Chris Casacchia

@cy_scott Count me in, looking forward to reading and plan to include a mention in @CultivatedNews newsletter

For 11 years (!!!) building Headset, I’ve had a front row seat to one of the most interesting and **confusing** industries out there. If you’ve heard me on the High-Rise podcast or seen me speak at events, you’ve gotten some of it. But most of my real takes have stayed behind the scenes. Client calls, board decks, private conversations. Well, now I’m starting a weekly newsletter where I break down what’s actually happening in cannabis, backed by real data, and say the things people usually avoid saying about our beloved category, both good and bad. First topic: the federal government can’t seem to decide what it thinks about marijuana (surprise!). Just this week: → The U.S. Army dropped marijuana-related barriers for recruits (effective 4/20… seriously) → DHS flagged ~77 people for deportation over marijuana possession → The White House met with cannabis companies about CBD regulation → And rescheduling? Still “in progress” three months later Same government. Same week. Completely mixed signals. In this first issue, I dig into what this means for operators, where the market is actually headed (10 of the 15 states we track at Headset are down YoY), and why cannabis beverages might be the most interesting category right now. If you work in cannabis, invest in it, or just think the industry deserves better analysis, check it out. open.substack.com/pub/cyscott/p/… If you find it interesting, subscribe. I’ll be writing every week. #cannabis #cannabisindustry #marketdata #headset

@snoopdoggslungz Fire up that PSA and run it on a loop

Sativa, Indica, Hybrid. Most people stop there. The real conversation starts with terpenes and what they do

@ChiSoxFanMike Will be the model this year

Colson Montgomery hit a grand slam, Munetaka Murakami hit a homer, and they still lost. It’s hard to fathom how that’s even possible.

California's DCC Director on Enforcement, Illicit Markets, and the Fight to Save Legal Cannabis x.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Clint Kellum, new director @CAcannabisdept told @CultivatedNews 60% of state marijuana sales are in the underground market. That's $5.8B in sales last year. In our exclusive sit down, he shares his plan to reverse the trend and other key initiatives. cultivated.news/p/california-s…

In today's @CultivatedNews, @ccasacchia sat down with California DCC director Clint Kellum. Kellum took over the top job in January. He inherits a tough hand but he says he's got a plan t turn the market around. "There really isn't a silver bullet," he said. Read more below.

@Plakata22 A lot more of us out there than peeps know 🇵🇷❤️🇮🇹❤️⚾️❤️

@EddieBarstool got to include @IrishNobleman, my lil' bro just started working there

Day 9 of posting an Irish bar in Chicago every day in the month of March Bar 9 - The Wolfhound Bar & Kitchen at 3188 N Elston

@bartschaneman resist at all costs my friend

I was making an effort to enjoy the tea, food, and the weather. Trying not to check my email, or keep telling myself I’d failed. The job leads had poured in when I posted the news of the layoffs, but I wasn’t about to keep doomscrolling LinkedIn from the lounge chair at the pool.

OH MY GOD PUERTO WALK OFF HOME RUN TO SEND SAN JUAN INTO BEDLAM OMGGGGGG WHAT A SPECIAL MOMENT. PURE GOOSEBUMPS

@420matt9191 Be with her, hold her, take care of her, tell her how much you love her and let here know everything she did for your family, friends and you. Godspeed

Well not the news I wanted today my moms been in the hospital for the last 8 days she’s not doing very good we are talking with the doctors about hospice. Say a prayer for me my friends

We took heat from PR reps after reporting 1/22 that several NY cannabis cos planned to join lawsuit against regs and Metrc, aiming to halt new tracking rules amid software integration issues. @timesunion reported 2/28 several licenses plan to participate. cultivated.news/p/it-s-been-a-…

A few weeks ago, @ccasacchia wrote a deep-dive into the issues NY cannabis operators have with integrating Metrc, the seed-to-sale tracking system for @CultivatedNews. Yesterday, reports emerged that more companies plan to join the suit, as we reported on Jan 22.

@jfberke Yikes! How long can MSOs sbsorb these massive annual losses??

The president touted "Trump accounts" last night at the SoU. My latest @Suntimes piece highlights his child savings account plan and other vast implications of his One Big Beautiful Bill for Illinois and nationwide taxpayers. chicago.suntimes.com/taxes/2026/02/…

President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill includes new tax reporting requirements for gamblers this year. My latest @Suntimes story breaks down the new changes and what they mean for betters and the Chicago gaming sector as tax season approaches. chicago.suntimes.com/taxes/2026/02/…

@ephenstephen22 @ARmastrangelo 💯 my grams immigrated from Sicily to Chicago via Ellis Island and I’m carrying on her gravy legacy

This is a low IQ take. “Gravy” Italians today, as you call them, are the Ellis Island, pre-WW1 to WW2 immigrant descendants. It’s the word and tradition that was passed down. My family are “gravy” sayers. I admit that sauce may be more accurate. And I admit it’s cringe when they demand others call it gravy. But them calling it gravy in and of itself is not cringe. And the C’s turned to G’s and the dropping of ending vowels is a very dialectical version of Italian that immigrated to New York and New Jersey in the early 20th century. It isn’t wrong, it’s a dialect from Southern Italy, namely Naples and Sicily. You can actually look this up.

One of my pet peeves is when Americans with Italian ancestry try to correct someone by telling them that "sauce" is actually called "gravy." Italian immigrants said "gravy" in the late 1800's because they thought it translated to sauce. But in Italian, there’s actually no word for "gravy." The closest translation is "sugo di carne" which means meat sauce. Calling it "gravy" not only reveals one’s disconnect from the Italian language, but also that their ancestors immigrated to the U.S. more than a century ago. So to Italian immigrants and those whose families immigrated to the U.S. after WWII, it’s cringe. Because calling sauce "gravy" is a very American thing (which is fine), but it’s an American thing that is specifically used to try to come off like it’s Italian. And that gives us second-hand embarrassment. Oh, and calamari is an Italian word. Calling it "galamad" is like calling capocollo "gabagool." Also cringe!

@jfberke Unbelievable finish, unbelievable move to end it

@gabbgoudy West coast tour: SD and LA/OC. Each park has its own unique features any baseball would love

ballparks i still need to visit: cardinals dodgers angels athletics but like ??? padres nationals brewers white sox rockies which should be my next?

“I don’t plan on ever going back.” My latest piece for @CultivatedNews highlights the exodus of longtime workers and execs in the U.S. cannabis industry and the reasons they left for business opportunities elsewhere. cultivated.news/p/i-don-t-plan…