New Episode
Short Summary
In this educational episode of the Legacies Podcast, hosts Tom Ritchie and Wesley Bowles discuss the market availability of Seth Rogen’s Houseplant brand in Canada and examine its shipping pricing structure. They analyze the Q2 financial performance of Organigram ($27.1 million loss, a 262% increase YoY) and Auxly, focusing on the valuation and write-down of biological assets. The hosts also present a community request to map brands preserving legacy cultivars (e.g., Northern Lights and White Widow). They review recent technology updates, including the voice features of OpenAI’s GPT-4o and workspace integrations for Google Gemini, and provide product details on Spark Moon Rocks by Aspire.
Later, they are joined by industry guest Jazz Samra. Jazz outlines his transition from law studies and real estate into the cannabis market, detailing the process of starting Sativa Bliss retail stores under COVID-19 restrictions and establishing a retail network. He details the structure of two B2B platforms: Dank Reviews (blind product evaluation scorecards) and Dope Box (B2B sample tracking), and discusses the planning and SKU approval processes for the licensed brand Astro Boyz.
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Welcome to another episode of Legacies! I’m your host, Tom Ritchie, joined as usual by Mr. Wesley Bowles. Wes, how are you doing this morning?
Wesley Bowles Says: “Hey now!”
Tom Ritchie Says: “Hey now!” I’ve wanted to use Howard Stern’s classic sign-on for the longest time. After years of conditioning in those morning commutes, it’s just second nature. But Howard could get pretty crotchety, especially when he moved to Sirius satellite radio.
Wesley Bowles Says: You definitely didn’t want to get on his bad side because he had that massive audience and an absolute army behind him.
Tom Ritchie Says: When Howard moved over, Sirius jumped from 700,000 to over 2.1 million subscribers in just a few months! Did you ever watch his movie Private Parts back in the ’90s?
Wesley Bowles Says: Oh, multiple times on VHS! We wore that tape out.
Tom Ritchie Says: Incredible movie—especially the Fartman bit! [laughs]
Wesley Bowles Says: On a big note: Houseplant is officially available in Canada, but not the cannabis side yet—just their home goods.
Tom Ritchie Says: We want to support Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, but we have to talk about the shipping prices. A customer in Newfoundland posted that shipping an ashtray set cost \$272 via DHL! I checked an espresso cup set for \$110 CAD, and shipping to Ontario was \$90. We’re not shipping plutonium here! Seth, let’s get domestic Canadian fulfillment set up so folks can actually afford to buy Houseplant gear.
Wesley Bowles Says: Coming from California all the way diagonally to Newfoundland via express DHL without local warehousing adds up fast with brokerage and duties, but hopefully this is just a temporary stopgap until they establish Canadian distribution.
Tom Ritchie Says: Shifting to Canadian cannabis headlines: Organigram just reported their Q2 financials, and the losses are staggering. I was talking to our guest today, Jazz Samra, and we were wondering: at what point do you say enough is enough?
Wesley Bowles Says: Looking at their report, Q2 was a \$27.1 million net loss—a 262% increase compared to a \$7.5 million loss in the same quarter last year.
Tom Ritchie Says: And the explanation on the earnings release was: “lower unrealized gain on changes in fair value of biological assets and change in fair value of derivative liabilities.” What does that even mean? In plain terms, they pumped up the paper valuation of bulk plants and clones on balance sheets, and now reality is catching up with massive write-downs.
Wesley Bowles Says: Auxly and other large LPs are reporting heavy losses too. No large operator seems completely immune right now.
Tom Ritchie Says: It makes you question the old vertical integration model from 2018. Does it make sense to try to do everything in-house—cultivation, extraction, packaging, and retail—or should companies specialize in dialed-in cultivation or contract processing?
Tom Ritchie Says: I’ve been on a personal hunt lately, and I need our community’s help. I am a nostalgic guy who loves classic OG legacy cultivars—Northern Lights, Maui Wowie, White Widow, White Rhino, and Acapulco Gold. If you know a licensed producer growing authentic, frosty White Widow or true vintage genetics right, comment and tag the brand!
Wesley Bowles Says: What is it about those OG strains that stands out so much for you?
Tom Ritchie Says: It’s the nostalgia of what I cut my teeth on in the early ’90s. Today, companies cross anything and slap random dessert names on packaging. I want that unmistakable pine, skunk, and frosty trichome resin that made cultivars like White Widow legendary.
Wesley Bowles Says: Pre-legalization, most people had no idea what strain they were smoking—you just took whatever bag the dealer had. Having recognizable cultivars gives consumers a reliable benchmark to repeat purchase.
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes, what’s new in the tech world this week?
Wesley Bowles Says: Google and OpenAI both had massive AI announcements. OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o with real-time natural voice interaction. They showed a demo where the AI acted as a patient tutor for a child solving math on an iPad—guiding them step-by-step to find the hypotenuse rather than just blurting out the answer.
Tom Ritchie Says: Meanwhile, Google is integrating Gemini across Docs, Sheets, and Drive. Back in our day, cutting-edge tech support was resetting the VCR clock!
Wesley Bowles Says: For me, it was blowing into Super Nintendo cartridges to get them to work!
Tom Ritchie Says: We used to blow into Atari cartridges! [laughs] Also, Jerry Seinfeld just gave a graduation speech at Duke at 70 years old looking sharp, and released his Pop-Tart movie Unfrosted on Netflix. Maybe we need a series called Cannabis in Cars Getting Cannabis!
Wesley Bowles Says: I want to do a quick product shoutout: I’ve been taking these Spark Moon Rock tablets by Aspire for the last couple of weeks. They’re unflavored 10mg ingestible tablets in 15- and 20-packs. They have a delayed onset of about an hour and provide very consistent, clean nighttime sleep.
Tom Ritchie Says: Just to clarify: these are pharmaceutical-style tablets, not concentrate moon rocks (flower dipped in oil and rolled in kief). We’re also speaking with cannabis lawyer Harrison Jordan soon to dissect advertising regulations and explore potential educational loopholes. Let’s welcome serial entrepreneur Jazz Samra!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by serial entrepreneur Jazz Samra—founder of Sativa Bliss, Dank Reviews, The Dope Box, and Astroboys! Jazz, how are you doing, brother?
Jazz Samra Says: Doing fantastic, Tom and Wes! Excited to be here and chat with you guys.
Tom Ritchie Says: You have an incredible entrepreneurial drive. You started out in BC, went to school, considered law, but pivoted into real estate before jumping headfirst into retail cannabis with Sativa Bliss. What made you walk away from becoming a lawyer?
Jazz Samra Says: While working at law firms during my studies, I saw firsthand how overworked, stressed, and unhappy many lawyers were. I wanted to build my own businesses, take risks, and create brands. Having a background in real estate and commercial leasing gave me an advantage in understanding municipal zoning, location analytics, and retail lease negotiations when Ontario legalized private retail.
Tom Ritchie Says: What were the biggest hurdles when you opened your first Sativa Bliss store in Kitchener during the early days?
Jazz Samra Says: Securing leases was brutal. Landlords wanted double or triple market rent, personal guarantees, and massive upfront security deposits just because it was cannabis. We faced tight AGCO buildout deadlines where paint and drywall mud were literally drying behind the counter as inspectors walked through the front door! We expanded rapidly, but as the market saturated, we made the disciplined decision to close unprofitable stores to keep our balance sheet strong and protect the core business.
Tom Ritchie Says: In your experience running retail dispensaries, what is the single biggest factor for success—location, pricing, or curation?
Jazz Samra Says: Location and convenience are huge. But consumer loyalty in cannabis is unique. Unlike alcohol, where people buy the exact same brand of rye or beer for 20 years, cannabis flower consumers constantly chase new cultivars, fresh drops, and high terpenes. However, in edibles—like Wyld or Pearls gummies—we see strong, consistent repeat brand loyalty.
Jazz Samra Says: The biggest friction in Ontario is the OCS wholesale ordering system. Retailers get a narrow two-hour ordering window each week. The most popular craft SKUs sell out in minutes! If a customer asks for a specific product, there’s no guarantee we can get stock. On top of that, predatory discount chains sell fast-moving products at a loss to kill independent stores, while demanding massive data fees from LPs.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did retail challenges lead you to create Dank Reviews?
Jazz Samra Says: In retail, every LP sales rep walks in claiming their flower is ‘fire’ and ‘quads.’ Store managers and budtenders get buried in unmarked samples with no objective feedback. I wanted to build real, verified sensory data without hype or bias.
Jazz Samra Says: Dank Reviews is a 100% blind product evaluation platform. We repackage flower into child-resistant bags with unique QR codes. Over 100 verified reviewers—retail buyers, budtenders, and experienced consumers—evaluate trichome structure, moisture cure, aroma breakdown, ash color, and onset effects. We don’t publish a scorecard until at least 100 verified reviews are submitted. A certified 92/100 Dank Review score gives LPs concrete proof to show retail category managers!
Tom Ritchie Says: And from Dank Reviews, you launched The Dope Box. Walk us through how that works.
Jazz Samra Says: Most LPs struggle to reach independent dispensary decision-makers. Sales reps spend thousands driving store to store dropping off samples to whoever is behind the counter, with zero follow-up.
Jazz Samra Says: The Dope Box is a premium, curated bimonthly sample box shipped directly to verified dispensary owners, corporate buyers, and general managers across Ontario. Retail decision-makers opt-in specifically to evaluate new products for their menus, giving participating brands guaranteed direct exposure to the people who write the purchase orders.
Tom Ritchie Says: You’re also stepping onto the brand side with Astroboys! What’s the vision?
Jazz Samra Says: Astroboys is our premium lifestyle cannabis brand. We secured an Ontario Cannabis Store General Listing (GL) by presenting a compelling, authentic brand story rather than generic white-label hype. We partnered with exceptional craft micro-cultivators in the Maritimes who grow top-tier flower in small batches.
Jazz Samra Says: We refuse to buy surplus wholesale trim or repackage leftover lots. Our genetics are completely exclusive to Astroboys, and we control our supply chain 6 to 9 months ahead to ensure uninterrupted inventory on retail shelves. We’re hosting our official 420 Affair launch party on July 18th, and Astroboys will hit OCS wholesale and retail shelves in late summer!
Tom Ritchie Says: If you could change one major regulation for retailers right now, what would it be?
Jazz Samra Says: Eliminate mandatory frosted window coverings! Forcing dispensaries to black out their windows makes legal retail stores look like sketchy speakeasies. It creates severe safety hazards for staff because police and passersby cannot see inside during a robbery.
Tom Ritchie Says: It makes zero sense when parents can walk their kids directly through the LCBO surrounded by vibrant liquor displays, while cannabis is stored in child-proof containers behind secured counters. Let’s normalize legal cannabis retail and remove the stigma!
Wesley Bowles Says: Last week, Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson left an anonymous question for you: “What was your foundational inspiration or the straw that broke the camel’s back that pulled you into this hectic cannabis industry?”
Jazz Samra Says: It was seeing the undeniable medicinal relief cannabis provided to close family members battling chronic pain and inflammation when pharmaceuticals failed. Seeing how plant medicine transformed their quality of life inspired me to leave corporate real estate and build platforms that elevate safe, legal cannabis access across Canada.
Tom Ritchie Says: What is your anonymous question for next week’s incoming guest?
Jazz Samra Says: “How do we collectively shift consumer behavior away from buying strictly based on cheap price and inflated THC percentages, and educate them to value terpene profiles, cure, and full-spectrum entourage effects?”
Tom Ritchie Says: That is the million-dollar question for the entire industry! Jazz, thank you for your relentless hustle, transparency, and dedication to supporting independent retail and craft brands.
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes, I don’t think Jazz sleeps! He’s always building and executing on new solutions.
Wesley Bowles Says: I was half expecting him to tell us his next venture is launching rockets into space!
Tom Ritchie Says: Keep an eye out for Astroboys launching this summer, check out Dank Reviews and The Dope Box, subscribe on YouTube and Spotify, and tune in next week for Episode 13 of Legacies. Peace!
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President, Owner & Founder
Jazz Samra is a Canadian cannabis industry professional, serving as President of Sativa Bliss and founder of Dank Reviews, Dope Box, and Astro Boyz.
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Licensed Cannabis Retailer
<div class="brandpage"> <!-- MODULE 0 — breadcrumb --> <nav class="bp-crumbs" aria-label="Breadcrumb"> <a href="/">Home</a><span>›</span><a href="/brands/">Brands</a><span>›</span>Sativa Bliss...
Learn More About Partner ↗Sativa Bliss is a licensed, independent cannabis retail chain operating in Ontario, founded by Jazz Samra, with locations in Kitchener, Guelph, Belleville, and St. Catharines.
Dank Reviews is a B2B product evaluation service that utilizes double-blind testing by industry professionals to score cannabis products out of 100, assisting retailers with quality tracking.
Astro Boyz is a licensed cannabis brand co-founded by Jazz Samra featuring exclusive cultivars and distributed through provincially authorized wholesale channels in Canada.
