If I were asked in middle school what my dad did for a living, my response would have been one of the following: he’s a farmer, a horticulturist, or he’s in the cannabis industry, but he doesn’t smoke weed at all I PROMISE! Here’s the truth: my dad does smoke weed (A LOT of it). He owns two dispensaries and a greenhouse.
In my freshman year of high school, my teacher told everyone to raise their hand if one of their parents was an entrepreneur. My hand shot up in the air, and before I knew it, my teacher called on me. My face turned as red as a tomato, and I think I felt some sweat drip from my armpits down onto the floor as this strange sentence fell out of my mouth, “he sells plants for a living.” My teacher’s eyes lit up with curiosity, and she responded by asking about what kind of plants. “Does he sell house plants?” she wondered. No, he doesn’t sell house plants! I thought to myself while a fire started burning even hotter and redder on my forehead. I heard laughter in the background when I said no, a different type of plant. I couldn’t bring myself to say aloud what he really did.
Why was I so embarrassed by what my father did for a living? Well, it all began when my brother and I received the occasional glare of disgust from other parents when we explained how he made his living. He’s not Pablo Escobar; weed is legal in Colorado! How is this any different than if he owned a liquor store? Weed is a plant, it’s natural, it grows out of the earth, it helps people with epilepsy or chemo symptoms. Although my dad may seem like some kind of drug dealer to some who have yet to understand the benefits of marijuana, he is the hardest working man I know who inspires me daily. Even if I turn out to be half the business person my dad is, I know I will have succeeded. He put a lot of love into his business, and I respect him for his work ethic every day; I would be proud to turn out like him. As long as you put your heart and soul into whatever your passions are you will succeed and that’s the greatest lesson he could have taught me. I have learned to be proud of my family and what they do. Who cares what people think? As long as my dad is his most authentic self and brings his positive energy, humor, and pride into his business that’s all that matters.