Cannabis 3.0 Is Upon Us

BY: RICO LAMITTE, FOUNDER OF CANiVISION

A full pandemic year is now behind us. Vaccine distribution is picking up and states are reopening. The world’s a different place. As much as mainstream America has evolved around us in a single year, what’s happened in cannabis? Depends on who you ask...

I made a name for myself in cannabis throwing parties and events for celebrities, pro athletes, and investors wanting to experience the industry’s coolness without committing to an actual dive into the trap. My unique background provided an unorthodox path where I’ve benefited from all three sides of the game: Business, Wellness, and Lifestyle. Each lane is similar in impact, yet different in approach. I quickly noticed nobody was making an effort to connect the dots...

So, I created the glue.

Here is a little background on me. Post-college football, I got hurt training for the league. I ended up on the streets of Chicago selling packs to support my opioid habit. Luck led me onto a nationwide tour with pop stars; emceeing for backstage passes before trading my mohawk, goatee, camo shorts, and Timbs for a decade of suits and ties in finance.

Near the end of my run in corporate America, I met Joss McKernan. I thought he was just another high-performing sales guy (we have a knack for finding each other…) before learning he was a founder and sales lead for one of the biggest oil companies in cannabis. We became friends and he tried to break me out of finance twice before finally bailing.

In late 2016 I joined Baker Technologies, a Denver-based company leading the multi-state push with online ordering, targeted texts, and digital loyalty. Before starting, Joss introduced me to some of SoCal’s heaviest hitters- above and below ground. Showed me the link between quasi-legal business, medicine, street shit, and how we all played our part. He didn’t realize I was in a position to bridge the gaps between each silo... Green technology would soon change the game and I was at the forefront of a very datadriven “Cannabis 2.0.” Fast-forward to July 2020. CANiVISION was created out of necessity. The plant that saved my life and the industry we’ve seen evolve around it were both in critical danger. Pandemic pressure set in and the soul of the game was at stake.

What makes cannabis unique is everything was built streets-up. Decentralizing cannabis media is the only way to shift power back to the originators. Gotta let them tell their stories.

Joss now consults for one of the industry’s largest farm operations. I interviewed him on his pre-topost-pandemic transition and how reinvention’s led to him thriving on all three sides of the biz. 2 pieces of advice he’d offer a fresh-faced version of himself 7 years ago: “Don’t take shit so seriously and just keep fucking going.”

Cannabis 3.0 is upon us. Those of us who recognize the importance of connecting ALL THREE sides of the industry by taking advantage of each other’s strengths while bolstering weaknesses will be just fine. Check out my interview with Joss McKernan as it airs this Month at www.canivision.com