#107 - How to Buy Back Your Brand: The Levia Comeback Story w/ Kristin and Eric Rogers

We trace how a headline-grabbing CBD moment collided with the realities of cannabis policy, then dive into Levia’s rare founder buyback to unpack brand trust, dual-channel strategy, and what it takes to build consistent, safe, and truly approachable THC beverages. The conversation blends practical deal lessons, product innovation, and senior-focused education with a call for higher standards across hemp and regulated markets.• CBD spotlight from a US president and stock whiplash• Schedule III signaling and partisan calculus• Why hemp access reframed consumer entry points• Levia’s effects-led positioning and clear seltzer choice• Vertical control, CO2 extraction, and consistency• Deal timeline, regulatory gauntlet, and post-exit roles• Hemp’s shift from loophole to long-term strategy• Mechanics and patience behind the buyback from a public company• Innovation pipeline: flavorless high-dose drops and minors• Seniors, harm reduction, and physician-backed education• Dual-channel plan: regulated and hemp together• Raising standards: batch testing, responsible placement, COAs• Brand trust as the true moat in beverages• Advocacy on incarceration, equity, and consumer safetyLike it, subscribe it, share it, do all the thingsStay curious, stay informed, and keep your spirits highHave a question for us? Send us a text. We may answer it in the next show!--High Spirits is brought to you by Vertosa and Wolf Meyer.Your hosts are Ben Larson and AnnaRae Grabstein.Follow High Spirits on LinkedIn. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Who would you like to see on the show? What topics would you like to have us cover? Visit our website www.highspiritspod.com and listen to all of our past shows.THANK YOU to our audience. Your engagement encourages us to keep bringing you these thought-provoking conversations. Remember to always stay curious, stay informed, and most importantly, keep your spirits high.