Cannabis industry dominated by white business men
CEO of Balbuena Consulting Set To Release New Book Spelling Out Cannabis Industry, Lays Down “Greenprint” for Black Community To Enter Industry; Warns Non-Black Industry Counterparts To Get In Alignment With Social Justice Movement Or Lose Revenue
A Successful businesswoman and Navy Veteran, Johann Balbuena has made it very clear that the future of the cannabis industry will go “Back to Black” in her new book.
“We are no longer playing defense; that time has come and gone. The Black community isn’t asking for a seat at their table anymore. We’re playing offense and we’re building our own ecosystems of vertical integration. We’re in control now.”
Her new book, set to release in late 2020, intricately lays out the perfect blueprint on what it takes to enter and succeed in the cannabis space. After the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing racial revolution, Johann’s new mission is to partner, collaborate, and help as many Black people as possible to enter and succeed in the cannabis space.
To solidify her position, Johann spoke at the Inaugural Virtual Uplift Cannabis Diversity Symposium on June 6th, 2020. The event’s main goal was “to bring as many minority-owned brands and businesses together to continue the fight to #EndTheStigma of the plant and increase racial inequality in the cannabis industry.” Proving to be a huge success, the event featured major players such as Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III, Hope Wiseman of Mary & Main, Delegate Nick Mosby, and Executive Director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission William Tillburg.
A content creation expert, Johann quickly stopped production of her live show Cannabis Synergy, to an intimate, one-on-one format made for Instagram, making it clear that the content creators who pivot during coronavirus are the only ones that will stay relevant. Today, each online episode reaches over 3,000 cannabis-crazed fans and industry experts! Always on-time, Johann also took to LinkedIn to forewarn and educate panicked entrepreneurs considering a move to cannabis. While Cannabis continues to make its mark as a profitable industry, the effects of the coronavirus have deflated some of those interests. “Such high expectations have been trumped by the uncertainty set forth by the pandemic as consumers are now discouraged from congregating or passing the joint until further notice,” says Johann.
Johann Balbuena is the founder of Balbuena Consulting, a full-service cannabis industry consulting firm, specializing in commercial cannabis license and permit acquisition. In addition to Balbuena Consulting, the US Navy Veteran founded Synergy Studios, a media company whose sole purpose is to create content that emphasizes the culture surrounding wellness lifestyle culture. Also, she is part owner of Palenque Provisions, a food production company valued at over one million dollars.
