The New York Cannabis Market, Upstate VS. Downstate | The Breakfast Connections Podcast Episode 52

In Episode 52 of the Breakfast Connections Podcast, we’re back on the road in the Albany area with Casey from The Sauce NY. We talk life on the road, Casey’s journey from corporate sales into cannabis, building real relationships with dispensaries, and the changing New York market. We also get into independent brands vs. larger operators, pricing and quality, white labeling, regional smoking habits, and how Casey and Paul first crossed paths. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Continental Breakfast & Hotel Setup 05:17 - Breakfast Connections Podcast Begins 05:27 - Introducing Casey From The Sauce NY 07:09 - Life on the Road in New York 09:12 - Upstate NY Culture & Cannabis Sales 13:23 - Cannabis & Revitalizing Local Communities 16:05 - Giving Back to the Community 19:17 - Authenticity & Building Relationships 21:01 - How Customer Feedback Shaped Breakfast Connections 22:00 - Collaboration Over Competition 24:49 - The Cannabis Retail Experience 26:01 - THC %, Terpenes & Quality 31:24 - Building Strong Dispensary Partnerships 32:22 - ROs, MSOs & New York’s Changing Market 33:55 - Connecticut vs. New York Cannabis 49:45 - Small Businesses Supporting Small Businesses 51:02 - The Future of New York Cannabis 57:18 - Lessons From Other Cannabis Markets 01:01:20 - White-Labeled Flower & COAs 01:02:12 - Quality, Sourcing & Price 01:04:20 - What New Yorkers Are Actually Smoking 01:05:10 - Why Flower Is King Upstate 01:05:20 - Did NYC Stop Smoking Blunts? 01:18:28 - Casey’s Move From Corporate Sales to Cannabis 01:19:50 - Why Independent Operators Matter 01:20:11 - How Paul & Casey First Met 01:21:46 - The Black Market Poughkeepsie Story 🔥 Subscribe for more episodes of the Breakfast Connections Podcast, cannabis conversations, BEC Reviews, and behind-the-scenes content from across New York. 🔗 CONNECT WITH BREAKFAST CONNECTIONS Website: BreakfastConnections.co Instagram: @breakfastconnectionsny @touchdowntommy21 @caseyruss9 🏷️ HASHTAGS #BreakfastConnections #BreakfastConnectionsPodcast #TheSauceNY #CannabisPodcast #NewYorkCannabis #NYCannabis #CannabisCulture #CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CannabisCommunity #UpstateNY #AlbanyNY #CraftCannabis