Spending only about seven months at his original cannabis industry security position, Ezzell quickly climbed his way through just about every position within the manufacturing facility.“ I didn’ t have any cannabis experience, but they told me that they liked my leadership skills at the time,” continued Ezzell.“ I started as an extractor in a BHO booth with live / cured products, then worked my way around the building through the various processes, including solventless extraction, ethanol extraction, making edibles, and all post-processing, including filling carts, concentrates, and curing those concentrates with vac ovens.
“ Soon, I found myself in the packaging room and was doing a good job and got promoted to the packaging supervisor. Then, in March of 2023, the GM position for the facility opened when the ownership switched from Illicit to Smokey River, and after applying, I became the new GM.”
Since then, Ezzell has been learning even more ins and outs of the Missouri cannabis industry in his current position as GM for Flora Ceres’ Sunny Daze dispensary while he works closely with their sister company, Stability Cultivation and Origin Extracts.“ Learning from my new boss, Donnie, with all his past experience in the industry, has been another big growth in my career,” said Ezzell. COO Donnie Pereira has been in the Missouri cannabis industry for over three years of his 15 total years of cannabis industry experience in 12 other states, including Canada.
While hearing Ezzell’ s amazing journey from law enforcement through his extensive cannabis resume of experience, the biggest question on my mind was: does he consume cannabis, and when did he start? Along with a million other questions revolving around a former police officer turned cannabis industry leader.
“ I started consuming cannabis shortly after starting with Illicit with gummies and pre-rolls, and I was pretty much a lightweight when it came to tolerance,” says Ezzell.“ I started falling in love with the different tastes while finding what works best for me among all the different products available. I know even more now about the amazing health benefits. I’ ve gone to therapy for a while since my law enforcement career, and the night times are the worst time for some of that. Cannabis helps me turn that stuff off.”
I personally relate to the stress that comes with being a first responder— I was an EMT many years ago. Just like Ezzell, I wasn’ t allowed to consume cannabis, and just like all the other first responders I worked alongside, including law enforcement and firefighters, alcohol was the only coping mechanism available to us.
Ezzell couldn’ t agree more, stating,“ Many cops are into alcohol, and I was as well during and after my career. Since I have taken up cannabis, I have been drunk maybe three to four times in four years.”
“ It makes me mad, all the years I’ ve wasted drinking in my time off as a police officer instead of allowed access to cannabis,” continued Ezzell.“ A lot of officers could use it for the pain of years and years of wearing heavy gear belts— my dad is a prime example. He was a cop for 25 years, and now he absolutely loves cannabis-infused creams and lotions from Mary’ s Medicinals for the arthritis in his hands and knees. He has been an MMJ patient for a year-and-a-half and is working security for Smokey River.”
We all hope that one day our first responders will be allowed access to medical cannabis during their time off. However, for now, we can at least help find some middle ground on our collective views of cannabis and the difference between consumption and impairment by working together with local law enforcement.
At Stability Cultivation( left to right), Alex Thatch, Director of Cultivation at Stability Cultivation with former police officer Hunter Ezzell, and currently the GM of Sunny Daze Dispensary.
“ I am a happy father of three and have been with my wife for over 12 years. Yeah, I smoke weed, but I am still a great dad, a great husband, and I work a great job 40 hours a week and do what I am supposed to do. There shouldn’ t be any kind of stigma against it,” Ezzell concluded.
Stories like Ezzell’ s and Officer Houston’ s give me hope for a brighter cannabis future— at least in our Missouri cannabis scene.
I’ ll leave you with one more story of hope.
Within two weeks of writing this article, Ezzell will attend our next Green Lab( law enforcement training classes about cannabis and impairment) in Warrensburg on April 24. He will speak to all the police officers attending and share his story. If we continue to work together as a cannabis community, we can continue to bridge the gap and remove the antiquated stigmas for a more understanding and brighter cannabis future.
1. Home Grown by Isaac Campos https:// uncpress. org / book / 9780807882689 / home-grown /
Clayton Stallings is the Director of Sales & Marketing for
The EVOLUTION Magazine
May 2025 29