CPG & CBD University Podcast

Global Widget is proud to partner with Eurofins Scientific, whose mission it is to contribute to global health and safety by providing customers with high-quality laboratory and advisory services. On Episode 125, Vanessa Snyder, Business Development Director, discusses the services Eurofins provides to its customers and the measures it takes to be a leading international group of laboratories with more than 55,000 employees across 900 sites. Learn about some of its 200,000 analytical methods for testing, how its expertise, technological leadership, innovation and attention to quality and service have made Eurofins the global leader in the fields it serves. Plus, as the gummy industry continues to boom, hear about the challenges of gummy testing and how Eurofins is meeting those challenges. You can also learn more about Eurofins at www.eurofinsus.com.

To be an industry leader in everything gummy manufacturing, it’s takes innovation. Global Widget recently launched its innovation team, featuring members of our marketing and formulation team to study emerging product trends and incorporate the latest functional ingredients into our gummy formulations. Formulators Jessica Quinn and Sara Brown are joined by Marketing Manager Vikki Hayward and Content Manager Sean Murray to discuss Global Widget’s innovation in product development and manufacturing, some of the trending ingredients hot in the gummy industry right now and what ingredients you may be seeing more of in the near future.

As gummies become more and more popular with consumers for their health and wellness needs, this episode, as a part of our Gummy Central® series, examines the hot trend in the gummy industry of sugar-free gummies. Global Widget formulators Zach Burrell and Jessica Quinn discuss one of the hottest trends in gummies and how the formulation of gummies is different for sugar-free gummies. Burrell and Quinn discuss the substitutes that are used in place of sugar, how they are added to the formula and whether the taste, texture or the consistency is affected by sugar-free formulations. If your business is interested in adding a sugar-free vitamin gummy to its product line, learn more about customization options at: https://gwgummies.com.

iSee Store Innovations is a design and manufacturing company that develops innovative retail solutions for the convenience store and grocery industries. Melissa Vonder Haar is the Marketing Director and joins this episode to discuss her family’s history in the convenience store industry and how her father, Joe Vonder Haar, founded iSee Store Innovations and how the company has helped reshape the look and feel of convenience. Vonder Haar details how stores can stay innovative with products and cater to the ever-changing shopping habits and trends of consumers. Plus, she discusses how cannabis products are a natural fit for the convenience industry given their long history with age verification purchases of tobacco and alcohol sales. We wrap our episode discussing everything from baseball to Vonder Haar’s internship with Saturday Night Live and her award-winning chili creations. Learn more about iSee Store Innovations at www.iseeinnovation.com.

Safe Harbor Financial helped pioneer cannabis banking. In November 2012, Colorado voters passed amendment 64, legalizing the sale and use of recreational marijuana. As a result, entrepreneurial businesses focused on cannabis products grew just as fast as the unprecedented consumer demand for recreational marijuana. In response to this new and growing industry, Safe Harbor Financial CEO/President, Sundie Seefried, helped establish a safe, legitimate banking option for their cannabis clients. Today, Safe Harbor Financial manages over 600 cannabis banking accounts and has processed over $11 billion dollars. This episode goes into the challenges facing cannabis businesses seeking financing, how Safe Harbor Financial has met the challenges and how they stay ahead in an evolving industry by giving cannabis businesses the financial tools they need for success. Plus, hear about the philanthropic efforts by Safe Harbor Financial and Seefried to make communities around the world better. Learn more about Safe Harbor Financial at www.shfinancial.org.

CSP is committed to being the industry leader in publishing and media innovation. Hannah Hammond, associate editor covering packaged beverages and tobacco, joins our podcast to discuss the latest news surrounding the convenience store industry. Hammond reviews the educational resources CSP offers retailers and convenience store chains through its webinars, events and trade shows to stay on top of regulations and trends. Plus, she discusses the challenges facing the industry as the regulatory environment regarding tobacco continues to change and how CBD and hemp products fit in with tobacco behind the counter in the convenience store space. Learn more about CSP and its educational opportunities at www.cspdailynews.com.

This episode takes you behind the science of nootropics as we discuss hyper brain iQ. Science-supported and research-based, hyper brain iQ’s proprietary nootropic formulations are designed using special nutrients perceived to help elevate mood, reduce stress and maintain and improve mental performance – memory, learning, concentration, focus and recall. Quality Manager Nelson Manager joins us to discuss the functional ingredients you’ll find in these products and how each of these ingredients may benefit your overall health and wellness. He’s joined by Vice President of Sales Vince Gillen who provides feedback from our distribution partners and why increased consumer demand for cognitive-benefiting supplements is driving more distributors to add this brand to their inventory. For more information on hyper brain iQ, visit www.hyperbrianiq.com.

We’re going behind the latest headlines in the Hemp industry with Hemp Industry Daily editor Kristen Nichols. We discuss the new head of the FDA, who has no record on cannabinoids, and a new study from the USDA looking at Hemp farming in the U.S. Plus, Nichols talks about her newest editorial on why MJ operators got it wrong on Delta-8 THC and what the 2023 Farm Bill could look like.

Thanks to our eight varieties of ready-made vitamin gummy formulas, any business can instantly expand their product line and reach new customers without spending time on product development, formulation and testing. In the latest addition of our Gummy Central® series, join Global Widget Business Development Manager Logan Westlake and Senior Formulation Specialist Sara Brown as they discuss how our ready-made gummy formulas are changing the supplement industry.

On Episode 116, we launch our new series of podcast episodes regarding our newest initiative, Hemp at a Higher Standard. Global Widget Vice President of Sales, Vince Gillen, and industry advocate/attorney Rod Kight discuss how the age verification measures we educate our distribution and retail partners about help keep products out of the wrong hands. Learn about QR codes and additional labeling and packing standards we use across all our in-house hemp-derived cannabinoid brands. Gillen also discusses the additional educational resources we make available to our distributors, including position papers, brochures and other marketing materials. You’ll also hear about our latest product displays that allow for additional security to help keep our products from being sold to underage consumers. Kight talks the legalities of CBD, Delta-8 and Delta-9 products across the U.S. and what retailers and distributors should keep in mind when selling these products. Additionally, Kight discusses age-gating and what states like Tennessee have in the works regarding legislations which would require consumers to verify their age before purchasing these products. Subscribe to the CPG & CBD University Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify and more podcast platforms. You can watch full episodes of our podcast on our YouTube channel. For more information on Global Widget and its gummy manufacturing capabilities for your brand, visit www.gwgummies.com.

On Episode 115, two members of Global Widget’s Contract Manufacturing Division join us to discuss our latest investments to help bridge the gap in industry demand for gummies and total market capacity. With gummies as a main delivery method, Global Widget has made a number of investments in its facilities, processes and people over the past 18 months in response to the industry demand for great-tasting, quality gummies. Mac Norton and Clay Rahmberg, both Business Development Managers with Global Widget’s Contract Manufacturing Division, discuss the investments made at Global Widget’s four facilities, all located in Tampa, Florida, to meet total market capacity in manufacturing quality gummies demanded by retailers, distributors and private label partners. Hear about our increase in capacity at Plant 6 and Plant 7 with new manufacturing lines and the automation of production to increase efficiency and meet the demands of our customers. Plus, hear about our new distribution facility and recent certifications acquired. Get an inside look of our facilities by visiting the Global Widget YouTube channel. Subscribe to the CPG & CBD University Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify and more podcast platforms. You can watch full episodes of our podcast on our YouTube channel. For more information on Global Widget and its gummy manufacturing capabilities for your brand, visit www.gwgummies.com.

On Episode 114, three members of Global Widget’s formulation team join us for the latest in our Gummy Central® series. CBD, CBN, CBG, Delta-8, Delta-9 and more…the cannabinoids used in gummy formulations across our in- house brands Hemp Bombs® and Mystic Labs™ and within our contract manufacturing division evolve as consumer trends change. Quality Manager Nelson Rodriguez is joined by Quality Control Chemist Eugene Choi and Research and Development Specialist Jean Irizarry to discuss how the use of different cannabinoids affects the formulation of gummies, its flavors, texture and more. You’ll hear about the differences in cooking methods with each cannabinoid and how multiple cannabinoids may be used in one variety of gummy. Also, hear about the testing and reporting our in-house team completes on gummies to ensure the potency and label claims. Finally, our team discusses what other cannabinoids can be making their way into gummies next and how they stay on top of the latest trends in the hemp and health and wellness industries. Subscribe to the CPG & CBD University Podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify and more podcast platforms. You can watch full episodes of our podcast on our YouTube channel. For more information on Global Widget and its gummy manufacturing capabilities for your brand, visit www.gwgummies.com.

For the past eight years, Philip Snow has worked as an attorney in the cannabis industry representing businesses across the U.S. and Canada. We discuss Hemp-derived cannabinoids in the U.S., recent studies showing the medical benefits of CBD and what it could mean for federal regulation. Plus, the latest on recent and pending legislation.

Michael Patterson, CEO, US Cannabis Pharmaceutical Research and Development and a global Cannabis/Hemp speaker and published author, takes a look at the Cannabis and Hemp industry entering 2022. Patterson discusses recent studies looking at medical benefits of CBD, new regulations regarding cannabis and Hemp around the world and how the industry is expected to continue its explosive growth throughout the year.

We first introduced you to Cardinal Bay Distribution on Episode 40. Cardinal Bay Distribution is one of the original distribution partners of Global Widget, beginning with our first-ever product, Hemp Bombs® CBD Capsules. Over the past five years, they have expanded their partnership to include additional brands from Global Widget and now have added additional Hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Hear about how they stay on top of industry trends, the process for adding new products and the feedback they receive from retailers and consumers. For details, visit www.cardinal-bay.com.

Trade shows in the CBD and health and wellness industry are coming back. Vice President of Sales Vince Gillen and Director of Strategic Accounts Tracy Lane break down the trade shows on the calendar for the first quarter of 2022. Learn about Convenience Distributors Association (CDA) Marketplace, ASD Market Week and ECRM specialty shows coming up. Hear what retailers and distributors can expect to see from Global Widget, including our newest Hemp-derived cannabinoid products and in-house health and wellness brands.

In our latest Gummy Central® podcast episode series, Technical Services Manager Michael Diaz and Formulator Zach Burrell discuss the trending functional ingredients in gummies. With health and wellness top of mind as consumers make New Year’s resolutions, hear about what ingredients you may be seeing more and more of in gummy formulations throughout the year and what could be the next big trend in the gummy industry.

After a busy 2021 in the Hemp industry, what are some of the headlines you should be on the watch for in 2022? Kristen Nichols, editor of Hemp Industry Daily, joins our podcast for some 2022 predictions in the Hemp industry. After taking a look back at the big headlines from the past year, we look ahead and discuss if this is the year the FDA finally acts on CBD, emerging state legislation regarding Hemp-derived products and additional stories that could be making headlines in 2022.

We’re wrapping up 2021 with Business Development Manager, Mac Norton, Quality Manager, Nelson Rodriguez and Sr. Content Manager, Charlie O’Brien. Take a look back at our year of crafting and manufacturing award-winning CBD and health and wellness products and launching new brands. Hear about our Hemp Bombs products honored for great taste and quality and learn more about our newest brands from 2021 as we reflect on the past year and even offer some New Year’s resolutions for 2022.

Hemp industry advocate and attorney Rod Kight offers his 2022 predictions for the Hemp industry. After a busy 2021 saw the emergence of Delta-8 THC products along with changes to state legislation around the country, what could we see emerge in 2022? Kight offers his predictions for FDA regulation, other cannabinoid products and what the Hemp industry may look like outside of the U.S. For more news from Kight, visit his website at www.cannabusiness.law.