We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aram Stoney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aram below.

Alright, Aram thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

The obvious answer is the Schedule 1 classification of cannabis and tax code 280e.

However, I believe other factors play into it as well.

Maintaining proper margins is critical, but over-taxation and the race to the bottom make that really tough.
Not only do we have to deal with 280e, but three different taxes are applied as well: a local tax, a state excise tax, and a state sales tax, which, on average, add around 30% to the price of the products. On top of that, the State has taken it upon themselves to compound those taxes by taxing taxes…it’s madness.

The race to the bottom is a whole other story that seems to have multiple contributing factors. It’s complicated, to say the least.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I first became aware of cannabis at a young age, as I saw many loved ones around me enjoying it for a myriad of reasons, to no ill effect.

At the ripe old age of 13, I used the money from my paper route to purchase my first quarter pound. The rest is history, as they say.

After a few close calls, I decided to step away from the industry and took an opportunity out of state.

When I returned, my wife showed me an article in People Magazine about Colorado and their recent efforts to legalize for adult use. It sparked my interest. I noticed a few ads in the local paper for delivery services. I decided to look into it a bit further and realized there was no local representation. So, I decided that we should take that opportunity to represent our community. At the time, I had two young daughters, so I wanted to make sure we did it as compliantly with the law as possible.

In 2014, I called my friend John to see if he was interested. John and I had worked in the industry together before, and he was an expert grower. We called a friend of a friend who was a lawyer just getting into the cannabis space, and we formed Big Sur Canna+Botanicals, a medical cannabis delivery, grow, and Consultation Company, to meet the growing needs of the community. Starting under Prop 215, what we weren’t able to produce ourselves, we were able to source locally from friends.

Sometime in 2015, when California introduced Prop 64, Monterey County put a moratorium on any new cannabis businesses to wait and see what the election results would produce and to start drafting their own regulatory framework. We worked closely with the County of Monterey during the regulatory process to try to make it as fair as possible. We didn’t get most of what we wanted, but at least we did our best to have our voices heard.

In June of 2017 we received the first cannabis business permit issued by Monterey County to open our retail store in Carmel.

Although Carmel and Big Sur are popular tourist destinations, our priority has always been supporting the local community, particularly by providing education and assistance.

BSCB has conducted numerous educational presentations and has participated in panel discussions along side local doctors and other cannabis experts.

In addition to the public outreach, BSCB has partnered with numerous local organizations and continues to provide support through donations and sponsorships.

As the industry continues to evolve, for better or worse, we have continued to stay the course and remain a local and independent small business engaged in our community.

With so many shops to choose from now, we hope that our exceptional customer service and welcoming space will continue to garner the customer loyalty that we are so thankful for.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Opening a business in the community where I grew up definitely helped to kick things off. Fortunately, our reputations were favorable…lol.

Aside from that, I believe getting involved with the local community through volunteering efforts with different organizations was key in helping dispel some of the stigma associated with cannabis and those involved with it, especially early on.

From a B2B perspective, it is important to maintain integrity, treat everyone with respect, and pay your bills.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner and I had already been friends for many years, primarily through surfing.
He is 12 years older than I am, but the surf community back then was really small. We were part of a tight-knit group where cannabis and waves were always the primary objectives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Bscb.info
• Instagram: bigsurcannabotanicals

Image Credits

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