THE EQUALITY ISSUE
Q&A | CEO CHRIS BALL From hustling ounces, sitting in prison facing 10 years of federal time, to legal Cannabis business ownership in the most competitive market in the country - Chris Ball’s love affair with the plant spans decades.
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THE EARLY YEARS
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Chris Ball grew up with a pretty normal childhood in South Central Los Angeles, in the quiet suburb of Rowland Heights. At the young age of only eight-years-old, Ball had his first exposure to Cannabis - even though he wasn’t aware of what it was at the time. He began to notice that his father would retire to the couch after dinner, grab a rolling tray and twist up and enjoy a funny smelling cigarette, while his mother would relax with a glass of wine. He would smell the same funny smelling cigarettes and watch his uncles, cousins and even grandmother enjoy them at family functions. As he got older, he came to understand what the substance was, but was left perplexed by the seemingly opposite paradigms that were being presented to him. On one hand, the Reagan administration was pushing the “Just Say No” campaign, spreading the message that drugs, including Cannabis, were bad for you and to reject experimenting with any and all substances. On the other hand, his real world experience showed him that was not the case at all. The Ball Family would always score their herb from Chris’ cousin Earl and eventually, Ball connected the dots and the foundations of his enthusiasm for Cannabis business began to take shape. His cousin Earl always had the newest sneakers, the freshest fits and a nice car - and Ball realized this was a result of him selling weed. He got his first ounce from his cousin at 16 and got to work learning how to sell Cannabis.
AUG. 2020
STORY by NATE WILLIAMS @NATEW415 | PHOTOS by BALL FAMILY FARMS
