- Christopher Smith, Editor-in-Chief
No, MJBiz, Kimberly Cargile is NOT Leaving the Industry!
The State of Cannabis News Hour has delivered over 1,600 cannabis news stories in its brief existence, but to me, finding a good story is the name of the game here. Luckily for me, I got to collaborate with Liz Rogan (cannabis advocate and consultant, and an absolute Queen of Research) on my story today.
Liz was kind enough to send a potential story the other day BUT we realized it was too grim and we spiked it (animal testing of THC - blecch...) and found much more uplifting story in MJ Biz Daily:
THE SCOOP
I figured we’d already set-up this little ray of sunshine in recent weeks with State of Cannabis News Hour stories about small farmers getting rolled by huge multi-state-operators; coupled with how the sky-high fees and taxes that are letting the illicit market DUNK on legal dispensaries.
Believe me when I tell you this story is JOYFUL compared with the first one, so here goes:
MJBiz describes Kimberly Cargile as a 20-year cannabis veteran who’s trying to sell her 9 businesses and leave the industry. She started as a farmhand in Humboldt County in 2001, worked her way to the top, is on the board of NCIA, has served with Americans for Safe Access, NORML, Marijuana Policy Project, testified for MMRSA, you name it! MJBiz suggest she’s tired of getting pummeled by MSO competition and falling prices.
BUT… it seems MJ Biz came up short - - sorry John Schroyer, I gotta steal your lunch money…
THE DEEPER DIVE
First, all the stuff John wrote about Cargile is true, BUT it only scratches the surface of this amazing woman’s accomplishments …
She’s like a Swiss Army Knife of Cannabis.
The Article says she started as a farmhand - BUT
The company website says that during that time she was ALSO putting herself through Humboldt State as a fitness and yoga instructor while studying cellular and molecular biology as a pre-med student.
Not satisfied, as a junior "she changed her major to Liberal Studies with a focus on Social Justice to do her part in educating the community and the government to promote natural medicines."
When she graduated in 2006, she was a Presidential Scholar on the Dean’s list
She started at A Therapeutic Alternative as a volunteer yoga instructor and cultivator.
By 2012 she was Executive Director, and today she owns the company (she's also helped start "dozens" of others) which now includes
5 dispensaries
2 outdoor grows
and a manufacturing/distribution company
9 companies altogether and 10 licenses.
Oh no! Have I made it WORSE? Is an even more significant talent abandoning our industry?
Not so fast, said the Queen Of Research (that’s Liz Rogan), the MJ Biz article was posted on Facebook and Kimberly responded:
"Hi Everyone, thank you for your thoughts. To add some clarification and insight, I am NOT leaving the industry, just looking to go back to school and get my PhD so I can do research and teach regularly at universities. This will also give me time for more advocacy at the federal level, as well as more time for my family (I’m due with my daughter any day now).
Oh I see, she’s not having business troubles, she’s having a BABY (and getting a PhD, as you do when you are lit from within). She ended her comment on Facebook with this:
"I do NOT plan to sell out, just partner with a larger company that has the financing and ability to continue to grow."
THE LOOP BACK
I’m so happy to clarify the egregious underreporting at MJBiz Daily (just ribbing the big dog!), and that Kimberly Cargile will continue to lead our industry, hopefully, for a long, long time. We need people of her quality in our industry.
She gives us all something to aspire to.