Book Review: “The Successful Canna-Preneur”

Are you eager to embark on a journey of establishing your own legal cannabis business, yet feel uncertain about where to begin or how to achieve success? Look no further. Acclaimed author JM Balbuena has your back. In her debut book, The Successful Canna-Preneur: The Practical Guide To Thrive In The Legal Cannabis Space, the author shares the knowledge she’s acquired in her decade-long cannabis career and extensive experience building successful cannabis companies. 

Balbuena’s ability to speak about success can’t be underestimated. Born in the Dominican Republic and now residing in San Diego, she owns five thriving cannabis companies: Prime Harvest, a tech-focused cannabis company with a 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility; Jaxx Cannabis Dispensary; Synergy Studios, a cannabis and psychedelics-focused production company; Boycott Shitty Weed, an advocacy-based fashion and lifestyle brand; and Divana Mushrooms, a medicinal mushroom brand. She also co-owns New Jersey-based Palenque Provisions with her family. Furthermore, Balbuena is a medical cannabis patient after suffering a TBI while serving in the military; she credits the plant for saving her life.

“Let’s talk cannabis” is the book’s irresistible opening sentence. With an expert touch, encouraging tone and sharp insights, Balbuena leads the reader through a comprehensive exploration of the legal sector. Each chapter focuses on key subjects needed to build a profitable and compliant cannabis company, from business plans to risk tolerance to funding to licensing and permitting. She even offers up some cannabiz ideas encouraging readers to take their first step on the road to success.

Balbuena wants first-time business owners to think creatively and find solutions while positively impacting the industry. “The life of a successful cannapreneur isn’t easy, but it’s worth it if you do it the right way and for the right reasons,” she writes.

The Successful Canna-Preneur is packed full of resources that’ll help you unlock valuable insights into this ever-changing industry, understand compliance requirements and start building the groundwork of effective long-term strategies. As the world moves towards wider legalization, this book will prove to be a valuable tool, guiding you toward success by encouraging solution-based thinking.

But this is more than just a best-selling business book; the tome also highlights the importance of personal development and self-care, encouraging business leaders to establish boundaries and protect their mental health. Emphasis is also placed on the topic of social equity, with a chapter dedicated to the topic and how cannabis offers an “opportunity to restore communities from the ground up,” Balbuena writes.

Originally published in 2020, Balbuena published a Spanish-language version of the book this past April. She says her motivation for writing it was to provide insights into the cannabis industry from her diverse background as a US Navy veteran, Latina, Black, immigrant, woman and LGBTQ+ individual. She aims to show that there are opportunities within the challenges of the industry and encourage others to see and seize those moments.

The Successful Canna-Preneur is a book you don’t want to miss.

This story was originally published in issue 49 of the print edition of Cannabis Now. Read it now on the Cannabis Now iTunes app.