New Episode
Short Summary
In this educational episode of the Legacies Podcast, hosts Tom Ritchie and Wesley Bowles discuss the regulatory environment in Ontario, focusing on the AGCO’s enforcement actions and fines against pay-to-play retail data deals. They announce Cannabis Cartel joining The High Flyer brand partnership network and highlight upcoming industry events. Scott Swail and Brian Rice of Boveda join to discuss humidity science, dispelling common myths around humidity control in cannabis storage, explaining how two-way humidity packs (58% and 62% RH) preserve volatile terpenes and retain product weight. Finally, Tanner Stewart, Co-founder and CEO of New Brunswick-based Stewart Farms, discusses sustainable agricultural technology. Tanner shares details on their indoor vertical farming and aquaponic tilapia system, and their mission to provide cannabinoid-infused topical alternatives like Arctic Heat cream and Rebound bath bombs for physical recovery.
Tom Ritchie Says: What’s up, everyone? Check out what’s coming up this week on Legacies.
Tanner Stewart Says: I’m buying real Kraft Dinner for my kids this week—no more salted saltines for dinner!
Scott Swail Says: We conducted independent sensory lab testing on flower stored with and without Boveda. After grinding, the flower preserved with Boveda had up to twenty times greater terpene intensity than flower stored without it.
Tom Ritchie Says: Mark your calendars for May 10th in Toronto. Legacies and High Flyer Media are entering the live event space with an immersive experience like nothing this industry has ever seen!
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Welcome to Legacies. I’m your host, Tom Ritchie, joined by Wesley ‘The Wizard’ Bowles. Morning, Wes!
Wesley Bowles Says: Good morning! I am loving my new Stok’d sweater today.
Tom Ritchie Says: Shoutout to Lisa Campbell and the whole Stok’d Cannabis retail crew. We love promoting independent retailers who support the community.
Tom Ritchie Says: A reminder to everyone that Legacies is powered by Breadstack. Retailers, upgrade your e-commerce platform and local SEO. Breadstack creates intuitive menus with advanced filters, allowing shoppers to browse cultivars by specific terpene and aroma profiles.
Tom Ritchie Says: Wes, you posted in Slack yesterday about SpaceX. What happened with Starship launch number six?
Wesley Bowles Says: Test Flight 6 of Starship launched successfully. The tower’s communications array took minor damage during liftoff, so rather than risking a tower catch with the 16-story booster, they safely soft-landed it in the ocean. They also test-fired the vacuum Raptor engines in space for the first time.
Tom Ritchie Says: Donald Trump and Elon Musk were watching together after sitting cageside at Madison Square Garden for UFC 309 to watch Jon Jones fight. Between geopolitical tensions and rocket launches, the world needs to pause, smoke a joint, and chill out.
Tom Ritchie Says: In Canadian industry news, the AGCO’s enforcement against CannaExpress settled after they dropped their appeal of the regulatory penalty.
Tom Ritchie Says: We have Chris Jones coming on the show soon to discuss the situation in detail. Corporate data monetization programs have operated in regulatory gray areas for years, often functioning as thinly veiled pay-to-play shelf space schemes.
Wesley Bowles Says: Leaked communications revealed dispensary staff were instructed to prioritize stocking brands tied to data deals over customer requests. When retailers operate at a loss without data kickbacks, it creates an artificial market that harms consumers and shuts out craft producers.
Tom Ritchie Says: Independent retailers should stand out by curating bespoke craft flower rather than participating in corporate kickback schemes. Support local, independent dispensaries who stock quality over paid placement.
Tom Ritchie Says: We met Clint from Cannabis Cartel, and they have joined High Flyer Media as an official brand partner! Their apparel collection is live, and we are giving away a premium Cannabis Cartel hoodie. Just like, comment, and share this episode to enter.
Tom Ritchie Says: Later this episode, our dear friend Tanner Stewart from Stewart Farms joins us to talk wellness, medical cannabis advocacy, and their new Arctic Heat roll-on stick!
Tom Ritchie Says: Mark your calendars for May 10th in Toronto! Legacies and High Flyer Media are officially launching our flagship live event.
Wesley Bowles Says: We can’t share every detail yet, but it involves art, music, craft culture, and direct consumer connection. It will be the most innovative gathering the Canadian cannabis space has ever hosted.
Tom Ritchie Says: If you’re on the East Coast or West Coast, start looking at flights to Toronto for May 10th.
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by Scott Swail (VP of Sales) and Brian Rice (Director of Innovation) from Boveda! Gents, welcome to Legacies.
Scott Swail Says: Thank you, Tom! We’re excited to be here.
Brian Rice Says: Thanks for having us on, guys.
Tom Ritchie Says: For full transparency, this episode is not sponsored by Boveda. I have used Boveda packs since my legacy cultivation days to preserve flower quality. Where are you guys joining us from today?
Scott Swail Says: We are based in Minnesota, where Boveda was founded 27 years ago. We just got our first heavy snowfall of the winter!
Tom Ritchie Says: How did Boveda develop two-way humidity control, and what markets did you serve before cannabis?
Scott Swail Says: In 1997, our co-founders—passionate cigar enthusiasts—were frustrated with traditional wooden humidors. One-way sponges and gels spiked humidity to 100% before drying out, causing roller-coaster fluctuations that cracked premium cigars. A General Mills packaging engineer and a food chemist formulated our patented two-way salt-and-water technology to hold precise relative humidity.
Scott Swail Says: We expanded into acoustic instruments with a 49% RH pack to prevent valuable wooden guitars and violins from warping. Around 2010, California cannabis cultivators started putting our 72% cigar packs into turkey bags shipped across the country to prevent flower from arriving bone dry and underweight.
Scott Swail Says: We spent three years researching cannabis moisture sorption isotherms and discovered that 58% to 62% RH represents the ideal zone to preserve cannabinoids and terpenes while staying safely below the mold threshold.
Tom Ritchie Says: How does two-way humidity control actually function on a molecular level?
Brian Rice Says: A desiccant only absorbs moisture, while a humectant only releases it. Boveda combines saturated food-grade salts and pure water inside a semi-permeable reverse-osmosis membrane. If ambient humidity in a container rises above the target, it absorbs moisture vapor; if it drops below, it releases purified water vapor.
Scott Swail Says: We utilize 13 different food-grade natural salts blended at exact saturation points to create specific RH levels. Microbial and mold growth in cannabis begins at 0.65 water activity (65% RH). Our 62% RH pack is optimized for bulk curing and storage, while 58% RH is popular for pre-roll manufacturing and immediate consumption in humid climates.
Brian Rice Says: Other packaging inserts become a product of their environment. Boveda actively controls the micro-climate inside the container until the pack turns completely rigid.
Tom Ritchie Says: Let’s address the sacred cow: where did the persistent rumor that ‘Boveda steals terpenes’ come from, and what does the science prove?
Scott Swail Says: Around 2015, competitors entered the market spreading rumors that humidity packs strip terpenes. We spent over two years conducting rigorous internal testing and third-party laboratory analysis across 30, 60, 90, and 120-day storage trials.
Scott Swail Says: In every test, cannabis stored with Boveda retained significantly higher total terpene content than flower stored without it. When people open an unprotected jar and get an overwhelming rush of aroma, they are smelling volatile terpenes that have already evaporated out of the flower into the headspace. Once that air clears, those terpenes are permanently lost.
Scott Swail Says: Unprotected trichomes become dry, brittle, and crack open like shriveled raisins. Boveda creates a monolayer of purified water molecules around the resin head, locking the volatile monoterpenes safely inside the trichome gland.
Brian Rice Says: We sent blind samples to professional sensory evaluation laboratories. Before grinding, unprotected flower had a stronger initial aroma in the jar. But immediately upon grinding the buds, the flower stored with Boveda released a 5x to 20x more intense terpene expression at 62% RH compared to the dry control.
Brian Rice Says: Think of an orange: when whole, the peel has a subtle scent, but once you break the rind, you get an explosion of citrus oils. Boveda protects the trichome rind so the consumer gets the full terpene spectrum when they grind and consume.
Tom Ritchie Says: That completely reframes the narrative. That initial ‘bag appeal’ aroma in dry weed is literally degradation in progress, whereas Boveda preserves the trichomes for consumption.
Tom Ritchie Says: Some legacy cultivators claim that flower cured properly never needs a humidity pack. Why is that a misconception once product leaves the facility?
Scott Swail Says: A master grower can execute a flawless 90-day cold cure, but once flower is packaged into mylar bags or jars and sits in cardboard cases across distributor warehouses, winter transport trucks, and retail shelves, external climate shifts sap moisture.
Scott Swail Says: Arturo Fuente cigars ran into this exact challenge 20 years ago. Their cigars were perfect at the factory in the Dominican Republic, but consumers in dry climates experienced harsh burns. Fuente put Boveda in every cigar box to preserve the master blender’s intended profile. Cannabis craft producers should protect their harvest the same way.
Tom Ritchie Says: You also acquired CVault stainless steel curing and storage containers. How does that integrate with Boveda?
Scott Swail Says: Gary and Ryan created CVault with a dedicated humidity pack lid holder. CVault is the container vehicle, and Boveda is the engine. We acquired CVault a year ago, providing food-grade stainless steel storage for everything from consumer 7-gram stashes to commercial solventless extract transport with producers like Christina Lake Cannabis.
Brian Rice Says: In consumer product goods, the ‘first moment of truth’ occurs when a customer opens and consumes your product for the first time. If it burns harsh and dry, they will never buy your brand again. Controlling humidity guarantees that first impression is flawless.
Brian Rice Says: We are actively researching post-harvest drying and curing dynamics, developing solutions for solventless hash preservation, and collaborating with academic institutions to refine commercial post-harvest protocols.
Scott Swail Says: We invite any licensed brand to visit BovedaInc.com to request testing samples. Put our packs into your packaging and test the analytical data yourself. Consumers can find our 58% and 62% packs on Amazon and at local hydro shops.
Tom Ritchie Says: Scott and Brian, thank you for breaking down the real science and dispelling the terpene myths!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by our brother Tanner Stewart, founder and CEO of Stewart Farms!
Tanner Stewart Says: Tom, Wes! Great to see you boys. I’m in Vancouver this week connecting with retail buyers for our new Arctic Heat muscle relief rollout!
Tom Ritchie Says: You have one of the most eclectic entrepreneurial backgrounds in the industry. How did you get your start?
Tanner Stewart Says: I grew up in New Brunswick. My great-grandfather bought me a lawnmower at 13, and my uncle gave me a Christmas tree lot to manage at 16. In my early twenties, I moved to Fort McMurray, bought a welding truck, and built an industrial construction business over 18 years.
Tanner Stewart Says: Around 2014, when my son was born, I wanted to build something with positive environmental impact. In Edmonton, I founded one of Canada’s earliest vertical aquaponic farms—raising clean, antibiotic-free fish alongside indoor vertical leafy greens and kale using fish waste as organic biological fertilizer.
Tanner Stewart Says: During that time, I became the primary financier and executive producer of the environmental documentary The Need to Grow, narrated by Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars). The film focuses on solutions for regenerative agriculture, living soil biology, and human wellness.
Tanner Stewart Says: The film taught me that soil is medicine. When you consume a plant, you are ingesting what that soil ate. That philosophy became the guiding anchor for Stewart Farms.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did vertical vegetable farming transition into licensed cannabis cultivation?
Tanner Stewart Says: Indoor leafy greens operate on razor-thin margins. In 2018, I realized cannabis was a high-value crop that allowed us to advance clean agricultural technology and formulate true plant-based medicine. We secured our Health Canada license in 2020 and launched our first products in 2021.
Tanner Stewart Says: We launched bath bombs out of early necessity, which quickly evolved into a comprehensive wellness line. Today, Stewart Farms is the top-selling topical and bath wellness brand in Canadian cannabis.
Tanner Stewart Says: Our corporate mission statement is clear: Stewart Farms is on a mission to displace opioids, benzodiazepines, and steroidal creams with safe, Made-in-Canada cannabinoids.
Tanner Stewart Says: When Canada legalized adult-use cannabis, policymakers neglected to strengthen the medical framework. In countries like Israel and Australia, medical cannabis is integrated into national pharmacy networks as a safe first-line treatment for pain and inflammation.
Tanner Stewart Says: Military veterans paved the way for medical cannabis in Canada by using cannabinoids to break free from heavy cocktails of prescription pills. We work directly with medical platforms like Mendo to support patients seeking plant-based alternatives.
Tanner Stewart Says: Retailers often miss the massive basket-building opportunity of the wellness category. When a dispensary advertises another vape or flower SKU, they are simply shifting existing spend from one format to another.
Tanner Stewart Says: But when a consumer buying an ounce of Daily Grape flower adds a Stewart Farms bath bomb or muscle stick for their partner at home, that is brand new incremental revenue. Wellness products convert non-traditional consumers into loyal retail clients.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about the new Arctic Heat 30-gram roll-on stick launching in Ontario this January.
Tanner Stewart Says: Our original Arctic Heat cream was formulated to fix everything wrong with drugstore muscle rubs—eliminating sticky residues, chemical odors, and burning sensations by blending camphor, wintergreen, and balanced CBD/THC cannabinoids. The new 30-gram stick delivers a 300mg balanced CBD:THC formulation in a convenient, mess-free roll-on applicator with an invigorating cooling-to-heating effect.
Tanner Stewart Says: Traditional over-the-counter painkillers simply numb central nervous receptors while the underlying muscular inflammation persists. Topical cannabinoids interact directly with localized tissue receptors to reduce inflammation without entering the bloodstream or producing intoxicating effects.
Tanner Stewart Says: Shoutout to Jennifer Kloppenburg, our Director of Sales, Chloe (@LadyWeddington), and Chantal (@Weedcrafts). Our entire team is deeply committed to plant health, clean formulations, and holistic wellness.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tanner, we love your energy and passion for this plant and community. Thank you for joining us!
Tanner Stewart Says: Thanks, Tom and Wes! Keep crushing it, boys!
Tom Ritchie Says: What an incredible episode exploring wellness for both your body and your flower!
Wesley Bowles Says: From Scott and Brian breaking down the molecular science of terpene preservation with Boveda to Tanner’s mission to displace pharmaceutical pills with Stewart Farms topicals, today’s conversation highlighted true innovation.
Tom Ritchie Says: Mark your calendars for May 10th in Toronto, check out Breadstack to power your dispensary retail tech, and we’ll see you next week on Legacies!
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Co-founder & CEO
Tanner Stewart is the co-founder and CEO of Stewart Farms, a sustainable aquaponic cannabis and wellness company based in New Brunswick.
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Standard Cultivator & Processor
<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>Stewart Farms ...
Learn More About Partner ↗Aquaponics combines aquaculture (fish farming) with hydroponics (growing plants in water). Stewart Farms utilizes tilapia aquaculture tanks to supply nutrient-rich water to their vertical cannabis cultivation facility, recycling water and nutrients in a closed-loop system.
Boveda packs use a salt-and-pure-water solution inside a semi-permeable membrane to either release or absorb moisture, creating a monolayer of water molecules over trichomes that seals in and protects volatile terpenes from evaporating.
The AGCO regulates Ontario retail cannabis to prevent commercial inducements and pay-to-play catalog placements. They issued fines to enforce compliance guidelines, ensuring retailers prioritize consumer demand rather than listings driven solely by data program kickbacks.
