Contrary to what federal law might suggest, being an "early mover" in U.S. cannabis distribution hugely benefited marijuana cultivator and retailer Green Thumb Industries, its founder and Chairman Ben Kovler told CNBC.
"Right now, there is a moat around our business," Kovler, who founded the company in 2014, told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer. "Both in the states and the country, the federal prohibition provides a moat around our business for us to execute."
Read Cannabis Dispensary's June 2018 cover story on Green Thumb Industries
For GTI, that "moat" consists of heavy regulations and limited supply in the states where the company does business. Other executives in the space have spoken to the difficulties inherent in still-stringent U.S. marijuana laws.
GTI currently has cultivation centers in seven states: Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Florida, its newest high-growth market.
Top photo by Melanie Zacek
