Reflections on Evolving Cannabis Industry – Cannabis Business Executive

There are few times that I can remember where an entire industry took shape in such a visible way as the cannabis industry is doing right now. Since 2012, when Washington and Colorado broke through the dam by legalizing cannabis consumption, the industry has grown and spread (pardon the pun) like a weed. New legal markets seem to be sprouting almost overnight as more and more states start the inevitable process of allowing sales and possession of cannabis. Medicinal markets and adult use retail markets are starting to flourish and the industry is moving beyond some outdated drug culture stigmas. As we continue down this path towards a full fledged national market, I think it is important to reflect on where we have been and consider how we can all continue to enhance the industry as a legitimate and necessary market.

The Stigmas 

I remember the first time I posted about cannabis on LinkedIn and the fear I felt about “outing” myself as a person working in the cannabis space. I felt like it was something that could very easily cost me business partners by turning some people off. It was a risk I was willing to take however, because I fundamentally believed that cannabis as an industry was beneficial and should be legal. I have long understood that this plant has the potential to truly help people, create jobs, and enhance our overall societal wellness. I found it uplifting to observe those who suffered from a variety of ailments finally have legal access to a natural plant medicine as a safer alternative to some of the more dangerous pharmaceuticals. As an attorney, I came to view the disenfranchisement of cannabis industry participants as a major mistake that needed to be rectified.

The stigmas associated with cannabis use are many. Some are humorous and self inflicted, while others are certainly more disturbing and harmful. Popular culture flipped old government informational material on its head and largely embraced the counter culture narrative. From Cheech and Chong, Dazed & Confused to Half Baked and 4/20; cannabis culture has historically been viewed in a highly limited way where the stoner archetype was usually a couch locked halfwit fumbling around through life in a haze of smoke. Likewise, from a marketing standpoint anything related to cannabis usually included some form of the words “Canna,” “Medicine,” or “Plant,” etc. Graphics also tended to have a cannabis leaf in an array of colors as well. Pot culture has been an important part of introducing the concept of cannabis use to a mass audience, however it may be time to welcome in a broader view of cannabis.

Of the more harmful stigmas, the high rates of incarceration for cannabis related offenses tops the list. Cannabis has historical ties to systemic racism and that history cannot be ignored even as we enter into a more liberated era. It with this history in mind that the most useful work can be done to end the negative stigmas associated with the industry. Those of us who have chosen to participate have an obligation to support those who have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the war on drugs and to help educate the masses on the realities of the cannabis industry beyond the counter culture messaging we have grown accustomed to.

Humanizing the Industry 

Most people these days know someone close to them who regularly consumes cannabis. However, cannabis consumption still remains largely out of sight. In many places cannabis medical dispensaries or retail stores are kept hidden away from main street. The reasons for this are varied, however it is clear that there is still some level of discomfort with associating publicly with the plant. As cannabis use remains cloaked in mystery it is important to take opportunities to shed light and demystify the industry at large. As I am privileged to work as an attorney and to specialize in the cannabis space I embrace a responsibility to help the transition from illicit to legitimate market. One of the ways I can do that is by using my platforms to educate people and introduce the many wonderful, brilliant and passionate people who make up the space.

Crafting the Narrative 

The narrative of cannabis that I subscribe to is one of wellness, success, entrepreneurialism and ultimately people. The people who consume and work with cannabis are not just stoners wasting their lives away. They are doctors, artists, and creators of all types. Corporate suits, and commune socialists, farmers, teachers, and people who do just about everything you can imagine. They are republicans and democrats, believers and atheists, young, old, white, black and everything in between. They have dreams and aspirations, families that they care about and provide for, and jobs that they love and hate. They are just like you and me because they are you and me. It’s time we change the narrative of who uses cannabis, who sells it, and who profits from it.

For those who wish to participate in this industry I think it is important to embrace this unique moment in time. Fifty years from now cannabis will be so commonplace that the very thought of being incarcerated for possessing it will seem laughable. No one remembers now that West End Brewing Company of New York was the first brewery to serve beer post-prohibition in 1933. That moment where an illicit market transitioned into a legitimate one, serves as a reminder of how far we can go in a relatively short amount of time. Paying respect to the legacy market’s entrepreneurs, by helping them find success in newly legalized markets, is an important part of the evolving cannabis story. Likewise, supporting the diversification of the industry and creating opportunities for those who are often left out is equally important.

Storytellers in the branding and marketing space have a special role to play in shedding the stigmas of old by crafting new imagery for this era. As for the rest of us in the ancillary or non-plant touching side of the industry, I believe we owe it to the whole to do our part. To openly declare that we are here to help and learn. Lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, real estate professionals, bankers and the like can share our expertise and networks to help with the transition. Likewise, I believe that we should be looking for ways to give back to those communities who faced disproportionate hardship under prohibition. We cannot simply benefit, we must pay our dues by giving back.