What has been the most surprising part of starting your own cannabis company?

Just how much you don't know before you start!

I guess this applies to starting any company but just the sheer amount of work to just stay in business and functioning is mind-boggling. 

Compound that with a product that is regulated as if it's nuclear waste and taxed like… well nothing is taxed like cannabis so… taxed like cannabis and you are going to be in for a challenge.

But ultimately I love my life and wouldn't trade it for anything. In what other industry could I speak to an investor in London on the phone the same day I harvest my crops in NorCal and set up a nude garden of eden but stoney photo shoot in LA...

Where do you hope for Stone Road to be in the next five years?

I want to be in every legal state.

I think the future of the industry lies in brands - every other part of the industry can be replicated with the right talent and team. But a brand is a living, breathing reflection of a community. so for us, we want to be in every market so that any consumer who feels aligned with our messaging and purpose has a home with our products.

We want to always build goods that resonate with our community and are constantly looking for ways to interact with our community beyond the plant. 

What does the intersection of queerness and cannabis mean to you?

Cannabis and queerness have a ton of similarities.

When meeting new people you have to "come out" about your gayness in a similar way smokers 10-20 years ago had to "come out" about the fact they liked smoking weed. the mystique and secret of it all made it feel kinda naughty and exciting - and as both queerness and cannabis go mainstream it’s important to remember how far we've come as a society.

And ultimately - queers use cannabis at a greater percentage than the rest of the population because I think it helps people channel their creativity and also de-stress from the rigors of living in a relatively heteronormative world. 

I’m a briefs kinda guy but I think a guy in boxers is hot. 

Assume Form by James Blake. It’s a whole sonic experience.

Sativa or Indica - why?

Sativa forever — this twink is busy!