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Cannabis Growth Meets Cartel Chaos

By Shadd Dales On Oct 28, 2025

Is Canada’s cannabis sector about to scale globally—and is rural America under siege from Chinese cartels? On the latest Trade to Black podcast presented by Dutchie, host Shadd Dales welcomed Rubicon Organics CEO Margaret Brodie and returning guest Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, for two detailed conversations about cannabis industry growth and regulatory reform.

Segment One: We kick off with Margaret Brodie, CEO of Rubicon Organics. Brodie announced that Rubicon Organics received Health Canada approval for its Cascadia facility in Hope, BC, which will increase the company’s output by 40%, adding 4,500 kilograms of indoor-grown cannabis. The $4.5 million CAD purchase was described as a major strategic win, enabling Rubicon to meet increasing demand for premium cannabis both in Canada and international markets.

Brodie noted that oversupply issues in Canada have largely cleared out, with certain provinces even facing undersupply, particularly for premium product. She expressed cautious optimism about potential excise tax reform, and confirmed she will participate in an Ottawa policy day this week hosted by the Pearson Centre. There, she hopes to push for regulatory streamlining and to reframe cannabis as a high-potential economic sector.

Segment Two: Then we bring on Steve Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire, whose investigation into Chinese drug cartels has exploded nationally. Since his July appearance on Tucker Carlson, Robinson’s work has been featured on the Shawn Ryan Show, and he’s received private feedback from law enforcement officials confirming the scale of cartel infiltration.

Robinson revealed that bipartisan pressure is mounting to close this loophole, with several state attorneys general signing a letter urging Congress to tighten the federal definition of hemp. He described a shadow economy built around exploiting the legal ambiguity between hemp-derived and cannabis-derived THC, noting that synthetic products like 7-OH-THC are increasingly found in unregulated vapes and causing overdoses.

Robinson also discussed confirmed links between Chinese cartels and illegal cannabis grow operations in Maine, including one case in which a Chinese energy company paid a local woman $100,000 to front a grow license. This discussion and more when you tune in to the podcast.

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Shadd Dales

Shadd Dales is the Founder and President of The Dales Report and has an extensive background in the business media industry.

His work translates into over 15 years in mainstream media that included roles with BNN Bloomberg, CTV Properties and the iHeart Radio Network.

Shadd is considered one of the leading on air talents in both the cannabis and psychedelic space and has interviewed some of the most notable CEO names in the industry.

Shadd’s vision is to establish a content platform that is equivalent to a mainstream broadcast produced in a format that is relevant for today’s investor.