Students from my first-ever Business of Marijuana class on a field trip to visit Sweet Grass Kitchen, a leading Colorado edibles manufacturer.
This website has been designed as a resource for those with an interest in the business of marijuana/cannabis. The site includes a general industry overview section with a variety of resources including a 101/FAQ page, and pages on industry books, firms, events & association, employment, as well as data, reports & regulations. You can also find information about academic research and educational programs focused on the cannabis industry. I am also developing a set of market profiles, starting with Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia, Washington and am open to suggestions on other provinces and states to add next.
I have studied the cannabis industry since 2011 when I moved from Canada to the Daniels College of Business, University of Denver just as a legal, regulated industry developed in Colorado. I published one of the first-ever academic cases on the marijuana industry in 2014, developed and starting in 2017 taught the first-ever Business of Marijuana course at an AACSB-accredited business school. I have participated in a wide variety of other activities related to the industry including participation in a variety of conferences and workshops as a panelist, organizer and keynote speaker as well as private consulting and providing expert witness testimony. In 2019, I left Colorado to join the University of Virginia which has provided a new opportunity for me to expand my knowledge, network and impact.
As a strategy and management scholar with research interests in non-market strategy, public policy, and regulation I see the legal marijuana industry as an important research subject. As a faculty member who teaches courses on consulting, strategy, leadership, and public policy I also see the industry as a highly relevant and important classroom subject. As a former full-time consultant with 8+ years of IT and strategy consulting experience across North America I have also found opportunities for consulting collaboration in the cannabis space and welcome consulting inquiries. I continue to be engaged as an advisor and/or expert witness on multiple legal/regulatory matters in various states.
I welcome your feedback on the contents of this website and your inquiries about opportunities for collaboration. More information on my other academic and personal activities can be found here and on my personal website paulseaborn.com.
Business of Marijuana 