By Randy Tristant and Jill Carvajal

The cannabis industry is blossoming nationwide—and Pennsylvanians are looking to increase their involvement in the cannabis space, hoping to become the cannabis hub of the East Coast. The Cannabis Industry Power Players list honors politicians, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, lawyers, educators, researchers, and advocates who are working towards a more equitable and accessible medical marijuana program, the decriminalization of cannabis, and the legalization of adult-use marijuana. Together, these individuals are helping create new beginnings for those hurt by the War on Drugs, and ultimately creating a better tomorrow.

To hear more from these trailblazers in the cannabis industry, check out our video series here!

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Tsehaitu Abye

Founder, Black Dragon Breakfast Club

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Tsehaitu Abye is an Ethiopian-American business owner, campaign organizer, artist, and Pennsylvania Farmers Union board member advocating for equitable cannabis legislation. She is the daughter of a farmer who was deported for cannabis cultivation. In 2019, Tsehaitu launched Black Dragon Breakfast Club to help women and the BIPOC community reclaim agency and take control of the hemp and cannabis industry as their own legacy.

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
I hope to see adult-use cannabis is legal in Pennsylvania with Black and Brown people representing 50% of business owners. Do I think it’s possible? Maybe… We need to be disruptive. We cannot allow anyone to silence OUR voices.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
I used cannabis as a recreational user in my 20s. Eventually, I ended up living on a cannabis farm. A few years later, I learned my estranged father of 30+ years was deported for cannabis cultivation in the US. I get to be my full self in this industry.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
Cannabis is a Connector.

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
As a lifetime vegetarian, plant medicine, homeopathic remedies, and eastern medicine have been my resources. I stay active and fit with exercise, yoga, and breath-work (singing).

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Charlie Bachtell

CEO and Co-Founder, Cresco Labs

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Charlie Bachtell is the CEO and co-founder of Cresco Labs, named a 2021 Top Best-Led Company in America by Inc. magazine. An attorney and former executive vice president and general counsel for one of the largest mortgage banks in the country, Guaranteed Rate, Charlie is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on regulatory affairs and compliance in some of the nation’s most heavily regulated industries. He is the current chairman of the National Cannabis Roundtable.

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis operations will have expanded into the adult-use market.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
I saw an opportunity to create a business model rooted in compliance and doing the right things: transparency, building customer trust, etc.—all under absolute guidance of state regulations. Cannabis, in many ways, mirrored the mortgage banking industry.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
Cannabis & hops are cousins from the same family of plants. Terpenes play a big role in the flavor profile of beer.

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
I’m a fitness enthusiast, and you’ll find me working out on my Peloton or Mirror, or on a run along Chicago’s beautiful Lakefront Trail.

Barry Bass

CFO, Holistic Industries

Barry Bass is the chief financial officer of Holistic Industries, a private, multi-state cannabis operator. At Holistic Industries, Barry is responsible for sourcing capital for the expansion and growth of the company, as well as for helping to structure and analyze the company’s transactions. Before joining the company, Barry was the chief business officer at Willco, where he worked in Maryland to raise capital for a medical cannabis operation. 

Samuel P. “Pat” Black, III

Founder, Calypso Enterprises

Calypso Enterprises was founded by Samuel P. “Pat” Black, III, and was awarded one of the Phase II Grower/Processor Licenses through the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program in 2018. Samuel has ensured that the marijuana grown by Calypso Enterprises is carefully cultivated, and is ultimately best for targeting medical problems. Through Calypso Enterprises, Samuel has been able to provide high-quality marijuana to patients in Pennsylvania who suffer from chronic conditions.

Andrew Blasco

Director of Business Development, Coral Reef Labs

Before entering the cannabis world, Andrew Blasco worked in congress and lobbied for casino interests. Blasco worked, along with countless others, on the Medical Marijuana Act that was passed in 2016. Soon after, he co-founded the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition, which advocates for the business interests for the industry, including grower/processors, dispensaries, and laboratories. He served as its executive director for three years before founding a cannabis testing laboratory, Coral Reef Labs. 

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
Pennsylvania will see adult use and an overlay of federal regulation which will only expand the market of products, research, and investment as a whole.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
The opportunity to build something completely new that impacts millions of Pennsylvanians.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
We are still in the infancy of understanding this plant.

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
Is golf an appropriate answer?

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Amen Brown

Representative for the 190th District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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State Representative Amen Brown, Democrat, is serving his first term in West Philadelphia. Amen has made it clear that the community is heard and that the concerns of the constituents are a priority. His passion is his community, and he truly wants to see the community win. Amen, along with Senator Mike Regan, proposed a bill for the legalization of adult-use cannabis, a bill focused on guaranteeing the proper regulation and taxation of this cannabis. 

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
I see recreational cannabis being legalized here in the state of Pennsylvania. I see Black and Brown individuals having real equity and stake in the cannabis business. And I see the industry investing in the community to improve quality of life.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
Wanting to make an impact and create change for the people impacted most by cannabis prohibition. And, legalization is a much needed source for bringing in funding to go towards social programs.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
I heard that some places have more dispensaries than they do Starbucks.

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
I’ve recently started doing yoga. I must say I really enjoy it.

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Meredith Buettner

Executive Director, Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition

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Having spent more than a decade developing and executing fundraising & political strategy for candidates up and down the ballot, Meredith brings a keen understanding of Pennsylvania’s political landscape and unique experience in advocacy and politics to Pennsylvania Cannabis. She was instrumental in the passage of Act 44 – the most extensive update to PA’s medical marijuana statute since its passage. Meredith has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Villanova University.

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
In five years, Pennsylvania’s cannabis industry will be a major economic driver attracting investment and creating jobs for the Commonwealth.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
Cannabis has changed the lives of people I love. The opportunity to help others experience the amazing benefits of cannabis was one I could not pass up.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
Weed was the first online sale! In the early 1970’s, Stanford students bought a bag of weed from MIT students online!

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
Chasing my son Gregory or heading to GFit to work out with the best group of women in the Philly Metro area.

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Kristal Bush

Founder, Stay Lyfted

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Kristal Bush is an author, cannabis patient, criminal justice reform advocate and founder of two cannabis ancillary brands, Stay Lyfted and Free My Weedman. Her business ventures focus on making a social impact through deliberate and conscious efforts in Black and Brown communities against the ongoing harm of the War on Drugs. Kristal’s goal is to educate and empower individuals to self-healing through plant medicine. The Guardian and various media outlets recognized Kristal’s transformational work, and her documentary, “A Woman on the Outside,” will premiere at 2022 SXSW Film Festival.

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
I foresee legalization and regulations that provide inclusion for small businesses and individuals who were impacted by the War on Drugs. Legacy operators can’t make it in a legal system that gives preference to MSO’s.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
The healing powers of cannabis attracted me to the cannabis industry. What is keeping me in the industry is the opportunity to address the harm of the War on Drugs and work on the solution to repair the Black Family.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
This is not a fun fact but it is a real fact. “Black people are four times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession, but they only represent 4.3% of cannabis business owners in the US. Free My Weedman!”

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
After my health scare I am very intentional with my healing journey. I incorporate cannabis in everything I do from fitness and yoga to parenting and running a business.

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Jim Cacioppo

CEO, Chairman, and Founder, Jushi Holdings

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Jim Cacioppo is the CEO, chairman, and founder of Jushi. Jim spent over two decades managing the business and allocating capital in senior management positions at several large hedge funds; two of which were early-stage success stories. Previously, Jim served as president and co-portfolio manager of Sandell Asset Management and head of distressed debt for Halcyon Management, with significant experience in private equity and operating several enterprises at the board and management levels.

Where do you see the cannabis industry in Pennsylvania in five years?
I see a vibrant industry with a successful medical program and a maturing, public health- and safety-focused adult-use program, with $1B+ in additional capital investment, tens of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions in new annual tax revenue.

What attracted you to the cannabis industry?
After actively investing in the space, I saw an opportunity to leverage my decades of experience as a distressed specialist and financial sponsor, alongside a core senior team that had all built successful companies and founded Jushi in early 2018.

Tell us one fun fact about cannabis.
People use cannabis for many reasons, such as PTSD, pain, anxiety, and sleep. It’s the ultimate customized medicine where you can find the right solution for yourself, go slow with small doses and implement a wellness routine that fits into your lifestyle.

Cannabis has clear value to people’s health, tell us your favorite way you stay healthy & fit.
I like to stay fit by practicing yoga and Pilates since I seek a balanced and healthy lifestyle. These activities help me stay centered and connected with my own intuition as well as staying very present and into the details at Jushi.

Darin Carpenter

CEO, Justice Cannabis Co.

Darin Carpenter is the CEO of Justice Cannabis Co., a cannabis company that has obtained both recreational and medicinal cannabis licenses nationally. The company is in nine states, including Pennsylvania, and is the parent company of Justice Grown, which has two dispensaries in the state. Justice Cannabis Co. and Justice Grown are devoted to providing customers with sustainable, non-generic cannabis products that contain no synthetic pesticides. Darin is in charge of working to increase the company’s national footprint, and is focused on profitable and strategic growth.