Key Takeaways
- Grown Rogue focuses on producing high-quality cannabis flower and has expanded from Southern Oregon to multiple U.S. markets.
- Co-founders Obie and Sarah Strickler emphasize dependable quality and community engagement to address cannabis stigma.
- The company has shifted to concentrate on cultivation and flower, and plans to explore products like vape offerings.
- Grown Rogue adapts its operations to suit different market conditions and continues to uphold high cultivation standards.
- The founders advise entrepreneurs to pursue their passions, embrace challenges, and surround themselves with supportive people.
On the Some Guys Talking podcast, co-founders Obie and Sarah Strickler discussed the company’s Southern Oregon roots, its focus on flower, and its expansion into new markets.
Grown Rogue began with a straightforward goal: produce consistently high-quality cannabis flower at a price customers can afford.
That focus, the company’s co-founders said, has guided its growth from Southern Oregon to markets across the United States. Obie Strickler, co-founder and CEO, and Sarah Strickler, co-founder and chief community officer, shared the story behind the business in a recent episode of Some Guys Talking, hosted by Brian Holler and Aaron Washington on the Beard Bros Media Network.
The company traces its roots to the Rogue Valley, where both founders grew up. Obie Strickler said he had been cultivating cannabis for roughly 25 years, while Grown Rogue formally took shape around 2016. The founders said their early experience with inconsistent product helped shape the company’s emphasis on dependable quality and carefully selected genetics.
“We want to smoke really good weed, and we want to be consistent,” Obie Strickler said, describing the principle that continues to inform the company’s approach.
Returning to the company’s core
Like many entrepreneurs, the founders initially explored a broad range of products and business opportunities. Over time, they concluded that spreading the company across too many categories risked weakening its operations and its identity.
The Stricklers said they chose to refocus on cultivation and flower, then expand into other products from that foundation. The company has since added pre-rolls and is exploring additional formats, including vape products, while aiming to maintain its quality standards.
Obie Strickler said the company’s decisions are guided not only by potential revenue but also by whether its leaders believe in the products. Sarah Strickler added that the founders feel a responsibility to stand behind what carries their name.
Building trust through community engagement
The founders also discussed the importance of addressing cannabis stigma through openness and education. In its early years, Grown Rogue invited community members, business leaders and elected officials to visit its facilities and learn about the work involved in cultivation and production.
Sarah Strickler said community engagement was especially important as the company grew in the region where the founders were raising their family. She also described investing in staff development, including leadership training, as a key part of her role.
Obie Strickler said the business has worked to bring together the cannabis industry’s cultural roots with the transparency and operational discipline expected of a public company. Grown Rogue, he said, has sought to show visitors both the plant and the business systems behind it.
The pair also reflected on the broader changes in public acceptance of cannabis, while noting that the industry remains highly regulated and that stigma and legal consequences continue to affect people.
Expansion into new markets
Grown Rogue started in Oregon and expanded into Michigan and New Jersey. The company also entered Illinois and has been developing a facility in Minnesota, which Obie Strickler said could become its fifth state market pending approvals.
Each market brings different operating conditions, the founders said. New Jersey, for example, relies on packaged products, while Oregon and Michigan have more deli-style retail environments. The company has had to adapt its branding and product allocation to local customer preferences.
Obie Strickler said Grown Rogue aims to combine cost-efficient production with high-quality flower. He noted that the company continues to use hands-on processes, including hand-trimming and hand-packing, to support its cultivation standards.
Advice for entrepreneurs
Asked what they would tell listeners, the founders emphasized pursuing work they care about, taking thoughtful risks and surrounding themselves with supportive people.
“Life is too short,” Obie Strickler said. “If you don’t wake up every day excited about what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish,” he added, it may be time to reconsider the path.
Sarah Strickler encouraged people to embrace challenging situations and pay attention to the environments and relationships that shape their decisions.
