List of Startup Founders Who Smoke Weed

• Cannabis use spans industries – From Virgin Group’s multi-billion-dollar empire to Tesla’s innovations, successful founders across tech, retail, and insurance openly embrace cannabis
• The cannabis industry itself is founder-driven – Pioneers like Steve DeAngelo built multi-million dollar dispensaries while advocating for legalization and social justice
• Billionaire philanthropy fuels legalization – Progressive Insurance’s Peter Lewis donated $40-60 million to reform efforts, proving cannabis advocacy at the highest levels
• Diversity is emerging – Founders like Wanda James (first Black woman dispensary owner) and Karson Humiston (Forbes 30 Under 30) represent the new face of cannabis entrepreneurship
• Modern founders are more open than ever – From Elon Musk’s Joe Rogan podcast appearance to Richard Branson’s advocacy, stigma is rapidly disappearing
• Cannabis products for entrepreneurs are accessible – Whether you’re building the next unicorn or optimizing your workflow, options exist for every professional

Often called “the father of the legal cannabis industry,” Steve DeAngelo co-founded Harborside Health Center in 2006, which grew to generate $35 million+ in annual revenue. His trademark pigtails and hat made him instantly recognizable as he built one of the world’s largest dispensaries while decades of activism earned him respect across the movement.

• Criminal justice reform – DeAngelo founded the Last Prisoner Project to address cannabis-related incarceration, ensuring his impact extends far beyond commerce
• Industry transformation – His vision transformed cannabis from an underground market to a legitimate, regulated industry worthy of mainstream investment and respect

Wanda James made history as the first African American woman to own a cannabis dispensary in Colorado, breaking barriers in an industry with significant diversity challenges. Her Denver dispensary Simply Pure combines business success with social justice advocacy, focusing on expunging cannabis records and promoting racial equity.

• Political credibility – James previously served on Obama’s 2008 National Finance Committee before entering cannabis entrepreneurship
• Media presence – Her voice has appeared on major platforms including CBS, MSNBC, and BBC, making her one of the most visible advocates for inclusion in the legal cannabis movement

At just 25, Karson Humiston earned a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for founding Vangst, a cannabis industry recruiting platform that addresses the sector’s critical talent shortage. After experiencing the industry’s hiring challenges firsthand at a cannabis trade show, Humiston built a solution that achieved 567% revenue growth between 2016-2017.

• Career impact – Her company has since helped thousands find meaningful careers in cannabis, fulfilling her mission to connect passionate professionals with purpose-driven companies
• Purpose-driven mission – As she told Forbes, “I definitely stumbled into what has become my purpose in life: helping others find careers they’re super excited about”

Brothers Ross and Zach Lipson founded Dutchie in 2017 and quickly built it into a cannabis tech unicorn valued at $3.75 billion. Their integrated e-commerce platform powers online ordering for dispensaries across the U.S. and Canada, raising over $603 million in funding to support their rapid growth.

• Mainstream investor confidence – The Lipsons demonstrated that cannabis tech could attract significant institutional investment
• Essential infrastructure – Their platform became essential infrastructure for the legal cannabis retail ecosystem, creating one of the most successful cannabis tech exits in the industry’s history

Ryan Smith and Zach Silverman co-founded LeafLink in 2015 to revolutionize B2B cannabis commerce through their wholesale marketplace platform. Backed by Founders Fund and raising $479 million across nine funding rounds, LeafLink now connects retailers with over 1,800 cannabis brands across legal markets.

• Leadership structure – Smith serves as CEO while Silverman acts as Co-Founder and Senior Advisor, with their New York-based company expanding to regional hubs in Los Angeles and Austin
• Supply chain innovation – Their vision of simplifying the cannabis supply chain using their tech and e-commerce backgrounds has made LeafLink the dominant wholesale platform in legal cannabis

Ben Kovler founded Green Thumb Industries (GTI) in 2014 and built it into a publicly traded multi-state operator with a diverse portfolio of brands including &Shine, Beboe, and incredibles. As CEO and Chairman, Kovler oversaw GTI’s growth into a significant player in the U.S. cannabis industry, operating the RISE retail chain alongside their consumer packaged goods business.

• Public market success – The company went public in June 2018, demonstrating Kovler’s ability to navigate the complex regulatory landscape
• National brand presence – Built a national cannabis brand presence across flower, edibles, and other product categories

Kyle Sherman identified a critical need in the cannabis industry, regulatory compliance, and founded Flowhub in 2015 to address it. His Denver-based company provides inventory, point-of-sale, and compliance software specifically designed for cannabis businesses, raising $45.8 million across four funding rounds.

• Compliance-focused vision – Sherman’s vision focused on creating “a more efficient and compliant cannabis retail environment through innovative technology”
• Industry longevity – Flowhub’s longevity in the volatile cannabis tech space demonstrates the essential nature of compliance solutions in legal markets

Richard Branson built a multi-billion-dollar empire spanning 400+ companies under the Virgin Group umbrella while openly advocating for cannabis legalization. The billionaire entrepreneur credits cannabis with expanding creative thinking and has been vocal about his recreational use, even admitting to smoking with his adult son Sam.

• Beyond personal use – Branson’s advocacy goes beyond cannabis consumption, he’s stated he would invest in the cannabis industry if legal and famously declared that “millions of otherwise productive lives are wasted in jail for marijuana possession”
• Prominent reform voice – His willingness to use his platform for reform has made him one of the most prominent billionaire voices in the legalization movement

Peter Lewis built Progressive Insurance from a 40-person company into America’s third-largest auto insurer before his death in 2013, all while being what insiders called a “functioning pothead.” His cannabis use served both recreational and medical purposes, after a 1998 leg amputation, Lewis used marijuana for pain management.

• Philanthropic impact – Lewis became cannabis reform’s biggest individual philanthropist, donating an estimated $40-60 million to legalization efforts throughout his lifetime, according to NORML
• Principled advocacy – His advocacy was rooted in principle; as he stated, “our marijuana laws are outdated, ineffective and stupid,” and his financial backing helped fund critical reform initiatives that shaped modern legalization efforts

Elon Musk made headlines in 2018 when he publicly smoked cannabis on Joe Rogan’s podcast, revealing his occasional use for relaxation and stress management. As the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, Musk’s cannabis consumption challenged stereotypes about high-performing entrepreneurs and substance use.

• Performance compatibility – While not a regular user, Musk’s openness about his relationship with cannabis, stating it helps him “unwind and relax” to tackle complex challenges, demonstrated acceptance among tech leaders
• Breaking stereotypes – His appearance proved that even the world’s most prominent tech founders can find value in the plant without compromising their ambitious visions for the future

Elon Musk made headlines in 2018 when he publicly smoked cannabis on Joe Rogan’s podcast, revealing his occasional use for relaxation and stress management. As the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, Musk’s cannabis consumption challenged stereotypes about high-performing entrepreneurs and substance use.

• Performance compatibility – While not a regular user, Musk’s openness about his relationship with cannabis, stating it helps him “unwind and relax” to tackle complex challenges, demonstrated acceptance among tech leaders
• Breaking stereotypes – His appearance proved that even the world’s most prominent tech founders can find value in the plant without compromising their ambitious visions for the future

Though deceased since 2011, Steve Jobs remains perhaps the most iconic example of a founder who experimented with cannabis and LSD while developing his creative outlook. The Apple co-founder used marijuana during his younger years and later described his LSD experiences as profoundly shaping the “think different” mindset that would drive Apple’s revolutionary approach to technology and design.

• Creative enhancement – Jobs believed cannabis expanded his creative thinking and sparked the innovative ideas that would transform multiple industries
• Innovation legacy – His legacy demonstrates that cannabis can coexist with, and even enhance, world-changing innovation and business success

Mark Johnson stands out as one of the most openly vocal tech CEOs about daily cannabis use. As CEO of Descartes Labs (and formerly Zite in Silicon Valley), Johnson has consistently defended cannabis as compatible with high performance, stating “Pot is an extremely functional drug. Coders can code on it, writers can write on it.”

• Cultural shift – His advocacy represents a significant cultural shift in tech, where he claims cannabis use is “extremely common” but often hidden
• Normalizing use – Johnson’s openness, “People just don’t care. If you do, you don’t need to hide it,” has helped normalize cannabis consumption among tech professionals building the future

George Zimmer built the Men’s Wearhouse retail empire before being famously fired in 2013, a setback he called “probably the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” Throughout his 50+ year career, Zimmer maintained a consistent cannabis habit, telling CNBC he had “been smoking marijuana on a regular basis for about 50 years.”

• Continued entrepreneurship – After his Men’s Wearhouse departure, Zimmer immediately launched new ventures including Generation Tux and zTailors, proving that decades of cannabis use didn’t hinder his entrepreneurial drive
• Legalization advocate – He also became a financial backer of legalization efforts, supporting California’s 2016 ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis

Luke Anderson and Jake Bullock co-founded Cann in 2018 to tackle one of cannabis’s most challenging categories: beverages. Despite the difficulty of creating successful cannabis drinks, the duo defied the odds by building a brand that attracted celebrity investor Gwyneth Paltrow (who babysat Anderson as a child) and secured distribution partnerships with major retailers like Total Wine.

• Product innovation – Their THC-infused seltzers represent the kind of innovative product development that expands cannabis accessibility to new consumer segments
• Market validation – Their success proves that beverage formats can succeed even in a competitive market

Nicholas Vita and Michael Abbott co-founded what would become The Cannabist Company (formerly Columbia Care) in 2012, positioning themselves among the initial medical cannabis providers in the United States. Their patient-focused operation successfully transitioned into a dominant adult-use market player, raising $530.6 million across nine funding rounds.

• Diverse portfolio – With brands like Classix, Seed & Strain, and Hedy, their company built a diverse product portfolio spanning flower, oils, edibles, and tablets
• Industry evolution – Their journey from early medical providers to multi-state operators exemplifies the evolution of the legal cannabis industry from medical necessity to mainstream consumer market

Whether you’re inspired by these founders’ stories or looking to optimize your own entrepreneurial journey, understanding different cannabis strains and their effects can be valuable. Herb’s strain guides can help you identify varieties that may support creativity, focus, or stress relief, key attributes for any founder building the future.