This article originally appeared in the February 2017 print edition of Cannabis Business Times. To subscribe, click here.
The term “power couple” is what this issue’s special Guest Interviewer, Eugene Flynn, used to describe Crystal and Kevin Oliver, and it quickly became evident why. Together they operate Washington’s Finest Cannabis, an award-winning, Tier-3 farm in Spokane County. But they are also tireless advocates working to advance cannabis legalization, and protect consumer rights and industry businesses.
Kevin is co-founder and chief strategic officer of Washington's Finest Cannabis, as well as the executive director for the Washington State chapter of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and he sits on the organization’s national board of directors. He provided strategic support for I-502, the citizens' initiative that legalized recreational cannabis in Washington in 2012, making Washington and Colorado the first states to legalize and regulate cannabis statewide.
Crystal is Washington's Finest Cannabis' co-founder and president, and sits on the executive board of the Cannabis Farmers Council. She has represented cannabis farmers' interests as a member of the Washington State Building Code Council’s Cannabis Issues Technical Advisory Group, Spokane Clean Air’s Marijuana Advisory Committee, and Spokane Conservation District’s Voluntary Stewardship Program.
Both have appeared before government agencies, and their efforts have had a significant impact on Washington's cannabis landscape, with Kevin’s efforts with NORML advocating for legalization and cannabis consumers, and Crystal’s efforts resulting in regulatory reform on behalf of cannabis businesses.
In this candid interview, Flynn — a managing member of Stevens County, Wash., Tier 2 producer Canna Herb Farms — talks with the Olivers about their advocacy efforts, lessons learned from the front lines of a brand-new, highly regulated industry, their advice for other cultivation businesses and their struggle for a work-life balance amidst it all.
To read the full article in Cannabis Business Times' February edition, click here.
Photo: Ryan Lindberg
