Cannabis business leaders cite military lessons as building blocks for success

Known for their discipline, leadership and problem-solving abilities, military veterans are finding a new battlefield in the regulated cannabis industry.

Veterans’ unique skill set, honed through years of military training and experience, is an asset in the rapidly growing industry not always associated with professionalism.

“Adaptability, teamwork and a good sense of humor are important because things do not always go as planned,” said Ellen Brown, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and founder of Massachusetts-based cannabis education firm Green Path Training.

“It’s something that you learn in the military.”

Leadership skills – a cornerstone of military training – are essential for managing teams, making strategic decisions and navigating the complex regulatory landscape.

Teamwork and collaboration also are crucial in both military and business environments, so many veterans excel at building cohesive teams, fostering a positive work culture and effectively communicating with diverse groups of people.

Perseverance and resilience are qualities that are deeply ingrained in military veterans; they can overcome challenges, adapt to change and maintain focus under pressure.

In honor of Veterans Day, MJBizDaily shares the stories of four vets who are leveraging lessons learned during their military experience to make significant contributions to the marijuana industry, shape its future and drive its continued growth.

Socrates Rosenfeld

Co-founder and CEO, Jane Technologies

After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 2004, Socrates Rosenfeld spent seven years on active duty in the Army flying Apache helicopters in Korea and Iraq.

When he returned home, Rosenfeld felt as though he’d lost his sense of self and spent the next five years figuring out what to do next.

While many people thank veterans for their service, Rosenfeld believes the sentiment should be recast as, “Welcome back home.”

“It took me a while to come back home,” he told MJBizDaily.

“When I left the Army, I had all these achievements and accolades, but I really lost my sense of self.

“Those five years helped me to come back home to my heart and myself, and cannabis was an integral part of that.”

As a child in the 1980s and ’90s, Rosenfeld was influenced by the D.A.R.E. program, which taught him that if he consumed marijuana, he would become addicted to more harmful drugs and eventually become a criminal.

But during the five years between getting out of the Army and starting cannabis e-commerce platform Jane Technologies, Rosenfeld discovered the benefits of cannabis.

“The plant helped me heal and opened the door to helping me pursue my own truth,” he said.

Rosenfeld also learned to draw on what he learned in the Army to lead Santa Cruz, California-based Jane Technologies.

“My identity of myself is really around my veteran experience,” he said.

“The Army taught me that leadership truly is a position of service and service to others, and that’s how I like to lead organizations,” Rosenfeld said.

Ellen Brown

Founder, Green Path Training

Ellen Brown’s experience as a nutritional counselor in the U.S. Air Force helped her hone the skills she needed to start Green Path Training, a cannabis education and career training company operating in Massachusetts and Vermont.

“Being a teacher in the Air Force was a transferable skill set that I was able to utilize in the civilian sector,” Brown said.

But it’s not just the teaching skills that have served her well.

Brown said enlisting in the Air Force taught her the importance of adaptability, teamwork and a good sense of humor – especially in the ever-changing world of cannabis.

“Rules and regulations pivot overnight,” Brown said.

“Sometimes things aren’t going to go to plan, and instead of taking it as a negative, you have to look for the solution.

“Solution-based thinking is a big part of being successful in the industry.”

Brown serves as a cultivation expert to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, and she is one of 25 subject-matter specialists who have been asked to appear Dec. 2 at an administrative law hearing in Washington, D.C. – the next step in the effort to reschedule marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act.

Just as in the military, where understanding the chain of command is critical, understanding how rules governing cannabis are made or changed is essential, according to Brown.

“A lot of the rules and regulations have to be changed through legislative amendment – but not all of them,” she said.

“Understanding where you need to go to get rules changed is important; the chain of command of how to make those changes has set me up for success and set me apart.”

Serving as a nutritional medicine specialist at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho also instilled in Brown the importance of time management and juggling many tasks.

“You have to make sure you’re on time for appointments; if you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re late, and that has carried over into the civilian sector.”

Craig Henderson

Founder and CEO, Extract Labs

Craig Henderson joined the U.S. Army at age 19.

He wanted to quit many times during his four years in the service, but “you can’t quit the military,” he said.

“I’m so glad that wasn’t an option. … I pushed myself harder than I’ve ever pushed myself,” said Henderson, founder and CEO of Colorado-based Extract Labs.

“It was that mentality that I’ve been carrying with me the rest of my life: If you don’t quit and you keep pushing, there is greatness to be achieved.”

As Henderson worked toward achieving the rank of sergeant (E-5), he took a leadership-development course that has served him well in the cannabis industry.

“I know how to grind, I know how to keep pushing and I know how to manage people and not get walked all over,” he said.

After leaving the Army in 2006, Henderson went back to school and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

From there, he joined extraction company Apeks Supercritical, where he spent three years teaching people to turn cannabis into oil.

THC products weren’t a good fit for Henderson, so when he started hearing more about CBD, he started a small, niche company in his garage.

“The dream was to work out of my garage and pay my bills,” said Henderson, who owns 100% of Lafayette, Colorado-based Extract Labs and has grown it into a $10 million venture without taking outside investments.

As Extract Labs has grown, Henderson has been looking for opportunities to take it to the next level – perhaps as soon as the end of the year.

“We’re looking for options,” he said.

“We realize the industry is consolidating; it would be nice to team up with someone else and take this business further.”

Amber Senter

Founder and CEO, Makr House

Amber Senter believes her experience in the U.S. Coast Guard’s officer training program has helped her thrive in the male-dominated cannabis industry.

“I learned how to problem solve, I learned how to lead people, and I learned how to work under pressure,” Senter, the founder and CEO of Hayward, California-headquartered Makr House, a portfolio of cannabis brands, told MJBizDaily.

“I think about my training often in the cannabis industry – being in a hostile environment and dealing with people who you don’t want to deal with but have to anyway.”

Senter, who joined the Coast Guard at age 17, wasn’t sure the military was a good fit for her and left after about nine months.

Three months later, a different officer training program was offered, so she rejoined.

During the interim, Senter tried cannabis for the first time and recognized its value for veterans suffering from PTSD and recovering from other injuries.

While she stopped using cannabis until she completed the program, Senter knew she could help people benefit from the plant.

“It’s good for your mental health,” she said, “and it’s good for your physical health in all its different forms.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.