62 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / September 2019
PHOTOGRAPHCOURTESY^ OF^19 FORTYLA;^ PHOTOGRAPH^COURTESYOF^ EAZE;PHOTOGRAPHBYSTOCKPOTIMAGES/STEPHENSWINTEK^(CASA^VERDE);^ PHOTOGRAPH^BYGETTYIMAGES/DENISE^ TRUSCELLO(MEDMEN)Top Cannabis Companies
19Forty Los Angeles
HQ/ Long Beach, Calif.“Patience is key. I see a lot of companies rushing to
throw anything on the shelf, compromising quality and
innovation. Take your time to make sure you’re providing
excellent products.”
—MIKE HANNEGAN, CEO, 19FORTY LOS ANGELESAfter Mike Hannegan broke his neck surfing, doctors tried to put him
on opioids. But Hannegan wanted an alternative, so he researched
CBD, which led to his discovering a whole new way to manage his
pain. This year, Hannegan launched 19Forty Los Angeles (19FortyLA
for short), originally a CBD marketplace that’s now rolling out its own
line of THC and CBD products. Eaze
HQ/ San Francisco“Don’t ever give up your core focus on giving people a great
experience. Just because you’ve got to comply with a million
rules doesn’t mean you need to make a boring experience.”
—NATASHA PECOR, VP PRODUCT, EAZEThis online cannabis marketplace doesn’t just help customers find
licensed dispensaries; Eaze also offers on-demand delivery within
California and Oregon. The company announced a $65 million
Series C round of financing in December 2018 after launching Eaze
Wellness, which focuses on hemp-derived CBD products and ships
to more than 40 states.MedMen
HQ/ Culver City, Calif.“Many people still feel trepidation entering the cannabis
industry, so you have a much smaller subset of the
workforce to choose from. It’s vital to be innovative
in the ways you recruit.”
—ADAM BIERMAN, CEO, MEDMEN“The Starbucks of pot” and “the Barneys of weed” are just two of the
many nicknames this leading cannabis dispensary has earned. Operating
19 facilities in six states so far, and employing more than 1,100 cannabis
professionals, MedMen is on a mission to redefine the modern cannabis
industry. The company manages leading cannabis-oriented retail stores,
utilizes cutting-edge techniques at its growing facilities, and is a strong
supporter of progressive marijuana laws.Casa Verde Capital
HQ/ West Hollywood“Look beyond the cannabis industry for best practices
or top talent. We’ve seen entrepreneurs from
consumer technology to investment banking pivot to
help establish cannabis ventures.”
—KARAN WADHERA, MANAGING PARTNER,
CASA VERDE CAPITALCasa Verde is a venture capital firm, cofounded by Snoop Dogg,
focused on funding businesses in the cannabis industry. The team
at Casa Verde is interested in “verticals such as agtech, health and
wellness, financial services, technology, media, compliance, and
laboratory technology.”