AACE INTERVIEW: Amanda Tran of MedMen

I had put out an open call for Asian American cannabis experiences on Linkedin and Amanda Tran stepped up to the plate and as a young entrepreneur and researcher, she is expanding the industry with her advocacy to our communities. We are proud of Amanda and welcome her to AACE and to the cannabis industry.

Amanda Tran:

1. How have your views on cannabis changed?

I am nowadays becoming more concerned about the appropriation of cannabis and the loss of the existing cannabis culture, especially as vast communities are still suffering from the War on Drugs.

2. What was the impetus of that change?

When I jumped into cannabis at the top of 2018, I met many pre-Prop 64 operators who felt marginalized and hopeless about legalization. The notions of public safety and regulation weren't lost on these operators, but what I heard among them was a cry against injustice.

3. How did you enter the cannabis industry?

I started by helping to launch a licensing and compliance firm, which gave me the chance to understand CA regulated cannabis and the interplay of all the license types. At this Long Beach firm, I accomplished 5 commercial cannabis licenses and was recruited by the client to see through the development of these operations. I left the company as I felt weary about their road to success and access to capital. I now work in field operations at MedMen's California plant (cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution) located in Desert Hot Springs.

4. Did you do research into cannabis before entering?

My B.S. in Psychological Biology enlightened me on the misinformation surrounding cannabis and showed me the potential psych-bio benefits to be had. On a personal level, cannabis has helped me greatly over the years and through so many different contexts. It’s very important to me that cannabis may be better understood and safely accessed.

5. How does your family feel about your cannabis businesses?

My family has been much more accepting of my work in cannabis as cannabis companies become publicly traded on the stock exchange. ;)

6. What is the most frequent question you are asked about cannabis?

I think people often ask me about tolerance and dependence, though cannabis is not correlated with these biological effects.

7. What is your favorite way of ingesting cannabis?

I love smoking and vaping flower. (As is the founder of AACE first choice! )

8. Where do you see the cannabis industry in five years?

I'm excited to see a diverse space from Big Cannabis to the micro-grow. Though I'm concerned about the smaller operator's ability to survive these early years, I'm looking forward to the marketplace filling in and the micro-business finding its groove.

9. Why do you think some Asians are against cannabis?

I believe Asian cultures value tradition and harmony, whereas cannabis can be seen as rebellious and counter-culture. I think we can include Asian audiences by portraying cannabis in lieu of wellness, community, and thoughtful connection. Another possibility is that cannabis can be associated with lack of productivity, so I'm hoping marketing can start focusing on cannabis that is a regular part of a functional, productive life and not just a product of leisure or medicine.

Amanda Tran on Linkedin

“When I jumped into cannabis at the top of 2018, I met many pre-Prop 64 operators who felt marginalized and hopeless about legalization. - Amanda Tran”