Great Moments in Weed History I Told The Ultimate Corporate Weed Bro to STFU
Oct 22, 2025
Adam Bierman, co-founder and former CEO of MedMen and author of *Weed Empire*, dives into the controversial realm of corporate cannabis. He shares his journey from early cannabis use to spotting business opportunities during California's gray market phase. Discussions turn fiery as he defends his role in legalization and expungement efforts against skepticism about his motives. The interview highlights the tension between corporate cannabis growth and the struggles of small operators, culminating in a heated exchange that leaves listeners questioning the true cost of legalization.
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Early Encounters And Reentry
- Adam Bierman recounts first encountering cannabis in seventh grade and smoking daily until ninth grade.
- He later reconnected in 2010 via a friend’s home grow that led to opening his first dispensary.
How Gray Markets Invited Exploitation
- Bierman observes early medical cannabis collectives protected patients but lacking guardrails, which led to commercialization and criminal actors exploiting loopholes.
- He links that evolution to operators who ran unlicensed businesses with a 'fear tomorrow I'll be gone' mentality that stunted investment.
Poker's Collapse Framed A Cannabis Playbook
- Bierman compares online poker's unregulated boom and sudden federal shutdown to cannabis, seeing a 'doomsday' that created an opening for regulated, mainstream businesses.
- He used that analogy to justify building permanent, licensed storefronts modeled on mainstream retail like Apple stores.
