Above: The promotional video for "The Marijuana Show."
More than 200 ganjapreneurs auditioned for the new web series, "The Marijuana Show," in Denver in late September, and the show's creators–Wendy Robbins and Karen Paull–picked just 22 for callbacks. (Robbins and Paull couldn't yet release the names of the semi-finalists for legal reasons.) Those 22 are tasked with completing a series of challenges set forth by Robbins and Paull; the challenges range from business-related assignments to some more "mental" or "emotional" assignments that might seem tangential, but, according to Robbins and Paull, are significant to the entrepreneurs' development.
"We wanted emotional stuff for the show too. I made millions of dollars and didn't have my emotional stuff taken care of, so I lost balance, and giving people challenges that take them to the next level is as valuable as giving them the financial tasks," Robbins told Cannabis Business Times. "Many got financial challenges, too–get customers, testimonials, etc."
One candidate was asked to create a bucket list and to do everything on it in just one week, including completing a book she had been working on for two decades. "The bucket list was for someone who always sabotages herself–who can't relate? Guess what? In a week, she finished a book that she was writing for 20 years," says Paull."We didn't choose her for the show, but her life is changed, and that is the magic of our show! The mom who couldn't sell on her own now has a team of moms to sell with her, and now she is sold out of products."
Auditioners presented business ideas on all things marijuana-related, including edibles, hemp products, apps, sustainable growing ideas, education, tourism and more.
From the 22 semi-finalists, just six ganjapreneurs will be selected as finalists. The finalists will then participate in an intense three-day business "boot camp," Oct. 9-11, in Denver. After the boot camp, they will pitch to investors, vying to become what the show's creators are calling "the next marijuana millionaire." The winners will receive financing and mentorship.
Season One’s 8 episodes (Robbins and Paull plan to host a new series in each state where marijuana is legalized) will be available to watch in December, via Roku set-top box, Omnivision and web or streaming syndication. The series will follow the finalists from their initial auditions through to the boot camp and their final pitch to investors.
To go along with their mission to help ganjapreneurs and advance the legalized marijuana industry, Robbins and Paull also are launching HigherBank.net, a Kickstarter-type crowdfunding site for cannabis entrepreneurs. According to the press release announcing the launch, "Most traditional banks don’t fund or support entrepreneurs working in cannabis, even in states where recreational or medical use is legal. HigherBank solves that problem. Some of the site’s first users will be callback participants of The Marijuana Show, who are using HigherBank to raise seed money using their influence with social media."
