Entrepreneurial Life

Some days I am riding high, and other times I am stressed out, although I try hard to keep it under wraps. A constant roller-coaster. The cannabis industry is laden with a heavy-handed government structure, which would be state-by-state, and that adds a whole other level of intensity.

Do I understand that intelligent government people are trying to peel back decades of false narratives around the plant that destroyed countless families, mostly Black and brown? Yes, I do, and note the word intelligent. There was a time in my life when a government worker had esteem, maybe it was growing up in the DC area, and I was too young to see the layers of corruption and bureaucratic red tape. Maybe it was the unions that killed their commitment and drive? There are many reasons.

I hope the leadership in NYS can now update the rules to better reflect the realities of the business. To be bold and strong by thinking out of the box, and thoughtful in a timely manner, and prove that we can still be leaders in the industry, so when the plant does get federally approved, they look to what NYS has done. Isn’t that the can-do attitude we all love about NY? Whether you agree with Mamdani’s policies or not, he has shown leadership by listening and trying to do things differently. We all need a fresh set of eyes and ideas.

Seeing AOC push the narrative about why cannabis is still a series 1 drug is thrilling. She’s young and the leader of a new generation, whether you like it or not, and she has probably been stoned and understands the power of the plant.

Back to this entrepreneurial venture of mine: at my age, let’s highlight that, including the fact that the business has only been legal in NYS for five years, and the rules and regs were made as the industry grew. I have thought a lot about why.

I was busy doing other things, being a Mom (best and favorite role ever), being a wife, and being someone who needed to own their personal time. I was never going to work for anyone. I hope to see more women amp up their careers when the kids leave the nest.

Did I have to do this? Absolutely not, I could have gone into a new phase of a much chiller existence, but at my core, I had to do this. Would I do it again, now knowing how every day is swimming upstream against the government, the margins, the unions, the cash sink, the frustrations?

Sadly, the answer is no. I would have chosen a different business to build from the start. Ideas were plenty, but this seemed like an almost impossible frontier to conquer. At this point, I guess we will see.