In this Talent in Cannabis, we sat down with Drew Martin Gosselin who, with two partners, cofounded and launched the brand Drew Martin in 2020. The brand was birthed on the vision of creating community and ritual around the plant by focusing on the experience of consuming instead of simply the resulting high. All three founding members of the Drew Martin brand also self-identify as queer, which remains extremely rare within this industry. In this interview, Drew dives into:
- How travel and mixology led to the Drew Martin brand
- Why Drew Martin focuses on a low-dose, sessionable category
- How he now consults for cannabis operators in New York
- The importance of simultaneously meeting consumers’ current needs and future desires
- Why his commitment to pride goes beyond celebration
- His advocacy work in the LGBTQ+ community
We see cannabis as an experience, and not just as a means to a high. We look at the process of engaging with the plant and letting that take the lead over the psychoactive effects.– Drew Martin Gosselin
BEFORE CANNABIS
What were you doing before working in cannabis?
There are two big careers that I followed, that culminated in me moving into cannabis – plant medicine and mixology. I studied and practiced natural plant medicine for many years. I spent a good decade – all of my 20s, traveling and living nomadically around the world – in different countries, cities, and continents. During that time, I became enamored and impassioned with the practice of plant rituals between different cultures. I noticed that while the plants and botanicals were different depending on geographic location, there was always a through line of people gathering around the plant and ritual. Cannabis was ubiquitous across all the continents. I found the beauty in ritual and became enamored by it.
When I moved back to the US, I went back to school and studied plant medicine formally. I gained a deeper understanding and moved into treating patients at my own practice. I ran my practice during the day and in the evening I worked behind bars.
Bartending became an artistic practice for me and a way to express creativity. I began developing cocktail programs – some of which won national awards – for some beautiful high-end restaurants and bars. I found an overlap between bartending and plant medicine. Alcohol is plant-based and is an expression of finding rituals. Drinking alcohol provides a sensory experience with everything from the flavor you taste, the aromas you smell, and the feeling you experience. And then those aspects of alcohol can be manipulated in a way that brings people together to gather around it.
What’s your cannabis ‘why’?
My ‘why’ stems from my deep connection to plant medicine and my belief in the power of ritual and community. My experiences inspired me to blend my expertise to create a brand that focuses on the experience of consuming cannabis rather than just the high.
Additionally, as a member of the queer community, I’m committed to advocating for social justice and ensuring that the cannabis industry acknowledges and addresses its roots and responsibilities. This intersection of community, ritual, and advocacy is at the heart of why I do what I do.
What was your first role in the cannabis industry?
My partner and I founded Drew Martin with one of our best friends in 2018, bringing the brand to market in 2020. We acquired a license stack, and built a manufacturing facility to service our company in addition to other licensing and co-packing partnerships.
What sets Drew Martin apart from other cannabis brands?
At Drew Martin, we’re particularly focused on crossing over into new sectors and forging partnerships that create more exposure for new consumers. We aim to help people find the benefits of cannabis, potentially transitioning away from alcohol in a way that feels healthy and supportive while allowing them to build community through cannabis use.
Drew Martin is a low-dose brand, providing products at about half the strength of most products on the market. We see cannabis as an experience, and not just as a means to a high. We look at the process of engaging with the plant and letting that take the lead over the psychoactive effects. In doing this, we were able to carve out a new space for the brand that was not potency-driven. Our pre-rolls provide consumers with the option to get high more slowly, so they can more intentionally extend their experience.
Tell me about how you’ve pivoted into doing more consulting for cannabis operators?
About a year ago, we partnered with a licensing partner in Poughkeepsie, NY called HPI Canna which launched Drew Martin products into the New York market which has been fantastic. Our move into New York, alongside our operational expertise from California, led to the start of our consulting work.
We’ve since divested from our license in California, and have been running the Drew Martin brand through FIA (First Indemnity of America Insurance Company) licensing partnerships. So while we still operate the brand, we’re able to lean on our partners to do the manufacturing.
Because of this, we’ve shifted into doing consulting and advising for operators, specifically in the New York market. We’ve been able to take our learnings from California and work with New Yorkers to avoid earlier mistakes that others made.
Do you have any advice for people working in the cannabis industry?
From a business perspective, being nimble is incredibly important. When you’re looking forward, strategy is key. But unlike many other industries, the constantly shifting nature of the industry requires you to be versatile and nimble so you can quickly adjust your strategy.
We have a unique opportunity to both meet the market where it is and also push forward to help develop and shift the market. In such a new industry with new consumers, we need to be a few steps ahead of consumers’ desires while simultaneously responding to consumers’ current needs and desires.
What would you like to see change in the cannabis industry?
We have a strong belief in the lower dose sessionable category. This will encourage consumers to see cannabis as a beautiful, connective experience. It requires a lot of effort and education because we’re primarily targeting new consumers and trying to bring new people into the fold. Expanding the market is crucial and lower dose cannabis is the way to expand it.
This mission has always been a big driving force for us. It’s different from what many other players in the space are doing, but we have firm beliefs about the future of cannabis. We want to do everything we can to help it grow and expand continually.
Is there anything you’d like to share about Drew Martin’s connection to the LGBTQ+ community and Pride month?
All three founders of Drew Martin are members of the queer community, which is extremely rare in our industry. And as founders and operators in the cannabis space, we feel strongly about amplifying our presence to shed light on this disparity.
Historically, the path to cannabis legalization was significantly influenced by queer activists, particularly in response to the devastating early days of the AIDS epidemic in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Leaders like Dennis Peron and Harvey Milk championed the movement to legalize cannabis in California during the early ’90s. Understanding the origins of cannabis legalization in the United States, and acknowledging the contributions of our queer forefathers, is crucial to us.
Pride intersects with our commitment to social justice. The cannabis industry was built on the backs of Black and Brown communities, and as queer people, we want to address the existing inequities. And we recognize our unique position of responsibility in helping to right these wrongs.
What advocacy work does Drew Martin do?
At Drew Martin, we use our platform to advocate for social justice and support the communities we serve. Our commitment to Pride goes beyond celebration. It embodies our dedication to making a tangible difference in the fight for equality and justice. We do this by selling the Queer Pre-roll and partnering with nonprofits G.L.I.T.S. and Unique Women’s Coalition.
One Queer Pre-roll
Our advocacy work as a brand includes releasing special Pride products every year, such as One Queer Pre-Roll. All the proceeds go to local nonprofit groups advocating for the queer and trans communities to support their incredible grassroots work.
G.L.I.T.S.
G.L.I.T.S. ( Gays AND Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) is a Black trans-led advocacy and direct services organization that’s dedicated to fighting systemic discrimination against marginalized communities, in New York City and beyond. They provide resources and benefits to the Black and Brown trans community. Donate
Unique Woman’s Coalition (UWC)
The Unique Women’s Coalition focuses on supporting underprivileged individuals in the trans community who face systemic racism and transphobia by being a collective voice centering on the narratives and needs of Black Trans culture. We’re committed to fostering the next generation of Black Trans leadership from within the community through mentorship, scholarship, and community care engagement work. Donate
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Claire Moloney – passionate about being a first cannabis hire
Kate Steinberg – transferrable skills leading to a dynamic career path
Adrian Livous – cultivating the Louisiana cannabis market
