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In this educational episode of the Legacies Podcast, hosts Tom Ritchie and Wesley Bowles discuss Health Canada’s regulatory actions against independent social media reviewers (such as the Cannabroker), critique deceptive packaging from spirits brands utilizing hemp symbols, review treats from Glen’s, and discuss Decibel’s acquisition of Agmedica. They welcome Katie Pringle of Tether and Marigold PR to discuss Budtender communities, PR strategies, and the upcoming Radical Femmes event. Finally, they conclude their 3-part ‘Keep It Clean’ series with Autumn Shelton of Autumn Brands. Autumn shares how they maintain a 100% spray-free, pesticide-free greenhouse cultivation process in Santa Barbara County, California, by leveraging a biologically balanced ecosystem of beneficial insects like ladybugs to naturally eliminate pests, creating a standard for clean cannabis.
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Check out what’s coming up this week on Legacies.
Katie Pringle Says: We really believe in building community and multi-touchpoint marketing. By the time retailers and budtenders arrive at an event, they already know who your brand is, making genuine conversations seamless.
Autumn Shelton Says: By completely eliminating pesticide sprays, we created a self-sustaining greenhouse ecosystem that allows nature to do what it does best.
Tom Ritchie Says: Hey, what’s going on, everyone? Welcome to Legacies. I’m your host, Tom Ritchie, joined by Wesley ‘The Wizard’ Bowles. Wes, good morning, sir.
Wesley Bowles Says: Good morning! I am still full from last night’s dinner.
Tom Ritchie Says: We had an incredible dinner at The Carbon Bar in Toronto and did their full experience menu. That smoked brisket was phenomenal—the hickory smoke scent stayed on my hands for hours. You kicked off a barbecue dinner with a double espresso, and I enjoyed a cold non-alcoholic Peroni.
Tom Ritchie Says: A reminder that Legacies is powered by Breadstack. If your cannabis retail e-commerce platform needs an upgrade, connect with the Breadstack team immediately—they are scaling fast and hiring across the board.
Tom Ritchie Says: We need to talk about Mike Elkin, ‘The Canna Broker’. Health Canada recently targeted him over his Instagram posts reviewing legal products and showing bag appeal.
Wesley Bowles Says: Mike has been around since the early medical days of Tweed and Chuck Rifici. He is one of the most respected dealmakers connecting licensed producers and retailers in Canada. Health Canada targeting an independent industry broker over social media bag-appeal clips is ridiculous.
Tom Ritchie Says: Mike wasn’t promoting retail prices or driving inducements; he was sharing authentic product feedback with industry peers. Health Canada needs to focus on substantive regulatory reform and tax relief rather than policing compliant social media commentary.
Tom Ritchie Says: On the drive back from Toronto, my daughter texted me a photo of a bottle called ‘Hi Rum’ by Pure Spirits, featuring prominent green cannabis leaves on the label and claiming Canadian hemp infusion.
Wesley Bowles Says: Alcohol producers already enjoy flexible marketing freedoms and lower tax rates. Labeling alcohol as ‘Hi Rum’ with a cannabis leaf misleads consumers into believing it contains Delta-9 THC or CBD.
Tom Ritchie Says: Mainstream consumers don’t distinguish between hemp seed oil and psychoactive cannabis. Regulators should mandate clear disclaimers stating that hemp-infused spirits contain zero Delta-9 THC and zero CBD so consumers aren’t deceived.
Tom Ritchie Says: In corporate news, Decibel Cannabis Company announced the acquisition of Chatham-based AgMedica Bioscience from Atlas Global Brands.
Wesley Bowles Says: Decibel operates strong consumer brands like General Admission and Qwest. Expanding their footprint into AgMedica gives them European export capacity and specialized cultivation assets.
Tom Ritchie Says: We also had a great session with Michael Peron at MTL Cannabis. Disciplined operators who understand margin management, wholesale velocity, and tight financial control are positioning themselves to lead the Canadian market.
Tom Ritchie Says: We received a care package from Glen’s Edibles, and they sent over these heavyweight, ultra-soft hoodies alongside their gourmet gummies.
Wesley Bowles Says: Glen’s gummies have a distinct culinary texture—soft with a clean bite rather than rubbery. They offer distinct product tiers: distillate-based, full-spectrum, and single-source live rosin lines like their Amber Hawaiian Slap.
Tom Ritchie Says: They also sell 28-gram packs of non-infused gummies on their website. Having non-infused versions of gourmet confectionery satisfies your sweet tooth without accidentally over-consuming THC.
Tom Ritchie Says: We have two incredible guests joining us today. First, Katie Pringle from Marigold PR and Tether to discuss budtender advocacy and fall retail events, followed by Autumn Shelton, CFO and Co-Founder of California’s Autumn Brands, for Part 3 of our Clean vs. Dirty Cannabis series!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are joined by Katie Pringle, CEO of Marigold Marketing & PR and Founder of Tether!
Katie Pringle Says: Hi Tom! Hi Wes! So excited to be here with you guys.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did you first get into cannabis public relations?
Katie Pringle Says: My partner Bridget Hoffer and I launched Marigold eight years ago. One of our first clients was a family friend operating a head shop who wanted mainstream marketing advice. Every traditional strategy I recommended—billboards, transit ads, digital marketing—was strictly prohibited under the regulations.
Katie Pringle Says: We realized earned media and public relations were the only compliant avenues for cannabis brands to tell their stories. In 2021, we launched Tether to create intimate, regional networking events connecting licensed brands directly with frontline budtenders.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about Radicle Femmes and your upcoming cross-country tour.
Katie Pringle Says: We launched Radicle Femmes in partnership with Sister Merci and the Canadian Cannabis Exchange to bring women across the industry together. Access to capital is exceptionally difficult for female-founded cannabis businesses.
Katie Pringle Says: This November, we are hosting holiday networking mixers in Vancouver (Nov 13), Calgary (Nov 14), and Toronto (Nov 19) to foster mentorship, leadership retention, and commercial collaboration.
Tom Ritchie Says: How critical are budtenders to retail sell-through?
Katie Pringle Says: In our annual industry survey, over 70% of budtenders stated they want a long-term career in cannabis. They are not just cashiers; they are authentic educators who guide purchasing decisions at the counter.
Katie Pringle Says: When licensed producers invest in budtender education, provide sample kits, and attend regional gatherings, budtenders become passionate brand champions.
Tom Ritchie Says: What was your take on the AGLC sampling confusion and the OCS Buzzkill pop-up?
Katie Pringle Says: The AGLC’s temporary memo restricting sampling to corporate store owners created massive operational disruption before they walked it back. Clear, predictable communication from regulators is crucial.
Katie Pringle Says: On the OCS Buzzkill campaign: from a PR efficiency standpoint, creating a provocative pop-up generated immense earned media exposure for far less capital than a paid media buy. While fear-based messaging frustrated legacy growers, it successfully initiated public conversations among canna-curious consumers about purchasing from legal retail stores.
Katie Pringle Says: On November 6th, we are hosting our Tether Holiday Market in Dundas, Ontario, bringing together over 200 budtenders and independent retailers. We are also publishing our printed holiday gift guide, The Dope Guide, featuring Stewart Farms on the cover, distributed to dispensaries across Ontario.
Tom Ritchie Says: Katie, thank you for championing frontline retail staff and elevating brand community across Canada!
Katie Pringle Says: Thanks so much, Tom and Wes! See you in Dundas!
Tom Ritchie Says: Welcome back! We are wrapping up Part 3 of our Clean vs. Dirty Cannabis series with Autumn Shelton, CFO and Co-Founder of California’s Autumn Brands!
Autumn Shelton Says: Thank you for having me! Excited to be here with you guys.
Tom Ritchie Says: Tell us about the history of Autumn Brands in Carpinteria, California.
Autumn Shelton Says: Autumn Brands is a 50% women-owned, family-operated farm in Santa Barbara County. My Dutch business partner Hans Brand and his family grew cut flowers, primarily Gerbera daisies, for decades. When the California medical market expanded under Prop 215 in 2015, we converted our glass greenhouses to cannabis.
Autumn Shelton Says: Coming from cut flowers, where you fight for pennies on every bouquet sold to supermarket chains, we knew cannabis would eventually become an agricultural commodity. From day one, we designed our financial model to be profitable at $500 per wholesale pound. Because we are 100% self-funded with zero institutional debt, we have survived the severe market contractions that wiped out over-capitalized corporate MSOs.
Tom Ritchie Says: How did you transition Autumn Brands to completely pesticide-free cultivation?
Autumn Shelton Says: In late 2017, Hans came to me and proposed eliminating all pesticide sprays—even certified organic sprays like neem oil or pyrethrins. When cannabis is combusted, chemical residues directly enter lung tissue.
Autumn Shelton Says: We stopped spraying, released beneficial predatory insects, and endured painful early crop losses. Then native California ladybugs colonized our greenhouses naturally. A UC Santa Barbara entomologist confirmed they thrive in our pesticide-free ecosystem. Today, our beneficial insect population manages aphids and thrips naturally with zero chemical inputs.
Autumn Shelton Says: Earlier this year, an LA Times investigation exposed widespread illegal pesticide contamination in California vape pens and packaged flower. The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has been executing secret shopper recalls almost weekly.
Autumn Shelton Says: Forward-thinking dispensaries like Catalyst are now prioritizing zero-pesticide, verified clean growers. Clean agricultural practices are moving from a niche preference to a mandatory industry standard.
Tom Ritchie Says: You also utilize Rad Source Technologies’ cold photonic machines as part of your post-harvest quality control.
Autumn Shelton Says: In 2021, an uncalibrated third-party testing lab started generating false-positive microbial failures across our batches. We investigated photonic decontamination and purchased a Rad Source 420 unit.
Autumn Shelton Says: It uses hospital-grade cold X-ray photons to break down microbial DNA without degrading cannabinoids, terpenes, or trichomes. Combined with our seven-stage manual quality inspections, it ensures our flower achieves zero-detect microbial status before leaving the farm.
Tom Ritchie Says: Walk us through Governor Gavin Newsom’s emergency ban on intoxicating hemp products in California.
Autumn Shelton Says: As Treasurer of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), I was deeply involved in AB 2223. The 2018 Federal Farm Bill allowed 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight. Unregulated operators exploited this loophole, chemically converting CBD isolate into high-dose Delta-8 and Delta-9 edibles sold in gas stations without age verification, testing, or excise taxes.
Autumn Shelton Says: AB 2223 aimed to create regulatory parity, bringing intoxicating hemp into the regulated testing and tax structure. When the hemp lobby refused to compromise, Governor Newsom issued an emergency regulation banning intoxicating synthetic hemp products to protect public safety and retail stability.
Autumn Shelton Says: Under Section 280E of the Federal Internal Revenue Code, state-legal cannabis businesses cannot deduct standard operational expenses—like payroll, rent, or marketing. We are effectively taxed on gross income.
Autumn Shelton Says: Combined with California’s 15% excise tax and local business taxes, consumers face up to 35% tax at retail. We are actively lobbying to reform Prop 64 to lower excise taxes and establish fair commercial rules.
Tom Ritchie Says: What new product lines are you launching at Autumn Brands?
Autumn Shelton Says: We launched an intimate self-care wellness line called Now Melt, featuring cannabis-infused bath crystals, intimate serums, and transdermal body butters designed for restorative wellness. We are also pursuing licensing partnerships with clean cultivators in other legal states to bring our zero-pesticide topical formulations to wider markets.
Tom Ritchie Says: Autumn, thank you for sharing your expertise on agricultural sustainability, financial discipline, and clean cannabis cultivation!
Autumn Shelton Says: Thank you, Tom and Wes! It was an absolute pleasure chatting with you.
Tom Ritchie Says: Hearing Autumn outline California’s regulatory and tax landscape really puts things in perspective. Operating profitably on a $500-per-pound cost baseline while maintaining zero chemical sprays is masterclass operations.
Wesley Bowles Says: Combining Katie’s grassroots community building at Tether with Autumn’s sustainable greenhouse model proves that independent, quality-focused operators are the true backbone of this industry.
Tom Ritchie Says: Check out Breadstack to power your retail dispensary e-commerce, get your tickets for the Tether Holiday Market in Dundas, and we’ll see you next week on Legacies!
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Partner & CFO
Autumn Shelton is the partner, CFO, and co-founder of Autumn Brands, a pesticide-free cannabis cultivation facility in Santa Barbara, California.
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Licensed Cultivator
Autumn Brands is a licensed family-owned and women-led cannabis cultivation facility located in Santa Barbara County, California. The company is...
Learn More About Partner ↗Autumn Brands uses a 100% spray-free, pesticide-free process in their greenhouse facility in California. They establish a biologically balanced ecosystem using beneficial insects (like ladybugs) to control pests naturally, eliminating the need for chemical sprays.
Katie Pringle explains that Tether focuses on smaller, highly targeted community events in secondary markets, offering budget-friendly pricing structures that make participation accessible for micro-brands and craft producers.
Health Canada raised compliance issues regarding product posts on Instagram, classifying them as promotions. This highlights the regulatory strictness that limits even non-operator educational reviews and brand showcases on social media.
