On this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Bull, the Chief Creative Officer at Uncle Arnie’s, one of the fastest-growing THC beverage brands in the country. Jeff is the creative mind behind the Arnieverse - the nostalgic, fun-first brand world that has helped propel Uncle Arnie’s from a California cult favorite to a nationwide force across both dispensaries and the booming hemp-derived beverage market.

With deep experience in brand identity, visual storytelling, and product strategy, Jeff has shaped everything from Arnie’s character system and packaging architecture to its flavor development, channel expansion, and launch playbooks.

Jeff breaks down how Uncle Arnie’s was born, why beverages have become the dominant on-ramp for new cannabis users, and how the brand balances playfulness with potency and compliance. He unpacks the creative and strategic evolution of Arnie’s as it scaled from dispensary shelves into mainstream retail, what the hemp market unlocked for the company, and how they approach new SKUs, flavor development, and launch assets.

We also dive into the role of budtenders, the fundraising journey, how creative leaders should think about entering the THC beverage space, and the trends Jeff sees shaping the next wave of cannabis and hemp innovation.

Use code Jeff33 to get 33% off anything at unclearnies.com

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Episode Highlights:

🍋 The origin story behind Uncle Arnie’s
🥤 Why THC beverages are exploding in popularity
🌿 The rise of hemp-derived THC and its impact on brand strategy
🎨 Building a distinctive, joyful visual identity
📦 Packaging that balances fun, clarity, and regulatory accuracy
🛒 How dispensary shoppers differ from mainstream hemp consumers
🧪 Flavor development and new product roadmapping
🚀 The creative playbook for new product launches
👥 The critical role of budtenders and frontline retail staff
💰 Lessons from fundraising and scaling a cannabis brand

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Table of Contents:

00:00 – Intro
00:57 – Uncle Arnie’s origin story
02:55 – Why THC beverages are all the rage right now
04:26 – Why beverages are the on-ramp for many
05:43 – Predicting the future
07:35 – Brand identity and brand evolution
10:32 – Visual identity and packaging design
16:02 – Dispensary channel consumers vs hemp market consumers
20:47 – Product strategy and roadmap
25:09 – New product launch assets and strategy
26:59 – The importance of budtenders and frontline retail teams
29:48 – Fundraising
31:49 – Recommendations for creative leaders coming into hemp bev
33:19 – Brand and trends Jeff is watching

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Links:

Uncle Arnie’s – https://unclearnies.com
Follow Jeff on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybull/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.