Dan Sutton is a grass cultivator who’s a firm believer of grass growing in natural sunlight. We’re firm believers of people growing in natural sunlight, so we’ve got a lot in common.
This Vancouver-bred man is smoothly eloquent, speaking in poetic metaphors about the future of cannabis culture, including (get this) marijuana sommeliers.
You have a very cool job.
It is a pretty awesome job. I’m super excited to be involved in this new space. We’re going to see a new generation entering this industry and we’re writing the guidebook.
So how did you get on this unique career path?
I was unknowingly working my whole life to prepare for something like this. My background is in corporate development. I wanted to be a financial analyst and when the market was slow, I made a sideways move to entrepreneurship to help people in industries to get fundraising and other mechanical business tools to help them list on public markets. They didn’t necessarily have those tools - I was a Swiss army knife deal guy.
The traditional 9-5 model wasn’t a match for you?
I have never thrived in a corporate environment. I think personally that the traditional model is actually being turned on its head right now. We are seeing more collaborative environments. I am hoping to turn my employees loose on a problem. If you have smart people, you don’t need to steer the ship, you just need to paddle with everyone.
Why the passion for your mindful marijuana growing?
When we started talking about greenhouses, no one was financing their use for cannabis. I had a good friend at a cannabis investment conference and he told me that anyone who was talking about cultivating in a warehouse was getting shut down. We have witnessed a total shift of thinking. It doesn’t have to be done in bunkers.
How did you think to take cannabis into the greenhouses?
Slowly and steadily. We've been building it for 3 years. We got a lot of security infrastructure that meets the Health Canada guidelines and we have quality assurance that is the heart of any commercial cannabis cultivation. We want to give people the opportunity to see what they are getting.
What are some of the misconceptions of the medical marijuana industry?
I got into this industry knowing that it was a contentious business. Some people think we want to put cannabis in the hands of everyone. Cannabis abuse is real. Yet there is so much social benefit to regulation. We have seen evidence in Colorado where teen use has gone down substantially. I don’t think it should be sold in grocery stores. I think there should be stringent regulation.
Do you believe that opponents will get on board with regulation?
We can’t deny that the industry does exist today. We might as well help move this industry to a safer future. Tens of millions of people in the US and Canada are habitually smoking. 150 billion grams per year are allegedly consumed every year. That industry size is about as big as the beer industry.
Those are staggering numbers. What makes for quality medical marijuana?
I believe that all cannabis that is served commercially should have strong quality assurance. In the future of legalized cannabis, it is really contingent that people know what they are accessing.
The difference is that recreational cannabis is largely a commodity. You can’t select your strain or genetic parentage. You can’t ask how it was grown. It is a function of the black market. Cannabis can thrive and adapt wherever you put it. It comes in so many shapes and sizes and colours and smells. People swear by their coffee or their wine grapes. I believe that we will have cannabis sommeliers – they already do in Colorado! That is what the future looks like.
It seems to be moving quickly into this new direction.
There will be sweeping change in the next 10 years. I think it will be the defining social debate of the next decade. Canada is going to lead the charge. I am humbled to be along for the ride.
Dan works 16 hours a day every day in his 120,000 square feet of “highly specialized technologically infused greenhouse.” He calls it a beautiful space and laughs, “but I’m biased. This is my life!”
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