Illustration: afry_harvy/Shutterstock
This article is part of a series of historical perspectives on the legal cannabis industry.
These figures from key moments in the cannabis industry's history speak volumes about how the industry has matured over time. The industry has been challenged by a group of passionate advocates and small business owners who have called for controversy and possible arrest by demanding an end to federal prohibition and working to end social stigma. It has grown over the years and become a vibrant economic engine that attracts talented executives from some companies. Some of the most famous traditional consumer packaged goods companies.
People like Bruce Margolin and Virgil Grant have been in the fight since before the first states took their first steps toward legalization. Scientists like the late Raphael Mechoulam provided strong evidence that this plant and its components have therapeutic effects. Al Harrington brings the power of celebrity and personal conviction to the fight for restorative justice and social equity. Technologists including Jessica Billingsley, Ryan G. Smith, Zach Silverman, and Socrates Rosenfeld provided the infrastructure that continues to help the industry evolve today. Some people have helped define what the industry wants, but others we often forget have also helped the industry understand what it doesn't want.
The following celebrities are just a few of the people who left behind legends.
Mr. Bruce Margolin, Esq.
Bruce Margolin.
Iconic criminal defense attorney Bruce Margolin has been a passionate advocate of cannabis culture since 1967. In fact, he literally wrote a book on cannabis law, The Margolin Guide, which he continues to update. At age 82, the founder (1973) and director emeritus of Los Angeles NORML remains the same tireless advocate for comprehensive reform as he was as a “young lawyer.” His daughter Alison Margolin followed in her father's footsteps and became a criminal defense attorney and author of legal books.
ben cobler
Photo: Ben Kovler by Josh Separzadeh / mg Magazine.
Being the scion of a wealthy family may have given Ben Kobler some advantages, but he's pretty much single-handedly made his bones with cannabis. As co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Green Thumb Industries, Mr. Kobler oversees a large company that employs more than 4,000 people, operates 18 manufacturing facilities and 86 retail stores in 15 states. Kobler's mastery of capital allocation and acquisition strategies is evident in the company's positive cash flow and $2.8 billion market cap.
peter horvath
Peter Horvath.
Peter Horvath was one of the vanguards of a new breed of cannabis executives: straight-up mainstream suits. After serving as an executive at power retail giants Victoria's Secret, American Eagle Outfitters, DSW, and The Limited, he founded publicly traded Green Growth Brands. His plan to transform cannabis retail didn't work out. GGB went bankrupt within two years. Mr. Horvath then served as CEO of High Times Holding Corporation for almost two years before leaving the industry in 2022.
virgil grant
Virgil Grant.
Virgil Grant deeply understands the need for effective social equity programs. The three-time convicted felon, who spent six years in federal prison on charges related to licensed dispensaries, and co-founder of the Southern California Coalition and the California Minority Alliance, is a leading advocate for both the industry and people of color. is a strong advocate of “What I have to do is make sure that the doors that I'm allowed to go through are open for my people to come in,” he said. Currently, he is the CEO of California Cannabis.
aaron smith
Photo: Aaron Smith, written by Thomas O'Brien/mg Magazine.
Aaron Smith co-founded the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) in 2010, bringing together about 30 companies to create an organization to advocate for policy change at the federal level. Thirteen years and more than 1,000 members later, the NCIA wields significant lobbying influence on Capitol Hill. Smith said politicians' attitudes toward the industry have changed, although two of the organization's biggest issues since its inception, banking and Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, remain unresolved. “Even our adversaries see us as a serious industry that at least deserves to be listened to, even if they don’t appreciate what we’re doing,” he said. .
adam biermann
Photo by Adam Bierman, photographed by Josh Sepp/MG Magazine.
Adam Biermann, perhaps the industry's most notorious entrepreneur, is in trouble in 2020 amid allegations of financial mismanagement and personnel fraud at MedMen, the once-golden retailer he co-founded and served as CEO for 10 years. He disappeared in 2016. The company's meteoric rise was the stuff of legend, and so was its fall from glory. More than two years later, after reuniting and writing a book, Biermann returned to promote a new retail concept: Megabud, a chain of cannabis convenience stores. So far, this idea has not received much attention.
Jason Wilde
Photo by Jason Wilde.
TerraAscend's Executive Chairman, Jason Wilde, has an uncanny ability to pick winners. Those who know him best describe him as a bastion of integrity and a brilliant investor.Wild's JW Asset Management and Canopy Growth co-founded TerrAscend in 2017 with $52 million. The company is currently valued at $622 million and just completed its fifth consecutive quarterly report. positive cash flow. This year, Wilde raised $21 million in capital and took the company public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It became the first American company to accomplish this feat.
kevin murphy
Kevin Murphy.
Kevin Murphy, founder and CEO of Acreage Holdings, was one of the most powerful players in the industry when the company signed a $300 million acquisition deal with Canada's Canopy Growth Corporation in April 2019. He remains chairman of Acreage's board as the transaction nears completion. , but most of his focus these days is on Viridescent Capital Partners, the cannabis private equity firm he founded in 2020.
matt darling
Photo: Matt Darin by Lloyds Studio / mg Magazine.
For a man shouldering the weight of one of the world's largest cannabis companies, Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin is surprisingly candid and personable. With operations in 21 U.S. states and eight European countries, this vertically integrated giant is cash flow positive. Curaleaf acquired Darling when it acquired Grassroots in 2020 and named him CEO because of his background in finance, accounting and real estate.
Lochoi
Photo: Ro Choy by Arthur Alvarez/mg Magazine.
Rogelio “Ro” Choy joined Eaze in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer. A year later, he was appointed CEO following the sudden resignation of the previous CEO, who resigned in the face of bank fraud charges. Mr. Choi steered Ease away from federal regulators' crosshairs and transitioned the company from a delivery platform to a vertically integrated plant-touch operation. He left the industry in December 2022.
Raphael Mechoulam
Photo: Raphael Mechoulam by Yoram Aschheim / Hebrew University.
Biochemist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, the first scientist to separate CBD and THC (in the early 1960s), spent his life researching cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, primarily at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His groundbreaking research led to recognition of the profound therapeutic potential of cannabis. Mechoulam was still engaged in research at the time of his death in March 2023 at the age of 92.
socrates rosenfeld
Socrates Rosenfeld.
Socrates Rosenfeld, co-founder and CEO of Jane Technologies, has turned his vision for cannabis e-commerce into a powerful platform that redefines the way retailers, brands, and consumers connect. Jane currently offers a POS platform, is developing a virtual Budtender, and is incorporating advanced programmatic advertising options that share revenue with participating pharmacies.
jessica billingsley
Photo: Jessica Billingsley/mg Magazine.
Jessica Billingsley became the first female CEO of a Nasdaq-listed cannabis technology company after the compliance software company she founded, MJ Freeway, merged with publicly traded company MTech Acquisition Corp. to become Akerna Corp. Ta. In early 2023, Akerna sold its software business. It also announced plans to merge with Bitcoin mining company Gryphon Digital Mining.
al harrington
Photo by Al Harrington, John Taylor/MG Magazine.
Viola Brands is notable as one of the first and largest Black-owned cannabis companies. Founder and CEO Al Harrington, a former professional basketball player, launched the vertically integrated brand in 2014. It currently operates in nine states. Mr. Harrington is deeply involved in every aspect of the business, including his social equity incubator, which he vows to create 100 Black billionaires.
Ryan G. Smith and Zach Silverman
Photo: Zach Silverman (left) and Ryan G. Smith (right), photographed by Humberto Ona III.
LeafLink has grown significantly since young technology entrepreneurs Ryan G. Smith and Zach Silverman launched the wholesale platform in 2015. The platform, which is now a complete end-to-end virtual supply chain management tool for brands, distributors and retailers, includes a built-in payment solution. Also includes a customer relationship management component. The company processes more than $4 billion in sales annually.
