Robert Gray moved to Denver in 2017, in part for Colorado s weed. Growing up in the Midwest first Chicago and later Milwaukee he knew that being caught with cannabis in a state where the plant was illegal could come with legal consequences he didn t want to risk. He quickly found work in the cannabis industry here, first as a budtender at Starbuds, then as a sales representative and, later, a community engagement specialist at Craft Extracts, a position that introduced him to the world of marijuana marketing.
During his time in the notoriously un-diverse cannabis industry, Gray, who is Black, encountered racist behavior. He was called the N-word during his first week as a budtender, and although the incident was addressed, Gray recognized that this state s marijuana industry has a long way to go when it comes to inclusion and social equity.