Derek, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.
Born in 1969 to a couple of pot dealing hippies in South Florida, one could say that I was quite literally “born” into the cannabis space. Some of my earliest memories are of being in a darkened living room sitting in the smoke circle with my folks and their friends, being a link in the chain as I did my part in passing the joint over to the person sitting next to me. While I certainly wasn’t consuming at the age of five, I remember the exotic scent that was in the air, the laughter in the room, and the ever-present community spirit. My relationship with the plant deepened when my dad taught me how to grow my first plant at the age of thirteen.
Fast forward to the economic downturn of 2008. After enjoying fifteen years in the garment industry, the economy decided it was time for me to consider a career change. I had two options. Option one, stay in the garment industry. Option two, try and make a living from the hobby cannabis garden I had been growing since my teens.
I took a drive to the beach and went for a walk to ponder my options. While strolling along the shoreline I came across a sand dollar, a fairly rare find along the Santa Barbara coast. Anyone familiar with sand dollars knows that they have a design on one side. A design that looks nearly identical to a cannabis leaf! Surely, this was a sign from the universe.
I spent the next decade making a living from twelve high quality plants in my backyard.
In 2017 I was approached by the CEO of Green Flower Media, Max Simon. Thoroughly impressed with the quality and health of my cannabis garden, Max propositioned me to join Green Flower in order to produce video content teaching others how to grow plants.
Nearly, seven years later, as the Managing Director of Ganjier I can’t shake the feeling that my entire life has been preparing me for this role.
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.
As a successful second-generation California cultivator, I’ve been breeding and growing exotic, sungrown, boutique cannabis for over four decades.
My uniquely specialized knowledge in producing high-end cannabis coupled with an innate ability to effectively communicate this knowledge, landed me a role as Director of Cultivation Content at Green Flower Media in 2017.
Through my tenure at Green Flower Media, I’ve been the on-air host, producer, and creator of several popular cannabis programs such as The Grower’s Quest, High Rollers and Quick Hits, featuring vanguard cannabis personalities including Kevin Jodrey, Kyle Kushman, Mel Frank, Frenchy Cannoli and others.
My latest role finds me at the head of the Council table with some of the cannabis industry’s most respected names, as curriculum architect and Managing Director of the Ganjier – Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program.
Similar to the Sommelier’s role in the wine industry, the Ganjier is trained in the art, science and appreciation of cannabis craft, consumption, and connoisseurship, possessing a multidisciplinary knowledge and astute professionalism serving to raise the standard of excellence throughout the cannabis industry.
The Ganjier is educated in the history, science, genetics, cultivation, processing, and consumption of cannabis.
Additionally, the Ganjier is trained in the systematic assessment and grading of the quality of cannabis and cannabis products. Most critically, the Ganjier is a trusted and reliable guide for the cannabis consumer.
Exploring the art of cannabis connoisseurship continues to be an ever-present source of inspiration for me. Over the years, I’ve developed a penchant for elevating my cannabis experience with rare and exquisite smoking implements from the past. Nearly all of the items I employ in my daily joint smoking regimen are at least a century old.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I initially met Max Simon through his screening at a local cannabis co-op of a short film he had produced in an effort to destigmatize cannabis use. His newly formed company, Green Flower Media, was on a mission to bring an end to the stigma surrounding the use of cannabis through bringing credible cannabis education to the public.
At the time, I was actively cultivating cannabis and an actively participating member of the Ventura County Cannabis Alliance, seeking to bring sensible cannabis regulation to the County. It was uphill battle with Ventura County, to say the least. Throughout California at the time, Ventura was known to be the place to “come for a vacation and leave on probation”. As the VCCA sought to bring greater awareness to our advocacy efforts, I reached out to (Ventura based) Green Flower Media with a heartfelt plea for assistance.
Open to assist with our cause, Max invited members of the VCCA to meet and discuss ways Green Flower could help share our message. Of course, being the proud papa that I was, I brought along a representative sampling of the herb I grew. While the meeting certainly yielded several fruitful ideas on behalf of the VCCA, the more significant event was the friendship that began between Max and myself that day. Thoroughly impressed with the quality of the smoke I had brought along, I invited Max to visit the garden where it had been grown.
At the time, I was growing a dozen 8′-12′ cannabis trees. In short, I was maximizing both quality and yield in a relatively small area. Max was blown away. As part of developing the educational curriculum for Green Flower, he’d been filming cannabis gardens and farms all over California, but he’d never seen anything like what I was accomplishing just a mere mile from his own home.
A few short months and several smoking sessions later, Max was visiting the garden one day and let me know that he wished to begin producing more cultivation based content to add to Green Flower’s ever expanding library of educational videos. After explaining that, he says, “do you know anyone who would be interested in creating and hosting cultivation videos?”. I told him I would think about it and would let him know if I thought of anyone ideal. “No, Derek. I’m wondering if YOU are interested in hosting these videos”.
After stuttering and stammering a few excuses about never being on camera before and the like, I told Max I may not have the experience for such a role. He then spent the next hour explaining to me, and selling me on, exactly why I had the perfect experience for this role and how he’d guide me into becoming a suitable on-camera host.
Much of this content is available to view for free on YouTube on either the “The Ganjier” or “Green Flower” channels. I highly suggest having a peek at the “High Rollers” series, if you enjoy or have any curiosity about the art cannabis connoisseurship.
It’s been seven years since that fateful day and I’ve enjoyed the journey immensely. I am forever grateful to Max for inviting me along on this wild, unpredictable, and genuinely rewarding journey.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
In building the Ganjier Cannabis Sommelier Certification program, the initial step of the development process was the formation of the Ganjier Council. Led by the cannabis industry’s most respected and brilliant minds spanning six decades of experience and disciplines, from cultivation to concentrates, chemistry to commerce, the Ganjier Council was established to guide, validate, and endorse the accuracy, validity, and rigor of the Ganjier Certification Program.
Collectively contributing 8,000+ hours of time over two years of development, the result is an unprecedented, uncompromising, rigorous and comprehensive certification program, examining and exploring the finer points, complexities, and nuances of cannabis including history, science, botany, genetics, cultivation, processing, sale, and consumption.
By bringing aboard established and respected industry experts as part of the development process, the Ganjier program enjoyed the benefit of “trust” from the moment it was launched. However, it’s the fact that program delivers on its promise of providing deep and valid knowledge coupled with a valuable skill set that allows it to maintain and grow its global reputation for educational excellence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ganjier.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_ganjier/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theganjier
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ganjier/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGanjier
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ganjier