The Cannabis Conversation
A business podcast breaking down the strategy, regulation, and market dynamics of the European legal cannabis industry.
This is a deep-dive interview show for professionals inside, or adjacent to, the European cannabis industry. It bypasses consumer-level topics to focus squarely on the business of legal cannabis: M&A, go-to-market strategy, regulatory hurdles, supply chain logistics, and fundraising. With a heavy emphasis on the German market, it serves as a strategic briefing on the operational realities of one of the world's fastest-moving sectors.
“Its laser focus on the European business and regulatory landscape, particularly Germany, sets it apart from more US-centric or consumer-focused cannabis podcasts. The host's background in executive recruitment provides a unique lens on team-building and talent.”
Who hosts this show
The Cannabis Conversation is a UK-based podcast exploring the legal cannabis industry from a European perspective. Founded in 2019 by Anuj Desai, the show was acquired in late 2025 by Lumino, a cannabis recruitment agency, and is now hosted by Lumino's co-founder and COO, Nikita Cretu. The podcast features long-form interviews with entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, and policymakers shaping the continent's cannabis market.
Credentials & credits
- Co-Founder & COO of Lumino Recruitment
- Consultant for cannabis companies in the Americas, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the UK
- Former project manager for Europe's first cannabis clinic in Spain
- Business Degree graduate
Other ventures
- Lumino Recruitment
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01What defines a "medical cannabis patient"?Jun 18, 2026 · 35s
- 02
- 03Demand for cannabis does not simply disappear because you pass a lawMay 15, 2026 · 21s
- 04
- 05How He Went From Lighting to Fixing Global Cannabis Supply Chains 🟢 Timo BongartzApr 23, 2026 · 1h 02m
- 06
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01From Startup to Global Acquisition: How Sanity Group Grew to a €250m Valuation 🟢 Finn Hänsel
A deep dive into the strategy and financing of one of Europe's most successful cannabis companies, revealing revenue figures and key strategic decisions.
- 02What’s Next for German Cannabis? (The Data Might Surprise You..) 🟢 Alfredo Pascual, CFA
An expert analysis of the complex and shifting German cannabis regulations, notable for playing back and assessing the guest's accurate predictions from a 2021 episode.
- 03How He Went From Lighting to Fixing Global Cannabis Supply Chains 🟢 Timo Bongartz
Features a compelling case study on how the guest convinced legacy lighting giant Osram to enter the cannabis market, a prime example of corporate strategy in an emerging industry.
- 04S2 EP195 The Cannabis Conversation Returns with BIG News • Anuj Desai, Thomas Gray & Nikita Cretu
The transition episode where the original host, Anuj Desai, officially passes the podcast to the new hosts from Lumino, explaining the show's history and future direction.
What you'll be asked on this show
The host, Nikita Cretu, typically opens by asking for the guest's origin story, often framing the industry as a 'crazy' or unique space to enter. He is an active listener, building follow-up questions from the guest's previous statements and probing specific strategic decisions, such as why a company chose one path over another. He often uses his own experience as a founder to build rapport and will introduce his own frameworks (like the 'canoe test' for hiring) to deepen the conversation. He consistently pushes for concrete details, asking for the 'numbers' behind a success or the specific business channels that failed, to extract practical lessons for the audience.
The show is a single-host, long-form interview format. Host Nikita Cretu is a well-prepared, active listener who leverages his own business background to ask informed questions about strategy and execution. The podcast is a content marketing initiative for Lumino Recruitment, the agency Cretu co-founded.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
13 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“How did you find your way into this 'crazy' cannabis market?”
This is his standard opening question, used to establish the guest's origin story and personal connection to the industry.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Where did you build the skills to be able to execute something like this?”
An early question used to connect a guest's prior career experience to their current success in cannabis.
personal
2- Q.01
“What made you decide it was time to solve a new problem in the industry?”
Asked of serial entrepreneurs or executives who have moved between roles to understand their career motivations.
- Q.02
“Looking back at your past predictions, how do you feel about them now?”
A question reserved for recurring, expert guests to reflect on their own analytical track record.
process
2- Q.01
“What were the key factors that convinced your company to enter the cannabis market?”
Aimed at guests who brought legacy companies into the cannabis space, seeking the core business case.
- Q.02
“What business channels did you test that you thought would work, but didn't?”
The host asks this to elicit specific stories of failure and strategic pivots.
craft
1- Q.01
“Why didn't you pursue a specific strategy, like setting up cultivation?”
A direct probe into a guest's strategic decision-making, often based on the host's research.
money
1- Q.01
“Was it worth it? What were the numbers?”
A direct follow-up question to quantify the financial success or failure of a major strategic move.
industry
1- Q.01
“Why is everyone consolidating and acquiring right now?”
A market-level question asked of analysts and strategists to understand current M&A trends.
advice
2- Q.01
“How do you think about building a team in this unique space?”
Leveraging his recruitment background, the host frequently asks guests for their team-building philosophy.
- Q.02
“What should people be prepared for and what can they expect in the German market?”
A forward-looking question seeking actionable advice and predictions for operators and investors.
technique
1- Q.01
“How do you analyze for values in an interview? Is it a process or a feeling?”
A follow-up to his team-building questions, digging into the specifics of a guest's hiring methodology.
controversy
1- Q.01
“What is the desired outcome the government actually wants with these new regulations?”
Asked of policy experts to get beyond the text of a law and into the political motivations behind it.
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically C-suite executives, founders, and senior strategists from established European cannabis companies, particularly those operating in or analyzing the German market.
- Finn Age Hänselon From Startup to Global Acquisition: How Sanity Group Grew to a €250m Valuation 🟢 Finn Hänsel
- Alfredo Pascual, CFAon What’s Next for German Cannabis? (The Data Might Surprise You..) 🟢 Alfredo Pascual, CFA
- Timo Bongartzon How He Went From Lighting to Fixing Global Cannabis Supply Chains 🟢 Timo Bongartz
- Tobias Bosseon Building a Cannabis Brand in Europe, When NO Marketing Rulebooks Existed 🟢 Tobias Bosse
- Dr Nigel Galeon Grower's Tips for Success in Cannabis Cultivation & Debunking Popular Myths 🟢 Dr Nigel Gale S2 EP196
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is owned and produced by Lumino, a European cannabis recruitment agency where the host is COO and co-founder. The show serves as a powerful content marketing and networking tool, establishing the host and firm as industry insiders. It likely functions as a primary source for lead generation for Lumino's executive search and HR advisory services.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- Who is the host of The Cannabis Conversation?
- The current host is Nikita Cretu, the Co-Founder and COO of Lumino Recruitment. The podcast was founded by Anuj Desai, who hosted until late 2025.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is a long-form interview show, with a single host interviewing one guest per episode, typically a leader in the European cannabis industry.
- Is this podcast still running?
- Yes, it is active. After a brief hiatus, it was acquired by Lumino in late 2025 and resumed with new episodes in early 2026.
- What topics does the show focus on?
- The show focuses on the business of the legal cannabis industry in Europe, including strategy, investment, M&A, regulation, and supply chain, with a particular emphasis on the German market.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The Cannabis Conversation is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Cannabis Conversation Podcast | Powered by Luminoluminorecruit.com
- [02]About us - Lumino Recruitmentluminorecruit.com
- [03]The Cannabis Conversation Podcast on Podchaserpodchaser.com
- [04]The Cannabis Conversation - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [05]EPISODE #165 The European Cannabis Jobs Market with Nikita Cretu & Ellen Jardim from Luminoyoutube.com
- [06]S2 EP195 The Cannabis Conversation Returns with BIG News • Anuj Desai, Thomas Gray & Nikita Cretuyoutube.com
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