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What’s the biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now, and how are you and/or your company addressing it?
The biggest challenge in the cannabis industry from an HR standpoint is building and retaining a compliant, stable workforce in a highly regulated and fast-changing environment. High turnover, wage pressure, evolving labor laws, and lingering stigma make it difficult to attract talent and maintain consistency. HR teams must balance compliance, safety, and culture while supporting rapid growth.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis?
The most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis is the professionalization of the industry particularly in people operations, leadership development, and scalable infrastructure.
As cannabis matures, companies that invest in strong HR systems, compliant workforce models, and intentional culture will outperform those still operating like startups. Innovation in training, career pathways, compensation strategy, and compliance-driven operations will unlock retention, productivity, and long-term sustainability especially as federal reform and market consolidation accelerate.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to break into the cannabis industry?
Take the time to really understand the rules of the industry before jumping in. Cannabis isn’t just about the product it’s one of the most regulated spaces out there. Knowing the basics around licensing, compliance, labor laws, safety requirements, and documentation will put you way ahead of the curve. When you can speak the language of compliance and show you understand the risks operators deal with every day, you come across as someone who can actually help not just someone who’s excited to be there. That kind of knowledge makes you instantly more valuable.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your experiences in the cannabis industry?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that adaptability is everything in cannabis. Regulations shift, markets change, and business models evolve quickly. The teams and leaders who succeed are the ones who stay flexible, communicate clearly, and adjust without losing sight of compliance or culture. Being able to pivot while keeping people aligned is what separates reactive companies from sustainable ones.
What do you want your legacy to be as it relates to the cannabis industry?
I want my legacy in the cannabis industry to be that I helped professionalize it building people, policies, and processes that allow businesses to grow safely, sustainably, and ethically. I want to be remembered for creating workplaces where employees are supported, compliance is built in, and leadership is intentional. Ultimately, I hope the teams and systems I put in place continue to thrive long after I’ve moved on, raising the standard for the entire industry.