Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarell Wall.
Jarell, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m from Gary, IN., and went to college in Atlanta, GA where I studied film/television production. I began my career in television where I coincidentally grew my interest in marijuana. My mentors were all casual smokers and introduced me to the culture. After losing a job, I took the opportunity to relocate to Colorado with the goal of getting into the marijuana industry. With my skill set, I was able to score a part-time job at a small dispensary doing marketing; creating magazine ads, assisting with product labeling and social media. I was pretty empowered by the ownership to learn about how the business and industry worked.
During this time the owners allowed the general manager of the shop, a budtender, and myself to try out a product we developed over the summer. We noticed there weren’t many branded pre-roll products on the market, let alone a marijuana blunt style pre-roll. We designed a product with packaging themed as a well-crafted cigar, and named it the “High Class Big Ass Blunt.” It sold well during a couple of limited launches and got the attention of a licensed manufacturer. The talks didn’t pan out, but they gave us the roadmap of how to get our product on the shelves with our own license. From there, the team became partners. We started a crowdsourcing campaign for licensing costs that gained us our angel investor and small business mentor. He coached us through getting a leased location, compliance, construction, and licensing. We started 6 years ago and made it this far. There were many bouts of self-doubt, growing pains, and unexpected growth. I’m fortunate to be here with a great team.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating a business in the marijuana industry has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Getting into an industry so early has a ton of rocky roads. For example, I didn’t know about commercial real estate or leasing. That process took months with a few hired leasing firms that didn’t pan out. After finding a place to lease, finding contractors to build our vision and navigating government departments was really tough. I had a day job and from time to time I’d have to run to the Wellington Building in Denver to put out fires or learn the licensing process.
There are new things daily that pop up, but those rocky experiences have helped tamper expectations and anxieties. I’ve made some great contacts, mentors, and support to help figure things out as they come.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Gentleman Quinns?
Gentleman Quinns is a licensed marijuana product manufacturer, specializing in pre-rolls. We’re known for our flagship product the “High Class Big Ass Blunt.”
Our products are handcrafted completely. We source each flower strain specifically, our wraps are tobacco-free and custom only to us, our products are hand-rolled and our packaging is handcrafted as well. We don’t cut corners. We want to set ourselves apart as a premium product manufacturer akin to fine wine. We also have services to roll other dispensary pre-rolls, get them tested, and back on shelves as new regulations come into fold making it more difficult to do it themselves.
People should know my team started in the marijuana industry and built ourselves from the ground up. We are very intentional in how we present our products and our marketing. People should also know that we work with the state on rules within the industry and we work hard to make sure many voices are heard in those rooms. I’m serious about social equity as there aren’t many licensed owners from my background in Colorado.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can visit our website, GentlemanQuinns.com, or any of our social media channels @gentlemanquinns, to see when we drop new products, and where to buy them. You can also follow us to see the great content we create in-house. Today you can visit our flagship dispensary, Simply Pure, and purchase today. Our products are already packaged for the holiday season, so definitely grab one and let us know what you think!
Contact Info:
- Email: jarell@gentlemanquinns.com
- Website: GentlemanQuinns.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/GentlemanQuinns
- Facebook: Facebook.com/GentlemanQuinns
- Twitter: Twitter.com/GentlemanQuinns
- Youtube: Youtube.com/channel/UCSISNpCJrd9Zip50aUCmb3w
- Other: Linkedin.com/company/gentlemanquinns™
Image Credits
Jarell Wall
