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What if cannabis could become a true social beverage—an alternative to alcohol that delivers the buzz without the hangover?

That’s the bet Jake Bullock, co-founder of Cann, made when he left the world of finance to reinvent drinking culture. Today, Cann is the #1 THC-infused beverage brand in the U.S., sold in liquor stores across 30 states, backed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Hudson, and changing the way people think about unwinding.

In this episode, Jake shares the full story of how Cann went from a garage experiment to a category-defining brand:

✅ Why lowering THC to 2mg unlocked cannabis’ social potential

✅ How Cann turned stigma into approachability with smart branding

✅ The brutal challenges of selling drinks through dispensaries

✅ The regulatory pivot that opened up liquor store distribution

✅ Competing head-to-head with alcohol (and winning shelf space)

✅ Product innovation: Grapefruit Rosemary, Lemon Lavender, and Roadies

✅ What celebrity investors really bring to the table

✅ The future of THC vs. non-alcoholic drinks in American culture

👉 If you’re curious about the future of social drinking—or want to hear what it really takes to build a disruptive CPG brand—this conversation is a must-listen.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:00 Why 100mg Drinks Were a Problem

03:00 Cann’s Insight: Low-Dose, Great Taste

07:00 Unlocking the Social Buzz at 2mg

10:00 Making Cannabis Approachable (Not Premium-Elite)

13:00 Campaigning Against Alcohol Culture

15:00 Breaking Out of Dispensaries

18:00 Regulatory Challenges & State-by-State Growth

22:00 The Big Pivot: From Dispensaries to Liquor Stores

28:00 Winning Shelf Space vs. Craft Beer & RTD Cocktails

33:00 The Rise of Roadies & Naked Highboys

38:00 Flavor Innovation: Grapefruit Rosemary, Lemon Lavender

42:00 Gross Margins & Beverage Economics

45:00 Fundraising & Celebrity Investors

49:00 What Value-Add From VCs Really Means

51:00 Defining Success: Exit, IPO, or Independence?

53:00 Cann’s Mission to Change Drinking Culture

55:00 Lightning Round: Humor, Misconceptions & Mistakes

01:02:00 Book Recommendations

📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & scaling insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter - https://www.theconsumervc.com/

Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc

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