Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Weed Jams with Andy Palalas: Toronto Mike'd #998

Episode Date: February 16, 2022

In this episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with the Chief Revenue Officer of High Tide, Andy Palalas, about legal weed, great weed jams and why FOTMs should shop at Canna Cabana. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Canna Cabana, StickerYou, Ridley Funeral Home and Patrons like you.

Welcome to episode 998 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. StickerU.com. Create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville.

Ridley Funeral Home. Pill pillars of the community since 1921. And Canna Cabana, the lowest prices on cannabis, guaranteed. Over 100 stores across the country. Learn more at cannacabana.com. Joining me this week to kick out the weed jams is the Chief Revenue Officer of Hightide, Andy Palalis. Mr. Mike. Welcome, Andy, to the TMDS studio.

Hey, man. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Well, it's greatDS studio. Hey, man. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Well, it's great to have you here, man. I'm so excited because we're going to get to know each other. We're going to get to know more about Canna Cabana, and we're going to kick out the cannabis jams. You know, I got to say, one of the things I was most impressed about, Mike, is your depth of cannabis jams knowledge. Like, you threw like 20 songs at me. Oh, yeah. I was like, oh, I better listen to all of these now.

Somewhere in the archives, and there's 997 other episodes in the library there, there is a Pandemic Friday. So Pandemic Fridays are now toast, and we've got some Canna Cabana swag for Stewstone that he's going to tell us all about soon, but more on that later but uh we did an episode i think we did an episode on 420 jams for like april 20th 2021 so

like i had fresh in my mind all these great weed jams but we got some new ones here okay that's cool man yeah i mean this is this is great i don't uh contrary to popular belief at canna cabana we don't uh we don't often sit around listening to stoner jams. So frankly, this is refreshing. This is like back to source for me. What is it like Mozart? What are you listening to in the office? Oh man, come on, don't do me like that. Come on, Mike. No, no, we're

cool. We're cool people. We're just busy selling weed, buddy. Oh, that's Tom Petty. Tom Petty's got some good weed jams, by the way. You said, don't do me like that. That reminds me of the great Tom Petty, but he's got jams, by the way. You said, don't do me like that. That reminds me of the great Tom Petty. But he's got Get to the Point Roll. Another joint. You remember this jam?

Oh, Dom. Dude, going toe-to-toe with you on music knowledge today is like my biggest fear. Andy, stay in your lane. I will stay in my lane. I'll handle the music. You handle the cannabis. You got it. All right.

In fact, let's dive in with a jam and then we'll get to know you. I want to get to know you better. So let's start with our first jam. Is this thing on? Word. So what if we get drunk? So what if we smoke weed? We're just having fun.

We don't care who sees So what, we go out That's how it's supposed to be If you're wondering why We're free So what, I keep them rolled up Sack in my pants, not caring what I show Keep it real with my niggas, keep it playing for these hoes

And look clean, don't have washed it the other day watch how you lean on it eat me some 501 jeans on and roll joints bigger than king kong's fingers and smoke them hoes down to the stingers you a class clown and if i skip for the damn with your bitch smoking gray so i brought the jams you're gonna going to bring the cannabis chatter. This is Young, Wild, and Free. This is by Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, and it features Bruno Mars. I wanted to open with this jam because Snoop Dogg's in there. Not only did we all see Snoop Dogg. Here he is now, little Snoop Dogg, and then we'll get back to him on the case trying to find the hell of taste oh my god i'm on the chase chevy it's getting kind of heavy relevant selling it dipping away time keeps

slipping away zipping the safe flipping for pay tipping like i'm dripping in paint up front for once like a leaf i put the wheat in the jay all right so not only did we see snoop dog in the halftime show of the super bowl which Wasn't that awesome? Wasn't that awesome? I mean, for me personally, that was the best Super Bowl halftime of all time. And even better, Snoop Dogg walking up to the halftime show with a blunt in his hand. You know, there were bets.

They were taking bets. Would he spark one on stage? But he smoked before he got on stage. So I guess if you put a bet that he was going to smoke on stage, you lost. You get a 50-50, I think. You get a 50-50 on that one. Dude, I loved it too, man. You know, I'm a Gen Xer here, and that was my halftime show.

I loved it. But I opened with Snoop Dogg not because he was in the halftime show, but because I want to get your, like, cannabis origin story. And I did a little homework, and I learned that Snoop Dogg does make appearance in your story here. Let's start with the Andy Palalas superhero story. How the hell did you end up in the

cannabis industry? That's awesome. It was 2016 and a gentleman I worked with before, vice president of sales at a previous company, was starting a weed bong company. I've got to be honest, I was in the organic food space at the time. I called I called him up and just to catch up and say, Hey, what's going on? What's going on? And, and, you know, he invited me down to his office to talk to me about this opportunity.

I mean, I'll be honest, it was 2016. I wasn't thinking about weed at all. It wasn't on my radar and, um, you know, but yeah, it caught my interest because, um, you know, they were, they were producing smoking accessories for some pretty impressive licenses. They had some licenses lined up with Paramount Pictures, with Snoop Dogg, with the Trailer Park Boys. Wow. Bubbles, man. Bubbles, man. Yeah, it was a really interesting hour. And so I came away kind of thinking, huh, this doesn't make sense at all for my life right now, but maybe, maybe I want to get involved with this. But I got to ask you the big question here is, uh, were you a connoisseur?

Like, were you a user of cannabis at this time? Oh, I, you know, I had, had nothing against cannabis at the time. I was just, uh, just about to have my second child. Um, and you know, really hadn't seriously. And you named her Mary Jane. I did not. I thought about it, but my wife shut that one down. Uh, we went with sage, which is a different plant. Hey, there you go. We kept it in the plant family. I love that name. Sage. That's cool. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to Sage. But yeah, I mean, so for me, it was like, you know, university was my, it was my heyday for, for cannabis. And at that time in my life, it was like every now and again at a, at a thing or one thing or the other. At that time in my life, it was like every now and again at a thing or one thing or the other.

But rediscovering cannabis at that moment in time, coming into 2016, pre-legalization and with this kind of Snoop Dogg angle, it was, yeah, it was a pretty interesting way to enter the industry. So you're making these like bongs for Snoop Dogg 2016. Did you ever meet Snoop Dogg? bongs for Snoop Dogg 2016. Did you ever meet Snoop Dogg? Uh, you know, we, we met Snoop Dogg, um, at a couple, especially, uh, after party kind of show things. There was one memorable one in LA, um, at, it was like a bank vault. I don't know. I'll be honest with you. We had had some, we had, we had, uh, indulged in some Snoop Dogg special prior to the show. You were high as fuck. Hey, yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, definitely. Sorry, high AF. Sorry.

AF, that's it. Hey, Sage is listening. Yeah, that's it, buddy. Keep it millennial friendly now. But yeah, no, it was a great, it was a killer show, man. The guy had like, as usual. I mean, to me, it was impressive to see a man with like a two foot long blunt being passed around

in the crowd. But hey, I hit it. What can I say? And you know why? And I know you'll know the crowd, but hey, I hit it. What can I say? And you know why? And I know you'll know the answer, but do you know why Snoop Dogg loves the Maple Leafs? Why he loves rocking the Leafs jersey? I don't know that he loves rocking the Leafs jersey.

I think he does. I think it's because it's a Leaf. Like he likes to don a Leaf. You know, the Toronto Maple Leafs actually litigated against Snoop Dogg. What? Yeah, yeah, with his brand Leafs by Snoop. That was his, for real.

I could see that. Whether it was actually like a court thing or whether it was a C&D or something. But like, yeah, the reason that Leafs by Snoop had some issues was because of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fascinating. Okay, so we've got you in the cannabis industry because you're making these bongs for Snoop Dogg. And maybe the next jam will kind of nicely segue to the next chapter here. So let's kick out another fantastic weed jam. Legalize it

Don't criticize it Legalize it Yeah, yeah And I will advertise it Some call it the time of the key Time of the key Some call it the weed This jam, it's taking us back before your time, my friend.

This is 1976. Peter Tosh back before your time, my friend. This is 1976. Peter Tosh. Peter Tosh, right. Of course, this is Legalize It. That is just after he left the Wailers. Yes, this is actually the very, I believe it's the first album from a former member of the Wailers. Yeah.

The first album. Yeah, no, Peter Tosh and Legalize It. What an important jam. And if you're going to kick out weed jams, I feel like this is a must-have. Yeah, yeah. It's a cool tune, man. And, you know, he's talking from a Jamaican context

of literally being harassed by the Jamaican police due to his use of marijuana, which, you know, doesn't maybe connect with our thoughts about what that might look like. But here we are in Canada. It's 2021. So now that we've got you making bongs for Snoop Dogg in 2016, tell me, like, I got so many questions about the legalization, but how does that affect the direction of your career and everything

when Canada decides we're going to legalize it? Yeah. I mean, you know, um, obviously legalization was a hot topic even in 2016, which reflected my decision to join what would eventually become high tide as our current, uh, CEO and the founder of high tide, Raj Grover. He was a, he was a majority partner in that business. And so, you know, it was a, it was an interesting little journey through 2016 as this, let's call it, fledgling accessory company, you know, would eventually blossom into what is high tide today. So yeah, it was a pretty substantive moment in my own career and certainly a foundational moment for high tide.

Like tell me about what it was like. Cause you're like, you mentioned high tide. And we better tell the good people, like they're going to hear this term high tide and they know Canna Cabana. What's the relationship there? High Tide today is a publicly listed company. It's one of the largest cannabis companies in Canada.

We started in 2009 as a single head shop downtown Calgary called Smoker's Corner. Wow. It's Corner. Wow. Yeah, it's an amazing story. And, you know, anybody who's interested can certainly read about our founder, Raj Grover, and the way that he grew that business into what Hightide is today.

But, yeah, I mean, you know, a number of companies that were under Hightide's umbrella in 2016, Smoker's Corner, which were the head shops that would eventually become Gannett Cabana. Right. And then, of course, you know, the smoking accessory side of things, which would eventually turn into our e-commerce businesses in the States, like Grass City and such. Yeah, those were the beginning parts of what is now just High Tide. So you're with High Tide, and then you mentioned this head shop in 09.

So I guess, like, I mean, I loved head shops because you could get, like, I have a Guns N' Roses flag around the corner that I bought at a head shop in 09. So I guess, like, I mean, I loved head shops because you could get like, I have a Guns N' Roses flag around the corner that I bought at a head shop in 1988 at, like, Young and Wellesley or something. We actually make all of Guns N' Roses' official smoking accessories. Is that right? Yeah, for real. For real. We make their bongs and grinders and pipes. Shout out to Slash.

Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Wow. Okay. That's a mind blow right there. I'll make sure we get you a little Guns N' Roses bond. Oh, man. I paid $150 to see Guns N' Roses just before the pandemic. I don't know when that was. And they put on a three-hour

show. That's crazy. Just unbelievable. Love that band because I loved Appetite for Destruction. That was a mind blow when I first picked up that. I bought that on cassette first. That's how far back we're going with that one. Nicely done. Guns N' Roses is amazing. I'm kind of jealous that you saw them for

$150. Well, you see, is that a good deal? Because at the time, it was the most I had ever spent on a concert with $150. Just before the pandemic? Yeah. That's because they let you in for free, right, Mike? Nobody makes Mike pay. No, that was Smashing Pumpkins. I didn't have to pay for that. But Guns N' Roses, I paid real money, $150.

But, okay, so bring me, so legalize, and remind us, when did it become legal in Canada? So 2018, October 17th, and I always mess up that date, but yes, that is legalization day. October 2018. And, I mean, at the time i mean i remember just like following it all like what they called it the green rush this was like this was a the big green wave this was quite a time to be in the cannabis industry it was such a big day mike yeah and what

what pains me is i was at a trade show in denver so yeah so we had our we had our sales team back home and like some of, some of the folks from high tide that were, you know, taking, taking photos and ordering cannabis online and showing us that, that, you know, the, the picture of the guy planting the weed outside of city hall in Toronto and say, just, we, it was a special moment. Unfortunately I was across the border for it, but Hey, I celebrated. So we read a lot about like LPs, right? What does LP stand for? So an LP is a licensed producer. So if you are buying cannabis in Canada, it was grown by an LP.

So, okay. So, you know, not just anybody can start growing some cannabis and sell it. This is, you have to be, you know, certified, I suppose, licensed producer. Yeah. I mean, you know, legal cannabis has a very tight chain of custody between the people who are growing cannabis in a store like canna cabana so everything is packaged and uh shipped and tracked and it's it's very tight and what that means is as a customer you get a you're darn sure that the product you're getting meets all required safety standards.

Absolutely. But it's also damn good, too. Safety standards doesn't sound like the number one thing that I'm buying cannabis for. Well, you know what you're getting, right? This was the thing. Like, you know, back in the day, you bought your weed from the greasy guy at high school or whatever, and he was getting it from some older dude. And you didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. Like, it wasn't at all. This is part of why it's important. We, we legalize it

because then you can, uh, ensure that people are getting, uh, good stuff. Yeah. It's not even just the high school thing. Cause I agree with you, you know, you're, you're buying it from Bobby who bought it from, you know, shout out to Michael power. Uh, yeah. Okay. That was your guy. And Michael, that's the plug. I got it. Michael, that was actually my high school. High school. Oh, that's the school. Okay. That's fine. That's a little more innocent. Right. But you know, even in today's world, like there's still plenty of, I think about half today, about half of the weed sold in Canada is still illicit, right. Or, or part of the legacy market. It's not licensed. So that's interesting. So half of the weed still is a black market or black market, I guess. Yeah of the weed still is black market.

Yeah. Black market, I guess. Yeah. Well, you call it. It's unlicensed cannabis, not legal weed. Do you remember? Maybe not. But I was always interested when the day, I don't remember the day, but I remember taking note of it that like the day that digital downloads outsold physical medium of music,

like this was a moment and they said, okay, for the first time ever, digital downloads are higher than the physical sales of CDs and such. And then it never, they never looked back. Like, uh, is that, so we're about there right now at that

point. We're about, we're about there. And it's taken us three years to get here, Mike. So there's still a lot of people who are buying cannabis in the legacy market.

There were, there were reasons for that. You know, the first few years of cannabis were difficult. Um, quality wasn't where it needed to be the first few years. And, and, you know, there was pricing issues. There's lots of stuff that just kept folks who were buying from a plug or online or whatever, doing the same thing nowadays though, genuinely no reason to not buy in the legal channel because the quality is way up. The prices are super accessible, especially at

Gandy Cabana. Um, and you know, the, the variety of product that's available is way up. The prices are super accessible, especially at Gannic Mena. And, you know, the variety of product that's available is mind-blowing. And don't bury the lead here. You get to support a Toronto Mike sponsor. Hey, there you go. That's the big lead. That's the big one. Alright, before I kick out this third jam, and I love how the music's kind of taken us places here.

My wife says we can't smoke in here. Therefore, I threw her under the bus there. Sorry, Monica. But I would like to offer you, if you're interested,'t smoke in here. Therefore he's get through under the bus there. Sorry, Monica. But, uh, I would like to offer you if you're interested, uh, a Great Lakes beer. Um, yeah, of course I'd love a Great Lakes. What do you crack and open there? You got a, what do you got there? There's Lake.

Okay. I'm going to say, Oh, it's an American IPA. Yeah. I'll take the American IPA. Let's do that. Okay. And I'm going to crack open a new England pale ale.

It's called burst. So I'm going to do it on the mic though. You get, Oh, let's crack this up. Oh, what a sound. What a sound. So here, a toast to you, Andy. Hey, cheers. Thanks for having me here, Mike.

Nice to see you. That's great. Love it. Nothing better to do on a, what is this, Tuesday? On a Tuesday evening, then kick out some weed jams. Sounds like you've been to a can of Cabana, Mike.

So cheers. Thank you, Great Lakes, for the beer. By the way, my friend, do you enjoy Italian food? Do I enjoy Italian food? I mean, I've got Italian in my blood, Mike. It would be sacrilege not to.

Palalisa. No, no. You need a battle line for that. Mother's side, unfortunately. Mother's side. Well, not unfortunately. Shout out to, yeah, whatever your mom's maiden name is.

Not unfortunately. Yeah, I was going to say. Yeah, I got to backtrack on that. Sorry, mom. Cut that. That's all good. I have a large meat lasagna in the freezer for you that you're taking home with you,

courtesy of Palma Pasta. Oh my goodness. So you're not leaving here without some Palma Pasta. That is too generous. And I got more gifts for you shortly, but I'm going to start up another jam here. And this one's got a slow brew at the beginning here, so I'm going to drink my beer and let this soak over me. I want to get high, so high

I want to get high, so high Well that's the funk, I'll stick the blunt I'll twist it, the slam, I'll fight through the fight Punk on your discus Oh, what you miss? This shit got the bad wet list Catch a hoe and another hoe, Merry Christmas Yes, I smoke shit, straight off the road, clip my road shit Roll the blunt, it wants to approach it

Forward motion, make it sway like the ocean The herb is more than just a powerful potion What's the commotion? Yo, I'm not joking around People learning about what they smoke in my ovens on high Woo! That song is a whole vibe. Yeah, no doubt. Cypress Hill. That jam takes us back to 1993. That was a big album.

That album was called Black Sunday, and I had that CD. That was a big damn deal at the time. You know, we actually did a collab with Be Real. Get out of here. Yeah, so Daily High Club, one of the great businesses in the high tide world, they do a monthly subscription box of cannabis accessories, and they did a B-Real box.

It was pretty exciting. Wow. No, love the guy. Love Cypress Hill. Just big fan. One interesting note, of course, is that this album, Black Sunday, it has a booklet inside of it

in the CD. And in this booklet, it's got 19 facts about the history of hemp and the positive attributes of cannabis. Because way back in 1993, much like Peter Tosh before them, Cypress Hill were all about the legalization of cannabis.

Huge advocates, man. Like, you know, big, big part of the cannabis legalization story. Absolutely. Not just for medicinal reasons, although there's so many medical benefits, but for recreational use. And time has arrived for Cypress Hill here. So can you tell me maybe in these three years of legalization in this country, like how has the like the retail experience changed? And you can speak specifically to a can of cabana, but just even the industry as a whole. Yeah, I mean, a lot. It's changed a lot.

Cannabis changes by the minute. And I think anybody in cannabis would tell you that, you know, when we when legalization hit in 2018, there was a lot. There are a lot of folks who were new to the industry. We certainly had, had some time in it and, and, you know, our experience with cannabis consumers and people who loved cannabis was through Smoker's Corner, through our head shops. And so, you know, early days, our hypothesis was the people who were coming and buying bongs and enjoying cannabis culture at that time were probably going to be our core customer. And just about everybody else in the industry was not really down with that point. Who did they think was buying weed?

There's a study that came out from Deloitte about the fact that all new cannabis consumers were going to be university educated, make six figures a year, work on Bay Street. It was like, I don't know, they were selling the data that sold. You know what I mean? Like the guy in American Psycho. Sure. That guy. Not to say that.

I mean, all sorts of people consume cannabis, right? There's no like, you know, one group. But by the same token, you know, we wanted to create a playful, you know, accessible environment where folks could feel comfortable to come in and certainly learn about cannabis. But also we wanted to appeal to the, you know, to today's cannabis consumer. And so, you know, Canada Cabana was, and lots has changed since three years ago. Um, you know, the quality of cannabis, I talk about this a lot, Mike, but I don't know if you're, are you, are you a, tell me a little, are you a cannabis user yourself or? No, I'm an open-minded, uh, considering, uh, dipping my toes in the cannabis river of

heaven here, but not currently. Nice. Well, I can give you some words of wisdom a little later on when the time is right. It's also a great third bass song, Words of Wisdom. Oh, man. You just pull them out. I'll do it. Good for you. Cheers to them. But, you know,

early days, I'll be honest, it was pretty bleak with regards to product. I remember there was a winter of 2019. Yeah. There was just a shortage of weed, man. We just, there was not enough weed. We were trying to stock our store. We like, we had one store in little.

From LPs. Correct. Because that's why people were going to a Johnny under the bridge. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, so, well, even worse, you know, they were already going to Johnny under the bridge. We were all like, Hey, it's legal now come to us. Right. They came to us and they were like, I think we're going to stick with Johnny for a minute. Johnny's got the supply. He doesn't need to worry about LPs. Nah. I mean like, you know, we were having, I

remember we had a store in little old white court, Alberta, and it's a little tiny town, you know, 15,000 people or something. We would literally be open for two days and then run out of weed. Wow. Yeah, two days and then the rest of the week, I don't know, we'd clean displays and things. And, you know, the potency wasn't there and the price was too high and all of those things. Early days, like that was the experience that people had. Today, it's exactly the opposite. You know, the amount of quality that is required to succeed as a licensed producer right now,

you need some very good, high-quality product. And especially retailers like ourselves, we're really choosy about what we bring in. Well, you know you need good product. I watch The Wire, okay? I can tell you, man. Stringer Bell went to business school because he's like, what do you do when you got bad product? He's like, you rebrand, I think was the idea.

That's exactly it. So I got to like pull up that thread you just dropped there because you're, so you guys have this huge advantage, right? Canada Cabana, you talked about 2009. What was the name of the head shop again? Smoker's Corner. What a great name. It's a great one. So Smoker's Corner.

Raj himself, him and his wife, downtown Calgary, one store. Yeah, but that gives you this huge head start in terms of understanding the customer base. Totally. You get to know the customer. So when Deloitte and all these accountants or whatever come out with these studies,

and, oh, you've got to be really upscale, like a Yorkville... Oh, like an Apple store. If I had a dime for every time someone told me they were going to make an Apple store of cannabis, I would be a very rich man. Mike. And Canada Cabana,

uh, knew better. Like you're basically like, I know that study says this, but we've actually been like sort of in this arena since oh nine. And this is what our, you know, information tells.

Oh, absolutely. I i mean here's a thing right like we've been serving cannabis consumer our collective knowledge at high tide of cannabis consumer spans back a long time even longer than that in the case of grass city that grass city was uh is our is you know one of our um main e-commerce platforms we sell a ton of bongs and pipes yeah yeah they've been around since 2002, man. 20 years. You know, longest and oldest online head shop on the planet. Grass City.

Yeah, they joined High Tide back in 2018. It was... Amazing. Yeah, amazing. Because now you've got to get your buddies at Guns N' Roses to re-record Paradise City as Grass City. Oh, goodness.

Take me down to the Grass City. Yeah. Where the grass is green. Where the grass is green. And the girls are pretty. Oh, man. That's it. See, look, you've come to the right place.

Amazing. So these different, you know, and as you pointed out, there are university educated users, but there's also like your blue collar, you know, bong and pipe consumers. Like this is the core that should not be ignored. Well, I think the big piece here is that like cannabis is not a demographic question. You know, there are people from all walks of life that love cannabis. Cannabis users are cannabis users. You can't lump them into an age group.

You can't lump them into a gender. You can't lump them into an earnings piece. It's just about how often do you consume cannabis and what do you care about when you consume cannabis? And that's what we have. That's what we've been uh uh in for 15 20 years if you count grass city for me six but hey i'll get there you're getting there buddy now okay so we're gonna try to mix up the genres here so we've kind of been all over the place uh young wild and free of course it's sort of like a it's got a hip-hop flavor to it but it's really a pop

song and then you got peter peter tosh of course you got cypress hill let's kick out another weed jam and talk some more, Andy. Let us burn one from end to end And pass it over to me, my friend Burn it long, but burn it slow To light me up before I go If you don't like my fire, then don't come around Cause I'm gonna burn one down Cause I'm gonna burn one down My choice is what I choose to do

And if I'm causing no harm It shouldn't bother you Your choice is who you choose to be And if you're causing no harm Then you're alright with me If you don't like my fire, then don't come around

Cause I'm gonna burn one down Yes, I'm gonna burn This should be the Canna Cabana National Anthem I love Ben Hopper This is quite the Canna Cabana National Anthem. I love Ben Harper. This is quite the anthem, man. This is the cannabis anthem. Burn One Down, as you said, Ben Harper.

This is from 1995. And that blows my mind that that's from 1995. I'll be honest, I did not know that. This is one of my wife and I's favorite songs, and I did not realize that um and like this is like one of my my wife and i's favorite songs and i did not realize that this was from so long ago i think looking at the ben harper catalog this might be the uh the big one like when you see ben in concert this is the big one i hear he plays it at almost every song or every show yeah he'd have to or there'd be a riot so i don't know if that crowd is a rioting kind of crowd it was a be a peaceful riot. It's a pretty chill. A chill riot.

Chill. So Ben Harper, Burn One Down. We're kicking out the Wee Jams with Andy Palalas from High Tide. And of course, Canna Cabana is in the High Tide portfolio there. So tell me, I want to get into newcomers. So you're talking to a guy who's open to it all, desperately wanted legalization. I'm very close. Shout out to my brother, Ryan, who has been a happy consumer for years and years and years. So tell me, like, somebody new to cannabis, like, what do they need to know about the effects of cannabis? Like, do I need to start,

start low and go slow? Like, give me the 411 here. You know, man, I mean, that's, that's maybe the most useful line that was, uh, that was kind of parroted by, um, the government upon legalization, which is start low and go slow. And, you know, I think as a new cannabis consumer, there's a lot to know about, um, because it can be really intimidating. You cannabis consumer there's a lot to know about um because it can be really intimidating you know there's lots of there's a whole language to it like i feel like i'm learning a new lexicon yeah man i mean you know you got to learn about um you got to learn about brands and prices and strains and formats and like there's there's lots of stuff forget all of that right keep things simple first and foremost yeah if you come down to canna cabana

absolutely every one of our bud tenders is is trained and knows how to how to introduce a new that, right? Keep things simple. First and foremost, if you come down to Canna Cabana, absolutely every one of our bud tenders is trained and knows how to introduce a new consumer. And they won't laugh at you, right? No, man. No. It's everybody's first time. But more importantly, a lot of the time, we get folks who are coming back to it after 5, 10, 15, 20 years. They haven't touched it in a long time. You get a lot of people who had bad experiences. They tried it at a party one time, they smoked too much, or they were consuming alcohol at the same time and they just had a negative experience. And they're like, you know, the last time I smoked weed, I was paranoid or I got dizzy or whatever. And you know, you can really mitigate that outcome

ever happening. As long as you, as long as you treat cannabis with the respect it requires. Start low and go slow. Yeah. I mean, you know, for me, if I'm introducing someone to cannabis, one of my favorite things to do is, you know, if someone's willing to combust, that's the biggest question. Are you, are you cool with smoke? Because if you're cool with smoke, that's one thing. Okay. So let's, let's, let's get into that right now.

We'll talk here. Give me the, like the formats, if you will. Right. So of course we know about like dried flour, but like, like there are other ways to consume cannabis. Can you give me the, like the, the list of ways to consume cannabis? Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think that the way a lot of folks today are getting introduced to cannabis is through things like edibles and beverages. And I love that format because it can be super gentle, right? And the thing is, is as long again, is you kind of treat it with the respect that it

requires, you know, you can have a little piece of chocolate, you can have a beverage and the good thing about it. So like day one, don't take down the whole bar. No, really don't. You know, because cannabis is a, like, so I can just speak personally for two seconds. Go ahead, yeah. Go ahead, man. The thing I love about cannabis is you take alcohol, alcohol is a bit of a suppressant, right? You know, you drink it, you maybe don't care quite as much about

the things you cared about before, right? That's kind of the general gist of popping a beer at 5 p.m. You can maybe forget about that call you had at 4.30, right? Cannabis is different, though. Cannabis, in my experience, at the very least, offers a shift in perspective. It offers a unique way to look at something, and the feeling is not one of suppression. It's one of being able to look at something objectively, right? Right. So, you know, enjoying that relaxation can happen with a very small dose. It doesn't require that, you know, you slam back a full joint or, you know, whatever the scenario is. You can go in and you can pick up.

We've got some great gummies from a brand called Dynathrive, which has very little amounts of THC in it. Dinothrive, which has very little amounts of THC in it. And you can, you can sit back and enjoy these pomegranate and apple cider vinegar gummies with lots of CBD and other beneficial cannabinoids and just have a nice mellow afternoon. And I will say I'm a member of the Cabana Club. So I get like, I get emails about deals going on and far less expensive than you would imagine. Yeah. I mean, you know, that's one of the things for us. Like, here's the biggest thing. We're best weed at the best price. And the reason we are is because we love good weed. We love good weed.

We love good weed products, right? So we're not going to compromise on the quality side of things. You know, so we only carry brands we believe in. We only carry products we believe in. But we also believe that, you know, we need to make those things accessible for our customers. So if you're a Cabana Club member, which is free to join, you're going to get the best price on cannabis guaranteed. So you can put the whole price thing

right out of your mind and come and enjoy and try new things in cannabis. Okay. But if we're talking formats, talk to me about vaping. So, you know, a lot of people have gravitated towards vaping. And the reason is, is because, again, lots of folks don't like to smoke, right? They just don't like the connotation. Vapor is something that they can get their minds around. There's no combustion. And what's beautiful about vapes is they come in this little format. It's called a 510 tank, but you don't need to know that. It's just a weed vape. That's all you need to know. You get a weed vape, you screw it on your little weed battery, and it's super discreet. Tastes great. You can enjoy it indoors without stinking anything

up. Nobody's going to know that you're partaking. Look, I won't name names, but there's some massive FOTM names, because this is episode 998. What's the big one? Big stars have been down here, and I will not out these people, but after we record, I've seen some very interesting personalities take out their vape. You know, it's because it's just such a discreet form, and it's so easy,

especially in these colder months. It's funny, because in the colder months, we see the vape sales go way up, pre-roll sales come down, you know, because folks are in their condos or apartments. They don't want to go outside. Right. So, you know, if you're interested in jumping into the pool and you're okay with something other than an ingestible, I totally recommend a vape. Dumb question, although I'm sure your bud tenders there would tell me there are no dumb questions. No dumb questions. But, okay, so let's

say you're starting low and you're going slow and you're taking a gummy, okay? What kind of a time lapse are we talking about from like taking down that gummy and feeling any effects? Yeah, you're a brand new customer. You just came to Canada Cabana. You're looking for a gummy to enjoy.

So first and foremost, you're going to be able to get a gummy between 0 and 10 milligrams of THC. That's all that's permissible by law. So no matter what you're getting, zero to 10. I recommend 2.5. Get a 2.5 milligram gummy. We got plenty of them in stock, right? It can take up to 60 minutes for that gummy to hit you. So have one. Don't have one and decide it didn't do anything. Right, that's what I think a rookie mistake would be. Like, oh, I feel nothing. I better take another. It's just there's simply a delay.

This is not like a smoke. When you're getting started, Mike, you have one, and that's your night. You just don't have any more. Right, I got you. Because you go low and start low and go slow. I've got a tattoo that says that. Totally. The next night you can try five if you like. But again, you start low, go slow. You next night you can try. I've got a tattoo that says that. Totally. The next night you can try five if you like.

But again, you start low, go slow. You never have an issue, right? All right. This next jam means something personal to me. And after I give it a little time to brew, I'll bring her down and I'll tell you my personal story. And then we'll get into it because it's a great segue to the next topic. But just before I press play, stickeru.com. They're in Liberty Village, my friend,

but they're at stickeru.com, which is available anywhere you get internet access, which is the whole world, by the way. That's a high-quality looking sticker. That's going to last, man. There are strategically placed stickers along the Martin Goodman Trail that have been there for years,

and they look like they were put there yesterday. It's unreal how, how great those stickers are. So thank you. Sticker you.com. You bring, bring that trauma sticker for you. And,

uh, while we're giving away stuff, I know you've got some stuff you're going to introduce later, but we'll save that for later in this little chat here. But, uh, the good people at Ridley funeral home, there are local funeral home here in new Toronto.

They want you to be careful out there. So, whoa. Yeah, I know. Did I put that in your eye? Okay. Don't do that, Mike, local funeral home here in New Toronto. They want you to be careful out there. So, yeah, I know. Did I put that in your eye? Okay, don't do that, Mike. But this is a powerful flashlight, so you don't have to burn the battery on your smartphone when you need a flashlight. Well, that's a great little piece of swag.

Keep you safe, man. That's great. I think their goal is they'd like anything that will keep you from showing up in their facility. Nice. How's that? I appreciate that about them. All right.

So this is a jam that means something to me, but I'll explain more in a moment. Don't search her purse. Don't search her purse. Don't search her purse. Uh, yeah. It was one of those nights, everything felt good. Had a long week at work, now I'm catching a buzz. Ain't no reason to rush, so I'm taking my time.

My ears on the radio, I'm saying a rhyme. Then I see NYPD behind me. Got a couple of dimes, I hope they don't find these. Maybe something in the tray from yesterday be enough to take me downtown. Yo, it's crazy. Hold up, Mr. Officer. We don't need no trouble. Ain't nothing wrong with making that bomb bubble. Hold up, Mr. Officer.

We don't need no trouble. Ain't nothing wrong with making that bomb bubble. Hold up. You got to hold up. Andy, do you have any memory of a song called, not this song, because no one knows this song except me. That's the thing. That story's coming.

But do you know the song Hey Mister by any chance? Hey mister, I really love you like your daughter. Okay, this is O2. It was an alt-rock hit by Custom. Custom was the artist behind that song.

Custom had a side project called CDLX where he would do some hip-hop rap stuff, but he would email these files to me as he produced them in his loft in Manhattan.

And I have so many of them, and this is one of them I quite like called Bong Bubble, and these never saw the light of day, so they're unreleased tracks that he was cooking up for his side project that never actually launched.

Well, we lost Custom rather suddenly. He was only 54, I believe, and we lost him in December 2021. So my friend Custom's no longer with us, so I thought I'd kick out some bong bubble here in his memory. Ah, condolences. I know. He was a crazy talented

guy, gone far too soon. But here, bong bubble, man. So talk to me about Canna Cabana and your history with accessories and such. And, you know, get to the bongs at some point, because bong bubble. Accessories have been such an important part of the Hydeside journey and

of Canna Cabana in general, because as I mentioned, you know, we started off as a retailer and manufacturer of bongs and pipes and vaporizers and all these things. And so, you know, for us today, one of the things that sets Canna Cabana apart is the absolutely enormous selection of water pipes, bongs, pipes, grinders, rolling trays, other cannabis accessories that we actually make and manufacture, which means we can provide them to customers, Cabana Club members, at literally the best price in the country. And this has created a lot of excitement. Over the Christmas holidays, we sold just a mind-boggling amount of accessories. Just like I looked at the number on a Tuesday.

I think it was just after Christmas. Yeah. And my head like literally almost fell off my shoulders because the amount of love that customers have for these accessories is palpable. And the price they can get at a Canna Cabana ad is mind-blowing. Do you want to hear the, so in a typical episode, this is not a typical episode, but in a typical episode, I would speak about Canna Cabana and I would say something like this. At Canna Cabana, they've got more than just weed. We're talking bongs, pipes, vapes, Dopezilla, Vodka Glass, and many more.

And the best part, they're on a mission to offer the best deals in town with absolutely unbeatable prices on cannabis and smoking accessories. There's always a sale going on. Sign up at Cabana Club to be the first in the know. So even like dropping, you know, even talking about the glassware, like famous design, dopezilla, vodka glass. I feel like even if you weren't a connoisseur, if you were not a user of cannabis, I want to buy some anyway.

That sounds amazing. Yeah, man. I mean, you know, there's something like very fun about, about the world of accessories and cannabis. And when, the more you get into it, the more you realize that people are enthusiastic about cannabis accessories for a reason.

Cause they're very personal. They're very fun. Uh, lots of really just exciting design and an opportunity to flex our creativity. When we make a lot of this stuff, about 70% of the accessories we sell, we make.

So it's, it's also an exercise for us to, you know, I remember we were a few years ago, we, we made a product called right it's it's a battery for a vape we were talking about a vape a moment ago yeah and so we're all sitting around in a room naming this thing and we've got our designers put these beautiful like patterns together and stuff and we're just like yeah call that one the taffy you know whatever and we see it hit the show it's our number one accessory right now wow a few years later it's just and we just had pure creative fun making that thing oh amazing so like we're talking like we talked about yeah bongs so you talk about bongs vaporizers uh but there's like

other accessories too right at canna command like small smaller accessories yeah man i mean all of this is all of the accessories around cannabis are designed to just make your experience more fun and accessible right like and and more convenient. Bongs is an interesting one though. Yeah. Let's talk about bongs. Just to kind of like push bongs for a second. Well, that was bong bubble. That's the bongs. That was bong bubble. That's right. Here's the thing. A lot of people, you think of a bong, you think of like Seth Rogen in like Knocked Up or, you know, you think of like, you know,

a university student and like, that's all fair. In fact, most, most folks here, if you bought a bong in university, I challenge you at me on Twitter, because I'm pretty sure you bought it at Grass City. What's your handle on Twitter? At A. Palalas. A-P-A-L-A-S. Okay. Do this. I messed up the letters, but that's okay. A. Palalas. A. Palalas. P-A-L-A-L-A-S.

Oh, but you were going to finish that sentence. What are they adding you? You were going to say, if you bought a bong in university. Oh, yes. If you bought a bong in university, chances are you bought it on grasscity.com. But, so what I want to say about bongs though is that bongs are amazing and they're thousands of years old and the reason they're amazing is because they provide

the most filtration possible to consuming cannabis. So the purpose of a bong is it cools the smoke as it goes through the whole thing. What's amazing about a bong is you can precisely dose exactly how much cannabis you want to have and it's going to cool it goes through the whole thing. What's amazing about a bong is you can precisely dose exactly how much cannabis you want to have, and it's going to cool it down beautifully so that when it hits your throat, it's not hurting you.

If you need a bong, you can get a pretty bong. You can get an attractive bong at Canna Cabana. And I mean, people go to cannacabana.com, but I always tell people, when I had Tom Wilson here, I gave him the address of a Hamilton location that he was going to check out. Yeah, Centre on Barton, yeah. Right, exactly. So here you are.

So do you want to shout out a few Toronto locations here? Sure. Yeah, in Toronto, we have locations on Parliament. We have a location on Front Street near the St. Lawrence Market. We've got a location at Keele Street up near the 401, Keele and Eglinton area. Right. We've got a location at Bayview. Boy, near the 401, Keele and Eglinton area. We've got a location at Bayview. Boy, I must be missing one. Oh, my brain's drawn. Oh, yeah.

Yonge Street, of course. Yonge and College, our original Toronto location. It's interesting. Toronto, you've got those great locations. A lot of the listenership here, of course, is in the GTA. I notice there's some municipalities won't allow it. You can't go open a shop in Mississauga, for example.

No, I think that'll change someday. But no, Mississauga, notably Markham. Yeah, Brampton too, I think. No, Brampton's... Oh, Brampton you can. Yeah, we got... Oh, it's Oakville, you can. We got a great store in Brampton.

You come check us out in Brampton. Okay, so there's a lot of great FOTMs in Brampton, you know, your marching orders. And of course, you got your papers, you know, I was joking like the other day, they said, okay, March 1st, you don't have to show you're vaccinated to get into like the hockey arenas and stuff where I'm spending a lot of time with my boy or whatever. And I always refer to it as showing my papers, like showing my papers, but this is a different paper, of course, for a different occasion, but you've got, uh, you've got your, uh, your rolling papers at a can of cabana. Sure. We got plenty of rolling papers, man. Plenty of rolling papers. I mean, you know,

I think people think of joints the most when they think of consuming cannabis, but rolling papers are one of many thousands of items that we have a can of cabana for consuming wheat. So if you don't like smoking, we can, we can hook you up. You want to kick out another jam here? Let's do it. Let's do it. Sounds to really make you rub and scrub Pass the dutchie pan the left hand side Pass the dutchie pan the left hand side It a go bon Give me the music make me jump on

It a go done Give me the music make me jump in It was a cool and lonely breezy afternoon How does it feel when you got no food? I could feel it cause it was the month of June How does it feel when you got no food? So I left my gate and went out for a walk How does it feel when you got no food?

As I passed through dreadlocks camp I heard them say How does it feel when you got no food? So this is a song, I think I've known this song my entire life, but I always struggle to remember the artist behind this song. So Andy, for a large meat lasagna, could you name the artist behind Pass the Dutchie? Something Youth. Yeah, okay, you got it. You got it. No, something Youth.

Musical Youth. Musical Youth, yeah. I always have a brain fart when it comes to the artist behind this jam, but they're a British Jamaican band of course. Musical Youth. And this is from their debut album that came out in 1982. But it's like a mashup, right?

It's like a mashup of a couple different songs. I'm pretty sure. Is that right? Okay, I did not know that. I think so. So you're here to educate me. I also don't think that they were actually talking about weed.

Okay, okay, okay. That's the interesting part. They're talking about a literal dunchie? Well, so I think that the... I'm sorry. I just assume. I just assume. I will say. I did a deep cut on this song some years ago.

Because, again, another song that my wife and I kind of really dig. But I think the idea of a dutchie being a weed thing came after this song, where folks started rolling blunts with Dutch masters and calling them dutchies. Okay, because I do know that subsequent, so maybe not, maybe you're right, absolutely right, that this is not actually about weed, but it has subsequently become a drug reference. Like if you said you're, yeah, a Dutchie now would be a... So Dutch Masters are like the tobacco...

The Dutch Masters cigar, right. Very popular in the U.S., not so much up here, but that is a Dutchie. You know, you break down these lyrics, though. I think they're talking about weed. I think they're just lying to us so that they can get played on top 40 radio in the 1980s. I think this was the only song that ever really made it in America, though. Yeah. Great jam.

Oh, killer jam. Killer jam here. Okay, so this is a good gateway because I want to know something about you, Andy. We've got to know each other a little bit during the last 40 minutes here. But what's your favorite way? What's your favorite way to consume cannabis? Oh, I'm a Dutchie guy. That's the Dutchie.

You know, I'm a joint guy. And for as many bongs and pipes and things as we've sold in our time, for me, rolling up is like a unique ritual. Yeah, it's like making your French press coffee. Totally. There's a romance to it. Yeah, there is. And to be honest with you, I actually And I think it's like making your French press coffee. Like there's a romance. Yeah, there is. And to be honest with you,

I actually don't think it's the best way to consume cannabis in my mind, a bong or a pipe or a bubbler is the best way. It's the cleanest taste. Cause you're smoking off a glass. So you're not getting any of the paper in there. You're just getting pure filtered, flavorful cannabis. Right.

However, I, I personally love the ritual and I, I gotta say, it must be said at me. If you want to, you know, show down on a rollout. But I'm a pretty good giant roller. Okay. Canada Kev, you've got the challenge there.

Canada Kev joins us for every episode of Toast. He's on the live stream, live.torontomic.com. And he's quite excited about this episode because he's a passionate he's one of those passionate connoisseurs you get those right it's one thing to you know uh you know to partake it's another thing to have that great passion for uh for weed that you see in some people at canada it's actually you know we see it growing man because like honestly the last few years have been an exercise in customers being like, oh, I just want the highest THC possible. I just want to get super high. But like now, yeah.

Now though, people are like, you know what? I just want to try the like really nice stuff. And it's because the taste and the difference, oh, makes a big difference. So, okay. So we learned you like to roll a joint. So would you have a tip for those who just can't roll? Not everybody can roll. Oh, yeah.

The tip that I would have is you go follow Raw on Instagram because they'll show you all of the joint rolling tips. But if I were to say one thing for the person who has rolled but is not very good at it, take your paper, crumple it all up. Just crumple the heck

out of that paper before you roll it. It's a pro tip. Once you get a little bit more used to it, you don't have to do it, but it's an easy mode so that you don't end up fumbling around too much. It just makes rolling the joint a lot simpler. That's a great tip. That's a great tip.

Now, okay, so... Uncrumple it before you pack it, of course. Just get it all, get all the kinks out, yeah. Right, right. Okay, now, do you have a favorite flower brand? You know, right now, I'm really now, I'm really digging Highland Grow. You know, they grow out in Antigonish. I've been there.

Really? Yeah. In fact, that's where I was when the Tragically Hip played their last concert. Oh, God. And there's a picture of Gord Downie behind you, by the way. Bless him. Yeah, 2016, I guess it was. August 20, actually, because it was Monica's birthday.

Was that 2016? 2016, I'm going to say. And I was in Anaganish on a family road trip to Prince Edward Island. And that's where I watched the, I'm going to cry right now, Andy, because I was watching that with my daughter, who's now almost 18.

In fact, she's going off to university next year, which is enough to make me cry. But she, unlike my boy, my boy went in the other room because, uh, someone, someone, somebody dropped an album that night.

Like, uh, a current performer dropped an album that he went, went to check out. And then I was left with, with, with my daughter, Michelle.

And she knew how much this meant to me. And she cried with me that night. We, we wept together. It was just too much emotion. Totally. Oh, my God. I watched the final performance,

and it was, tragically, it's been a big part of my life, too, and actually, my daughter ended up having, she was like maybe three or four at the time, my first daughter, and she ended up having hand, foot, and mouth disease. That goes around the daycare, man. Hand, foot, and mouth.

But she was screaming, and my wife was freaking foot, and mouth disease. That goes around the daycare, man. Hand, foot, and mouth. But like she was screaming and my wife was freaking out. And I was like, I just, maybe this makes me a bad parent. I just need to finish watching Gord Downie's last show. This is important, dear. And then we will drive to SickKids. Like they paused the Olympics for that. Like, I mean, at least the coverage anyways. It was a big moment.

It was a big moment. Okay. So we got Jen Inganish. That's right. Okay. So, by you in Inganish. That's right. Okay. So, by the way, Bob Cajun has that line, could have been the Willie Nelson, could have been the wine,

and that is a weed reference, right? That is not the music of Willie Nelson we're referring to there. No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so either. Yeah, I don't think Gord Downie shied away from the cannabis. We had Bill Wilichka on the show a couple of weeks ago,

and he did an intimate and interactive with Gord, his solo, one of his solo albums. And he said that Gord was high AF for that performance. He was a big fan, apparently. So what is your, so, okay, so you were in the middle of telling me about your favorite flower brands, and then I took you on a detour.

Listen, there's so much good craft cannabis that's coming out right now. But yeah, I mean, if I had to pick one, it'd probably be Highland Grow. Highland Grow has done a really nice strain recently called White Lightning, available at Candy Cabana. Ooh, it's a big one. That's a country song, right? Yeah, and also, you know, also shout out, we were talking about Hamilton earlier on. Yeah, the Hammer.

Noya. So Noya is a Canadian company that is now growing genetics for cookies, which is probably the most well-known cannabis brand in North America, at least, probably internationally. And they're growing some serious, serious heat in Hamilton. So anything from cookies, lemonade, the soap, gauge, it's all Noya and it's all delicious. Now, before I kick out this next jam, how can you tell, Andy,

how can you tell if flour is good quality or not? You got a pro tip for us there? You know what? Yeah, absolutely. So the number one thing that's going to let you know the smell, it's got to hit you in the face. It's got to be pungent and it's got to taste good, you know, and the stickiness. You're looking for bud that's sticky. Well, Snoop taught us that, right? He did teach us that. Sticky icky. Yeah, you got it. It's not too crumbly, but also not too wet. Just sticky is what you're looking for. In fact, I asked a legacy

market buyer a while ago, what was the number one way that he had for telling if Bud was good or not? He'd say, you know, I'd stick it to my finger, and if it stays there for a couple seconds, it's probably good. That's a pro tip for you. It's a pro tip. Alright, let's kick out another jam here. She was living in a single room with three other individuals.

One of them was a male and the other two, well, the other two were females. God only knows what they were up to in there. And furthermore, Susan, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that all four of them habitually smoke marijuana cigarettes. Reefers. I smoke two joints in the morning

I smoke two joints at night I smoke two joints in the afternoon It makes me feel right I smoke two joints in time of peace And two in time of war I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints And then I smoke two joints before I smoked two joints, and then I smoked two more. This, of course, is Sublime.

Ooh. But did you know, Andy, and you probably did know because you've done your deep dives into the weed jams, but this is a cover song. I did know that. I did know that. I did know that. And actually, not the first cover of this song, right? Well, I know the original, of course, is The Toys. The Toys. The Toys.

Right. And that came out in 1983. Nice. I think it's a Hawaiian band, I think. Really? Yeah, I believe so. I believe so. It's like a pretty reggae song. No, it's definitely reggae, yeah. But it was like Hawaiian? Really? Yeah, I believe so. I believe so. But it was like, it's like a pretty like reggae song. No, it's definitely reggae.

Yeah. But it was like Hawaiian? Yeah. The toys. Maybe it was about a trip to Hawaii. Like maybe they aren't Hawaiian, but definitely inspired by a trip to Hawaii. That's for sure. Smoke 2 Joints, sort of like an alt-rock radio staple, if you will.

Totally. I mean, Sublime got away with some pretty wild songs playing on national radio. So you got to give them that for sure. And that's a band. I know that they were obviously a big California band. So we got them. I feel like it was late to the party. I feel like we in Toronto picked up the Sublime stuff

sort of after he passed away, after Bradley passed away, because he died quite young. And then suddenly it started to get picked up by stations like 102.1, etc. Yeah, the Sublime-Dirty Heads combo is always like a dockside special. Yeah, Rome's good. I won't even say guilty pleasure, but I love this shit. And I like it when there's a bit of reggae, a bit

of ska, a little punk, a little folk. Just smash it all up. For me, this sublime, dirty head stuff is like white pants. After Labor Day, it's just done for me. Summer jams only. Smoke two joints. Great weed jam. Alright, let's take this up. By the way, did's just done for me. Summer jams only, you know. Smoke two joints. That's it.

Great weed jam. All right, let's take this off. By the way, did you want to show me what's in that box? Like, this is all very spontaneous. I'll show you what's in that box. You have to take off your headphones, though. Oh, yeah. Take them off.

Blow those out. Grab that box. Bring it here. Just tell the people listening at home on their walk or walking the dog or whatever. So that's for Stu? That's for Stu. Okay, so Stu Stone is receiving a gift on the next episode of Toast,

which is actually a week Thursday. So one week from Thursday, Stu Stone is in the basement for the next episode of Toast. So I will surprise him with this. Hopefully he's not listening, but who knows. That's it, man. Make sure it's a surprise.

Make sure Stu doesn't peek. Don't tell Stu. We got a nice... Don't tell Stew. Don't... Like, we have a top, not-so-top-secret FOTM DM group on Twitter. Don't tell Stew. Keep it secret from Stew, please. It's a special gift from Canna Cabana.

That's for Stew. That's going to be amazing. I'm going to do that live on the air a week, Thursday. And that's... What do we got? That's for guests, right? So you don't get one. That's for guests, yeah.

I mean, we got... Ooh, we got some Canna Cabana. So this is for your summer vibes all year long, some Canna Cabana koozies. Okay, amazing. For some very special guests, I've concluded a couple Canna Cabana handbags. Actually, while we just, we're kind of wrapping up here, but I'm going to play,

because I felt like we can't really do a weed episode without some Bob Marley. So I'll just put him on in the background here, and then, okay, koozies, good. Got in the background here. And then, okay, cozy's good. Gotta have Kaya now. Wow, yeah. Yeah, man. We got a little handpipe here, the Afterglow.

Amazing. Okay. Got some nice Canna Cabana ashtrays for your back patio, some silicone ashtrays. Okay, so I got guests coming in next week. They're going to be in for a treat. And then we got your unbeatable toques here. You know, just while it's still cold. Keep your ears warm on the way out.

Okay. Dude, that's amazing. Heck yeah. Heck yeah. Amazing. And you know, you're 998. So tomorrow is Doug Smith from the Toronto Star. He covers the Raptors.

He's been covering the Raptors since day one. And that one, he's actually in Minnesota because he's following the Raptors. He's covering covering the Raptors since day one. And that one, he's actually in Minnesota because he's following the Raptors. He's covering them. So he's not here. So that's tomorrow. That's 999. And then Thursday morning, episode 1000 drops. And it's a monster.

It's something special. And thank you for being a part of it, buddy. Oh, man. I'm so excited for you, Mike. A thousand podcasts is like, that's crazy, buddy. That's why I have so many white hairs. I mean, how many podcasts have gotten to 1,000? You probably counted on two hands. Not many, my friend.

Not many. That's big news, buddy. Congratulations. If you made a shitty podcast, you know, just every day you release a shitty piece of crap. I'm a big quality over quantity guy. But I like to think there's a pretty good batting average there. 100%. Good for you. So if listeners of Toronto Mike, because, you know, through the years of Toronto Mike,

I've seen the listeners come out to support, you know, Great Lakes Brewery and Sticker U. And, of course, Palma Pasta. Make sure you don't leave without your large meat lasagna from Palma Pasta. Do you think I would leave without my big meat lasagna? I'm worried about it. What kind of man do you think I am? So now we've introduced, actually it was the first episode of Toast, we introduced this new partnership with Canna Camana, which we're

all very excited about and Stu's going to fucking lose his mind when I give him this package. Spoilers, there's a sweet bong in there. Okay. There's a sweet bong in there. Stu's going to lose his mind. I can't wait to give this to him. But tell the FOTMs and the listenership, how can we obviously go to canacabana.com and visit a Canacabana retail store

and make a purchase or two or three, but how can we follow what's happening at Canacabana? What's your social media handle? Yeah, we are most active on Instagram at canna.cabana. So come check us out on Instagram. You can follow us on Twitter at canna.cabana underscore. And if you want to check me out,

you can follow me on Twitter at apelalis or on LinkedIn if you do those things, Mike. I don't know. Some people do those things. Andy Pelalis on LinkedIn. I'm happy to accept your connection. Just remember, high tides equals Canna Cabana.

That's it. Canna Cabana. And everybody should go to Canna Cabana to sign up for that. CannaCabana.com to sign up for the Cabana Club. Because it's free to sign up and you get fucking unbeatable prices on cannabis. It's a tremendous deal, right? It's hard to get Mike to swear, but when you have great prices. It happens once in a while. Cannabis, it's a tremendous deal, right? It's hard to get Mike to swear, but when you have great prices.

It happens once in a while. Somebody once wrote me an email. I dropped a couple of F-bombs with my buddy Elvis, and they said listening to that in the car was like hearing Mr. Rogers swear. And I went, wait a minute. What? I'm not Mr. Rogers. I can swear.

Listen, Mr. Rogers had some big energy. Don't worry about it. If someone wants to compare me to Mr. Rogers, I'll take it as a compliment. Oh, before we sign off, Canna Cabana launched on-demand delivery across many locations in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and it's coming soon to Alberta. So is that right? You can get your weed delivered in 120 minutes or less? Yes, sir.

That's just rolling out now. So over the next two weeks, we will be extending it to all corners of our Canna Cabana ecosystem. We know you want to order your weed and you want it pretty much when you order it. So that's what we're doing. I feel like we buried the lead here.

So you go online, you order it, it just shows up? Just shows up at your house, Mike. Right at your house. And that... house Mike right at your house and that that brings us to the end of our 998th show thank you Andy Palalas for kicking out the weed jams with me

and for telling us more about can of cabana also it was sort of a great like intro if there's somebody like like me who's not currently using but needs some confidence, like a push to figure shit out, that was a really good 101. I thought you gave some really good pro tips and some advice.

And again, are they called bud tenders? That's right, our bud tenders. The bud tenders, they're not going to laugh at you. You can ask them anything. They are there to help you get a little island time. Time that's entirely your own. So Andy is on Twitter himself. He's at Apalalas. P-A-L-A-L-A-S.

Apalalas on Twitter. Follow Andy. What the heck? Even though Instagram seems to be the sweet spot for the Canicabana people. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery. They're at Great Lakes Beer. Did you enjoy your beer? I enjoyed it so much that I'm contemplating

licking up what I spilled on your beer. I didn't let the people know that Andy almost took out the whole show by spilling beer. Very close to the board here. Oh no. We're living dangerously. Seems like it's okay. Palma Pasta's at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U. Ridley Funeral Home,

they're at Ridley FH. And Canna Cabana, of course, are at canna cabana underscore on Twitter. See you all tomorrow when my special guest is Doug Smith. I know it's true, yeah. I know it's true. How about you?

All that picking up trash and then putting down roads. And they're brokering stocks to class.