Cann’s Jake Bullock on Reimagining Social Drinking with THC

What if the next big opportunity in beverage marketing wasn’t about alcohol, but about reimagining social drinking altogether?

In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Mark Stenberg speaks with Jake Bullock, co-founder and CEO of Cann, about building one of the fastest-growing names in the THC beverage space.

Jake explains how Cann is redefining social drinking by creating low-dose, hemp-derived products designed for mainstream consumers.

He discusses the challenges of marketing in a fragmented regulatory environment, why authentic influencer partnerships outperform traditional advertising, and how Cann balances ecommerce with expanding retail distribution.

The conversation also explores the rise of sober-curious consumers, the importance of taste in category adoption, and the company’s strategy for scaling nationally through alcohol distribution channels.

Jake shares valuable lessons on creating new consumer habits while navigating compliance, retail partnerships, and the future of adult beverages across the United States in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving consumer market.

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What you’ll learn:

How to Position a New Category in a Crowded Retail Environment
Why Influencer Marketing Outperforms Direct Advertising in Cannabis Education
The Regulatory Arbitrage Strategy for National Expansion
How to Build a Subscription and Multi-Channel Revenue Model
The “Sessionability” Framework for Adult Beverage Innovation
How to Navigate Venue Partnerships and Liability Complexity

About the guest:

Jake Bullock is the co-founder and CEO of Cann, a pioneering cannabis beverage brand revolutionizing the adult drinking category through microdosed THC drinks. With deep expertise in cannabis product innovation, regulatory navigation, and brand building across fragmented state markets, Jake has scaled Cann from a niche dispensary product to a multi-channel consumer brand available in liquor stores nationwide.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:08] Why Micro-Dosing Became Cann’s Secret Advantage — Jake explains that Cann’s breakthrough came from reducing THC to 2 milligrams per serving, creating a consumption pattern that mirrors social drinking. Instead of competing on potency, the company focused on how people actually socialize and consume beverages. By designing products around real behaviors and repeatable rituals, Cann built stronger loyalty. The lesson for marketers: products win when they fit naturally into consumers’ lives, not when they simply offer more features.

[05:21] The Distribution Pivot That Unlocked National Growth — Jake shares how Cann’s initial launch in dispensaries revealed a mismatch between customer expectations and its low-dose positioning. The company pivoted by leveraging hemp regulations to enter alcohol distribution channels and liquor stores. That decision dramatically expanded its reach and accelerated growth. For marketers, the takeaway is clear: don’t become attached to your first go-to-market strategy when customer behavior points to a more scalable opportunity.

[07:25] How Influencers Built Trust for an Emerging Category — Jake explains that traditional advertising struggles when consumers don’t understand a product category. Cann found greater success through authentic influencer storytelling, with creators sharing their personal experiences with the product. Those narratives provided context, credibility, and social proof that brand messaging alone couldn’t deliver. The episode highlights why marketers in unfamiliar categories should invest in trusted voices that can educate audiences while reducing skepticism and perceived risk.

[09:10] Winning Consumers Across Every Stage of Adult Life — Jake reveals that Cann resonates with a surprisingly broad audience, from young parents seeking hangover-free mornings to older consumers reducing alcohol intake. Rather than targeting a single demographic, the brand focuses on key life moments when people reassess their drinking habits. This approach allows Cann to maintain a consistent brand identity while serving multiple segments. Marketers can learn the value of targeting transitions in life instead of fixed demographic categories.

[14:20] Building a Channel Strategy Around Consumer Convenience — Jake discusses Cann’s balanced revenue mix between ecommerce and retail, noting that online sales remain important in underserved markets while in-store availability continues to grow. As distribution expands, consumers increasingly favor convenience through retail, GoPuff, and DoorDash. The conversation underscores an important lesson for marketers: channel strategies should evolve alongside consumer behavior, product economics, and market maturity rather than relying on a single distribution model.

[17:47] Why Taste Beats THC in a Crowded Beverage Market — Jake explains that as THC dosage became standardized across competitors, Cann shifted its focus to premium ingredients and superior flavor. From Sicilian blood oranges to transparent labeling, the company differentiates through quality and sensory experience rather than technical specifications. The lesson is particularly relevant for marketers in emerging categories: functional advantages rarely stay unique for long, but exceptional experiences and authentic brand values continue to drive loyalty and repeat purchases.