As cannabis becomes normalized and an increasing number of places around the world begin to legalize or decriminalize pot, it leaves the door open for an entirely new industry to thrive. It’s estimated that in seven years the legal cannabis market will be worth around $73.6 billion. As this sector continues to grow, so will cannabis job and business opportunities. Many entrepreneurs have already found innovative ways to combine their talents with their love for the sticky icky. From cannabis event companies and skincare product lines to sustainable growers, cell phone apps, and testing laboratories, there are unimaginable possibilities. These are just a few successful cannabis entrepreneurs that are leading the pack.
Bec and Madlyne, Irie Weddings and Events
What better way to celebrate your eternal love than with a little bud and a glass of champagne. Bec and Madlyne from Irie Weddings and Events provide knowledgeable budtenders to make your dream event a reality. Both ladies began working in the medical side of pot, but it was Bec’s second stint working in a floral company that gave her the idea of organizing cannabis events that are focused on responsible social consumption. The company has since expanded to five states where marijuana is fully legal: California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington.
David and Baruch Goldstein, Potbot
If you use marijuana regularly to treat an ailment or are interested in using it for its health benefits, the Potbot app is a valuable resource. Simply type in your symptoms like insomnia or stress and the cell phone app will search through all of the peer-reviewed scientific journals about pot and cannabinoids to suggest the best cannabis strains for you. Potbot will also let you know which local dispensaries carry those specific strains and let you speak with a certified cannabis clinician if needed. Think of the app as the Weedmaps for medical marijuana patients. The father and son team established the company after a family member got sick but didn’t want to turn to marijuana as a medicine because of its intimidating stoner culture.
Ryan Smith and Zach Silverman, Leaflink
Leaflink is a B2B marketplace set to optimize the marijuana supply chain via order tracking, streamlined communication, and business compliance verification. The website gives small growers more visibility and an even playing field with large brands and distributors who compete to get their products sold in retail locations around the world. Ryan and Zach started the virtual marketplace in 2016 and it now has over six thousand companies from 25 territories who use the platform. Leaflink has definitely shaken up the cannabis industry and is a startup to look towards in the future.
Adam Klaasmeyer and Royce Birnbaum, CEAD
Artificial intelligence (AI) has finally found its place in the world of marijuana. CEAD is an AI application that assists in the cultivation of marijuana by making sure the plants are healthy and give the highest yield possible. The app monitors everything from plant nutrition, life cycle, growth, and the number of pests, while learning from the data and eventually giving the grower suggestions based on past experiences. App creators, Adam and Royce have an impressive resume and are the perfect duo for the project. Royce is the back-end developer and once developed nuclear monitoring systems and AI technology for the military, while Adam has experience as a coder for Microsoft and Atari.
Claudia and Zander, Vertly Skincare
This husband and wife pair wanted to create cannabis skincare products that were sustainably sourced and produced in small batches. Vertly products are made in Northern California each week from plants and herbs that are slowly extracted for at least three weeks and combined with high-quality full spectrum CBD oil. Zander’s family has worked in the cannabis industry for many years, while Claudia studied herbalism and its relation to wellness. Each of the plants are chosen for a specific purpose such as arnica flower, which is used to treat inflammation, muscle pain, and bruising, and rosemary for moisturization and skin circulation. Their CBD skincare line which includes bath salts, lip balm, lotion, after workout spray, and a face serum has a huge following and was even praised by Vogue, The New York Times, Elle, and many others.
Garyn Angel, Magical Butter
Whether you regularly make homemade edibles, are microdosing, or you just love to bake for your friends, you should know the importance of decarbing your bud. Garyn designed the very first at home kitchen appliance that will grind, heat, stir, and steep your herb in specific intervals for the perfect potent edibles every single time. The Magical Butter machine makes THC-infused butter, oils, and even extracts that can be used in topicals and tinctures so you know exactly what’s going into the cannabis products you eat and put on your body. The magic butter maker does come with a hefty price tag, but it’s a great investment if you love Mary Jane just as much as you love DIY projects and with COVID-19 keeping us confined to our homes, spending a day baking edibles doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.
Do you have a favorite brand or startup that didn’t make the list? Drop the names of your top cannabis entrepreneurs in the comments below. Our online headshop has cheap bongs, bubblers, pipes, vapes, rolling papers, and more with fast, discreet shipping.
