Cannabis & Tech Today -- Fall 2021

Page 156

RELAX // THE LIGHTER SIDE

How to be Taken Seriously in the Cannabis Industry By Wilfred (TV Star and Owner/Operator of Wilfred Cannabis and Wilfred Hemp & CBD)

Five years ago, having fulfilled my dream of becoming a Hollywood star, I set my sights on an even greater dream — to build a global cannabis brand and become a cannabis mogul, the likes of which the world has never seen. Some didn’t take me seriously. They thought I’d run away with my tail between my legs when I discovered how tough the business really was. Others told me that the industry was full of sharks who’d eat me alive. But I was coming from Hollywood. I’d already been “human styled” by the best. Determined to be taken seriously in a sea of celebrity cannabis brands that are often little more than a photo op and a paycheck, I set about learning everything I could about the cannabis business from seed to sale. First, I studied some analytics (yes, dogs study analytics!) and discovered there was very little consumer loyalty for celebrity cannabis brands. That hurt my feelings, but it also made sense. First and foremost, I’m a bong head who wants the best weed I can buy at the best price. I decided to build a working-class brand with good quality flower at an affordable price. I acquired a manufacturing license, designed my packaging, sourced some well-priced outdoor flower, testing 24-29% THC, and I made my first batch of Wilfred Cannabis Pre-rolls. Then I went from dispensary to dispensary pitching my brand. Some people screamed with delight when they saw the big grey dog enter their building. Others directed me to the nearest water bowl. I’ll admit it was tougher than I thought to compete with the big guns, get into dispensaries, and turn a profit. But as Dad always said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” I fought to get meetings with every purchasing manager I could, and 152

Cannabis & Tech Today // Fall 2021

when I won a shop’s support I’d travel there - all over the state - doing demos and taking pics with budtenders and fans. We all had lots of fun and I made lifelong friends and retail partners. Still, I was anything but a cannabis mogul. Cannabis mongrel, maybe. After taking some heavy losses with “missing” flower and a batch of pre-rolls failing heavy metals testing, we shifted from licensed manufacturing to a brand licensing business model. We were in negotiations with vertically-integrated companies in five states when the world shat itself, then all bets were off. We had to pivot to survive, and soon launched our hemp Wilfred CBD Smokes. For the first time we could sell online and ship to most U.S. states. Then we entered the Delta-8 game with our blunts and gummies. I called hundreds of CBD, smoke, and head shops all over the US, and now have loyal and loved retail partners in 17 states. This dog never quits, no matter how many times he’s been kicked. Being the owner/operator of a company is challenging, no question. One thing I’ve learned is that to survive in this game you need to adjust to the shifting landscape. You also need to diversify your skill set. And you need this to be

your passion. If it is, work 6.5 days a week and never admit defeat. And if all that fails, dress up as a chicken and film yourself smoking a blunt. ❖ Jason Gann is the creator/star of the stoner cult comedy series, Wilfred and CEO of the Wilfred Cannabis and Wilfred CBD & Hemp brands. Check it out at WilfredCBD.com and WilfredCannabis.com.


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Articles inside

The Lighter Side

3min
pages 156-158

The Science of Dabbing

5min
pages 140-143

Product Revolution

10min
pages 144-151

Events Calendar Coming Next Issue

1min
pages 154-155

Best Dispensary Logo in America

17min
pages 128-139

Managing an IT Ecosystem

34min
pages 104-121

Women + Weed

5min
pages 122-127

Ground, Sealed, Delivered

2min
pages 100-101

The Seeds of STEM Take Root

2min
pages 94-95

How Cold Can You Go?

2min
pages 92-93

What You Should Know About Terpenes

3min
pages 88-89

A Quick Cure for Preserving Crops

3min
pages 96-97

What’s in Your Fertilizer?

2min
pages 90-91

Time for a Change

2min
pages 98-99

Locking It Down

2min
pages 102-103

Bye, Bye Microbes

2min
pages 84-85

Expanding the Cannabis Social Network

8min
pages 70-75

What Are Nanobubbles

2min
pages 82-83

Is Cannabis Packaging Discriminatory?

5min
pages 58-61

Sustainable Packaging in 4 Steps

2min
pages 86-87

SevenPoint’s Inspiring Interior Design

5min
pages 66-69

Planet 13’s Retail Strategy

5min
pages 62-65

The Aftermath of Incarceration

5min
pages 76-81

Sustainable Investments in Cannabis

10min
pages 42-47

Big Ideas, Smart Packages

10min
pages 36-41

International

2min
pages 26-27

National Cannabis Party 2021 Recap

10min
pages 48-53

NACB

2min
pages 28-29

Event Wrap Ups

2min
pages 20-21

Know Before

2min
pages 24-25

By The Numbers

0
pages 22-23
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