What’s the biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now, and how are you and/or your company addressing it?
One of the biggest challenges in cannabis is figuring out how to build businesses that are actually sustainable. I see that here in New Jersey. Our market is growing quickly, new brands and retailers are entering all the time, and everyone is competing for attention. But getting on a shelf, opening a dispensary, or having a great product doesn’t automatically create a successful business.
I’ve had the opportunity to work across several parts of this industry, including sales, marketing, field promotion, brand representation, events, and community building. That experience has taught me that relationships are one of the most valuable things you can build in cannabis. Retailers need brands they can trust. Brands need people who understand the market beyond a sales sheet. Consumers need education and genuine reasons to connect with what they’re buying.
That’s a big part of what I’m building through Hey Miss Leena. I connect people, share what I’ve learned from working directly in the New Jersey market, and help brands understand that visibility and relationships have to continue long after the first introduction. Cannabis is still a young industry here in New Jersey, and I want to be part of building a market where businesses don’t just launch, they have the relationships, knowledge, and community around them to last.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis?
I think one of the most exciting opportunities is cannabis tourism and creating experiences that give people a reason to explore cannabis beyond shopping for it. I think there’s a huge opportunity in New Jersey to build something that feels specific to our state instead of simply following what older markets have done.
We have so much packed into a small state. We have the Shore, major music and entertainment destinations, incredible food, proximity to New York and Philadelphia, and millions of people traveling through the region. Now imagine cannabis thoughtfully becoming part of that experience through consumption lounges, educational events, wellness experiences, tours, hospitality partnerships, and creative collaborations.
I’ve gotten to see the power of that firsthand through my work with the Highly Connected App and while helping the Traveling Cannabis Writer cover tours and events. When you bring people into a space and let them meet the founders, see the businesses, learn something, and experience the culture surrounding cannabis, their relationship with the industry changes.
That’s where I think New Jersey has a real opportunity. We’re still early enough to create our own cannabis culture, and I want to see us build one that people actually want to come here and experience.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to break into the cannabis industry?
Don’t think there’s only one way to break into cannabis. You don’t have to grow the plant, own a dispensary, or launch a product to build a career in this industry. Cannabis needs salespeople, marketers, educators, accountants, event professionals, writers, tech professionals, designers, and people who know how to build community.
I came into cannabis with skills I already had and then allowed myself to learn by doing. I’ve taken on different roles, worked with different brands, asked questions, shown up at events, traveled around the country meeting people, and paid attention to how each part of the industry connects to the next. Every role taught me something that made me better at the next one.
So I tell people to start with what you already know how to do and figure out where cannabis needs that skill. Then show up. Be curious. Be willing to learn something outside of your lane. Some of the most valuable experience I’ve gained came from saying yes to opportunities that didn’t necessarily fit into one job title.
Cannabis is still being built, especially here in New Jersey. There’s room to find your place in it, but you have to be willing to get involved before you have the perfect title for what that place is.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your experiences in the cannabis industry?
How important it is to stay adaptable! Cannabis will humble you quickly if you think you have everything figured out. Regulations change, companies change direction, brands come and go, consumer interests shift, and sometimes the role you thought you were going to have isn’t where you end up making your biggest impact.
I’ve experienced that throughout my own journey. I’ve worked in different roles and learned that every experience adds another layer to how I understand this industry. Sales taught me how to listen. Field work taught me what consumers are actually asking for. Marketing taught me how important the message is. Working events and being in different cannabis spaces taught me that what works for one community or brand doesn’t automatically work for another.
That has been especially important working in New Jersey because we’re watching this market develop in real time. There is no ten-year-old blueprint for New Jersey cannabis that we can simply follow.
I’ve learned to stay curious, pay attention, and never become so attached to one title or way of doing things that I miss where the industry is going next. That mindset has allowed me to grow alongside the industry instead of just working in it.
What do you want your legacy to be as it relates to the cannabis industry?
want my legacy in cannabis to be about what I helped build and who I helped along the way. I want people to hear “Hey Miss Leena” and think of someone who showed up, connected people, shared what she knew, and genuinely wanted to see others win.
New Jersey is home, so it’s important to me that part of my story is tied to what we’re building here. Years from now, when our cannabis industry looks completely different than it does today, I want to be able to look around and know I was there while it was taking shape. Not watching from the sidelines, but working with the brands, supporting events, helping people make connections, educating consumers, and contributing to the culture we were creating.
I also want my journey to show people that you don’t have to fit into one box to make an impact in cannabis. I’ve worn a lot of hats, and Hey Miss Leena represents all of those experiences coming together.
