Authenticity: "You're true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you're under to act otherwise."

As a brand owner, innovator, and in the case of the Rolling Stoner and in the past Evolved Magazine, we are faced with truths that most people would not as a result of trailblazing into something first.

If you are the first at doing something, you are bound to be naive to the truth that often lies in the stomping grounds of said trailblazing. This was at least the experience I had whilst trying to uplift the cannabis wellness industry.

The cannabis industry is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting industries of my time. It is mired with controversy, and political agendas and steeped in aeons of stigma. Perhaps we agree that growing an industry out of such a weight legacy is no easy feat, and starting a business in that legacy with the core product still illegal is a challenge only a few might get through.

I often find myself in murky waters as to what is acceptable; cannabis has become such an everyday part of life it seems legal, but the reality is, that it is not. Everyone in the industry is still hustling around the law to get the industry going.

Why authenticity? In the hustle of breaking the back of such a significant backdrop as the cannabis industry, authenticity is vital for any birthing sector to get through the gates of consumerism. One act of recklessness from one business owner or brand could delay those gates opening for another decade or two.

The Rolling Stoner has chosen from experience in the industry to act with authenticity and to honour the challenges it faces as a pioneering media brand. The consumer and future consumers are our number one priority; all industries need consumers, and not all industries face legacy stigma that is often insurmountable.

We will always engage with authenticity and never support anything to the contrary. Let's rally together and help consumers love what we do - authentically.