Wana Brands’ Post

We’re all drawn to the cannabis industry for different reasons. But it’s our ‘why’ that keeps us persevering. For Marc Whitehair, Account Manager with Wana Brands in Colorado, it’s all about the community. WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL “WHY” (YOUR PASSION) FOR WORKING IN CANNABIS? To help push the community forward, to meet some of the most amazing people, and to feel like I found a home that doesn’t view me as a criminal. WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY, WHAT PERKS AND/OR RISKS DO YOU SEE?  A perk is to feel free to express the love and care for our plants, patients, partners, and customers. CANNABIS HELPS ME ______ Feel free to be myself. HOW HAS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY IMPACTED YOUR CANNABIS USE? YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE PLANT? I actually take more tolerance breaks and treat my consumption/stash drawer with more respect. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CANNABIS WORK COMMUNITY? HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER WORK ENVIRONMENTS YOU’VE KNOWN? It’s got the good and bad. Find the helpers and be a helper. #thatsmywhy #cannabiscommunity

The Cannabis plant has had a life-changing effect on my health and self-esteem. Here are some of the benefits I have personally experienced from cannabis. Cannabis has helped me express empathy and be more vulnerable with people. Cannabis has helped me create bonds and friendships that I still cherish a decade later. Cannabis helped me embrace humor and the light-hearted side of life. Cannabis helped me to improve my self-esteem through introspection and self improvement. Cannabis helped me challenge my career aspirations by asking 'What if?' and envisioning a more fulfilling life. And much more. I want to discover how good life can be for more people, with help from the cannabis plant. That's why I founded Gras, a cannabis company. We partner with legal cannabis businesses to create memorable experiences that improve quality of life for our customers. We're based in the heart of New York City. Join us to create memorable experiences in our community. Visit our partners at grascannabis.org. Cheers! -Bryant

**Heading: Empowering Our Local Cannabis Community – Showmobud’s Commitment to Growth and Connection** At Showmobud, we believe in putting people first, and then the plant. We're dedicated to fostering a well-informed, connected, and vibrant cannabis community right here in [Your Location]. Here's how we're making a difference: 🌱 **Community Engagement**: We support and initiate local cannabis-related events, workshops, and forums to educate and inform. Our platform serves as a hub for these activities, ensuring that every member of our community can easily participate and stay informed. 🌱 **Supporting Local Businesses**: By boosting the online presence of local dispensaries and cannabis businesses, we help drive economic growth and increase access to quality cannabis products. 🌱 **Educational Resources**: From detailed strain reviews to updates on legal changes, we ensure our community is well-informed about their choices and the evolving cannabis landscape. 🌱 **Safe and Legal Framework**: Compliance with local laws is at the heart of what we do, ensuring that all community activities are safe, legal, and beneficial. 🌱 **Economic Impact**: Our efforts don't just stop at cannabis culture. We're here to support job creation and local revenue streams, proving that a community-focused approach not only thrives but also gives back. We're excited to see how our community-centric approach will continue to transform the local cannabis landscape into a more inclusive, informed, and engaged space. Let's grow together! #CannabisCommunity #LocalBusines

As we navigate the evolving landscape of the cannabis industry, the call for leadership grounded in legacy, values, and a profound love for the plant has never been more critical. The journey ahead requires a deep-seated commitment to the values that have nourished the roots of cannabis culture for generations. Our legacy is a testament to our commitment to sharing the benefits of cannabis and it can be a beacon for the future. It teaches us to lead with a heart full of love for all and a sincere desire to share the benefits of cannabis with others, which many of us have done firsthand. This is the essence of values-based leadership—leading with authenticity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to what truly matters. As we embark on this new era for cannabis, change can be daunting, we find guidance in the wisdom of past philosophers. Their teachings, though millennia old, resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities we face today. Change can indeed be stressful, but by focusing on what is within our control, we can add immense value to our industry and society. Dwelling on the uncontrollable only fuels intense emotions, diverting our energy away from making positive changes. Here is what is always with in our control: Attaining Wisdom: Continuously seeking knowledge and understanding of the plant, the industry, and ourselves. Being Fair and Kind: Our actions should uplift others, benefiting not just our business but our community and the environment. Having Courage: Stand up for what is right, advocating for justice and integrity in every aspect of our work. Using Moderation: Keep our lives in balance, ensuring that our ambitions serve both our well-being and the greater good. Caring for our Body and Mind: Engage in practices like exercise, meditation, and journaling to maintain emotional equilibrium and resilience. Let's all take a deep breath and embrace this moment to reflect, realign, and recommit to leading with values that transcend the immediate challenges. Together, we can ensure that the legacy of the cannabis industry is one of integrity, compassion, and enduring impact. #CannabisIndustry #Leadership #ValuesBasedLeadership #LegacyLeadership #PhilosophyInAction

As big companies start to buy out local ones and dominate the market, Community becomes a priority within the cannabis industry for several reasons: ✊🏾 Advocacy and Social Change: The cannabis industry has a complex history, including the fight for legalization and the push for equity. Community collaboration plays a crucial role in advocating for policies that benefit the industry as a whole and support the folks disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. By working together, industry & community members can promote social change, ensure equitable access to cannabis opportunities, and address the negative consequences of prohibition. 🔧 Craftsmanship: Many smaller businesses within the cannabis industry focus on niche markets, specialty cultivars, or unique production methods that larger corporations may overshadow while concentrating on mass production. By coming together, small companies can preserve traditions and maintain what makes our industry so vibrant. 🪴 Local Impact: Maintaining a strong sense of community allows these businesses to forge relationships, collaborate with local organizations, and address community concerns, thereby fostering a positive impact on local communities. Big companies may sound loud, but the community’s involvement remains integral. By maintaining strong connections, supporting social change, and valuing local impact, our industry can preserve its diversity, consumer trust, and culture, even in the face of monopolization. . . . #community #socialjustice #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #santacruz #supportlocalbusiness

Today I want to talk about KARMA. Like many of you, I have high hopes for what 2024 will bring to the cannabis industry. (No, this is not a predictions post). As those in services are well aware, business tends to slow around the holidays and it can take some time before things gain momentum again, so I committed to starting the new year more consciously than in years past by using that time to learn, connect & grow. I’m connecting with past and current clients. I’m connecting with past and current candidates. I’m connecting with my agency peers. I’m connecting with owners, operators, possible strategic partners and thought leaders. I’ve been connecting with cannabis professionals specifically in Colorado, as we have historically done our least amount of business here despite being headquartered here. I’ve been thinking about what our LinkedIn audience can do for others in the space. How we can help elevate others. How we can do our part for the cannabis community. The result? I’ve had amazing conversations with professionals in venture capital, advocacy organizations, hemp/CBD companies, legal firms, ancillary services, labs, dispensaries, equipment manufacturers, cannabis tech, media outlets, lobbyists and more. My takeaway? This is what I should be doing every day. Connecting with people and asking, “How can we help?” We’ve offered partner spotlight posts on our LinkedIn page to gain industry/consumer awareness, connected likeminded people so they can learn from each other, offered advice and insights about what we're seeing. What have you done today to elevate someone in the space? KARMA. We’re throwing it everywhere. Reach out if you’d like to connect. #cannabis #cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #hirehigher #karma

Why do you choose to work in the cannabis industry, despite innate challenges? Whether it be advocating for access to the plant, social justice, an alternative to alcohol, medical benefits, money, family, the excitement of a new industry, or any other reason, you're here for a reason. Whatever the reason, it’s our ‘why’ that keeps us persevering.   What is a ‘why’? Our ‘why’ is what drives us forward, every day. It’s the spark that ignites our inspiration. It’s what gets us up and moving. It’s that thing inside of us that keeps us here, in the cannabis industry, despite the plethora of challenges that we encounter.   In honor of 420, we’re sharing people’s stories through our #thatsmywhy initiative. Follow #thatsmywhy on Instagram and LinkedIn - check the comments below to find our Instagram page. Want to be featured for your why? Tell us your cannabis story here ---> https://lnkd.in/eQr6pVMA https://lnkd.in/eS6gUmCG #cannabiscommunity #cannabisindustry #workingincannabis

As a cannabis company leader you are carrying a heavy load. You can't work any harder. If you worked this hard in any other sector you’d be rich by now! You’re starting to wonder why you got into legal cannabis because you don't see how your dream will ever work. What if you were standing in your own way of making progress? I see people in our sector who are holding on to ‘the old ways from the old days’. I get it, some things did used to be better. But the way it was then… that’s not how cannabis is now. Yes, some old ways are good to hold on to. Your passion, determination, and motivation that got you here are all important. However, they are not enough for this new reality. Holding on to the past and thinking ‘this is how it worked before so it will work now’ will keep you struggling. It will keep you from building the kind of company you dream of having. To move forward, you need to have self-awareness about the things that you need to let go of. This includes understanding where you need to improve yourself so that you can run the kind of company that you want to have. It is a mental shift how to do that. Back in the day, the way you ran your show, was very different. Now, your company needs you to show up in ways that you haven’t had to before. It’s not easy to have that self-awareness- to be open to that personal learning and change. To understand the parts of old ways that you need to let go of, and new perspectives to take on. You can do it though. You need to if you want to succeed. 🌿🌟 . #craftcannabis #cannabisindustry #cannabisbusiness #phenologic

I’ve always valued my privacy, rarely sharing personal stories as I cherish them deeply. However, the courage I've seen in others on this platform, openly sharing their journeys, has inspired me to share mine. My entry into the cannabis industry was not born from knowledge or noble intentions. From a young age of sixteen, I used cannabis recreationally, unaware of its medical benefits or the diverse group of people it served. I was living the stereotype. This perspective shifted dramatically when my younger brother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirteen. At twenty years old, I was too naive to grasp the severity of his future struggles. Over the next five years, I watched a vibrant, confident boy become a frail, suffering young man. One of our last Christmases together was transformative. I managed to sneak some cannabis-infused brownies to him, and for a few hours, we were lost in laughter, forgetting his current circumstances. At the time, I didn’t realize the significance of that day, but it profoundly shaped my path. Starting in retail, I began my cannabis career, meeting people from all walks of life, each with their own story of what brought them to cannabis. These interactions were life-altering, affirming the importance of what I was doing. I pursued and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Policy. Sadly, my brother passed away in 2015 at the young age of eighteen. His spirit and our experiences together have kept me in the cannabis sector instead of pursuing a career with my degree. My firsthand experiences have shown me the undeniable benefits of holistic, alternative therapies. Today, I am more committed than ever to advocate for and contribute to an industry that I believe can truly make a difference in people's lives. Here's to those who are fighting tough battles, and to the unexpected paths that lead us to where we need to be. #CannabisIndustry #Healthcare #HolisticHealth #PersonalJourney #Decriminilaization #Reclassification #Legalization #CannaCommunity #UnityinDiversity