultivation at Stewart Farms in Canada. She is one of the country's most recognized cannabis growers and an advocate for women in the cannabis industry through her involvement with the Buy Weed From Women movement.
Stewart Farms is a Canadian cannabis producer known for cultivars like Daily Grape and for their cultivation-first approach under the direction of Genevieve Newton.
