🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode takes on the question we keep getting: how is hemp THC legal, and what makes it different from marijuana sold in dispensaries. We walk through how one plant ended up split by two legal systems, why dispensaries were built as closed, auditable markets, and how a federal hemp definition turned low-dose THC into a mainstream consumer product.

From Instagram ads and home delivery to liquor store shelves and statehouses, consumers experience this as one THC market. Policymakers do not. We unpack how that mismatch fueled confusion, invited bad actors, and pushed Congress to tighten the definition again.

Join us as we explain what changed in Washington, why FDA’s next set of definitions will matter more than most headlines suggest, and how trust, not chemistry, has become the real fault line shaping the future of cannabis and hemp in America.

🔗 Related essay:
https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/[INSERT-SLUG]

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode examines how hemp-derived THC drinks quietly rewrote the rules of American social life. We trace how a generation that values wellness, clarity, and connection began trading hangovers for balance—and how a billion-dollar market emerged before Congress finished defining it.

From convenience stores in Minnesota to liquor aisles nationwide, these drinks are reshaping expectations and forcing policymakers to catch up. We break down why major alcohol trade groups are now asking Washington to pause the market, what that really signals about power and timing, and why “putting hemp on ice” might freeze innovation, not protect consumers.

Join us as we unpack how culture moved first, regulation stumbled behind, and what this fight reveals about who gets to shape the future of social drinking in America. 🍻🌿

https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/hemp-on-ice

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode asks what a government shutdown really means beyond the headlines. We trace the origins back to a 1980 legal opinion that transformed missed deadlines into full stop crises, then explain how twelve appropriations bills tied to defense, health, transportation, and foreign affairs became bargaining chips in partisan standoffs.

From national parks locking their gates to federal workers going weeks without pay, from stalled small business loans to delayed immigration hearings, we explore the real consequences when government slows to a crawl. We look at the ripple effects on contractors, local economies, and public trust, and why each shutdown leaves institutions weaker than before.

Join us as we unpack why shutdowns are not simply political theater but a corrosive cycle that erodes confidence in democracy itself. This essay-turned-conversation explains how shutdowns happen, what services continue, what stops, and why the bigger danger is the normalization of dysfunction. 🏛️⚠️

https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/shutdown

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode asks whether Labor Day is just a three-day weekend or a rulebook for the future of work. We trace the holiday back to its 1882 origins—homemade floats, brass bands, and workers demanding dignity—and argue those lessons still explain today’s battles over AI, platforms, and modern strikes.

From the Pullman Strike to the “stand-up strike,” from handmade banners to algorithmic scheduling, we explore how local leverage, crisis windows, and institutional ratification have always shaped worker power. We look at why public-money corridors in chips and clean energy will set sector standards, how portable benefits will follow gig workers across apps, and why contracts now treat data rights and algorithms as core working conditions.

Join us as we navigate what 1882 can teach us about organizing in 2025: why approval of unions is high even as membership remains low, why the modern strike is surgical, and why the future of labor will be decided at chokepoints where technology, politics, and capital intersect. ✊📈

New episodes drop early for subscribers to The Homegrown Consulting Group’s Insiders newsletter. Sign up at www.homegrown-group.com for early access.

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/laborday

🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode tackles David Brooks' explosive NYT piece asking "Are We Really Willing to Become Dumber?" We examine whether AI in education is a cognitive threat or the catalyst for long-overdue reform of America's $1.81 trillion student debt crisis.

From MIT studies showing 55% reduced brain connectivity in AI users to the apprenticeship renaissance bypassing traditional degrees, we explore how artificial intelligence exposes decades of educational dysfunction. Is restricting AI the answer, or should we embrace it to build smarter pathways to prosperity?

Join us as we navigate the tension between cognitive development and technological disruption in a system already failing millions of borrowers. 🧠💡

New episodes drop early for subscribers to The Homegrown Consulting Group's Insiders newsletter. Sign up at www.homegrown-group.com for early access.

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

www.homegrown-group.com/blog/ai-education

🎙️ Powered by THC Group, this episode dives into Trump’s July 2025 AI Action Plan, launched just days ago. We unpack how AI could boost American innovation and global leadership - scanning regulations, powering infrastructure - while tackling risks like deregulation and environmental trade-offs.

Join us as we explore balancing tech progress with democratic values. It’s a story of ambition meeting accountability in a pivotal moment for America.
💡 New episodes drop early for subscribers to The Homegrown Consulting Group’s Insiders newsletter. Sign up at www.homegrown-group.com for early access.

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/ai-action-plan

In this episode of Insiders Uncovered: Beyond the Headlines, powered by THC Group, we explore how artificial intelligence could reshape cannabis regulation in America. As agencies work to oversee a young, fast-moving industry with tight budgets and growing demands, AI offers tools that can scan license applications, flag inventory anomalies, and schedule fair, efficient inspections.

We unpack how regulators might use these technologies to maximize limited resources, strengthen public trust, and advance social equity—while avoiding the risks of bias and overreach. It’s a story of innovation meeting responsibility in one of the most complex regulatory landscapes today.

💡 New episodes drop early for subscribers to The Homegrown Consulting Group’s Insiders newsletter. Sign up at www.homegrown-group.com for early access.

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.

https://www.homegrown-group.com/blog/intelligent-regulation

In this episode of Insiders Uncovered: Beyond the Headlines, powered by THC Group, we dig into how a little-known clause in H.R. 8281—better known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill”—could reshape the future of artificial intelligence in America. While marketed as an immigration and budget package, the bill quietly preempts states from passing most AI-specific regulations for the next ten years.

We break down how this clause came to be, why it matters, and what it means for the federal-state power dynamic, global competitiveness, consumer protection, and the future of AI governance. It’s a story of innovation stalled by inaction—and of policymaking by omission.

💡 New episodes drop early for subscribers to The Homegrown Consulting Group’s Insiders newsletter. Sign up at www.homegrown-group.com to get early access.

This podcast may include content written or produced with the support of AI tools under human direction and editorial oversight.