Pride is certainly not the deciding factor;
Kevin has plenty of reasons why he believes
that getting a grower’s license would actually
hurt his business. “With the license, you’re
under somebody else’s umbrella,” he says,
“and you’re always going to be watched. And
I feel that you’re not going to be able to make
the maximum profit that you can, and should,
for what you do.” This statement reflects the
independent (if sometimes defiant) spirit that’s
so characteristic of the cannabis community, as
well as Kevin’s own suspicion of legal authori-
ties’ ability to regulate effectively.
It’s that suspicion (shared by plenty of peo-
ple in Kevin’s position) that is the biggest stick-
ing point. “They’re not ready. They don’t know
what they’re doing … It’s just - pardon my lan-
guage - a shitshow,” he says, and he’s got a
point; with prohibition still being effective at the
federal level, states where cannabis has been
legalized face a number of challenges, and laws
are often confusing, with their applications un-
clear until their eventual interpretations by the
courts (and it’s anyone’s guess when that could
happen).
Kevin’s also kept his ear to the ground, and
he’s not keen on the stories he’s heard from
growers who are trying to go the legal route.
“There’s so many loops through it, and most
people that have their licenses and are trying
to do do it right are losing money.” He has a
grim prediction for many of those growers: “I
guarantee they’ll be out of the business soon,”
he says soberly.
It sounds like Kevin is dead-set against
getting a grower’s license right now and he is.
However, he acknowledges he may not feel that
way forever. To him, the issue isn’t the regula-
tory laws themselves; it’s the integration of those
laws with the business of growing cannabis in a
way that benefits both entities. “I feel they just
don’t know how to do it quite yet,” he says, add-
ing, “They’ll have it figured out in the next five
years.” When that happens, he’ll reevaluate his
position on a grower’s license. “At that time, I
would see myself in that type of industry,” he
says, “but until then, I would be doing this.”
Ask Kevin about the harder things he’s
faced, and he’ll tell you about not just problems
with law enforcement, but from his colleagues.
There were “a lot of scares, a lot of threats,”
made by law enforcement toward Kevin’s land-
lords and property owners when he was grow-
ing in rental property, but fortunately he’s never
had a personal run-in with the law for cannabis.
“It felt like a get-out-of-jail-free card,” he says.
When it comes to professional relationships
in his line of work, Kevin has been burned be-
fore. “Criminal side is always there. There’s
always a risk of getting robbed, which has hap-
pened to me,” he says. “A lot of snakes out
there, a lot of liars, a lot of cheats.” It’s clear
from his tone that he’s met encountered quite a
few of them over the course of his career. “You
need to have the right people and not bullshit-
ters,” he says. I ask him what percentage of
people he believes are bullshitters, and he’s
candid: “I would say maybe 10% are legit and
the others are all bullshitters.” He pauses, then
qualifies himself by adding, “In my experience.”
It might sound like Kevin is soured on peo-
ple, but ask him what the biggest attribute of
his success in the industry is and he’ll tell you
immediately, “The team that’s been built, the
people around me.” He keeps his internal net-
work small, presumably in part to minimize the
bullshitters, and it seems to work for him.
Kevin believes you need to surround your-
self with good people in order to achieve and
maintain success. In fact, his only real business
regret was a business associate (a “f*A!ing idiot,
who blew probably the biggest deal ever,” ac-
cording to Kevin) losing a phone number that
could have facilitated a deal so huge that, “I’d
be retired by now.”
Kevin relishes the fact that his work allows
him to be a “family man,” giving him the ability
to pick his kids up from school, drop them off in
the mornings, and “always be there.” There’s
tenderness in his voice when he says it; it’s clear
that this is one of the biggest benefits of the
flexible nature of Kevin’s work.
Talking to Kevin, I admit I can see why he
faces the potential dangers he does. It’s clear
he loves his family and the life he’s built, he loves
his work, and he doesn’t want to compromise
any of that with a license. Until he’s absolutely
sure it’s the best thing for his business, he’ll
continue his underground way of life. I ask him
if it’s all worth it, the secrecy and caution and
the threat of getting arrested or robbed. He re-
plies without hesitation: “100 percent,” he says.
NUGL Magazine 21