On this episode, we’re joined by Paulo Lacerda Sobral, the CEO of Lolli Soda - classic soda, remixed with cannabis. Lolli focuses on legacy flavors like Cherry Cola, Grape Soda, and Orange Soda.

Paulo honed his beverage chops at big names like PepsiCo and Sierra Nevada Brewing before diving into the cannabis beverage space.

He brings deep expertise in beverage manufacturing, distribution strategy, and regulatory navigation - plus a clear-eyed take on what it’s really going to take to make THC drinks go mainstream.

Paulo shares what inspired the creation of Lolli, why he isn’t trying to disrupt soda, and the future of cannabis beverages in retail. We talk through the real costs behind hemp beverage ops and why so many brands fail to focus on quality.

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Episode Highlights:

🥤 Why Lolli is “classics remixed,” not wellness-forward
🏭 Lessons from Pepsi and Sierra Nevada in scaling ops
🌱 The challenge of THC beverage regulation state-by-state
💸 Real talk: tolling costs, margins, and cold-chain myths
🛒 Why convenience stores are a sleeping giant for cannabis
📦 The importance of shelf stability and flavor-first development
🧠 Navigating burnout and founder identity in the cannabis world
📈 How to get distributors and retailers to actually care
🎯 Why beverages require IRL sampling, not just DTC funnels

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Table of Contents:

00:00 – Intro & Texas hemp regulation discussion
03:00 – What inspired Lolli + Paulo’s journey from Pepsi to pot
07:00 – The state of cannabis and hemp beverage
13:00 – “Traditional” beverage vs cannabis and hemp beverage
17:00 – What makes a great THC soda (formulation + flavor)
19:10 – C-stores
23:19 – The on-premise channel
24:45 – DTC
30:00 – Who should your first hire be in cannabis and hemp beverage?

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Links:

Lolli - https://www.drinklolli.com
Follow Paulo on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulo-l-sobral/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/

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