John Lord a Pioneer of US Commercial Pot Industry

Former Waikato dairy farmer John Lord never really wanted to sell pot. It just sort of worked out that way. Now, one of Denver’s early pioneers of commercial marijuana growing and sales is among the most influential in an industry that’s quickly topping US$1 billion in annual revenues. The Denver Post reports.

Lord owns LivWell Enlightened Health, one of the largest marijuana businesses in Colorado. He is tops among city licensees in the number of licenses he holds alone – 43. No partners.

With 14 Colorado stores, six of them in Denver, LivWell is eyeing its first out-of-state property. And the pot behemoth isn’t stopping there.

“We recently formed LivWell Oregon,” Lord said just after LivWell finished a fourth Colorado store opening in as many weeks.

His experience in a heavily regulated industry – “baby products is one of the most litigious businesses around,” he said, not to mention compliance with the US Consumer Products Safety Commission – made pot’s challenges seem manageable.

“The industry is getting way more sophisticated,” Lord said. “Initially, it wasn’t the competition but the people who weren’t at all prepared for it. The industry is growing up.”

Although he now uses cannabis extract to ease the pain of an old rugby injury to a knuckle, Lord says his “drug of choice” is wine, much of it from his own winery.

Still a fan of snowboarding and an occasional tarpon-fishing trip, Lord is keen on the future.

“We’ve built out our grow operation,” he said of the 140,000-square-foot facility. “That’s where the money is.”

Original article by Ricardo Baca and David Migoya, The Denver Post, May 8, 2016.

Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon.