By Warren Bobrow

When someone has the passion to dive into the cannabis business, many i’s need to be dotted and t’s crossed. It’s impossible to know everything, especially when entering the biz for the first time. That’s where this list of top five cannabis industry consultants come in — makes this business one of always learning, instead of knowing it all. Far less expensive than hiring on a full-time employee, cannabis consultants are uniquely geared to doing it right the first time, every time. Then, they can move on to the next project — a win/win for the entrepreneur who has more money than time. Read on to learn more about Andrew DeAngelo, Marie & Allen of Legacy Coterie, Danny Murr-Sloat of AlpinStash, Kimberly Dillon of Plant & Prosper, and Emma & Matt of Eminent Consulting. 

PHOTO COURTESY: ANDREW DEANGELO

Who are you? Andrew DeAngelo, Cannabis Industry Consultant and Strategic Advisor

What’s the mission of your consulting business? I want to help as many different clients as possible. My goal is, and has always been, to create a new industry with new values for society. Being a consultant allows me to do that much more widely, so that I can continue to influence the local and global cannabis industry to live by the values this plant teaches us. I want to work with any client, large or small, anywhere in the world who shares that mission. 

Who’s your ideal client? So that I can serve a diverse clientele, I’ve created a consulting ecosystem that will enable any client—large or small, local or international—to get moving in the right direction and build real momentum. When a client has complex needs, I partner with Global Go, a cannabis-centric advisory firm that provides the highest-level services in the areas of compliance, permitting, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, logistics, and finance. Paul Rosen is the Executive Chairman of Global Go, and he leads a team of sophisticated professionals who know how to do projects for Fortune 500 companies, and any cannabis venture large in scale and scope. I will also donate time or provide rate discounts to social equity clients, and legacy operators who want to get legal. 

What sets you apart from other consultants in the cannabis space? I’ve been trading cannabis for 37 years. I helped legalize cannabis in multiple states, and I co-founded Harborside 13 years ago in Oakland, California. I’ve started trade associations like the California Cannabis Industry Association, and non-profits like Last Prisoner Project, which works to free those incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis convictions. I ran the daily operations of Harborside for 13 years. I took the company from 0 to $40M in top-line revenue by relentlessly building the gold standard of cannabis retail and paying careful attention to the customer and the team. Additionally, Harborside had to defend itself in two lawsuits with the federal government and is still standing strong. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve had to articulate a vision of cannabis in society, often in front of cameras, and be able to persuade an audience that my viewpoint is correct. As a co-founder of Harborside, I created every department in the organization from Inventory to HR, and worked in various roles from General Manager to Chief Revenue Officer. I helped Harborside expand into four shops, become vertically integrated with a large greenhouse farm, go public on the CSX, and create a culture for our team and customers that was unique in the industry. I want to use all of those experiences to help others succeed. And when that’s combined with the collective experience of the executives at Global Go, it creates an unparalleled track record in global cannabis. I also bring integrity, trust, and humor to my endeavors. Not only will I help you grow, we’ll have a blast doing it together.

PHOTO CREDIT: JENNIFER SKOG/MJ LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Who are you? Marie Montmarquet & Allen Hackett, Founders of Legacy Coterie

What’s the mission of your consulting business? Legacy Coterie is a full service cannabis consulting, distribution, and sales service focused on empowering those impacted by the war on drugs and legacy operators in the cannabis space. Legacy Coterie’s mission is to develop an abundantly equitable future in the cannabis space by connecting passionate operators with the skills and resources to succeed. 

Who’s your ideal client? From legacy operators transitioning to the legal market, equity applicants looking to build their next enterprise, to multi-licensees scaling operations, Legacy Coterie pairs your cannabis vision with equitable, proven, world-class solutions. Legacy Coterie is interested in working with clients at all phases of product development, and seeks those interested in working with like minded companies. We want to help secure foundational and everlasting success with individuals with integrity and sensitivity to the sacrifices so many have made to make this industry possible. 

What sets you apart from other consultants in the cannabis space? Our team comes from a very diverse background and is 100% women and minority owned. Not only that, but women hold every executive position in the company. We have extensive practical knowledge building out each part of the California supply chain with over 40 years of proven experience.

PHOTO CREDIT: EMERALD LENS

Who are you? Danny Murr-Sloat, Founder & Craft Cannabis Cultivation Consultant at AlpinStash

What’s the mission of your consulting business? At AlpinStash, we are completely dedicated to craft cannabis and compliance. Everything we do — from hand mixing our soil, hand watering, hand trimming to glass curing — is focused on providing flower of the highest quality. Teaching this to our clients and empowering them to have both the knowledge and skills required to own and operate a boutique grow is a personal passion and what we do best. We specialize in using Nectar For The Gods nutrients and growing in living soil.

Who’s your ideal client? Since our specialty is craft cannabis, the clients we seek, whether big or small, are those who wish to provide a connoisseur level product. We are not interested in working with strictly production driven clients or those who wish to cut corners. We seek clients who are forward thinking, who want to operate a sustainable business within this growing sector of the industry, and who wish to be completely compliant as this is, by far, the most important value for a cannabis business to have.

What sets you apart from other consultants in the cannabis space? Our dedication to quality is a skill we have honed over years of research and development  on a commercial level. I’ve been intricately involved in every aspect of a successful cultivation business— this includes concept and design of the cultivation facility, compliance/Metrc use, employee vetting and hiring, social media presence, IPM/pest management, breeding, packaging, branding and more. We have unique connections to nutrient and equipment manufactures and suppliers which we share with our clients. Our goal is to educate our clients so they can become completely self sufficient, confident, and successful.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLANT & PROSPER

Who are you? Kimberly Dillon, Founder of Plant & Prosper — a Consulting Collective for the Cannabis and Hemp Industries

What’s the mission of your consulting business? We help innovative brands launch or expand in the legal cannabis and hemp markets. My focus is on product strategy, brand strategy, and coaching. Coaching is a relatively new offering, but after finishing many projects with my clients, many retained me for strategic advisory services and that work has kept me on my toes. I especially love working alongside founders and helping them scale their businesses.

Who’s your ideal client? Companies who have a meaty strategic and or messy problems on their hands. Either they want to launch a novel inhalation device and need to find white space or they don't really understand what levers are driving their business. We also love things that fall out of the scope of "marketing" and just require a sharp executive mind. We are itching to do something international. I should mention that we are picky about the projects we take on and we believe in purpose-driven brands and people. We are on a mission of purpose AND profits, not one without the other.

What sets you apart from other consultants in the cannabis space? Three things. 1) I am one of the few C-suite executives who can execute as well as be strategic. While I am hired to be strategic, I understand what it takes to get the job done. In an industry that is so new, generalists are often the MVPS. 2) I was an early team member of Papa & Barkley when the product was still made in a crockpot and legalization just happened. Since then, I have helped teams raise money, solidify their messaging strategy, define their road maps, and launch new businesses. So, that makes me an OG in a way. 3) Cannabis was not my first rodeo. I have 15 years of experience building brands, managing teams, and scaling businesses both in traditional Consumer Packaged Goods, and also in a variety of startups here and abroad. My job out of college was as a management consultant, so by nature I am curious and I use those same tools to identify a problem and develop a methodology that drives to a solution. Also, I really really like the plant!

PHOTO CREDIT: OUTER ELEMENTS

Who are you? Emma Chasen & Matt Taylor, Founders of Eminent Consulting

 What’s the mission of your consulting business? Our mission is to guide and influence emerging cannabis entrepreneurs to successfully implement a craft ethos and cutting-edge business model through scientific-based educational initiatives and authentic collaborative relationships. To accomplish this we have two arms to our consulting business: one, science-forward training for industry professionals that equips entrepreneurs and employees with the knowledge to best explain cannabis and its purported effects to consumers. The other arm is consulting with a focus on strategic business development and management consulting for cannabis entrepreneurs in emerging and existing markets. Through both of these avenues, we are able to promote our mission to deliver accessible cannabis science education and ethical, craft business practices, thereby allowing more people to benefit from plant medicine. 

Who’s your ideal client? We have the capacity to work with a variety of clients from one-on-one coaching and mentoring, to businesses that utilize our online training program for employee training, to entrepreneurs setting up cultivation facilities and dispensaries, to established cannabis entrepreneurs who need to improve their efficiency systems. We love to work with entrepreneurs to help bring their vision to life through the creation of educational marketing collateral, brand messaging, and management support, especially in the hiring and training process. Ultimately, our ideal client is one who aligns with our values. If a client is not interested in setting up a craft cannabis business that values organic cultivation, workers’ rights, and patient health, then they are not the right fit for us. We prefer clients that are authentic and committed to the path of self-improvement; always looking to refine their processes in consideration of leaving a positive impact on their communities, reducing the negative impact on their environment, and a willingness to lead by example. 

 What sets you apart from other consultants in the cannabis space? We have a finger on the pulse of what it takes to empower employees and effectively execute on all levels of a cannabis business. Emma’s academic background in the areas of medicinal plant research, ethnobotany, and oncology research inform her expertise and lexicon in training and advising cannabis industry professionals and consumers on cannabis science. Matt’s background has consistently orbited DIY subcultures such as indie and punk music communities, art, and skateboarding. The common thread among these communities is the necessity to construct a community/culture in collaboration with other like-minded folks that are seeking new ideas, and celebrating creative outlets. Being among these internally constructed communities can teach you how to build bridges between many different types of people and how to discern quality. Our combined abilities, personalities, plus our experiences working in Oregon’s craft industry for the last five years, have given us a unique perspective and expertise when it comes to advising clients on implementing a craft ethos and priming them for success.