August 2018

to my house and started pitching me on the idea. In the past, I’ve been dismissive, pretty arrogant, misinformed and judgmental of the entire industry, because I didn’t know. The more research I did, the more shocked I was. I saw the video of the 6-year- old girl who has epilepsy, and they started rubbing a cannabis-based product on her, and miraculously she stops having seizures. It is mind-numbing. Q Were you approached by other cannabis firms? A Canopy. Tweed. All of the largest cannabis compa- nies on the same day – they all came to my house one after another to pitch me. It was like sharks – a feeding frenzy. I was the piece of meat in the ocean, and all the sharks wanted me. It changed my life. I’m fairly bright and well read, and with a lot of that came a holier-than-thou mindset at times. Prag- matically speaking, if you’re dismissive of something that you’re not informed of, you look like a jackass. It was a good lesson for me to be told: “You don’t know everything, Gene. You haven’t been every- where, and you’re talking through your ass.” Q So, why did you choose to align with Invictus? A It starts and ends with Kriznic: the way he treats the people he works with, their loyalty and alle- giance to him. In a corporate environment, culture is important, and it starts from the top down. There are some who believe you should always bet on the horse, not the cart. That’s not always true. The guy that’s driving the horse to get to market, you’re betting on that guy. The horse is able. The fruit and vegetables in the cart, they are prime, A-level products. But if that guy makes a wrong turn, left or right, you’re in trouble. So, bet on the management. Q Invictus also gave you a pretty cushy deal to sign on, right? A They gave me $2.5 million American, plus $10 million in stock. Cash is OK, but the stock in the company is a very good thing. The rest of it will just be hard work. I’ve had the change of heart about what the nature of cannabis is, but my initial interest is finan- cial. I’m very interested in the financial model. Q Were you concerned that aligning yourself with a cannabis company might hinder other oppor- tunities for you? A I don’t think of it that way. I have to be who I am and let the cards fall where they may. If someone doesn’t like what I’m doing, well, I make a living. You know that song “I Gotta Be Me?” That’s me. Look, laws are changing around the world, and that’s not accidental. I don’t want to seem like I’m promot- ing cannabis. I’m not. I just want more research to be done. Most importantly, the masses should get informed, so they can make informed decisions in their lives. ◆ This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 17 • Marijuana Business Magazine • August 2018