John Rebchook

Cannabis business owners increasingly must confront a workplace reality that mainstream companies have faced for generations: organized labor.

Jeanine Moss dreamed up and researched the idea of “affordable luxury” accessories for chic cannabis-smoking women, created a brand, designed products, manufactured them – in China, no less – and supported a sales and marketing operation.

All within 18 months.

Tim Cullen has lost a lot of bank accounts over the years.

“Man, I’ve been kicked out of more banks than I can name,” said Cullen, CEO and co-founder of the Colorado Harvest Co., which operates medicinal and recreational cannabis stores in the Denver area. “Well, if I did name them, it would probably be over 15 banks.”

When Nancy Whiteman launched the infused products company Wana Brands in Colorado five years ago, the marijuana industry was a completely different animal than it is now.

“There was not the level of regulations 5.5 years ago as there is today,” said Whiteman, who co-founded Wana with her husband at the time. “For example, there was no seed-to-sale tracking.”