For years, the United States was viewed as the epicenter of modern cannabis innovation. But as federal reform stalls and domestic markets contract under taxation, fragmentation, and a collapsing supply chain, the global industry has surged forward. Today, the momentum has shifted abroad, from the medical frameworks emerging across South America, to the scientifically driven programs taking shape in Europe, to the rapid expansion of hemp, wellness, and research-focused initiatives throughout Asia.
While American operators fight to maintain ground at home, international markets are advancing with clarity, investment, and long-term strategy. And navigating this new reality requires voices who understand cannabis not just as a U.S. industry, but as a global ecosystem.
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The cannabis leaders on this list are precisely those people. Each has spent more than five years operating in cross-border markets, advising governments, shaping international regulations, building global media platforms, leading multinational business expansions, or pioneering science and consumer education across continents. Their work transcends borders, connecting the Americas with Europe, linking legacy culture to emerging markets, and bridging the gaps between policy, commerce, and community.
In a moment when the future of cannabis is being written abroad, these are the experts most qualified to guide brands, investors, and institutions through the next era of global legalization. They are the power brokers, storytellers, activists, and innovators redefining cannabis on the world stage.
Robert (Bob) Hoban
Robert Hoban is one of the most influential cannabis industry experts in the world, helping facilitate cross-border deals on almost every continent, opening markets, shaping regulatory frameworks, and serving as a longtime industry executive and strategic advisor. A longtime law partner at Clark Hill and founder of the world’s first cannabis-centric law firm, the Hoban Law Group, and his current consulting firm, GPS, he has advised governments, Fortune 500s, and leading cannabis companies on strategy, leadership, structure, international law, trade, and policy.
From 2010 to 2016, Hoban served as one of the first U.S. cannabis policy instructors at the University of Denver, leading international travel courses on the implementation of cannabis regulation abroad, and he is now a faculty member at UNLV’s first-of-its-kind Cannabis Policy Institute. A longtime Forbes contributor, Bob has played a major role in shaping the modern conversation around cannabis. His work has helped harmonize hemp and cannabis rules across North America, Europe, and Latin America, making him one of the key architects of today’s global cannabis economy. He currently serves as an executive and strategic advisor to various companies in the cannabis industry.
Jamie Pearson
Jamie Pearson is an award-winning keynote speaker, writer, accredited investor, board member, and highly respected leader in the cannabis industry. Jamie’s decade of operational success led her to win the International Cannabis Awards 2025 International Woman of the Year, 2024 MJ BizCon Women in Leadership award, to be coined “Wonder Woman” in the 2023 Women of Influence issue of Cannabis Now Magazine, and twice, one of the most influential women in cannabis by High Times (2019 and 2021). She is a successful cannabis and real estate investor with holdings on three continents. She has split her time between the US and the EU for over 25 years.
Jamie founded and leads The New Holland Group (NHG), a global consulting firm serving clients with international business development & strategy, cross-border IP protection, capital raising, and celebrity partnerships. NHG’s clients include governments, global brands, manufacturers, distributors, dispensary chains, MSOs & MCOs (multi-country organizations). She sits on numerous advisory boards, including MJBizCon, Hello Again, 55 Plus CBD, Pharos Premium Beverages, and Unlock Healthcare.
Before NHG, Jamie spent seven years, including three as the President & CEO, of a publicly-held, oft-awarded global brand. She ran global expansion & capital markets and was the face of the brand, catapulting it from a California favorite to a multi-national phenomenon. Upon her exit, the brand was being distributed in 7 US states and nine countries through licensing and distribution deals.
Steve DeAngelo
Steve DeAngelo is widely regarded as one of the most influential living pioneers in the modern cannabis movement, earning the title “father of the legal cannabis industry” from former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Over five decades of relentless activism, entrepreneurship, and public education, he has shaped nearly every dimension of the legal cannabis landscape—from patient access and scientific testing to investment, advocacy, and global culture. Steve specializes in inspiring high-impact keynotes that motivate audiences toward action and unity.
He is best known as a co-founder of Harborside, one of the first model medical dispensaries and a national standard-setter for compassionate access, quality control, and consumer education. Harborside’s groundbreaking practices served more than 300,000 patients and helped define a safe, wellness-centered cannabis experience. Steve also co-founded Steep Hill, the nation’s first commercial cannabis lab, launching the era of scientific testing; The Arcview Group, the first cannabis investment network, which opened the door for hundreds of companies to raise legitimate capital; and the National Cannabis Industries Association, the industry’s first national trade association.
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Today, Steve is the co-founder and Executive Director of the One Plant Alliance, a new advocacy organization dedicated to uniting the currently fragmented cannabis community—licensed, hemp, and legacy—behind a single, common-sense framework for safety, access, and market stability.
From his early years as a teenage Yippie organizer and leader of the Washington, D.C. Smoke-In, to defending Harborside through multiple federal shutdown attempts, Steve has been central to major milestones of reform. He helped pass D.C.’s Initiative 59, helped propel California’s Prop 64 victory, and made the state’s first legal adult-use sale on January 1, 2018.
Author of The Cannabis Manifesto, founder of the Last Prisoner Project, and host of Radio Free Cannabis, Steve continues to champion cannabis as a catalyst for justice, wellness, and global cultural transformation.
Ian Rassman
Ian Rassman – frequently referred to as the unofficial “Mayor of Cannabis” – is a globally connected payments and banking specialist who has become a crucial bridge between cannabis operators and financial systems. A lifelong entrepreneur and patented inventor, he focuses on compliant payment and banking solutions for multiple high-risk industries, with a particular emphasis on cannabis merchants. Rassman leverages more than 15 years of experience in fintech and risk to help retailers, brands, and ancillary businesses access stable financial infrastructure in multiple jurisdictions. A dual-national citizen of Ireland and the US who has traveled to more than 100 countries, he contributes a distinctly global lens to industry challenges.
As a chair and advisor to global industry groups, he plays an active coalition-building role in the international cannabis community—working with regulators, banks, and operators to normalize cannabis commerce, while helping knit together established and emerging cannabis ecosystems across multiple continents through professional networks, cross-border collaboration, and advocacy for transparent, scalable frameworks that can be replicated across state and national borders. His cross-border expertise and active presence at major international cannabis events make him a trusted voice strengthening the financial backbone of the legal cannabis industry worldwide.
Heidi Whitman
UK-based strategist Heidi Whitman is a global connector, deal architect, and ecosystem builder in cannabis, wellness, and veterinary phytopharmaceuticals. As Chairwoman and Co-Founder of EmpowHer Cannabis Society, a women-focused international cannabis association, she leads a rapidly expanding community of 900 active members in over 34 countries, championing female leadership, cross-border collaboration, and patient-centred innovation.
Heidi advises organisations across the UK, EU, and North America on internationalisation, financial architecture, expansion strategy, investor readiness, restructuring, and operational growth. Her work includes supporting companies entering new markets, preparing for M&A, strengthening financial foundations, and navigating the evolving global regulatory landscape.
She is also involved in advancing a first-of-its-kind phytopharmaceutical veterinary pain medication, collaborating with scientific, regulatory, and clinical teams preparing for international market entry.
A trusted industry liaison, Heidi is known for mobilising high-value networks of regulators, investors, clinicians, researchers, legal leaders, and C Suite executives to accelerate commercial opportunities and strengthen global connectivity. Her work blends advocacy, strategic planning, and high-level introductions, positioning her as a key voice shaping cannabis innovation and internationalisation across the UK, EU, and beyond.
Luna Stower
Luna Stower is an award-winning advocate, executive, and internationally recognized brand strategist with 25+ years of experience in the global cannabis and plant medicine ecosystems. One of the most powerful voices in the industry, Luna has helped shape the commercial, cultural, and political trajectory of psychoactive CPG, from the grassroots to the boardroom.
Raised in the Bay Area & Northern California’s Emerald Triangle, her immersion in cultivation and cannabis culture began long before legalization. As employee #1 at both Jetty Extracts and Ispire, she played instrumental roles in their growth from startup to IPO — introducing vaporization tech to global capital markets while innovating terpene preservation and hardware safety standards.
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Globally honored for her leadership, earning “Top Woman in Cannabis” (Green Entrepreneur), “Best Activist” (CA Cannabis Awards), “Best West Coast Advocate” (Women in Cannabis Expo), “Culture Advocate of the Year” (Cannabis Chamber of Commerce), and “Best Global Advocate” (International Cannabis Awards, 2024, 2025). Luna is a certified Ganjier, Trained Global Budtender (Oaksterdam University, cannabis competition judge, (Budist & CA State Fair awards), DEI advocate (on the board of NCIA), and global legalization honoree (CannaPortugal).
Blending business acumen with movement-building, Luna launched and scaled dozens of brands across the Americas and Europe via Luna Stower Marketing Consultancy — advising public & private companies, legacy operators, advocacy coalitions, MSOs, and governments on ethical commercialization, regulatory frameworks, legacy market inclusion, DEI integration, and social justice lobbying. She helps stakeholders scale with integrity, while ensuring the plant’s future honors its roots.
A frequent keynote speaker at top-tier events (MJBizCon, Spannabis, ICBC, Hall of Flowers, Benzinga, MJ Unpacked, Women Grow), Luna has also been featured in Forbes, High Times, Rolling Stone, mg, Cannabis Now, SF Weekly, The Guardian, and two seasons of VICE TV. She’s appeared on The Dime, First Smoke of the Day, James Loud Show, and Apartment 113, discussing policy, user behavior, and the future of psychedelics.
With a Master’s in Teaching and a bilingual credential, Luna brings a justice-driven lens to both classrooms and stages — centering empowerment, cultural preservation, and equitable access.
Mariana Larrea Arias
Mariana Larrea Arias is a leading regulatory and cannabis attorney based in Mexico City with more than 10 years of professional experience at some of the most influential law firms in Mexico. Through MLA Legal & Consulting, she advises domestic and international clients, including national and multinational corporations, institutional investors, and pioneering innovators on Latin America’s evolving cannabis and hemp regulatory frameworks.
Her expertise spans Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Law, Corporate Law, Contracts, and Consumer Protection, with particular depth in navigating licensing, compliance, and strategic market entry across Mexico and emerging Latin American markets. Educated at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with a law degree and diploma in business law, Mariana has established herself as a trusted advisor with her “finger on the pulse” of Mexican cannabis reform, regularly speaking on cross-border opportunities between Latin America, Asia, North America, and Europe.
Her practice delivers comprehensive legal counsel on the analysis and regulation of Cannabis, Alcoholic Beverages, Health Inputs, Food, Health Risks, Establishments, Toxic and Dangerous Substances, and the related Advertisement of such products and services. High-level clients recognize Mariana for her efficiency and effectiveness in delivering results that balance commercial growth with regulatory compliance, social justice considerations, and patient access.
As a thought leader positioning Mexico as a critical node in the global cannabis trade, she is regularly invited to speak at industry events and participate in expert panels, making significant contributions to the legal profession while guiding clients through rapidly changing legal landscapes. Beyond her legal practice, Mariana is the visionary founder of XTIGMA, an innovative hospitality project that bridges her commitment to regulatory excellence with experiential ventures, demonstrating her entrepreneurial leadership and ability to identify emerging market opportunities across multiple industries.
Beau Whitney
Beau Whitney is the chief economist at Portland, Oregon-based Whitney Economics, a global leader in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data, and economic research. The firm regularly consults with private companies as well as state, national, and international governmental agencies, applying economic principles to create actionable policies and strategies.
Whitney’s research is widely cited in government legislation and in the media, shaping how investors, regulators, policy makers, and operators understand the economics of legal cannabis and hemp worldwide. As such, Beau is considered an authority on cannabis and hemp economics and the supply chain. Whitney Economics does not take a position on the legality of cannabis or on pending legislation.
Cynthia Salarizadeh
Cynthia Salarizadeh is the Founder and CEO of Asha Media Group, an international strategic communications firm powered by proprietary AI-driven PR and marketing technology. A recognized leader in global cannabis and psychedelics, she has spent over a decade shaping industry narratives across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. As one of the first PR and communications specialists to bring her skillset internationally in 2021, her clients span Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, and South Africa.
She launched one of the first cannabis and hemp PR firms in the U.S., Salar Media Group, which was later acquired by KCSA Strategic Communications. Cynthia also co-founded Green Market Report, a cannabis finance news platform acquired by Crain Communications in 2021, and El Planteo, the leading Spanish-language cannabis and psychedelics lifestyle publication based in Argentina. She is also responsible for founding AxisWire, the first press release distribution platform focused solely on cannabis and psychedelics.
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Cynthia has spoken on panels addressing global opportunities in cannabis at SXSW in Austin, Panama, Iceland, and all the way to the WEF in Davos, Switzerland. Her work has been published on CNBC, Forbes, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Benzinga, and High Times. She has sat on the Forbes Communications Council, Newsweek Expert Forum, and currently sits on the Rolling Stone Culture Council.
Cynthia has been named one of Forbes’ 15 Most Powerful and Innovative Women in Cannabis, Benzinga’s Women to Watch Internationally, and High Times’ 20 Most Influential Women in Cannabis. In addition to her PR, media, and communications contributions to cannabis, she is also one of the founders of the first legal infused beverages on the market, House of Saka in Napa Valley, as well as co-founded Herbacée, which recently merged with Snoop Dogg’s Iconic Tonics.
Javier Hasse
Javier Hasse is one of the most internationally visible journalists covering cannabis, hemp, CBD, and psychedelics. He is the Editor-in-Chief of High Times Magazine, and a Senior Contributor at Forbes, as well as CEO and co-founder of El Planteo, a leading Spanish-language cannabis and psychedelics media platform. Hasse is also co-founder of IgniteIt Inc., a new media and events company built by the former Benzinga Cannabis team, helping connect English- and Spanish-speaking markets across the Americas and Europe.
Author of the books Start Your Own Cannabis Business and A Guide to Medical Cannabis: Your Roadmap to Understanding and Using Cannabis and CBD for Health, Hasse reaches global readers through mainstream publishing channels. After spending more than a decade helping build Benzinga’s cannabis division from the ground up as its Head of Content, he was named Cannabis Journalist of the Year at the Emjays International Cannabis Awards in 2024. His reporting, events, and investor-focused content help shape how international capital, policymakers, and consumers understand the plant, positioning him as a key storyteller of the global cannabis and psychedelics economy.
Chris Day
Chris Day is co-founder of the Global Cannabis Network Collective (GCNC), an elite multi-national network for C-suite cannabis leaders. With a background in media, PR, and impact-driven storytelling, combined with multinational M&A and investments, he has built the GCNC to include active members in 25 countries.
Chris specializes in building cross-border partnerships and helping companies scale into emerging markets from Europe and Latin America to Africa and Asia. He is widely regarded as a leading expert in global collaboration and trend identification in cannabis, curating high-level delegations, market-entry strategies, and trade missions that connect operators, investors, and policymakers across jurisdictions. He has been invited to speak on cannabis and hemp policy for industry events and governments across four continents.
Chris resides predominantly in Mexico with extensive time abroad in Europe, Latin America, and other emerging markets. In addition to his work with the GCNC, he has also won AMA Gold Awards for his work in advertising in and outside of the cannabis industry, 2x Folio Digital Momentum Award winner for campaigns launched for MJBizDaily, and recognized at TSE’s Fastest 50 awards for work done at MJBizCon three years in a row to achieve the fastest growing trade show in the nation. Chris is dedicated to helping businesses achieve sustainable and profitable growth throughout the cannabis industry ecosystem.
Angela Pih
Angela Pih, a multi-hyphenate, 3X CLIO award winner, is a global brand architect who has helped define the strategic and brand language of modern cannabis. She built her career on global CPG brands at P&G, J&J, and Colgate, spanning North America, Asia, and the U.K. A multi-lingual “global citizen” with multiple citizenships and experience in 42 countries, she previously led marketing for major international companies in beauty, fashion, and luxury lifestyle brands before entering cannabis as CMO of Papa & Barkley.
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Angela is adept in brand, DTC, and retail marketing. As the former Global Chief Brand Officer at CCELL, she elevated one of the world’s leading vape hardware brands, overseeing its global marketing and positioning between Eastern and Western markets. Through her consultancy POINT BRAND and frequent media appearances, Pih helps cannabis and ancillary companies build globally resonant identities while staying true to its home market roots.
Shawna Seldon McGregor
Shawna Seldon McGregor is the Founder & CEO of Maverick Public Relations. She is recognized as one of the most powerful voices on the global cannabis circuit, backed by nearly three decades of shaping communications in highly regulated industries. As founder of Maverick Public Relations, her agency represents companies headquartered across Europe with operations spanning North America, LATAM, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Leveraging an international regulatory foundation, Shawna entered the cannabis and hemp industry in 2014. As the global cannabis industry entered its acceleration phase in 2020, she helped guide top U.S. brands as they expanded into Europe, South America, and Asia.
Prior to establishing Maverick PR in 2018, Shawna spent two decades representing global agribusiness and other regulated industries. Her work included leading policy-aligned public relations campaigns supporting client entry into the EU—where novel foods and ingredients face strict scrutiny—and expanding market influence across Asia. She began her career in a global agency’s healthcare division, representing major pharmaceutical clients.
A journalist at heart, Shawna travels internationally covering cannabis and hemp—from Iceland to Jamaica—and will appear at major European global conferences throughout 2026. Maverick PR is a proud member of GCNC, the elite network driving international cannabis collaboration.
Dustin Hoxworth
Dustin Hoxworth is the founder and creative force behind Fat Nugs Magazine, an independent global cannabis media platform that blends art, journalism, and culture with authenticity that’s reshaping how the plant and its people are represented worldwide.
Under his leadership, FNM has grown into a respected print and digital publication with contributors across the globe, and physical magazines circulating in countries such as Canada, Germany, Spain, and others. Dustin has taken FNM to countries like Jamaica to help create the first-ever Orange Hill Ganja Cup and to Iceland to work with local leaders on education and normalization efforts, expanding the publication’s international reach and cultural impact.
As a connector and storyteller, he amplifies growers, makers, artists, patients, and advocates who are often overlooked. His background in music, photography, and visual storytelling shapes a creative identity for FNM that resonates across borders and cultures. Through advocacy for small craft cannabis, plant medicine, independent creators, and truthful representation, Dustin has emerged as one of the most influential and respected voices in global cannabis today.
Simón Pablo Espinosa
Simón Espinosa is the co-founder and CEO of En Volá, the largest Spanish-language cannabis media platform in the world, reaching millions of viewers across Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. Recognized by Forbes for helping build one of the biggest cannabis content ecosystems globally, he has become a leading voice in cannabis education, culture, and public communication.
In 2024, Simón represented Latin America at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, highlighting the role of civil society in responsible cannabis discourse. He also directs the documentary series Very Happy, including the upcoming international project “Cannabis at the End of the World,” further positioning En Volá as a global reference point in the emerging cannabis industry.
Þórunn Þór Jónsdóttir (Tóta)
Þórunn Þór Jónsdóttir (Tóta) is one of Iceland’s most influential cannabis and hemp leaders and a rising global voice for regenerative, plant-based futures. As Co-Founder of the Icelandic Hemp Association and creator of Hemp for the Future, she has built Iceland’s most important international platform for cannabis policy, science, and sustainability.
Her annual conference brings together world-leading scientists, activists, investors, medical professionals, and policymakers from Europe, North America, and beyond. Under her leadership, the event has become a meeting point for conversations on climate action, patient rights, rural development, regenerative agriculture, and the role of cannabis in a healthier society.
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For over a decade, Tóta has supported patients living with chronic and life-altering conditions, advocating for compassionate access to natural medicine. She has also led hands-on research in hemp cultivation in Iceland, documented in the film The Green Revolution, and continues to push for evidence-based policy reform that reflects both human rights and environmental responsibility.
Through her work, Tóta demonstrates how even small nations can take bold steps toward green innovation—and how cannabis can be a bridge between nature, community, and a more sustainable future.
Alex Rogers
Alex Rogers is a visionary entrepreneur, political activist and the founder of several influential cannabis businesses over the past 30 years.
He is the mastermind behind the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), the first and largest international business conference producing events across multiple continents. He is renowned worldwide for connecting elite industry leaders and also serves as the CEO of the members-only Talman House, created to connect entrepreneurs seeking capital with investors ready to deploy capital in Europe’s emerging industry. Alex Rogers also played a crucial role in professionalizing and mainstreaming the United States’ cannabis industry by founding one of the most popular medical cannabis clinics, which became the first to advertise medical cannabis on network television. A Magna Cum Laude graduate in Political Science, Rogers’ passion is leveraging his influence to shape cannabis policy globally.
Alex has successfully advocated for progressive cannabis reform on the global stage, including in California, Oregon, Germany and Slovenia. His foundational work with legendary pioneer Jack Herer and his incredible influence globally have cemented Rogers’ legacy as both a successful international cannabis entrepreneur and a global policy influencer.
Ronit Pinto
Ronit Pinto is the award-winning founder, publisher, and cultural architect of Honeysuckle Media, one of the most influential global platforms at the intersection of plant culture, lifestyle, and creative innovation. Known for her visionary storytelling and immersive experiential activations, she has transformed Honeysuckle from an indie publication into a globally distributed, culture-defining magazine with a presence across the U.S. and Europe.
Pinto’s leadership has positioned Honeysuckle as a premier media partner for major international events — including MJBizCon, The Emjays, ICBC Berlin, and more — while her Clio-winning creative studio produces cinematic campaigns and brand experiences for top innovators worldwide.
With roots spanning New York, Detroit, Tel Aviv, and Europe, Pinto is recognized as a powerful connector and cultural strategist, amplifying global voices and shaping the narrative of modern plant-based and creative industries. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential creative leaders on today’s international cannabis and culture circuit.
Rosie Mattio
Rosie Mattio is founder and CEO of MATTIO Communications, widely recognized as North America’s leading cannabis PR firm with clients across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. She began as a one-woman agency and built a powerhouse operation with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, helping normalize cannabis in mainstream business and lifestyle media.
Mattio has been instrumental in turning cannabis founders and brands into global stories, orchestrating campaigns that span cookbooks, CPG launches, and capital markets narratives. Her work has helped reposition cannabis from counterculture to boardroom worldwide. Representing some of the leading medical cannabis producers throughout Europe, Rosie and her team have taken their experience in mainstreaming cannabis within North America to their European clients and beyond.
James Loud
James Loud is an award-winning breeder and the founder of James Loud Genetics, a globally recognized seed and genetics company based in California. James entered the industry after working professionally as a chef. With more than two decades of work in breeding, cultivation, and genetic preservation, he has built one of the most diverse and rigorously documented libraries in the scene. Loud is known for notable selections such as Chocolate Runtz, Dripz, Loud Scout, Loud Berry, and Platinum Cookies. With ongoing work focused on specific-use cultivars, he continues to be one of the top white-label and bulk seed providers in the world, supplying both large commercial operations and specialized producers.
Loud is the recipient of multiple High Times International Cannabis Cup awards and was inducted into the High Times Hall of Fame in 2014 for his contributions to breeding and genetic integrity. He consults globally for commercial cultivation groups and large-scale operators, providing expertise in germplasm management and clean plant programs. He is the author of Breeding Cannabis by James Loud, a college-level textbook on applied breeding, covering trait selection, genetic preservation, and modern commercial breeding methodology.
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As an instructor at Oaksterdam University, James teaches courses including Introduction to Horticulture and a Breeding Certificate Program, helping shape the next generation of cultivators and cannabis geneticists. In addition to teaching, he writes for several industry publications, including High Times Magazine, contributing scientific, historical, and genetics-focused articles that advocate for higher global standards.
James is also the host of the James Loud Podcast and the Loud Times Review Show, winner of Podcast of the Year at the 2024 International Cannabis Awards in Barcelona. Through media, education, and international research collaborations, he continues to advance transparency, cultivar authenticity, and scientific rigor across global markets.
Eugenio García
Eugenio García is founder and publisher of Cannabis Now, one of the most widely distributed global cannabis media brands, and Hemp Magazine. An award-winning media entrepreneur and international speaker, he helped make Cannabis Now the first cannabis magazine sold on iTunes and one of the few carried by major retailers like Barnes & Noble, bringing sophisticated cannabis journalism to mainstream audiences worldwide.
Garcia’s work spans print, digital, broadcast, and live events, and he frequently interviews global leaders in seeds, technology, and policy. As an advocate and storyteller, he plays a key role in shaping how the international public understands legalization, culture, and the business of cannabis.
As some of the global cannabis and psychedelics industries accelerate beyond the U.S., the leaders featured on this list represent a rare and invaluable resource: each has been working across international markets for at least five years, navigating regulatory frameworks, cultural landscapes, and commercial realities that extend far beyond any single country’s borders. Their experience spans Latin America, Europe, Asia, and emerging African markets, regions that are rapidly shaping the next era of global policy, investment, and consumer behavior.
For operators seeking to scale, expand into new jurisdictions, or future-proof their strategies, partnering with professionals who understand the nuances of cross-border compliance, international supply chains, localized storytelling, and global brand development is no longer optional; it’s essential. These are the individuals who have built ecosystems, opened markets, influenced policy, and connected regional industries into a unified global movement.
Choosing the right partner can determine whether a project merely launches or truly succeeds. This list serves as a guidepost for operators ready to grow beyond their borders and align with the leaders shaping cannabis and psychedelics on a worldwide stage.
*This article was submitted by an unpaid guest contributor. The opinions or statements within do not necessarily reflect those of GreenState or HNP. The author is solely responsible for the content.