In today's cannabis spotlight, we spoke with Miranda Weigler, the CEO of Little House Foods and Little House Inns, as well as a prominent advocate for cannabis policies that support social justice issues and address the inequalities caused by the war on drugs.
With federal legalization still a ways away, what can individual states do to advance the cannabis industry.
Focus on the small and local; cannabis markets will differ markedly based on consumption regardless of who’s regulating. Get involved where you are and try to remain competitive instead of protectionist.
What’s your biggest challenge as a cannabis business owner?
Inorganic development costs and lack of access to capital. The predatory financial environment is also a real problem, especially for non-white-dude-types.
What changes are you hoping to see in the area of social consumption?
Legalization! I’m hoping we will soon see provisions and protections for the expanding numbers of the public who don’t currently have safe places for consumption, and the patients and healers ready for better research.
Opening public consumption offers such huge advances in so many aspects of the evolving regime that it’s really exciting!
I’m watching New York and Nevada. Las Vegas is going to be a VERY fast evolving regime. I hope New York lives up to its stated ideals in its licensing regime but the equity licensing around retail and consumption will be very telling.
I think we do need to define protections for more methodologically innovative research for therapeutic applications. Current double blind study methodology is asinine for understanding applications of plant medicine, but we don’t have good alternative regimes for data collection and pedagogy.
What does the cannabis community mean to you?
We are a group of dreamers, builders, and doers. I appreciate being part of a group of people who are trying to innovate and create something new.
What advice do you have for people who want to enter the cannabis industry?
Be very clear on your goals and limitations. Start small and choose an area that overlaps with an existing area of interest or strength. Get a job, volunteer at an advocacy organization, do in-home care for a medical patient. Dream small for a long time, get very specific and find friends who share the same dreams and ways of doing things. Do well by doing good.
You can also check out our previous interviews with Miranda here: