AACE INTERVIEW: Al Ochosa of Curaleaf
The Renaissance Man of Cannabis
When I first jumped into the industry in 2015, I was excited to join a company that was led by an Executive of South Asian descent – the fact that he was a DJ as well was a bonus. That diversity was more of the exception rather than the norm in the early days and I knew I needed to bring my point of view to the game.
“Hello Ophelia, it's Al Ochosa, the Director of Insurance, Risk & Safety Compliance at Curaleaf”. When you get a call like this, you sit up and come to attention because you are on the phone with a multi-talented man whose voice just makes you smile. I got that call a few weeks ago and I was given a top-level education on the insurance and risk universe of cannabis. What other industry has as many pitfalls, disparate laws, and the rare chance to really think out of the box? Only cannabis and Al is the king of it in my humble opinion.
After speaking about what he does in the cannabis industry, we land on Planet Al AKA “ChozaH”, an old-school dance music fanatic and aspiring DJ that plays House to Techno and Electro to Hip-Hop and everything in between. He has "always found ULTIMATE JOY" in immersing his "mind, body, and soul with booty-shakin’ basslines, techy drums, and uplifting vocals.”
I am honored to feature Al Ochosa on AACE, he is a renaissance man, a man of art, music and he can cover your booty - from your real booty to your company’s booty ( I know that’s a lot of booties…). He is a man of our times and has the future of cannabis covered for both the industry and for the patients in need of good, clean medicine. - Ophelia Chong
Your background is in corporate America, your work in insurance set your skill set entering the cannabis industry was something not considered until legalization and corporatizing of the cannabis industry. What was the leap of faith that pushed you into the cannabis industry in 2015? And how did your skills in other industries help Curaleaf?
To this day, I still remember what a whirlwind it was when I first encountered the opportunity to enter the legal cannabis industry in September 2015. After exiting the commercial insurance world after almost two decades, I had lunch on a Monday with an old fraternity brother who ended up introducing me to the original Co-Founders of Cura. After the initial meeting on a Friday, I received my offer letter that Sunday, and hit the ground running that Monday and the rest is history! I still thank my friend for thinking of me when I took that scary leap of faith, but now I make him buy me lunch especially after the close of the Select acquisition in February 2020!
I was very relieved to find that my corporate experience translated into Cannabis early on. Especially in a new burgeoning industry with a growing start-up, you had to wear many hats and fill a few different roles. Luckily my problem-solving and solution-driven skillset helped me become an integral part of the Select expansion plans as the Director of Licensing & Corporate Affairs as we expanded beyond OR and entered CA, NV, and AZ. I really tried to present myself to my Team Members and the cannabis regulators, and even the communities we worked in, as a cannabis ambassador that was seeking to bridge our business efforts and the ongoing movement to destigmatize the plant – education was the key pillar early on and still is! Today, I am still only one of a few cannabis risk managers in the industry, but this gives me the opportunity to build a department from the ground up that I can be truly proud of.
Tell us a bit about your parents, and of your parents’ influence on you about cannabis? How did your parents react to the news of your entrance into the legal world of cannabis and hemp? And what was your reaction when you found out cannabis wasn’t the “devil’s weed” in college?
I am the oldest of four siblings and the only one born in the Philippines - Manila to be exact. I would love to say that we had a global upbringing, but we settled in the Puget Sound area when we were all very young. My Mom is a devout Catholic and we grew up going to Mass every Sunday. My Dad was more spiritual than religious and definitely more progressive, but his time in the US Navy definitely made for a more strict and structured childhood. I was your typical child of the Reagan era and my parents and my parents’ friends spouted the same Just Say No message and subscribed to the D.A.R.E. mindset. If you do drugs, your mind would be that egg in the frying pan, you would end up dumb, in a gang or in jail, and your life would be ruined. It wasn’t until my years at the University of Washington (Go Dawgs!) that I realized I was really being lied to about cannabis specifically and I set out to be more open-minded and sought out as much early information that was available at that time.
Fast forward to 2015 when Oregon first legalized adult-use and I first stepped into the legal industry. It still took me 3 months to update my LinkedIn profile and officially come out as a Cannabis professional to my family and friends. The big reveal to my Mom and Dad that Xmas was my two decades of consumption and advocacy of the plant while still having a corporate career, staying married for two decades, and raising two teenagers. After almost six years in the industry, the parental warnings have slowed as their Cannabis education expanded. Working for the largest Cannabis company on the planet, one that is publicly traded and now international, does help when they talk about me with their friends and family – not so much fear and embarrassment anymore!
Tell us about you, you are not only a top insurance executive but your secret (or not so secret) super skills in music? How has music shaped your life?
Well, I can tell you that I am a true Libra and a big subscriber to work-life balance. So I have always believed that you need to strive for success and happiness in your work life AND your family life. Although juggling a 50+ hour a week workload and a rambunctious household leaves little time for self-care, music – specifically electronic dance music - has always been a personal reprieve from life’s challenges. I was a child of the ’80s and grew up enjoying underground dance music. Some of my friends had difficulty pronouncing my last name growing up, so they shortened it to Chosa. So when I began messing around with vinyl in college, I adopted that nickname as my DJ alter-ego and ChozaH was born! The fringe cultures of underground dance music and Cannabis intersect in so many different ways and that’s probably why I was drawn to both. Although I rarely play out anymore, music is still a huge part of who I am and I still dig for tracks on a weekly basis and even updated my SoundCloud recently. Nothing brings more joy to my heart than a good pre-roll and a bangin’ House track! I will be even more excited when the dancefloors and outdoor festivals open up again and I can share the positive vibes and good times with other humans!
Tell us about your work within Curaleaf on diversity? What programs are you starting to create diversity and awareness of BIPOC’s history in cannabis?
When I first jumped into the industry in 2015, I was excited to join a company that was led by an Executive of South Asian descent – the fact that he was a DJ as well as a bonus. That diversity was more of the exception rather than the norm in the early days and I knew I needed to bring my point of view to the game. Whether it was my early work on the Minority Cannabis Cabinet in Portland or my ongoing work with the City of Portland Cannabis Policy Oversight Team (CPOT) where I currently lead as the Chair, I’ve always had the passion and collaborative drive to flip the script - to help destigmatize the plant and the people who consume it and to make sure total human equity is built into any future cannabis policy.
Now, as part of the Curaleaf Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leadership, I get a seat at the table to help drive positive change within the Company and within our communities. With values like “One Curaleaf” and “Respect for All”, our Company has shown it understands the importance of a company culture that embraces differences, encourages growth, considers reflection, and strives to rectify historical missteps in the cannabis industry and throughout the communities disproportionately impacted by Cannabis prohibition and over-policing. As a key pillar of our Rooted in Good strategy, the lofty DEI goals speak strongly to our commitment to being the best Curaleaf we can! I currently Co-Lead “Curaleaf In Color”, the national BIPOC Employee Resource Group, whose mission is ”Creating a safe space for BIPOC members of Curaleaf and their Allies by promoting diversity and inclusion, sharing knowledge, and amplifying experiences of BIPOC in the cannabis industry.” Our current CIC programming includes monthly educational Lunch & Learns and quarterly activations and events and other collaborations with other Curaleaf ERGs like Curaleaf Cares, our community & volunteerism group. Our recent Virtual AAPI Heritage Month panel discussion, “Beyond The Bong”, was such a resounding success – Thank You again Ophelia for sharing your journey and several belly laughs with us that evening!
I definitely have high hopes that Cannabis can be the industry to lead the way in diversity and equal footing for those who have been affected by the War on Drugs and those seeking a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in this amazing industry/community!
Links:
City of Portland Cannabis Policy Oversight Team (CPOT)
Smuggle's A Weed Closet Story - A Coming Out of the Weed Closet Story with Al Ochosa
