There are a lot of things that California produces well: movies, wine, and yes, cannabis. Today’s guest knows all about that. Kyle Kazan is co-founder and CEO of Glasshouse Brands, a vertically integrated sustainable producer of cannabis products.
In 1991, he began investing in real estate, and became a manager of private equity funds. He’s now launched a total of 23 funds with a current estimated value of almost $3 billion.
In 2016 Kyle pivoted to the regulated cannabis industry. Since his early service as a special education teacher and law enforcement officer, Kyle’s been a vocal advocate for police reform and ending the war on drugs.
He makes frequent appearances on CNN and Fox and has been a guest professor at NYU, USC, and UCLA’s business schools. Kyle’s a graduate of University of Southern California where he played varsity basketball, and his long and varied career made for a great conversation.
Highlights:
- Kyle talks about his early years as a basketball player, then a police officer turned real estate investor (2:45)
- What led Kyle to move into cannabis (5:37)
- The assets that Glass House has today (9:16)
- Glass House’s vertical integration (11:13)
- Kyle discusses the brands of Glass House (14:27)
- How growing the product in California figures into Glass House’s marketing (16:35)
- The challenges in this industry and the state of the market now (19:31)
- How the current political climate might affect Glass House (21:16)
- The total addressable market for Glass House (23:21)
- Kyle talks about his great team at Glass House (25:46)
- Their unique approach to investors (28:34)
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you’d like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.
