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Some conversations are worth coming back to.

For Season 2, Episode 15 of The Canna Connect Show, we're reaching into the vault for a conversation originally recorded in October 2025 with Brad Obermueller of the Center for Energy and Environment.

A lot has changed in Minnesota cannabis since we recorded it. But listening back, we were struck by how much of this conversation still matters.

Brad and Stephen Eigenmann talk about one of the less glamorous, but incredibly important, pieces of building a cannabis business: energy.

From LED cultivation lighting and utility costs to rebates and facility planning, Brad explains why operators should be thinking about efficiency early and how available resources can help businesses reduce the long-term cost of operating.

The conversation also goes well beyond cultivation.

Brad talks about energy assessments and efficiency opportunities for retailers and other businesses, why he wants CEE to become part of the checklist for Minnesota cannabis entrepreneurs, and what it means to build an energy-intensive new industry while thinking about the demands being placed on the electrical grid.

Then the conversation gets personal.

Brad shares his experience being diagnosed with blood cancer, undergoing treatment, and having a physician at Mayo Clinic suggest he explore cannabis for symptom relief. He describes how cannabis became part of his experience navigating treatment and eventually helped shape his passion for supporting Minnesota's emerging cannabis industry.

Stephen and Brad also get into the changing stigma around cannabis, Minnesota's unique relationship with hemp-derived THC beverages, home growers, small businesses, and a bigger question that feels just as relevant today:

What can we do now to make Minnesota cannabis better five years from now?

This one may be from the vault, but the conversation is far from outdated.

🎙️ The Canna Connect Show | Season 2, Episode 15

Recorded October 2025.

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