The Economist magazine have a short documentary which is called ‘What happened when Portugal decriminalised drugs?’ The basis of the film is how Portugal took a different approach in tackling the war on drugs and sparked a global movement for change, by decriminalising drug use.
This post is not about the approach taken by Portugal, but about a business in Colorado which is mentioned in the film and called Medicine Man. If you would like to see the video – here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7LKfLxVtzE
In 2014, Colorado became the first US state to fully legalise cannabis and within a year it has become a $700 million dollar business. This I believe is the tipping point and other states will follow.
Among the industry’s biggest players is Medicine Man. The clip that really struck me was when Andy Williams the CEO of Medicine man was interviewed, and he talked about a discussion he had with his brother while standing outside the front of their offices. They asked themselves one crucial question – What Do We Want To Be? He said ‘we decided that we wanted to be the Costco of Marijuana.’ He went on to say, ‘our vision has changed to not only being the Costco of cultivation, but also the Starbucks of retail.’ Now they are the leader in cultivation of marijuana in Colorado. Last year Medicine Man generated revenues of $9 million, and in 2015 they will do about $18 million in business.
A number of things came up for me while watching this short film – the simplicity and power of that single question. What do we want to be? Also, the value of dreaming big, having a clear vision, adapting to change and having the courage to seize opportunities when they present themselves. Andy and his brother were clear about their vision and were prepared to change as they went along – not only focusing on cultivation, but also seeing the opportunity in retail and adapting as the opportunities presented themselves.
My question is this – have you stopped to ask yourself the question – What Do You Want To Be? Do you have a clear vision and are you prepared to start and change as you go along instead of waiting for it all to be perfect?
