Coss Marte is back on the Real Mentors Podcast with an update that’s as raw as it gets.

Since his first appearance, the founder of ConBody and ConBud has faced new challenges — this time from the state itself. After building three licensed cannabis shops in just 15 months, Coss and more than 150 other small dispensary owners were hit with sudden rule changes that could force them to shut down.

In this conversation, Coss breaks down what’s really happening behind New York’s cannabis laws, how politics and power plays are crushing small businesses, and why he refuses to give up. He also opens up about fatherhood, faith, and what it means to build a family and business with transparency, trust, and love.

This Episode Explores:

• The state’s last-minute regulation change threatening 150+ dispensaries
• The lawsuit Coss filed to protect small, justice-impacted entrepreneurs
• Lobbyists, corporate influence, and the politics behind New York’s cannabis rollout
• Lessons from his father’s Bronx bodega and what real work ethic looks like
• How honesty changed his relationship with his son after prison
• Raising kids with openness and empathy
• Building ConBud and ConBody with integrity and community in mind
• Working full-time with his wife and balancing marriage with mission
• Staying grounded when everything you built is on the line

This episode is about real pressure, real growth, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward when everything you’ve worked for is tested.

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🔗 Connect with Coss Marte

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cossmarte

ConBody: https://conbody.comhttps://instagram.com/conbody

ConBud: https://instagram.com/conbudny

Follow REAL Mentors Podcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/realmentorspodcast

Host Sean Martin: https://instagram.com/theseanmartin

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About the Guest – Coss Marte

Coss Marte is an entrepreneur, author, and advocate for second chances. After serving time in prison, he turned his life around by launching ConBody, a fitness brand employing people with past convictions, and ConBud, one of New York’s first justice-driven cannabis dispensaries. His work has been featured on TEDx, Forbes, CNN, and The Today Show. Today, Coss continues to fight for fairness, opportunity, and the communities he came from.

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Tags & Keywords

Coss Marte, ConBody, ConBud, Sean Martin, REAL Mentors Podcast, Bronx entrepreneur, second chances, New York dispensary law, cannabis business, prison to purpose, criminal justice reform, immigrant story, family values, transparency, integrity, redemption, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, resilience, legacy, purpose-driven business, mindset, marriage and business, NYC small business, political reform, community empowerment, social equity, leadership, growth, life after prison